The Narrator:
Chapter 4 = Through the Gates of Thananubis… The Turing Estate, The Palisades in the Sprawling Gardens district of New Alexandria of Earth #8193 in the year 1975 A.D..
The deep dark silence of the night is suddenly shattered by the eruption of blood-curdling screams as Anya jerks awake violently from another horrific nightmare. Tremors surge through the sobbing girl's sweat-drenched body. This has become an all too common occurrence since the death of her parents. Anya's once pleasant dreams are now cursed with violent images, tears and fear. She wakes to find her beloved Emma's arms wrapped warmly around her and her dear friend Oskar standing in the doorway with a tender but concerned smile, with his boyfriend Artair wrapped lovingly around him. Artair kisses the back of Oskar's head before casting an understanding gaze at Anya and nodding.
Artair:
"I'll go make us all some tea."
The Narrator:
Artair pulls away from his golden-haired lover and makes his way towards the kitchen. Oskar nods to his classmate before making his way over and sitting down on the bed next to Emma and the sweat-soaked still sobbing Anya. Emma strokes Anya's hair tenderly as Oskar leans in, embracing them both. Anya buries her crying eyes into Emma's bosom, letting the soothing sound of Emma's heartbeat wash over her.
Oskar Turing:
"Shhh… Shhh… It's okay. It's all going to be okay," [ tender cooing ]
The Narrator:
Oskar, squeezing both his friends a little bit tighter.
Anya Lothrin:
"No… no, it won't. I want my mother and father," cries Anya, trembling violently. "I can't sleep. I close my eyes, their deaths are all I see. I still feel daddy's warm blood on my face like a phantom stain I can't wash off. The sound of the shooting haunts all my silent moments. Most of the time I can't feel anything but this deep aching numbness."
Oskar Turing:
"I know… I know." [ tender cooing ]
Anya Lothrin:
"No, Oskar, you don't. I can't even handle being alone. Every time I am, I can't stop the fear from filling me. I can't focus in class, luckily, Emma has been helping me with my German Studies. Anko has been helping me with my Survivalism and History Studies. Artair's been tutoring me in Alchemy and Herbology, and your help is the only reason I am not failing Maths right now. I can't stand the way everyone in school looks at me anymore. My dysphoria is through the fucking roof. I can't do this anymore… I can't go on like this… I just can't… It's too much… I just can't…"
The Narrator:
Anya breaks down completely into Emma's bare breasts, soaking her with her tears as Artair returns with a tray full of tea for all of them.
Artair:
"Here, it won't change things, but it will help you sleep. You have a hard day tomorrow," [soft insistence]
The Narrator:
Artair hands Anya a nice soothing cup before handing out the rest of the tea. Seeing that Anya's hands are too shaky to drink the tea properly, Emma puts her tea on the bedside table to help Anya drink hers. Oskar pulls away from Emma and Anya so that Artair can climb into his lap. The two unclothed boys hold each other as they drink their tea.
Before she can even finish her cup, Anya passes out in Emma's arms.
Emma:
"What exactly did you put in his tea?" [amused surprise]
Artair:
"Melissa Officinalis extract mixed with a few other powerful 'sleepy time' herbs I keep in my kit. See, there are benefits to dating an apothecary nerd who always comes prepared."
Oskar Turing:
"You're so adorable,"
The Narrator:
Oskar leans in and kisses Artair.
Emma:
"I like him," [ amused approval ]
Emma:
"Thanks for helping our dear Anya,"
The Narrator:
Emma pulls Artair in for a quick but passionate kiss of gratitude.
Artair:
"Don't worry about it… Glad I could help," [ Amused tone ]
The Narrator:
Artair leans back into Oskar's arms, playfully nuzzling Oskar's manhood with his bottom.
Oskar Turing:
"Must you be such a thirsty bitch?"
The Narrator:
Asks the now flustered and aroused Oskar playfully.
Artair:
"Come on, I think our work here is done."
The Narrator:
Artair stands up and pulls Oskar eagerly towards the door.
Emma:
"Be gentle with him, Oskar. He still needs to be able to walk tomorrow." [playful suggestive tone]
The Narrator:
Emma gestures for the two boys to go back to their room before proceeding to lie back down with her best friend, Anya, sleeping peacefully in her arms.
Oskar and Artair spend the next few hours making feverish love until Artair passes out. The blonde gently shifts his body so that his exhausted partner is lying next to him in the bed rather than on him. Oskar's mind races, causing him to toss and turn. He tries to clear his mind and relax to no avail. Unable to sleep, he decides to go to the parlour room down the hall for a little bit of late-night naked drinking.
He pours himself shot after shot, unable to shake the images of Anya passed out in Emma's arms as well as a million other images of affection he has witnessed between them over the years. Every night, these thoughts find him, and in his every silent moment of solitude, they find him and claw at his heart.
