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rainbowfic2016-04-16 07:04 pm
auguris) wrote in rainbowfic2016-04-16 07:04 pm
Dove Grey 11, Blood Red 9
Name: auguris
'verse: The Underground
Story: February 1996
Colors: Dove Grey 11. You do not see the river of mourning because it lacks one tear of your own., Blood Red 9. combat
Supplies and Styles: Canvas, Seed Beads, Acrylic (disaster)
Word Count: 1346
Rating: R for language/gore
Summary: Fate has come to collect.
Notes: Mods, can I get a story tag for The Underground? Thanks!
February 1996
Marisa set Benjamin down in his crib, tucking the baby-blue blanket under his chin. He gazed up at her, his chubby little face solemn. What was going through his head? Jacob swore Benji had said Da-da, but Marisa wondered if it wasn't just baby babble. He must think in images. Like a movie, or maybe a slide show. He understood bedtime now, at least. He clutched his whale plush; Daniela had given it to him at six months, claiming she was much too old for that sort of thing. She was going to be nine soon, after all.
A breeze came in through the window -- no, the window was closed, snow lay heavy the ground. Marisa stood up straight; Benji gave a soft cry. Marisa turned slowly. She had made a deal a year and a half ago; she expected this.
Nothing.
She let her breath out slow. Just a draft. She turned back to Benji, poked his button nose to make him giggle. Once Jacob finished telling the girls their bedtime story, he would come here and spend a good twenty minutes putting Benji to bed. They would head to their shared bedroom and sleep on opposite sides of the bed, turned away from each other. Their marriage marched on, but Jacob had finally admitted what Marisa knew before she'd even met him: they did not love each other. Jacob had loved her for a while, perhaps, but unrequited love couldn't last forever.
Footsteps, quick and quiet but not quiet enough. She turned on her heel, but she remained alone in the room. She crept to the hallway; it sat empty, well-lit from the overhead lights.
She checked her watch; too late to call Barb unless it was an emergency. If her life wasn't payment, it would be someone she cared for, and not her children. Her parents were already gone and Barb was as good as a sister to her. She wanted to check in with the other woman, but what could she do? They lived an hour apart. If something happened she would arrive too late; if nothing did, Barb would be pissed with her for calling so late.
One of the girls shrieked; Marisa made it halfway down the hall before Jacob yelled her name. Daniela and Sophia ran out of the room; Marisa stopped short to keep from knocking them over. "Hide in Benji's room, lock the door!" She moved around them and leapt into their bedroom.
A split second to take it in: Jacob, tall and square and in perfect shape, shoved up against the wall; the attacker towered over Jacob, one huge hand around his neck. She ran forward, but it felt like fighting through molasses -- time hadn't slowed, she was simply... stuck. She struggled against it, willing herself to break through whatever kept her from saving her husband.
The attacker tilted his head slightly, enough for her to see one eye, all black, and his smirk. He placed his free hand against Jacob's chest; Jacob choked, hands scrabbling at the fingers tight on his throat. The man's fingers dug into Jacob, blood oozing and pouring out, ribs cracking. Marisa screamed in fear and fury; Jacob's struggled slowed, his kicks feeble, and the bastard tore out his heart.
Marisa broke through the spell, the invisible molasses, and roared as she attacked. The man absorbed the blow, lifted her by her collar, and tossed her through the bedroom door.
She slammed into the far wall and crashed to the floor. He strode towards her as she sat up, each slow footstep crawling up her spine. She scrambled halfway up by the time he reached her, and he lifted her up, forearm pushing her into the wall. She snarled and struggled, her efforts as useless as a child's. He grinned at her; this close, she could see that his eyes weren't simply black, but a swirl of dark blue and grey and purple, colors ever shifting, like twilight melting into night. His smile was almost kind as he took a bite of Jacob's heart. Blood dripped down his chin.
She couldn't fight him.
"Please don't hurt them," she whispered, the best she could do with the shallow breaths he allowed her.
"My wife," he said, his voice a slow-moving river, quiet but deep, "would never forgive me if I did." He leaned in, pushing air out of her lungs. "I can smell my brother on you."
"What--" she attempted, but it came out as a pathetic wheeze.
"I hate my brother." He put his whole weight against her; she pushed against him, against the wall, anything to give her some room, just a little more air--
CRACK!
The man staggered back, hand to the back of his head. Marisa slid down the wall, gasping. The man examined his bloody hand, then turned down the hallway. Marisa followed his gaze.
Daniela, all four feet of her, stood defiant. She held the gun steady, the gun Marisa and Jacob kept locked up in their room, the .45 Glock that had only ever been fired at the range. Her body rocked with each breath, her chestnut hair in one long braid over her shoulder. Steely blue eyes narrowed at the sonuvabitch that had nearly killed Marisa.
