LJ Idol Topic :- Run, don't walk
"Mommy, I got you the bestest present! Come see! Come see!" She couldn't help but smile at the little boy hugging her. She hadn't wanted to love him. He looked so much like HIM. It had been difficult to see past that. Unlike his sire though, he was full of light and air. Thankfully, the man hadn't managed to kill his spirit.
"I need to breathe Jacey."
She only whispered his true name into his ear at night while he slept, and only those nights when HE was away. When he was older, she'd teach him it like she had Jenna, his sister..
"Sorry Mommy." he smiled back at her, and changed his death grip from her waist to her hand.
"Come on!" he tugged impatiently. "It's in my room!"
She nodded and allowed him to drag her through the house, both of them indifferent to the gilded mirrors and expensive paintings that hung in every hallway. Jacey's room, in contrast to the reserved neatness of the rest of the house, screamed a five year old boy lived there. She made a mental note to help him and the housekeeper clean it before He returned from his business trip on Sunday.
There was a large bundle wrapped in plain brown paper on the unmade bed.
"Wait! Wait! I made you a card!" Jacey released her hand and ran to the little desk in far the corner of the room. He handed her a piece of folded paper with 'I ♥ you' written in careful print on the front.
She learned to read and write when her daughter did, and hated learning the skill almost as much as Jenna had.>
Inside was the simple message 'For Marina my pretty mommy."
Her true name gave the images of laughing while dodging killer whales. HE gave her the name "Marina" and told her she would answer to that now.
She shook her head to clear the unwelcome reminder, and caressed the child's soft cheek.
"Thank you Jacey. It's a wonderful card." Another sunshine smile, and he darted towards the bed. He heaved the parcel into his arms and began lugging it towards her.
"It's a little heavy Mommy."
She reached out to help him, and as soon as she touched it, she knew. She dropped to the floor, and with a low moan ripped the clumsy wrapping paper away. Soft fur caressed her skin as she clutched it to her chest, rocking back and forth. She couldn't stop the tears. Dimly, she heard her son babbling about finding a way into a secret room in father's attic before the memory caught her.
She'd been careless, not keeping it near, and the human stole it before she could reach it. It wanted her not for love, but as a prize, a trophy for its ego. It wanted marriage, and she had to submit, enduring all the duties the human gods expected of its females...
At least It didn't take her completely away from the ocean. She got in the habit of raising early to greet the dawn over her home, repeating the names of the sisters and places now barred from her, a litany against the forgetfulness of time. The litany sustained her as her slavery went from weeks, to months and then years. Now...
"Freedom." she whispered. Her magic sang to her, songs of wild open seas and the weightless dance of bodies under water. He wasn't here to stop her.
"Mommy?" the voice was small, frightened. She opened her eyes and looked at the child. Her child. Below, she heard the front door slam open, heralding the girl's return from school.
"Mommy, why are you crying? I'm sorry. Don't you like it? I 'membered you wanted a fur co...."
The gasp from the doorway distracted them both. Jenna slid down to the floor, eyes wide with horror as she looked at skin in her mother's arms. "Jason...what have you done?"
The woman rose carefully from the floor, cradling her sealskin like a newborn. She kissed her son. His eyes grew wide, fear and awe momentarily chasing away tears as he saw the fey joy in her face.
"I love it child." Her throat felt tight. "I love you too. Mommy needs to do something, but I'll return, I promise."
She stepped across to her firstborn, feeling her power grow. "Jenna, he's not old enough to survive changing, but you..."
"I won't leave him!" The scorn in her daughter's eyes cut through her.
"I may never get another chance." She pleaded with her daughter, trying to ignore the whimpers of the little boy behind her. Jenna turned her back on her, and went to comfort her brother.
"Then go!"
The selkie walked slowly out the bedroom. She'd almost reached the front door when she heard her son scream.
"Mommy! No! No!"
She ran the rest of the way to the ocean. It embraced her and the salt from her tears as she began her long journey home.
"I need to breathe Jacey."
She only whispered his true name into his ear at night while he slept, and only those nights when HE was away. When he was older, she'd teach him it like she had Jenna, his sister..
"Sorry Mommy." he smiled back at her, and changed his death grip from her waist to her hand.
"Come on!" he tugged impatiently. "It's in my room!"
She nodded and allowed him to drag her through the house, both of them indifferent to the gilded mirrors and expensive paintings that hung in every hallway. Jacey's room, in contrast to the reserved neatness of the rest of the house, screamed a five year old boy lived there. She made a mental note to help him and the housekeeper clean it before He returned from his business trip on Sunday.
There was a large bundle wrapped in plain brown paper on the unmade bed.
"Wait! Wait! I made you a card!" Jacey released her hand and ran to the little desk in far the corner of the room. He handed her a piece of folded paper with 'I ♥ you' written in careful print on the front.
She learned to read and write when her daughter did, and hated learning the skill almost as much as Jenna had.>
Inside was the simple message 'For Marina my pretty mommy."
Her true name gave the images of laughing while dodging killer whales. HE gave her the name "Marina" and told her she would answer to that now.
She shook her head to clear the unwelcome reminder, and caressed the child's soft cheek.
"Thank you Jacey. It's a wonderful card." Another sunshine smile, and he darted towards the bed. He heaved the parcel into his arms and began lugging it towards her.
"It's a little heavy Mommy."
She reached out to help him, and as soon as she touched it, she knew. She dropped to the floor, and with a low moan ripped the clumsy wrapping paper away. Soft fur caressed her skin as she clutched it to her chest, rocking back and forth. She couldn't stop the tears. Dimly, she heard her son babbling about finding a way into a secret room in father's attic before the memory caught her.
She'd been careless, not keeping it near, and the human stole it before she could reach it. It wanted her not for love, but as a prize, a trophy for its ego. It wanted marriage, and she had to submit, enduring all the duties the human gods expected of its females...
At least It didn't take her completely away from the ocean. She got in the habit of raising early to greet the dawn over her home, repeating the names of the sisters and places now barred from her, a litany against the forgetfulness of time. The litany sustained her as her slavery went from weeks, to months and then years. Now...
"Freedom." she whispered. Her magic sang to her, songs of wild open seas and the weightless dance of bodies under water. He wasn't here to stop her.
"Mommy?" the voice was small, frightened. She opened her eyes and looked at the child. Her child. Below, she heard the front door slam open, heralding the girl's return from school.
"Mommy, why are you crying? I'm sorry. Don't you like it? I 'membered you wanted a fur co...."
The gasp from the doorway distracted them both. Jenna slid down to the floor, eyes wide with horror as she looked at skin in her mother's arms. "Jason...what have you done?"
The woman rose carefully from the floor, cradling her sealskin like a newborn. She kissed her son. His eyes grew wide, fear and awe momentarily chasing away tears as he saw the fey joy in her face.
"I love it child." Her throat felt tight. "I love you too. Mommy needs to do something, but I'll return, I promise."
She stepped across to her firstborn, feeling her power grow. "Jenna, he's not old enough to survive changing, but you..."
"I won't leave him!" The scorn in her daughter's eyes cut through her.
"I may never get another chance." She pleaded with her daughter, trying to ignore the whimpers of the little boy behind her. Jenna turned her back on her, and went to comfort her brother.
"Then go!"
The selkie walked slowly out the bedroom. She'd almost reached the front door when she heard her son scream.
"Mommy! No! No!"
She ran the rest of the way to the ocean. It embraced her and the salt from her tears as she began her long journey home.