After what felt like an eternity, Jacob and Alice wrap their new born baby boy in a soft blanket and lay him down in a bassinet. "He's perfect," she whispers, smiling up at Jacob.
He pulls her close and kisses her forehead. "Let's get you something warm to eat. Maybe something more comfortable to wear. You deserve to be treated like a queen after what you've been through today."
With a nod, she follows, taking one more look back at her new precious bundle before disappearing into the next room of their small home.
Almost as soon as the couple was through the doorway, they hear a loud crash behind them. They quickly turn around and stare at the scene before them in horror. A large, long limbed shadow stands over their child's bed. In a flash, the creature, scoops up the bundle, replaces it with another, and dashes through the window. Their dream to finally have a child, a dream which took years to finally realize, was ripped away from them in less than a second.
Jacob chases after the shadow, hoping to catch it and save his son, while Alice crumples to the ground, sobbing helplessly.
Jacob quickly loses track of the shadow in the darkness outside. Rather than run off into the dense woods on a futile chase, he returns home, feeling defeated. He sits beside Alice. "I'm so sorry," he weeps, burying his face in her dark hair. "I tried. I just couldn't..."
Suddenly, they hear a soft cry from the bassinet. A baby. The two jump to their feet and peer inside, gasping in shock at what they see. The baby inside has red skin, horns, claws, a tail, as if every depiction of a demon they have ever seen leaped off a painting and into their life. Alice turns to Jacob and sobs, ignoring the soft crying of the baby. "What are we to do with this? Why has this happened to us?"
"We could...dis..." Jacob is interrupted by the baby, screaming loudly as if hungry, in pain, or frightened.
Alice holds onto Jacob tightly, almost digging her nails into him. She's angry and sad, yet she still feels a need to act on her maternal instincts. "This creature is still a helpless child" she cries. She goes over to the bassinet and looks down into it. The baby stops crying and stares up at her with large silver grey eyes. He smiles up at her and Alice let's out a pained laugh at the child's joy. With trembling hands, she carefully lifts him up. "There is only one thing to do," she says softly, looking up at Jacob. "We can't abandon him. I hope wherever our child is, he will be cared for. I have to believe he will be loved. We have to do the same for this poor thing. We have to do this for us. Tonight, our life was shattered, but maybe we can try...try to fix this."
Just holding the softly cooing baby close has helped her nerves immensely. Jacob notices as he watches her and the baby interact. "Will you be alright?"
Despite his outward appearance, Garret, Alice and Jacob's new son, is just like any other baby. Alice can't help but fall in love with coos and smiles and in almost no time at all, she seems to forget that his skin is bright red. The couple does their best to live life normally, but they still fear taking him out in public.
When Jacob heads into town for work, Alice's friends ask how she's been doing, how's the baby, when can they visit. He simply rushes past them, saying Alice is well but wants time alone to bond with her child and to not disturb her. Eventually they stop asking, and for a while, the couple can relax, confident no one will drop by for a surprise visit.
But that changes one day.
Alice is home alone with Garret when she hears a knock on the door. Terrified, she rushes over and cracks the door open a bit to peer out. She squints up at a figure in gleaming armor.
"I cannot possibly fit through such a tiny opening in the door," the man says with a laugh.
"Damien!" She rushes through the door and throws her arms around his neck. "It feels like it's been so long since I've seen you!"
"Last time I saw you, you had such a huge belly." He backs up and looks her up and down. "You aren't fat anymore," he laughs.
Alice crosses her arms and frowns.
"Where is my little niece or nephew?"
She suddenly goes pale.
"Did something happen?" he asks fearfully.
"No, well yes...I mean," Alice stammers. She backs up into the house and Damien follows, closing the door behind him.
"What happened. Tell me."
"I-I..."
Alice and Damien were always close growing up. They would tell each other everything. She wants to tell him what happened to her son, about Garret now, but she's afraid his training as a paladin will result in something disastrous.
A squeal from the other room draws their attention and Damien moves to the door.
"Please," Alice begs softly, suddenly feeling faint at the thought of what might happen.
Damien steps into the room and looks down at what appears to be a small demon, playing with blocks on the floor. "Well," he says softly.
Garret looks up at the new, shiny metal person in awe. He's only ever seen his parents. He's silent for a moment then laughs loudly.
"Aren't you the cutest little thing!" Damien exclaims, picking up the child.
Alice sinks into a chair, sighing with relief as Damien carries Garret into the room.
"What's wrong Aly?"
"You're a paladin...I though..."
Damien gasps dramatically, obviously pretending to be offended. "This is my nephew! Please Aly, you know me better than that." He sits beside her and puts an arm around her while holding Garret with the other. "What happened?" he asks quietly, a more serious tone to his voice.
Tears well up in Alice's eyes and she tells him about the night Garret arrived.
After what felt like an eternity, Jacob and Alice wrap their new born baby boy in a soft blanket and lay him down in a bassinet. "He's perfect," she whispers, smiling up at Jacob.