Oskar Turing:
But why… Why do these thoughts, these images, these moments bother me so… Why does their closeness and love for each other scratch and snarl at me from the dark places of my mind?
The Narrator:
He downs several more shots until drunken slumber takes him.
The Narrator:
Earth #8193, The Temple of Thananubis, located in the Necropolis District on Neo-Alexandria Island of North Alexandria in the city of New-Alexandria City, 1975 A.D. The day of the funeral is mockingly sunny. It is the type of grand ceremony one would expect for high-level politicians like his parents. However, despite all of the enhanced security and Mr. Turing's assurance for his safety, Anya still feels terrified to be in such a vulnerable location with such a large crowd once more. This is her first major public appearance since her parents' deaths.
Anya Lothrin:
There was security that night, too. What good did it do? My parents and dozens of others were gunned down like animals. What if whoever hired the assassins tries again?
The Narrator:
The only thing keeping her from running screaming out of the event is the powerful circle of love and compassion her friends are forming around her. They all have their jobs; Emma stays close to her, never letting go of her hand as Oskar, Artair and Anko take defensive positions around Anya at all times, constantly providing her with supportive smiles and catering to her shifting needs.
The list of attendees is the typical who's who of T.S.U. Party representatives, Lothrin-Industries employees and board members, representatives from various charities and nonprofits connected to Lothrin-Industries, politicians and activists friendly to her parents and their many works, etc. There are the customary professional mourners who are paid to lament and weep. Many lower-class representatives from the city's various Workers' Unions litter the event in hopes of paying their respects to her parents for at least trying to improve their lives despite the high risk.
The funeral is being held in the Temple of Thananubis. The temple was built in honour of Alexander, son of the most high-god Zeus-Amon-Ra, not long after the founding of the city over 2,000 years ago. The temple stands as a monolithic testament to the Alexandrian fusion of Greek and Egyptian myths and beliefs. The great house of worship was constructed by mixing traditional Greek and Egyptian architecture's grandest elements and ideas using only the finest wood, immaculate marble and polished limestone. The temple is adorned with magnificent artistic displays and depictions painted in bright colours. Every wall and pillar is gilded with radiant gems, glistening precious metals and colourful stained glass.
Anya and her chosen party of friends are guided into a small observation stage just off to the side of the main altar… The Altar of the Supreme Unifier, one of Alexander the Great's many titles passed down through time. The High-Priest of the Temple, garbed in his extravagant ceremonial vestments, takes his place behind the altar to begin the ceremony.
Thananubrian High-Priest:
"The saddest and yet most crucial duty our order has is to conduct the procession of souls from this world into the next. To prepare the bodies of the fallen so that their remains may last in honour and their souls may pass prepared and ready beyond the Sacred Gates of Thananubis. But our duty is not just to the dead. We also bear the responsibility to those the deceased leave behind… a duty to help provide closure, comfort and consolation during the delicate and crucial mourning process. Before we move forward with the Final Anointing, I would like to invite those most cherished by the fallen to come forth and look upon the deceased one last time if they wish."
The Narrator:
Starts the High-Priest as some Thananubrian Pallbearers make their way up the main Procession-Path of the temple.
They come to a stop in front of the altar, where they place down the sarcophagi of Anya's parents. The Pallbearers proceed to remove the lids so that the remains may be looked upon as the High-Priest gestures to Anya and her party to come forth.
Emma and Anko each take one of Anya's hands and guide her forward, closely flanked by Oskar and Artair. Anya looks upon the freshly mummified and prepared bodies of her parents. The bodies are adorned with the proper offerings and ceremonial Death-Garbs chosen based on their deeds, known personalities and occupations in life.
Anya Lothrin:
They look so still… so peaceful.
The Narrator:
A small gentle warmth ignites in the deep, dark numbness of Anya's heart. It's dim, but it's there, emitting a subtle gleam in Anya's eyes. A gleam that does not go unnoticed by Emma.
Emma:
Perhaps after this, she can finally start the real path to healing.
The Narrator:
Anko and Emma help Anya step even closer so that she may place a final kiss on each of her parents' foreheads. The High-Priest looks askance at her briefly.
Anya Lothrin:
"I want them to know they have my love."
The Narrator:
Explains Anya, noticing his expression.
Thananubrian Lower-Priest:
"Normally, the Laying of the Coins is the duty of the eldest son, but as you are their only child, this task falls to you. The coins for the Ferryman,"
The Narrator:
Explains one of the Lower-Priests, stepping forward and presenting Anya with four gold coins. Anya nods as she takes the coins and places one coin on each of her parents' eyes. After the coins are placed, Anya leans in to whisper her final goodbyes.
