Sunflowers and Moonmonsters
Quote from Adriana on June 25, 2023, 11:22 amI brought the handset down on the hook probably a little harder than it deserved and shot a look towards the sky.
"Stop looking at us, you're disrespectful and you're getting on my nerves. You big, dumb rock. You ever take vacation? You should." I stood up with a groan and glared up at that round, white orb glaring back down on me.
"Moons always full anyway, just can't see it all the time, stupid lycan... whatever they call it. Makes no sense."
I unhooked the gate to the goats and stepped in to feed and inspect them.
"Not even werewolves, I'm some kinda ugly were-dog.. probly some stupid looking were-chihuahua out there waitin' to bite my ankles. My luck, Mercy's a were-steroid-mastiff. Hey, don't even think 'bout headbutting me pal, I will make you into a taco. Mmhm.. thought so. Don't give me that look with your weird little minus shaped eyeballs."
By the time I was done a couple of hours later, the goats had all sorts of pretty nicknames, the sun was going down, I stank to high heavens of goat and sweat and needed a shower, and hadn't heard from my charge.. I came inside and went to her room.
I brought the handset down on the hook probably a little harder than it deserved and shot a look towards the sky.
"Stop looking at us, you're disrespectful and you're getting on my nerves. You big, dumb rock. You ever take vacation? You should." I stood up with a groan and glared up at that round, white orb glaring back down on me.
"Moons always full anyway, just can't see it all the time, stupid lycan... whatever they call it. Makes no sense."
I unhooked the gate to the goats and stepped in to feed and inspect them.
"Not even werewolves, I'm some kinda ugly were-dog.. probly some stupid looking were-chihuahua out there waitin' to bite my ankles. My luck, Mercy's a were-steroid-mastiff. Hey, don't even think 'bout headbutting me pal, I will make you into a taco. Mmhm.. thought so. Don't give me that look with your weird little minus shaped eyeballs."
By the time I was done a couple of hours later, the goats had all sorts of pretty nicknames, the sun was going down, I stank to high heavens of goat and sweat and needed a shower, and hadn't heard from my charge.. I came inside and went to her room.
Quote from Mae on June 27, 2023, 11:22 amMercy was found lying on the bed. Charlie was sleeping. She was gently combing his hair with her fingers, and seemed lost in thought when Robin came in.
Mercy was found lying on the bed. Charlie was sleeping. She was gently combing his hair with her fingers, and seemed lost in thought when Robin came in.
Quote from Adriana on July 2, 2023, 3:50 pmSome moments needn't be interrupted. Standing only in the threshold of the doorway, I moved past it to get showered...
Some moments needn't be interrupted. Standing only in the threshold of the doorway, I moved past it to get showered...
Quote from Adriana on July 2, 2023, 3:55 pmIt was a Tuesday.
It was the 16th.
It was a full moon.
I'd been working to get Momma's strength back up, physically. Not a lot I could do for the mind. I never called anyone else - I didn't know who to go to. We were gonna have to figure this out on our own.
Breakfast today was pancakes and bacon. I made up a smiley face one for Charlie.
I got the table set, let them know breakfast was ready, and poured my coffee, sitting at the table and staring into the black drink. My head pounded. I wasn’t about to complain. There was always something worse. I rubbed my temples and stretched my neck by dropping it low, glancing around the room from under my arm.
There were papers strewn across the coffee table. I didn't have any children's books, so we'd been making up our own stories. Or at least, I'd been making up stories and reading them to Charlie, and gauging his interest on his expressions. I was definitely no artist; I settled for stick figures and occasionally ventured to draw something else. I took it from Charlie's looks that he wasn't impressed either.
He didn't speak, or at least I hadn't heard him speak, but he was wildly expressive.
I'd also put down ABC's and numbers on the pages - probably well below his level, but it didn't hurt to revisit them, just in case. I did everything I could to see him keep grinning. We'd made pillow forts and dining room table forts and a fort that covered the entire kitchen from counter to counter, with sheets pinned down by mixing bowls and utensils. I asked for his help with the goats and hanging laundry out to dry on the line. We planted flower packets around the border of the house. They were old, but we'd get em to grow anyway.
He loved his Momma deeply, and stuck to her like glue as much as he could. Smart kid.
Momma looked tired. Not in the way sleep and food could help much. She was the kind of tired I was. The tired that showed you took a couple wrong turns about ten hundred thousand miles ago, and there was no way to retrace your steps, turn the clock back, and get on the road to "How It Should Have Been". That exit was long gone for both of us. Now we were just looking for that exit that read, "Hope".
It was a Tuesday.
It was the 16th.
It was a full moon.
