Brigit's Flame July 2011 Second entry: Family Secrets
"But why can't I come over?"
"My sister's giving birth soon. It's kind of a... family moment."
"Oh, that's so sweet. I didn't even know she was pregnant."
"It's kind of a secret. The dad is..., well, he's out of town right now."
"I understand. I won't breathe a word to anyone. - Are you sure you don't want any help? I helped my mother birth her two youngest when the mid-wife couldn't make it in time."
"Ali, I don't think it would be a good idea. My family is fairly self..."
"I know, I know, but you never know when an extra pair of hands would be useful."
"Well, I'll check."
Ali waited on the phone, hearing footsteps proceed away from the other end of the line and something that could be voices. Geoff was such a wonderful boy. If she could just prove that she was good with children, it would be one more reason he'd want to be with her and maybe...
"My grandmother has extended an invitation for you to come and join us during this most wonderful event."
"Oh, how delightful. I'll just grab a few things and I should be there in about half an hour."
Ali thought Geoff's voice seemed a little wooden at the end, and he hadn't said his normal sweet goodbyes to her on the phone. Perhaps he'd just been put in his place by the head of the obviously matriarchal family and was still stinging or perhaps his grandmother was standing next to him. She hoped that's all it was. Since she was being invited, she wondered now if he actually wanted her there.
A half hour later, she was being shown in to the front hall of the Greene mansion atop a hill, just north of their small town. Even as a little girl, she had dreamed about seeing the inside of this place, imagining she was a princess looking down from the wonderful mansion upon all her subjects. The reality of the mansion was a far-cry from her fantasies. Although large and impressive looking from the outside, the inside was dark and a bit cold. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all made of stone and although they had electric lights, the lighting did little to brighten or even illuminate the place. An old and very bent man stood at the door, glaring at her balefully with his one good eye.
"Welcome, Miss," he bowed slightly and Ali could hear his joints creak. Even though his tone was polite and courteous, his gaze made her feel anything but welcome. "If you'll just follow me, they're all downstairs in the birthing chamber."
"Goodness. I didn't know labor had started."
"Oh yes, Miss, just after you got off the phone. Little baby must be hungry." He cackled slightly but quickly regained his austere composure.
After two flights of stairs down into what must be the hill itself, Ali caught the sound of an infant crying. The bent man showed her into a large, but still cold room. In the middle of the room was a shrouded bed and somewhere beyond the curtains, the infant cried.
"Hello, dear. You must be Ali." An old but obviously still powerful woman greeted her, seeming to step out of thin air. Ali had not noticed her when she first entered the room.
"Yes ma'am," she exclaimed staring back at the well-dressed woman and finally curtsying after a few seconds, almost forgetting her manners in her surprise.
"I'm Sucuna Greene, Geoff's grandmother. He's told us so much about you. - Baby Jaxom is over on the bed, there. Would you mind looking after him for a few minutes while I go and tend my granddaughter? Feed him, if you'd like." And without waiting for a reply, she swept out of the room.
'Feed him?' Ali thought as she hurried over to the bed and drew back a curtain. 'Surely he would need his mother's milk for that.'
Near the middle of the blood-stained bed lay a squirming cloth bundle and from within that came the cries of the newborn. Carefully, she peeled back the cloth from what she thought would be the baby's face. The abomination that awaited drew a shriek from her lips that rivaled the baby's cries. Instead of a cute, if somewhat squashed little pink human face, a black-scaled goblin grinned toothily at her. She tried to snatch her arm away from the bundle, but baby Jaxom caught her wrist with an over-sized, incredibly strong black-scaled claw. Even as Ali tried to pull away, she pulled the vile creature on top of her where it sank sharp claws into her flesh and needle-like teeth into her forearm. She ran for the door, but she already knew it was locked. She already knew there was no escape for someone who wasn't family.
"My sister's giving birth soon. It's kind of a... family moment."
"Oh, that's so sweet. I didn't even know she was pregnant."
"It's kind of a secret. The dad is..., well, he's out of town right now."
"I understand. I won't breathe a word to anyone. - Are you sure you don't want any help? I helped my mother birth her two youngest when the mid-wife couldn't make it in time."
"Ali, I don't think it would be a good idea. My family is fairly self..."
"I know, I know, but you never know when an extra pair of hands would be useful."
"Well, I'll check."
Ali waited on the phone, hearing footsteps proceed away from the other end of the line and something that could be voices. Geoff was such a wonderful boy. If she could just prove that she was good with children, it would be one more reason he'd want to be with her and maybe...
"My grandmother has extended an invitation for you to come and join us during this most wonderful event."
"Oh, how delightful. I'll just grab a few things and I should be there in about half an hour."
Ali thought Geoff's voice seemed a little wooden at the end, and he hadn't said his normal sweet goodbyes to her on the phone. Perhaps he'd just been put in his place by the head of the obviously matriarchal family and was still stinging or perhaps his grandmother was standing next to him. She hoped that's all it was. Since she was being invited, she wondered now if he actually wanted her there.
A half hour later, she was being shown in to the front hall of the Greene mansion atop a hill, just north of their small town. Even as a little girl, she had dreamed about seeing the inside of this place, imagining she was a princess looking down from the wonderful mansion upon all her subjects. The reality of the mansion was a far-cry from her fantasies. Although large and impressive looking from the outside, the inside was dark and a bit cold. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all made of stone and although they had electric lights, the lighting did little to brighten or even illuminate the place. An old and very bent man stood at the door, glaring at her balefully with his one good eye.
"Welcome, Miss," he bowed slightly and Ali could hear his joints creak. Even though his tone was polite and courteous, his gaze made her feel anything but welcome. "If you'll just follow me, they're all downstairs in the birthing chamber."
"Goodness. I didn't know labor had started."
"Oh yes, Miss, just after you got off the phone. Little baby must be hungry." He cackled slightly but quickly regained his austere composure.
After two flights of stairs down into what must be the hill itself, Ali caught the sound of an infant crying. The bent man showed her into a large, but still cold room. In the middle of the room was a shrouded bed and somewhere beyond the curtains, the infant cried.
"Hello, dear. You must be Ali." An old but obviously still powerful woman greeted her, seeming to step out of thin air. Ali had not noticed her when she first entered the room.
"Yes ma'am," she exclaimed staring back at the well-dressed woman and finally curtsying after a few seconds, almost forgetting her manners in her surprise.
"I'm Sucuna Greene, Geoff's grandmother. He's told us so much about you. - Baby Jaxom is over on the bed, there. Would you mind looking after him for a few minutes while I go and tend my granddaughter? Feed him, if you'd like." And without waiting for a reply, she swept out of the room.
'Feed him?' Ali thought as she hurried over to the bed and drew back a curtain. 'Surely he would need his mother's milk for that.'
Near the middle of the blood-stained bed lay a squirming cloth bundle and from within that came the cries of the newborn. Carefully, she peeled back the cloth from what she thought would be the baby's face. The abomination that awaited drew a shriek from her lips that rivaled the baby's cries. Instead of a cute, if somewhat squashed little pink human face, a black-scaled goblin grinned toothily at her. She tried to snatch her arm away from the bundle, but baby Jaxom caught her wrist with an over-sized, incredibly strong black-scaled claw. Even as Ali tried to pull away, she pulled the vile creature on top of her where it sank sharp claws into her flesh and needle-like teeth into her forearm. She ran for the door, but she already knew it was locked. She already knew there was no escape for someone who wasn't family.