The Funeral (Patreon)

This has been a long time coming and is a big story thing more than anything else. I have a big giantess follow up planned after this but. . . well my story world had to go through this.

Carien. You were one of my favorite characters to write and you will be missed.

The Funeral.

             Sarah took a deep breath as she walked about the halls of Ashley’s mansion.  She had shrunk back down, but only for the day.  While she was pleased that she could walk around town at her normal, giantess height, there was something that Sarah had to take care of first, something she had been putting off for months.

             Ashely walked up to her in a black dress.  “Are you okay, hun?”

             Sarah wiped away a tear.  “No.  But it will be nice to say a final goodbye, even if I can’t do it in person.” She sighed. Today was the funeral for Carien. It was more a symbolic ceremony than anything else.  The night they had rescued Sarah and Carien had passed away, they had decided to bury Carien in the back of Ashely’s gardens.  Between being on the run and Carien not really having many places to call home, it seemed fitting.  Besides, it gave Sarah a way to be close to Carien.

             Now, though, was a true and final goodbye. Only close friends were expected to come.  Family wasn’t something that Carien had.  Between them kicking her out at a young age and trying to control her life, Sarah knew that if Carien had a say, her family wouldn’t be here.

             But that left the list of people who were coming small. She had expected some people to show up, like Tess and Christen, but oddly enough, they didn’t answer.  Sarah was about to be aggravated when Patrick and a man she hadn’t met before named Landon told her that they all had gone on a trip to California and didn’t know when they would return.

             So, they waited for anyone to arrive.  But as time went on, no one came.  Sarah eventually ended up slamming her hand against a wall and cursing.  “To hell with this.  We are going to honor the best woman in the world even if the world doesn’t give a crap.”

             And that is how Sarah and Ashely ended up where they were now.  Sarah looked at Ashely, sweat dripping down the back of her neck.  Fear and rage swirled in her head.  Part of her wanted to grow back to her giantess height and force the people in the town to listen to what a wonderful person Carien was, and the other was scared to let the last bit of Carien go.

             “You look like you are going to burst apart at the seams. Not happy to be my size again?”

             “It’s not that.” Sarah sighed.  “I am just pissed no one came.  Do they really feel that Carien’s life was. . . was. . .”

             “I am here.  Dex is here.  And more importantly, you are here.” Ashely smiled.  “That is enough.”

             Dex suddenly appeared in the doorway.  “Umm, a young lady is here for Carien’s funeral.”

             Sarah arched an eyebrow.  “Who?”

             “She said her name is Vixen.”

             Sarah’s eyes widened.  “Send her away.  Now!”

             “What is it?” Ashely asked.

             “That is Carien’s sister.  That is the last person on earth Carien would want here.”

             “Oh, I am?” Vixen walked into the room.  “What a nice thing to say.” She crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe.  “Nice place.”

             Sarah gripped her hands into fists, but Ashely stopped her.  “Don’t. This is a day to remember Carien. Not pick fights with her family.”

             Vixen snorted, “So you are the girl Carien was going to marry?  I heard about you from Garry.  Not sure why it was such a big secret.”

             Sarah took a few steps back.  “Yes, I was going to marry your sister.  What the hell do you want here?”

             Vixen sighed.  “I know I caused my sister a lot of trouble, but I never wanted her dead.”

She looked at the ground.  “My parents may not care.  Garry loved Carien to death, but he is halfway across the country. When Maxy found our Carien died. . . he. . . he just asked if he was getting anything.” She sighed.  “But I didn’t want my sister to genuinely be hurt.”

             Sarah sneered.  “Is that why you told her to stop dating women?”  Ashely’s eyes widened.

             “I admit it.  I didn’t always like how my sister acted.” She crossed her arms.  “I honestly thought it was some fad, and she should stop exploring it.”

             “A fad?  You can’t be serious.”

             “I was older than Carien.  I had seen more than she did!” Vixen threw her arms out to the side.  “How could she know things about love that I didn’t?” She took a deep breath.  “It. . . didn’t make sense.” Vixen slid down against the door.

             “Why are you here?”

             “I. . .” Vixen was sobbing now.  “I wanted to say some things to my sister.  I am just so. . . so. . .”

             “I don’t know how I feel about this.  You were really cruel to Carien.”

             Vixen took a deep breath.  “I know.  I don’t have any right to be here.  But please, let me say my peace?”

             Ashely put her hand on Sarah’s shoulder and smiled.  “Come on. Give it a chance.”

             Sarah took a deep breath.  “Fine.  Let’s go.” She narrowed her eyes.  “But if you try and hurt Carien at all, I can grow into a giantess and smush you.  Do you understand me?”

             Vixen’s eyes widened.  “So, it was you.  You were that unconscious lady outside our house about a year ago.”

             “I umm. . . wait I was?” Sarah looked at Ashely.  “I don’t remember any of that.”