"Little girl," he growled. Daniela fired again, crack! crack! crack!, and he howled in pain and fury. Jacob's heart dropped from his hand. He just about flew towards the stairs, jumped to the bottom floor, then crashed through the locked door going by the sound of splintering wood. Daniela ran after him, stopped halfway down the stairs, just barely in Marisa's sight.
"He's gone," she called, voice steady. She returned to Marisa, knelt slowly, put the gun down between them. "I don't want to hold this anymore," she whispered.
Marisa pulled her daughter to her chest, nearly smothering her in a hug. "You just saved my life. You just saved your Momma's life." Her voice came out ragged and stripped. "Where's your sister?"
"With Benji." Daniela pulled back. "They're hiding in the closet. Just in case."
Marisa pushed whisps of Dani's hair back. Tears slid hot down her own cheeks. "My brave little huntress."
Dani tried a smile. "Why are you crying? It's over." Her eyes went wide. "Is Dad okay?"
"Baby--" but Daniela ran into her room. Marisa pulled herself to her feet and staggered after her daughter. Dani stood still, staring down at Jacob. She mouthed something, touching herself with each word -- right lung, Marisa recognized, then left lung, and Dani pressed her finger against her chest where each part belonged. Heart.
"Daddy," she whispered, falling to his side as Marisa tried to grab her.
Jacob's body lay on its back, his gaping chest staring at her, the empty cavity still oozing blood. She tried to pull Dani to her, still weak from catching her breath, and she realized, this was the payment. Not her own life, not Barb's life, Jacob. She didn't have to watch someone she loved die -- she was fond of him, still, but she would not mourn him as Dani would, as little Sophia would. She would not grow up without a father, as Benji would.
No, but she would have to watch. Daniela's heart shattered in front of her, her tiny brave beautiful huntress, so strong only a minute ago, finally allowing Marisa to hold her, sobbing into her Momma's neck. She pulled Dani into her lap, like when she was a little girl, and rocked her and apologized and held her as tight as she could. Sophia hid in the closet in Benjamin's nursery, heard the gunshots, the screaming, the crying, fearing the worst. She was old enough to miss her father, old enough to know what she had lost. And little baby Benjamin, the boy-child Jacob had so desperately wanted, that Marisa had broken laws of Fate to bring into the world, would never know the father he had been born for.
This was the cost. She had broken her family.
auguris'verse: The Underground
Story: February 1996
Colors: Dove Grey 11. You do not see the river of mourning because it lacks one tear of your own., Blood Red 9. combat
Supplies and Styles: Canvas, Seed Beads, Acrylic (disaster)
Word Count: 1346
Rating: R for language/gore
Summary: Fate has come to collect.
Notes: Mods, can I get a story tag for The Underground? Thanks!
February 1996
Marisa set Benjamin down in his crib, tucking the baby-blue blanket under his chin. He gazed up at her, his chubby little face solemn. What was going through his head? Jacob swore Benji had said Da-da, but Marisa wondered if it wasn't just baby babble. He must think in images. Like a movie, or maybe a slide show. He understood bedtime now, at least. He clutched his whale plush; Daniela had given it to him at six months, claiming she was much too old for that sort of thing. She was going to be nine soon, after all.
A breeze came in through the window -- no, the window was closed, snow lay heavy the ground. Marisa stood up straight; Benji gave a soft cry. Marisa turned slowly. She had made a deal a year and a half ago; she expected this.
Nothing.
She let her breath out slow. Just a draft. She turned back to Benji, poked his button nose to make him giggle. Once Jacob finished telling the girls their bedtime story, he would come here and spend a good twenty minutes putting Benji to bed. They would head to their shared bedroom and sleep on opposite sides of the bed, turned away from each other. Their marriage marched on, but Jacob had finally admitted what Marisa knew before she'd even met him: they did not love each other. Jacob had loved her for a while, perhaps, but unrequited love couldn't last forever.
Footsteps, quick and quiet but not quiet enough. She turned on her heel, but she remained alone in the room. She crept to the hallway; it sat empty, well-lit from the overhead lights.
She checked her watch; too late to call Barb unless it was an emergency. If her life wasn't payment, it would be someone she cared for, and not her children. Her parents were already gone and Barb was as good as a sister to her. She wanted to check in with the other woman, but what could she do? They lived an hour apart. If something happened she would arrive too late; if nothing did, Barb would be pissed with her for calling so late.
One of the girls shrieked; Marisa made it halfway down the hall before Jacob yelled her name. Daniela and Sophia ran out of the room; Marisa stopped short to keep from knocking them over. "Hide in Benji's room, lock the door!" She moved around them and leapt into their bedroom.
