01.02.2016
“Their father Henry found them this morning. And will be happy to hear that several of the town’s folk will begin scouring the area soon in search of that beast. I wish to express all our condolences to Henry and Loretta during this tragic time. But also remind them of the Mechanisms which tell us how the world, a beautiful and wondrous home we inhabit, was created through the Cataclysm. We will all be here with them to support them, recognize the grief they hold, and do all we can to show them love and inclusion and opportunity in our small community.”
She set a large yellow lily on top of each boy’s casket. Each wooden coffin had the name carved into the top in large block letters. Henry and Loretta wept in one another’s arms as the elder motioned for a group of men to come and shoulder the first, larger coffin, which was Hunter’s.
They lead their way to the first gravesite, which sat between two large granite stones, and sat the coffin over the opening of the grave, suspended on a rope. Another set of men helped lower the coffin on these ropes into the soil.
The coffin bearers returned for little Dean’s casket, and brought it to the grave as well, this time trailing the parents. They were in their black best and a hood fell over the mother’s solemn features.
Another couple brought the mourning wreaths which they gave to Henry and Loretta. The parents drove the stakes of the wreaths into the soil, and then placed handfuls of earth into each pit. From there, Henry shoveled in more dirt and a few people stepped in from the back to help him fill in the graves. The mourning wreaths would serve as markers, along with the fresh soil, until headstones could be located and carved.
The group made way to the town square and there were long wooden tables topped with a selection of meats, fruits, and early-harvest vegetables. Any beverages were of the sweet kind. Neither parent ate much, but the rest of the group had earned a nice meal for their help with the day. And thanks were given to those who’d cooked the food.
After the lunch, which was quite warm with the sun and cloudless sky, a group gathered with long rifles and bows and arrows. They would start in the meadow and by the chicken coop and fan out to see if they could locate the wolf.
This wolf had sat a few yards into the woods on the edge of the cemetery during the funeral and looked longingly at the prospects for food. As the parents left the graveyard, he cast a nasty glance up at the sun which shown so brightly now and irritated his eyes. From here, the wolf slunk off further into the forest, to rest and avoid the sun until later tonight, when he would prowl the town again. The boys and the hens had filled his belly and grown his length. But he would need more.