             Vixen stood up.  “It’s fine.  Carien lied about the whole thing as she didn’t want us to know she was dating a girl, let alone a giantess.” She sighed. “I guess she would have been afraid of what I would have said, and at the time, she would have had good reason.” Vixen shrugged.  “But whatever.”

             “I think that is enough talking.” Ashely walked ahead of them.  “Let’s go pay our respects to Carien.” They walked into the backyard and out into the garden.  It was a lovely day, and the sun was shining down. Dex waited inside as the three girls walked through the garden toward Carien’s small grave.  “Well, here she is.”

             Vixen looked down at the small marker.  “Why is she buried here and not at a cemetery or at the very least with her family?” Sarah gave Vixen an evil eye.  “Okay, I get the family thing.”

             Ashely took a deep breath.  “Your sister died protecting Sarah, and we couldn’t risk burying her in a cemetery in fear of the people who were chasing us desecrating her grave.” Vixen gasped. “Here she has rested peacefully.”

             “I. . . I don’t understand.” Vixen looked down at the small patch of grass and raised dirt. “Why would she do such a thing?”

             Sarah wiped away a tear.  “Because she was in love.” Vixen looked away.  “You do crazy things when you are in love.” Sarah stepped forward.  “Carien. I have been thinking about what I want to say for a long time, and I have been thinking about what you said to me in your last few moments.” She took a deep breath.  “Trying to honor your wish is the hardest thing for me to do... It is still so hard for me to be strong like you believe I am.  To show the world.” Sarah giggled.  “But apparently I got a group of giantess worshipers now so maybe I am doing something right.”

             “But I do know that you are still one of the best people in the world.  Even if almost no one came here today, you touched many people’s lives.” She gripped her hands into a fist.  “I wouldn’t be the woman I am today without you.  I wouldn’t be standing here today without you in more ways than one.  I don’t just mean the fact you saved me from jail.  You saved me from myself.  From the pits of despair.  From. . . self-loathing.  You helped me see that being a giantess is such a glorious thing even when I was struggling to see it myself.” Sarah wiped away a tear.

             “The world is worse off with you not in it.  I miss you every day.” Sarah knelt down by the grave.  “May you find peace in whatever new life you have found yourself in.” She stood up and backed away, tears filling her eyes.

             After a few moments, Vixen stepped forward.  “Hello, sis.  Long time no see.  I honestly thought this would be the other way around.  You outliving me so you could spit on my grave.” She laughed coldly.  “But I didn’t come here for that.  Did you know I was always jealous of you?  You were so brave.”  Sarah’s eyes widened.  “So willing to be who you are.  Not like me. It’s the trouble when you are one of the older ones in the family.  Your partners are always looking down on you more to act right.”

             “You want to know how I got to be the golden child? I just did what was expected of me. I didn’t do anything I wanted.  You always were rebellious.  Fun loving.  I was such a suck-up.  I hated myself so much that I constantly tried to bring you down.  I eventually believed the lies I made up about you because. . . I didn’t want to lose the lies I had made about myself.  If it was true that you were good for standing on your own two feet, dating a girl giantess, and other things well. . . then I would just have to look in the mirror and. . .” Vixen started to tear up.  “I want you back so I can tell you how much I need you.  Why did you have to go?  Huh?  Why did you have to die on me?”

             Sarah grabbed Vixen and twisted her around into a hug.  “It’s okay.”

             “I needed to tell her I am sorry.”

             “I am sure she knows.”

             “But what if she doesn’t.  What if, in an afterlife, she hates me?  What if she is. . .”

             Sarah put her hand to Vixen’s mouth.  “I knew Carien better than anyone.  If you really wanted to make an honest effort to mend bridges with her, then she would have taken the time.” Vixen wiped away a tear.  “But you shouldn’t have waited until now to express this.  You shouldn’t have done all of those things.”

             “I know.  I just. . . I was weak and a horrible person.”

             “I am not a strong person myself, but you can’t hurt other people to make yourself feel better.”

             “But what am I supposed to do?  Carien is dead?  I can’t change what I did!”

             Sarah took a deep breath.  “Do better with the people who are around now and the people you will meet.  Being nice doesn’t just have to apply to your sister.”

             Vixen nodded her head as she stepped back.  “I guess.” She looked at Sarah.  I am sorry for trying to say you didn’t have a right to marry my sister.  You are a good person.  You would have made a wonderful sister-in-law.” She put her hands in her pockets and began to walk away. “I guess I will see you around.”

             Ashely put her hand on Sarah’s shoulder and smiled. “I wouldn’t say you are weak.  In fact, you seem to be on your way to be giving good advice.”

             “Huh?”

             Ashely winked.  “Oh?  Were you not paying attention?” She giggled. “Darling, I am just proud of you.” She kissed Sarah on the cheek.   “Now, what do you say that we retire, hmm?   I do have a special surprise for you, after all.”