I'd been working to get Momma's strength back up, physically. Not a lot I could do for the mind. I never called anyone else - I didn't know who to go to. We were gonna have to figure this out on our own.
Breakfast today was pancakes and bacon. I made up a smiley face one for Charlie.
I got the table set, let them know breakfast was ready, and poured my coffee, sitting at the table and staring into the black drink. My head pounded. I wasn’t about to complain. There was always something worse. I rubbed my temples and stretched my neck by dropping it low, glancing around the room from under my arm.
There were papers strewn across the coffee table. I didn't have any children's books, so we'd been making up our own stories. Or at least, I'd been making up stories and reading them to Charlie, and gauging his interest on his expressions. I was definitely no artist; I settled for stick figures and occasionally ventured to draw something else. I took it from Charlie's looks that he wasn't impressed either.
He didn't speak, or at least I hadn't heard him speak, but he was wildly expressive.
I'd also put down ABC's and numbers on the pages - probably well below his level, but it didn't hurt to revisit them, just in case. I did everything I could to see him keep grinning. We'd made pillow forts and dining room table forts and a fort that covered the entire kitchen from counter to counter, with sheets pinned down by mixing bowls and utensils. I asked for his help with the goats and hanging laundry out to dry on the line. We planted flower packets around the border of the house. They were old, but we'd get em to grow anyway.
He loved his Momma deeply, and stuck to her like glue as much as he could. Smart kid.
Momma looked tired. Not in the way sleep and food could help much. She was the kind of tired I was. The tired that showed you took a couple wrong turns about ten hundred thousand miles ago, and there was no way to retrace your steps, turn the clock back, and get on the road to "How It Should Have Been". That exit was long gone for both of us. Now we were just looking for that exit that read, "Hope".
Quote from Mae on July 3, 2023, 8:58 am"They told me that madness drives werewolves to kill their families. Is that true?"
~Mercy stared at her face in the mirror. Her hands were trembling on the edge of the sink.
~
"I didn't think we'd make it off that mountain... When I woke up in the hospital, and saw I'd lost my leg, I thought, 'well Annie, at least you haven't lost Charlie.' For a minute I even thought that we'd get our life back. But then I saw the others... I saw them and I knew. I just knew this wasn't over."
~For the last few days, Mercy found she could concentrate less and less. She tried to be patient, but she was easily upset and irritated over little things. The pain in her bones never went away, in fact, it grew worse. Today, it was like an itching, or a burning, in her marrow.
Mercy flexed her hand over the sink. Immense heat and anger burned in her heart and stomach. She felt sick inside. She looked at the pair of crutches by the sink...
CRASH!
Charlie flinched visibly at the sound. He looked at the bathroom with wide eyes and sank into his turtle neck.
"They told me that madness drives werewolves to kill their families. Is that true?"
~
Mercy stared at her face in the mirror. Her hands were trembling on the edge of the sink.
~
"I didn't think we'd make it off that mountain... When I woke up in the hospital, and saw I'd lost my leg, I thought, 'well Annie, at least you haven't lost Charlie.' For a minute I even thought that we'd get our life back. But then I saw the others... I saw them and I knew. I just knew this wasn't over."
~
For the last few days, Mercy found she could concentrate less and less. She tried to be patient, but she was easily upset and irritated over little things. The pain in her bones never went away, in fact, it grew worse. Today, it was like an itching, or a burning, in her marrow.
Mercy flexed her hand over the sink. Immense heat and anger burned in her heart and stomach. She felt sick inside. She looked at the pair of crutches by the sink...
CRASH!
Charlie flinched visibly at the sound. He looked at the bathroom with wide eyes and sank into his turtle neck.
Quote from Adriana on July 3, 2023, 9:25 amI don’t remember standing up. I do remember telling Charlie to stay right there. I was on the door in a couple of seconds, testing the lock and pushing it open.
Praying Momma didnt fall and bust her head on the toilet, hoping that somehow she hadn’t already turned (that was impossible, right?). Knowing she probably just busted the mirror.
Ready to use myself as a barrier between her and Charlie either way. Hide the blood, hide the angry, hide the beast.
I don’t remember standing up. I do remember telling Charlie to stay right there. I was on the door in a couple of seconds, testing the lock and pushing it open.
Praying Momma didnt fall and bust her head on the toilet, hoping that somehow she hadn’t already turned (that was impossible, right?). Knowing she probably just busted the mirror.
Ready to use myself as a barrier between her and Charlie either way. Hide the blood, hide the angry, hide the beast.