A split second to take it in: Jacob, tall and square and in perfect shape, shoved up against the wall; the attacker towered over Jacob, one huge hand around his neck. She ran forward, but it felt like fighting through molasses -- time hadn't slowed, she was simply... stuck. She struggled against it, willing herself to break through whatever kept her from saving her husband.
The attacker tilted his head slightly, enough for her to see one eye, all black, and his smirk. He placed his free hand against Jacob's chest; Jacob choked, hands scrabbling at the fingers tight on his throat. The man's fingers dug into Jacob, blood oozing and pouring out, ribs cracking. Marisa screamed in fear and fury; Jacob's struggled slowed, his kicks feeble, and the bastard tore out his heart.
Marisa broke through the spell, the invisible molasses, and roared as she attacked. The man absorbed the blow, lifted her by her collar, and tossed her through the bedroom door.
She slammed into the far wall and crashed to the floor. He strode towards her as she sat up, each slow footstep crawling up her spine. She scrambled halfway up by the time he reached her, and he lifted her up, forearm pushing her into the wall. She snarled and struggled, her efforts as useless as a child's. He grinned at her; this close, she could see that his eyes weren't simply black, but a swirl of dark blue and grey and purple, colors ever shifting, like twilight melting into night. His smile was almost kind as he took a bite of Jacob's heart. Blood dripped down his chin.
She couldn't fight him.
"Please don't hurt them," she whispered, the best she could do with the shallow breaths he allowed her.
"My wife," he said, his voice a slow-moving river, quiet but deep, "would never forgive me if I did." He leaned in, pushing air out of her lungs. "I can smell my brother on you."
"What--" she attempted, but it came out as a pathetic wheeze.
"I hate my brother." He put his whole weight against her; she pushed against him, against the wall, anything to give her some room, just a little more air--
CRACK!
The man staggered back, hand to the back of his head. Marisa slid down the wall, gasping. The man examined his bloody hand, then turned down the hallway. Marisa followed his gaze.
Daniela, all four feet of her, stood defiant. She held the gun steady, the gun Marisa and Jacob kept locked up in their room, the .45 Glock that had only ever been fired at the range. Her body rocked with each breath, her chestnut hair in one long braid over her shoulder. Steely blue eyes narrowed at the sonuvabitch that had nearly killed Marisa.
"Little girl," he growled. Daniela fired again, crack! crack! crack!, and he howled in pain and fury. Jacob's heart dropped from his hand. He just about flew towards the stairs, jumped to the bottom floor, then crashed through the locked door going by the sound of splintering wood. Daniela ran after him, stopped halfway down the stairs, just barely in Marisa's sight.
"He's gone," she called, voice steady. She returned to Marisa, knelt slowly, put the gun down between them. "I don't want to hold this anymore," she whispered.
Marisa pulled her daughter to her chest, nearly smothering her in a hug. "You just saved my life. You just saved your Momma's life." Her voice came out ragged and stripped. "Where's your sister?"
"With Benji." Daniela pulled back. "They're hiding in the closet. Just in case."
Marisa pushed whisps of Dani's hair back. Tears slid hot down her own cheeks. "My brave little huntress."
Dani tried a smile. "Why are you crying? It's over." Her eyes went wide. "Is Dad okay?"
"Baby--" but Daniela ran into her room. Marisa pulled herself to her feet and staggered after her daughter. Dani stood still, staring down at Jacob. She mouthed something, touching herself with each word -- right lung, Marisa recognized, then left lung, and Dani pressed her finger against her chest where each part belonged. Heart.
"Daddy," she whispered, falling to his side as Marisa tried to grab her.
Jacob's body lay on its back, his gaping chest staring at her, the empty cavity still oozing blood. She tried to pull Dani to her, still weak from catching her breath, and she realized, this was the payment. Not her own life, not Barb's life, Jacob. She didn't have to watch someone she loved die -- she was fond of him, still, but she would not mourn him as Dani would, as little Sophia would. She would not grow up without a father, as Benji would.
No, but she would have to watch. Daniela's heart shattered in front of her, her tiny brave beautiful huntress, so strong only a minute ago, finally allowing Marisa to hold her, sobbing into her Momma's neck. She pulled Dani into her lap, like when she was a little girl, and rocked her and apologized and held her as tight as she could. Sophia hid in the closet in Benjamin's nursery, heard the gunshots, the screaming, the crying, fearing the worst. She was old enough to miss her father, old enough to know what she had lost. And little baby Benjamin, the boy-child Jacob had so desperately wanted, that Marisa had broken laws of Fate to bring into the world, would never know the father he had been born for.
This was the cost. She had broken her family.