ReplyDeleteHe pulls her close and kisses her forehead. "Let's get you something warm to eat. Maybe something more comfortable to wear. You deserve to be treated like a queen after what you've been through today."
With a nod, she follows, taking one more look back at her new precious bundle before disappearing into the next room of their small home.
Almost as soon as the couple was through the doorway, they hear a loud crash behind them. They quickly turn around and stare at the scene before them in horror. A large, long limbed shadow stands over their child's bed. In a flash, the creature, scoops up the bundle, replaces it with another, and dashes through the window. Their dream to finally have a child, a dream which took years to finally realize, was ripped away from them in less than a second.
ReplyDeleteJacob chases after the shadow, hoping to catch it and save his son, while Alice crumples to the ground, sobbing helplessly.
Jacob quickly loses track of the shadow in the darkness outside. Rather than run off into the dense woods on a futile chase, he returns home, feeling defeated. He sits beside Alice. "I'm so sorry," he weeps, burying his face in her dark hair. "I tried. I just couldn't..."
ReplyDeleteSuddenly, they hear a soft cry from the bassinet. A baby. The two jump to their feet and peer inside, gasping in shock at what they see. The baby inside has red skin, horns, claws, a tail, as if every depiction of a demon they have ever seen leaped off a painting and into their life. Alice turns to Jacob and sobs, ignoring the soft crying of the baby. "What are we to do with this? Why has this happened to us?"
The soft crying of the baby grows louder.
ReplyDelete"We could...dis..." Jacob is interrupted by the baby, screaming loudly as if hungry, in pain, or frightened.
Alice holds onto Jacob tightly, almost digging her nails into him. She's angry and sad, yet she still feels a need to act on her maternal instincts. "This creature is still a helpless child" she cries. She goes over to the bassinet and looks down into it. The baby stops crying and stares up at her with large silver grey eyes. He smiles up at her and Alice let's out a pained laugh at the child's joy. With trembling hands, she carefully lifts him up. "There is only one thing to do," she says softly, looking up at Jacob. "We can't abandon him. I hope wherever our child is, he will be cared for. I have to believe he will be loved. We have to do the same for this poor thing. We have to do this for us. Tonight, our life was shattered, but maybe we can try...try to fix this."
Just holding the softly cooing baby close has helped her nerves immensely. Jacob notices as he watches her and the baby interact. "Will you be alright?"
"I hope so," she says softly.
Despite his outward appearance, Garret, Alice and Jacob's new son, is just like any other baby. Alice can't help but fall in love with coos and smiles and in almost no time at all, she seems to forget that his skin is bright red. The couple does their best to live life normally, but they still fear taking him out in public.
ReplyDeleteWhen Jacob heads into town for work, Alice's friends ask how she's been doing, how's the baby, when can they visit. He simply rushes past them, saying Alice is well but wants time alone to bond with her child and to not disturb her. Eventually they stop asking, and for a while, the couple can relax, confident no one will drop by for a surprise visit.
But that changes one day.
Alice is home alone with Garret when she hears a knock on the door. Terrified, she rushes over and cracks the door open a bit to peer out. She squints up at a figure in gleaming armor.
"I cannot possibly fit through such a tiny opening in the door," the man says with a laugh.
"Damien!" She rushes through the door and throws her arms around his neck. "It feels like it's been so long since I've seen you!"
"Last time I saw you, you had such a huge belly." He backs up and looks her up and down. "You aren't fat anymore," he laughs.
Alice crosses her arms and frowns.
"Where is my little niece or nephew?"
She suddenly goes pale.
"Did something happen?" he asks fearfully.
"No, well yes...I mean," Alice stammers. She backs up into the house and Damien follows, closing the door behind him.
"What happened. Tell me."
"I-I..."
Alice and Damien were always close growing up. They would tell each other everything. She wants to tell him what happened to her son, about Garret now, but she's afraid his training as a paladin will result in something disastrous.
A squeal from the other room draws their attention and Damien moves to the door.
"Please," Alice begs softly, suddenly feeling faint at the thought of what might happen.
Damien steps into the room and looks down at what appears to be a small demon, playing with blocks on the floor. "Well," he says softly.
ReplyDeleteGarret looks up at the new, shiny metal person in awe. He's only ever seen his parents. He's silent for a moment then laughs loudly.
"Aren't you the cutest little thing!" Damien exclaims, picking up the child.
Alice sinks into a chair, sighing with relief as Damien carries Garret into the room.
"What's wrong Aly?"
"You're a paladin...I though..."
Damien gasps dramatically, obviously pretending to be offended. "This is my nephew! Please Aly, you know me better than that." He sits beside her and puts an arm around her while holding Garret with the other. "What happened?" he asks quietly, a more serious tone to his voice.
Tears well up in Alice's eyes and she tells him about the night Garret arrived.