Quote from Mae on July 4, 2023, 8:58 amThe door opened, partially. The mirror wasn't broken. One of Mercy's crutches was in the shower, the other on the floor. The soap rack had fallen. Soap and shampoo bottles were scattered everywhere. Mercy was on the floor behind the door with her knee pressed to her chest and the backs of her hands pressed to her forehead.
"I can't do this!" She said. "I can't think!"
The door opened, partially. The mirror wasn't broken. One of Mercy's crutches was in the shower, the other on the floor. The soap rack had fallen. Soap and shampoo bottles were scattered everywhere. Mercy was on the floor behind the door with her knee pressed to her chest and the backs of her hands pressed to her forehead.
"I can't do this!" She said. "I can't think!"
Quote from Adriana on July 4, 2023, 11:13 am"Yes," I said softly, "yes, you can do it." I spoke no louder than a sigh, with quiet confidence. I wouldn't come to meet her tempest.
"You don't need to think. Let me think for you. Just feel, breathe."
"Yes," I said softly, "yes, you can do it." I spoke no louder than a sigh, with quiet confidence. I wouldn't come to meet her tempest.
"You don't need to think. Let me think for you. Just feel, breathe."
Quote from Mae on July 5, 2023, 9:59 amMercy swore and began to cry.
"I feel so sick!" She said. "This is his fault."
Of all the hateful words in the English language, not a one seemed fully capable of expressing Mercy's feelings for the man she owed so much of her misery; A man with deceit in his heart and blood on his mind, a man who would have her child for his own, a man like Douglas Hampshire. But Mercy did not hold herself blameless, either, and she fell upon cursing herself.
"I didn't want this." She concluded. Then, louder, to the ceiling she cried, "I didn't want this!"
Just then, a gentle knock came on the front door...
Mercy swore and began to cry.
"I feel so sick!" She said. "This is his fault."
Of all the hateful words in the English language, not a one seemed fully capable of expressing Mercy's feelings for the man she owed so much of her misery; A man with deceit in his heart and blood on his mind, a man who would have her child for his own, a man like Douglas Hampshire. But Mercy did not hold herself blameless, either, and she fell upon cursing herself.
"I didn't want this." She concluded. Then, louder, to the ceiling she cried, "I didn't want this!"
Just then, a gentle knock came on the front door...
Quote from Adriana on July 5, 2023, 10:58 amThere were only two ways out of this. One was death, one was through it. The former, I had faith would not come for Mercy, for she had already been spared from death by no small act of fate. The latter would provide an ongoing challenge for years to come, but if Momma would only endure.
I closed the door softly. That I could only take away her burden, I would. In a heartbeat. I rested my arms on my elbows and met Charlie's eyes with a small smile, it's gonna be alright.
Then a knock. The dogs were out front in the goat corral and hadn't alerted. I didn't hear a car drive up. My heart paused, jumped into my throat.
If it were someone with ill intent, they wouldn't have bothered to knock. That was logic. I stopped listening to logic a long time ago and started listening to my gut.
I went to Charlie quiet as a mouse, my eyes trained on that door, and scooped him up, carrying him to the bedroom. I sat him down by the window, put my finger to my lips in a "shhh" gesture. Closing the door behind me, I went back to the front room. How'd they know we were here? Nobody knew about this place, aside from Chapman and Val, and maybe a couple loners from way back when.
I didn't go to the front door. I went out the backdoor. Still silent, I came around the side of the cabin - if it were an enemy, I had a better chance of drawing them away from outside. I peered around the corner of the cabin, then came out from behind it with my arms crossed, eyes fixed on the visitor..
There were only two ways out of this. One was death, one was through it. The former, I had faith would not come for Mercy, for she had already been spared from death by no small act of fate. The latter would provide an ongoing challenge for years to come, but if Momma would only endure.
I closed the door softly. That I could only take away her burden, I would. In a heartbeat. I rested my arms on my elbows and met Charlie's eyes with a small smile, it's gonna be alright.
Then a knock. The dogs were out front in the goat corral and hadn't alerted. I didn't hear a car drive up. My heart paused, jumped into my throat.
If it were someone with ill intent, they wouldn't have bothered to knock. That was logic. I stopped listening to logic a long time ago and started listening to my gut.
I went to Charlie quiet as a mouse, my eyes trained on that door, and scooped him up, carrying him to the bedroom. I sat him down by the window, put my finger to my lips in a "shhh" gesture. Closing the door behind me, I went back to the front room. How'd they know we were here? Nobody knew about this place, aside from Chapman and Val, and maybe a couple loners from way back when.
I didn't go to the front door. I went out the backdoor. Still silent, I came around the side of the cabin - if it were an enemy, I had a better chance of drawing them away from outside. I peered around the corner of the cabin, then came out from behind it with my arms crossed, eyes fixed on the visitor..