Anya Lothrin:
"I don't really know what to say right now, what to feel. I'm sorry, I'm so numb. You both taught me so much. Prepared me for all you could, but not this… losing you. I feel so lost… so scared. You both were so strong, and I don't… I don't know how to say goodbye. I love you both… I pray you both find the peace that I no longer can," [heart-broken whispering]
The Narrator:
Whispers Anya in her mother's ear before stepping back into Anko and Emma's loving embrace as she falls into a mess of trembles and tears. Anya nods to Emma, signalling she would like to return to their seats on the Observation Stage so that the funeral can proceed. Anya friends help her back to their seats as the High-Priest nods to the Pallbearers to step back. He turns his attention to the gathering as he descends from his high place behind the altar and approaches the front of the two open sarcophagi.
Thananubrian High-Priest:
"Alexander, Son of Zeus-Amon-Ra, Supreme Unifier of the World, we commend to you the honoured spirits of Edwin Poe and Katrina Lothrin,"
The Narrator:
The High-Priest intones as he pours the Libation of Cheron-Oils over the bodies of Anya's parents.
Thananubrian High-Priest:
"May their journey into the vast beyond be peaceful."
The Narrator:
He continues as he covers them with a second libation of Blessed Red Wine.
Thananubrian High-Priest:
"And may their memory live on in the hearts of those they leave behind. May their deeds continue to bless the world through those whose lives they have touched. May the hearts of these two compassionate and truly dedicated individuals who spent their lives in the service of those less fortunate be found deserving with the balance of a feather upon the cosmic scales of Ma'at."
The Narrator:
Continues the High-Priest as he turns, lighting the sacred incense to lubricate the passage of ascending souls.
Anya tries to follow the usual prayers, but they mean so little to her. The priest talks about how her parents "upheld the laws of gods and men" and "protected the sick, the impoverished, and the supplicant". The words, while all true and kind, don't come close to reflecting who her parents were to her. True, they'd cared for the poor. They'd raised money for hospitals. He wasn't quite sure what "supplicant" meant, but she wouldn't be surprised if they'd tried to help them, too.
Anya Lothrin:
Why isn't the priest saying anything about how they always made time for me, no matter how busy they were? The trips they'd taken with me and the games they'd played with me? The stories they'd read to me and how they always spoke to me so calmly and gently? How they'd always accepted me even as the girl I am inside? The way they always made me feel safe and accepted no matter what that means.
The Narrator:
After the rites were finally finished, the pallbearers close the sarcophagi and led the procession of all those in attendance down the street to the Necro-Spire where her parents were to be entombed. The Thananubrian High-Priest chants his prayers and incantations for the souls of Anya's parents as their Sarcophagi are placed into their burial chamber. Anya wails uncontrollably in Emma and Anko's arms as the Necro-Spire ascends her parents into the heavens.
After the ceremony, Anya and her friends climb back into their A.C.E. (Auto-Chariot Elektron), which takes them to the traditional extravagant post-funeral feast. While they are en route, Artair administers a powerful Anxiolytic Potion of his own design to Anya. The potion, combined with plenty of hugs and kisses, effectively calms Anya's tearful anxiety, allowing her to make it through the following feast without having an even worse public breakdown.
While Anya picks at her food and the feast is drawing to a close, Mr. Turing rises to his feet.
Vincent Turing:
"Edwin and Kat were. They were the best friends anyone could ask for."
The Narrator:
He wipes his eyes slightly.
Vincent Turing:
"I still remember after my father died, and I was a mess. I got lost in my grief, and the company started to suffer, but Edwin and Kat not only loved me through my pain, but they also gave me a substantial loan to help get my company back on track. I remember Kat's recipe for three-layer fig-and-honey cakes. Cakes sweet as her lips… Cakes that I love so much that I made sure that you all got the honour of eating them today."
The Narrator:
He pauses so the other mourners can clap.
Vincent Turing:
"I remember the nights playing bridge, the double dates, and the movie nights. But what I most remember, and cherish, are the memories of watching their daughter Anya and my son Oskar playing together, and that's why my wife and I"
The Narrator:
He nods to Mrs. Turing.
Vincent Turing:
"Have decided to adopt Anya today."
The Narrator:
He ends his words by lifting his glass in honour and respect for his fallen friends. Mrs. Turing stands up and pulls out a document. They gesture for Anya and Oskar to come and join them as they sign it. Once the document is signed, the four of them cling to each other in a brief but sincere, tender embrace.
Oskar half-smiles and half-winces during the hug. These public acts and displays that his parents and others in their social circles often have to do have always somewhat embarrassed him. That night, Anya and her companions returned to the Turing Estate to find a nice pot of freshly made tea that had been prepared ahead of time by Stefania.
The tea was Carthaginian-Blend Sea-Salt Honey flavoured, an acquired taste for sure and Anya's favourite. The group (Artair, Oskar, Emma and Anko) decide to help numb Anya's pain for the night with a passionate evening of skin-to-skin cuddling and kissing with Anya as the centre of focused affection. They all know this time of sheer unadulterated companionship would not last forever, as classes will be resuming soon, and they will have less time than normal to spend together.