[Monster babies are not tasty.]
It was raining. It was a cold, bitter rain that held the very first hints of fall and winter within every chilled drop. The change in temperature was rather nice in comparison to the heat of summer. Niamh was the sort who was more fond of spring than anything. There was nothing quite like watching the snow melt to give way to warm, budding flowers.
She sighed and leaned against the cool pane of glass. She tried to believe she was happy. What more could she want? She had a beautiful home, a loving husband, and a thriving business. She still had her looks about her, and overall she was a very successful woman. Even so, there was still a small, wintry place within her heart that still longed for spring.
She denied it when her husband brought it up, but she knew why that sadness was there. It had never been on of her goals to be a mother. The prospect rarely crossed her mind – at least not until she discovered she was to have a child of her own. She had been overjoyed, filled with a warmth and love she had never known before, but for whatever reason, she wasn't able to carry the babe to term, nor could she conceive again.
The warmth in her heart turned to rain, and the rain to sadness. She had contemplated adopting a child, but her husband was against the idea. Why, she couldn't be certain, since he had been an orphan himself. She heaved another heavy sigh before drawing away from the window. It was getting late, and the chill in the air seemed to seep into her bones. A warm bath and then off to a warm bed was what she needed.
If she had lingered a moment more at the window, she might have seen the creature loping forward, grumbling under its breath.
“Stupid... babies... weigh so much,” grumbled Squidge as he ambled along awkwardly with a basket within his arms that was much to large for someone of his small stature to adequately carry. The bottom of it was coated in mud from when he'd gotten tired and simply dragged it along behind him by one handle.
The child within the basket hiccuped softly. She had been crying for hours on end, and her voice had grown hoarse with all the effort she'd put forth to show her displeasure. She was tired, cold, hungry, and more than a little confused as to what was going on. The occasional shouts and protests by Squidge at her outbursts did little comfort or calm her.
The creature in question continued his grumbling as he paused briefly, comically juggling the basket with one hand as he squinted blearily at a sopping wet piece of paper that had directions on it. Unfortunately, it seemed most of the instructions had bled together from the rain, and he couldn't claim to have the best of eyesight as it was anyway.
“Stupid baby,” it reiterated again before dropping it off on the nearest doorstep. It was close enough to where it ought to be. Who would know or care otherwise if he were a block of two off from where the child was supposedly destined to live.
He haphazardly removed the top of the basket and growled when Miraj began to cry loudly as the rain began to fall upon her. A clap of lightening rumbled through the sky and reverberated through the air, serving to heighten her cries and octave as fear shook through her small form.
She tried to crawl out of the basket, but Squidge shoved her back in with a low growl.
“No baby! You stay in basket!” it demanded in a harsh tone.
Mira batted at the imp's mud covered hands and cried futilely. She didn't like this! She didn't like it one bit.
Between her cries and Squidge's hissing and growling, the two managed to create quite a raucous. The rain and thunder hardly did much to cover up the noise, and it alerted Niamh who had taken a moment to pause within her kitchen to fix herself a hot cup of tea.
A small frown graced her elegant features as she cradled the cup of tea between her hands. What was that noise? She moved towards the window to take a peak outside. For a brief moment a flash of lightening lit up the sky, revealing the strange creature and a basket on her doorstep. Her eyes widened in shock. She typically wasn't one to curse but the only thing that came to mind was – what in HELL is that?!
She darted towards the door and flung it open, hoping to frighten whatever it was off. It seemed to do the trick. Squidge was definitely no where to be found, but instead of looking for the odd looking imp, Niamh found her gaze was transfixed upon a tiny figure huddled in the muddy basket. It was a baby.
Miraj gazed up at her with large, golden eyes. A faint whimper passed through her lips and she reached out towards Niamh with one dirty hand. She needed help. She needed out of the rain. She desperately wanted to be somewhere safe and far, far away from Squidge who did nothing but bite and hiss at her.
Niamh drew in a sharp breath and scooped up the little girl into her arms to try and soothe her quiet hiccups, uncaring of how she was now just as dirty as the child that was desperately clinging to her.
