Shadowed Crown

I glanced at her, choosing my words carefully, "Mom, the old family house is in my name. What if I trade it for the orchard? The old house in town is known to be sacred ground. Anyone buried there has been blessed by the Lord."

She did not take the bait, though. "What's yours is what's mine, when I'm gone, will you deny me a place there?"

My eyes were locked in determination. "Without my say-so, no one gets buried. You know the weight I carry around here."

She was ticked off. "When I say it's a no-go, it's a no-go. Your spot's not even worth a dime."

……

Little did she know, long ago, someone had already dangled a million-dollar carrot for a slice of my hilltop, and I had not even blinked.

However, now, I was on a mission to get what I wanted, no matter what cost.

I was out in the garden when I rang Nelson Ellis, the village's wise old man.

"Remember that big shot looking for a final resting place? The one who knows my brother? I've passed the baton to him. Give my bro a call, okay?"

Nelson took a puff of his smoke. "So, after all these years, you're finally taking a swing at your brother?"

"Enough smack. I'll make it worth your while later, as a token of my gratitude."

Our family's prayer hall was strictly guys-only, but I was the only lady for miles who could waltz into any family's sacred space.

All thanks to my lucky streak and my knack for doing the right thing.

Out of nowhere, a few sighs, clear as crystal, filled with woe and agony, reached my ears. I could not help but follow the sound.

Just like that, I found myself at a grave not too far off. The person had been gone for a long while, the ground around it was old, but it showed signs of recent digging.

The source of the sighs was coming from down there.

His voice was so captivating that guided by the moonlight, I started clawing through the dirt without even realizing it.

Soon enough, a young, handsome face appeared, still warm, freshly buried, but breathless.

I caressed his cheek and let out a sigh of my own. "Why didn't anyone give you a proper send-off?"

When young ones pass away too soon, they are dressed in their best outfit, swaddled in a thick blanket, and it was up to soul guides like me to tuck their caskets into the graveyard's embrace, so their souls could set sail for paradise.

He looked like he couldn't catch his breath, and let out another heavy sigh.

I kept digging. To my surprise, he had the face of a boy, yet his frame rose with unexpected height. I could not stand the thought of him resting in a stranger's plot, so I bit my finger and let a drop of blood fall on his forehead.

That's when his eyes flickered open.

……

Thanks to my rescue, he became an infant spirit. He trailed behind me, unseen by the rest.

To my surprise, when he rose to his feet he stood a whole head taller than me.

I just had to ask, "How old are you?"

His eyes were frosty as he replied, "I'll be eighteen in two days."

I let out a sigh of my own, "Even if you're nearly six feet tall, you're still a kid. Whatever, you're with me now."

Before he could shoot back, my mom's call came through.

I braced myself for the onslaught. "Where did you disappear off to? You're supposed to be watching your brother, he's not doing well. Get home. Right now."

My brother sprawled out on the bed, still wrapped like a mummy, while mom sobbed and doused him with holy water.

He twitched and rambled, unstoppable.

When she saw me, mom whipped me with a sprig of rosemary.

The infant spirit, marked by my blood, stepped in front of me like a guardian.

Mom's knees buckled when she realized that not a single drop reached me. She then begged, "Silvia, you've got the power, please help your brother."