Dancing In The Morgue - Prologue.

Smile

"This life is what you make it. (...) Keep smiling, because life's a beautiful thing and there's so much to smile about."
— Marilyn Monroe

Nana Beth has always loved to hear Emily play the cello. But that day, she just wasn't in the mood. Something was wrong with her. She seemed drowned in apathy, catatonic almost. She was just gazing at the picture of Grandpa, when he was young, like the world had stop spinning for hours.

Emily wondered what would truly happen if the world really stopped spinning, literally.
Why do planets rotate around their own axis? Why do they rotate around the sun? Why do they even exist, to begin with? Her mind was spinning, too. But she couldn't figure out why.

"Nana Beth? Do you want some tea?" she asked, hoping the thought of tea, Nana's favorite thing in the world, would make her suddenly wake up from that mind coma. Nothing happened, though. Grandma Beth just kept staring at her dead husband's picture. "Alright, then..."

Emily sighed. Living with an 86 year-old lady with Alzheimer's wasn't easy. As much as she loved Nana Beth, it was getting really hard to manage. Emily didn't want to leave Nana at some Old Folks' Home, it wasn't the place for her. But taking care of a situation like that by herself, it was leaving Emily with no strength left either in her body and in her soul.

Smile, though your heart is aching
Smile, even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky
You'll get by...
Emily sang.That song has always made her heartache go away, at least for a few minutes.

Nana Beth has always enjoyed her granddaughter's singing voice, but not that day. That day, something was awfully wrong with her.

Emily recalled that day when Nana Beth thought she was her mom.
Nana Beth kept saying YOU WILL NOT MARRY THAT MAN, KATHERYN ELIZABETH! NEVER IN THIS LIFETIME! and repeatedly punched Emily's bedroom door, GET OUT OF THAT BEDROOM AND FACE ME LIKE A WOMAN! YOU WILL NOT MARRY THAT MAN!
And she kept yelling and punching and kicking the door for almost an hour, until she got tired and sat on the stairs.

She assumed Nana was talking about Emily's father, whom Nana has never liked. Nana was determined to end her mom and dad's relationship, but then mom got pregnant and Nana Beth couldn't continue her quest to tear them apart.

Smile, what's the use of crying...
She continued singing. Nana was still looking at the picture, a tear falling from her eye. Could she be having a sane moment?

"Bethy?" she called.

"Nana, I'm Emily, your grand-kid." Emily corrected. Turns out Nana wasn't having a sane moment.

"Bethy? Why did you marry that man?" she asked, crying. "Why couldn't you keep Joe Perry's son? He was so perfect for you. You two could have lived such a happy life together..."

Emily felt sad. If her mom had stayed with Joe Perry's son, Emily wouldn't have been born. It hurt her feelings to think that she was actually a mistake.

"Nana, do you want tea or not?"

"Yes, Bethy, make me some tea, please." Nana said, and continued looking at the picture of Grandpa.

Emily looked at the picture, too. Grandpa was handsome she thought to herself, and then went to the kitchen, to make Nana some tea.

---

This is only the beginning :D