“Shhhh... little one, it's okay. You're alright,” she whispered in a hushed, slightly panicked voice, “I... I'll take care of you.”
She sighed and leaned against the cool pane of glass. She tried to believe she was happy. What more could she want? She had a beautiful home, a loving husband, and a thriving business. She still had her looks about her, and overall she was a very successful woman. Even so, there was still a small, wintry place within her heart that still longed for spring.
She denied it when her husband brought it up, but she knew why that sadness was there. It had never been on of her goals to be a mother. The prospect rarely crossed her mind – at least not until she discovered she was to have a child of her own. She had been overjoyed, filled with a warmth and love she had never known before, but for whatever reason, she wasn't able to carry the babe to term, nor could she conceive again.
The warmth in her heart turned to rain, and the rain to sadness. She had contemplated adopting a child, but her husband was against the idea. Why, she couldn't be certain, since he had been an orphan himself. She heaved another heavy sigh before drawing away from the window. It was getting late, and the chill in the air seemed to seep into her bones. A warm bath and then off to a warm bed was what she needed.
If she had lingered a moment more at the window, she might have seen the creature loping forward, grumbling under its breath.
“Stupid... babies... weigh so much,” grumbled Squidge as he ambled along awkwardly with a basket within his arms that was much to large for someone of his small stature to adequately carry. The bottom of it was coated in mud from when he'd gotten tired and simply dragged it along behind him by one handle.
The child within the basket hiccuped softly. She had been crying for hours on end, and her voice had grown hoarse with all the effort she'd put forth to show her displeasure. She was tired, cold, hungry, and more than a little confused as to what was going on. The occasional shouts and protests by Squidge at her outbursts did little comfort or calm her.
The creature in question continued his grumbling as he paused briefly, comically juggling the basket with one hand as he squinted blearily at a sopping wet piece of paper that had directions on it. Unfortunately, it seemed most of the instructions had bled together from the rain, and he couldn't claim to have the best of eyesight as it was anyway.
“Stupid baby,” it reiterated again before dropping it off on the nearest doorstep. It was close enough to where it ought to be. Who would know or care otherwise if he were a block of two off from where the child was supposedly destined to live.
He haphazardly removed the top of the basket and growled when Miraj began to cry loudly as the rain began to fall upon her. A clap of lightening rumbled through the sky and reverberated through the air, serving to heighten her cries and octave as fear shook through her small form.
She tried to crawl out of the basket, but Squidge shoved her back in with a low growl.
“No baby! You stay in basket!” it demanded in a harsh tone.
Mira batted at the imp's mud covered hands and cried futilely. She didn't like this! She didn't like it one bit.
Between her cries and Squidge's hissing and growling, the two managed to create quite a raucous. The rain and thunder hardly did much to cover up the noise, and it alerted Niamh who had taken a moment to pause within her kitchen to fix herself a hot cup of tea.
A small frown graced her elegant features as she cradled the cup of tea between her hands. What was that noise? She moved towards the window to take a peak outside. For a brief moment a flash of lightening lit up the sky, revealing the strange creature and a basket on her doorstep. Her eyes widened in shock. She typically wasn't one to curse but the only thing that came to mind was – what in HELL is that?!
She darted towards the door and flung it open, hoping to frighten whatever it was off. It seemed to do the trick. Squidge was definitely no where to be found, but instead of looking for the odd looking imp, Niamh found her gaze was transfixed upon a tiny figure huddled in the muddy basket. It was a baby.
Miraj gazed up at her with large, golden eyes. A faint whimper passed through her lips and she reached out towards Niamh with one dirty hand. She needed help. She needed out of the rain. She desperately wanted to be somewhere safe and far, far away from Squidge who did nothing but bite and hiss at her.
Niamh drew in a sharp breath and scooped up the little girl into her arms to try and soothe her quiet hiccups, uncaring of how she was now just as dirty as the child that was desperately clinging to her.
“Shhhh... little one, it's okay. You're alright,” she whispered in a hushed, slightly panicked voice, “I... I'll take care of you.”
