I stumbled, my shoulder colliding my mother’s urn and it tipped over, spilling her ashes across the damp earth. For a moment, the world stood still. The pain was so sharp it stole my breath away.
Watching my mother die full of regrets had been a hellish experience of my life. The grief and hatred inside me were unbearable because I couldn't even save her ashes.
As if the moon goddess was mocking my despair, the sky started raining. I shouted in agony, as I desperately tried to gather with my trembling hands my mother's ashes which turned into a muddy paste.
“No, no!” I sobbed, but it was useless. The rain was washing her away, and I was powerless to stop it.
Winona walked over, her footsteps squelching in the mud. She looked down at me, her lips twisted into a cruel smile. “Ariana, why are you lying in the dirt like a dog over a stranger’s ashes? Enough of this farce.”
Her words were the final blow. Fueled by a surge of fury, I pushed her away. She stumbled, eyes wide in shock, but Scott caught her before she fell.
“Ariana! You almost pushed Winona to the ground!” Scott roared, his fury directed at me. “I’ll teach you a lesson today!”