Verona’s Gift

Today was finally the day Verona was going to receive the gift. She knew this day was going to come and she had been waiting ever since she was a kid. She had woken up to the sounds of birds singing in the trees and the sun smiling down from above as kind as always. As she got out of bed she looked at herself in the mirror and became resolute. She got dressed and headed out to her awaiting parents. They were always so punctual.

“How do you feel?” Her father questioned

“As good as I can” She replied

Silence dominated the rest of the car ride. He always had a way in Verona’s family. Laying beseech on them as if speaking too much would bring a terrible disaster upon them all. The drive was long and circuitous allowing Verona to doze off in the back seat. She dreamt of the mountains and the sky and as though she were a bird and could fly and dance in it. That all stopped when they arrived. Here it was. The time had come.

Verona woke up and dazedly got out of the car. It wasn’t exactly as she had expected. She’d only ever visited her grandparents’ house one other time and that was when she was so young she couldn’t remember. Just something about someone yelling one thing or another. The wind began to chill as her and her parents started up the long pathway to the house. It was on the edge of the mountainside looking over a stunning lake that reflected the sun as though it were jealous of its light. It wasn’t small, in fact it was rather large and had many blooming trees out in front. Verona’s heart started racing as they inched ever closer. It felt as though they would never make it to the door.

Finally her dad’s fist clenched to knock broke Verona’s deep pensive thoughts. A few more knocks and her grandparents opened the door. They looked down at her with proud faces. Still slightly imagining other things she stepped inside. The furniture beautiful and perfectly organized. All the decorations matched and you could tell the work that was put into it all.

“Come sit just here” said her grandmother, gesturing towards the front room. She wore her silver hair in a tight bun behind her head and smiled kindly. Verona, her mom, and her dad all sat in the comfy sofa chairs, her in the middle of the two. Her grandparents sat across from them.

“Do you think you’re ready for the gift, sweetie?” asked her grandpa. He was a kind-looking man that would make you want to do anything for. She nodded. She was ready. Everyone stood up except her and came closer to her. The smell of cookies wafted in from the kitchen as they her mom and dad kneeled next to her on either side, laying their hands on her arms. Her grandpa nodded to his wife and stepped forward clutching her grandma’s shoulder and looked at Verona. Her grandma came closest and gazed straight into her eyes sternly. Soon enough her eyes glassed over as she set her fingers ever so delicately upon Verona’s forehead and heart.

Slowly Grandma’s eyes started to turn a dark shade and the veins on her arms glowed. A light smoke escaped between her lips as tentacles of a purple energy crawled themselves down her arms. They slowed as they got to her fingertips. That’s when Verona let out a sharp gasp and clutched onto her chair, trying to breathe and not flinch. The tendrils sunk into her where her grandma’s fingers were lying. After what seemed like an eternity her grandma pulled away shut her eyes. Everyone else gazed at the dark black marks left on Verona’s skin where the tendrils seeped in.

It happened. Verona accepted the gift and the gift accepted her. She now had the ancient Gift of Death. And she knew her duty.