Congratulations!

A Short Story

“Congratulations,” her father said as he stared down at the tightly wrapped bundle in Nina’s arms. His lips were pursed together and he had the look of someone who had eaten something rotten and was regretting the decision as he stood there.

Nina smiled at her baby and placed a finger to one of it’s many mouthes. The baby wouldn’t grow teeth for another couple of weeks so she would have a peaceful breast feeding until then.

Her mother looked down at the squirming beast and placed a handkerchief up to her nose. It admitted a most foul smell and she could barely stand it, even from all the way across the room.

“And the father, dear?” Nina’s mother asked.

Nina looked up and smiled. It was a disturbing smile. A look that was a cross between ‘all hope is lost’ and ‘I don’t need to think on my own anymore’. Well, her father thought, maybe more of a ‘this beast is sucking the life out of me and praise be to the nine Gods I’ll be dead soon’ sort of smile.

“Nathan’s been sacrificed as the old readings say to do,” Nina said through her partially gaped mouth. She was speaking from behind her teeth. The smile never left.

“So sad,” said her mother, “Normally the father gets to live until the baby is born.” She clicked her tongue in disappointment and this caused the baby to reach out from it’s blanket and stretch. The lights exploded. A nurse quickly came into the room and swept up the glass. It was like nothing happened.

“Have we settled on a name?” Asked Nina’s father.

Nina continued to smile and speak from behind her teeth, “Nothing yet, Daddy.”

Her father puffed up his chest and nodded, “Well, in my family, we always name the boys after their grandfathers. Keeps the family name going.”

“That’s a good idea!” Said Nina’s mother, “Who is the child’s grandfather?”

Nina spoke the name.

Her mother’s ears bled and she passed out onto the floor. Her father had a nose bleed, and outside the door the nurse who swept the glass died.

“That’s a strong name,” Nina’s father yelled. He was hard of hearing now. There was buzzing in the room, like a thousand locust had found them.

Nina’s mother got up to her feet. She was dizzy, but fine. She expected as much to happen. She smiled at her daughter. She was so proud to have her child chosen to bare the new overlord. She’d raise the child until it sucked her soul dry and left her as nothing but an empty husk. Her daughter would be immortalized. Nina’s mother wiped a tear of blood from her eyes.

“You look radiant, my sweet girl, simply radiant,” Nina’s father said.

Nina continued to smile. Her pupils had constricted so tight, that all you could see was the green of her iris. It was a very beautiful color.

“Well,” started Nina’s mother, “We’ll leave you and the child to get acquainted. Sing it a lullaby dear. They love those.”

Nina’s mother kissed her on the head and then patted the child lightly on it’s scaled cheek. Her father simply nodded and remove a cigar from his suit pocket. Her parents waved goodbye and left Nina and her baby alone.

She continued to smile.

The nurses came in to take the baby away for a quick checkup. Nina got out of bed and opened the curtains to look outside. As usual the weather was nice. Hell fire in the sky and a black fog that encased the ground of the city.

She sighed.

The nurses returned minutes later with the baby and saw that Nina’s hospital gown was hanging from the open window. They walked over to it and looked down. A nurse clicked her tongue.

“Such a shame. I would kill to have what she had. Her life would have been perfect for as long as she just kept smiling.”

She clicked her tongue again, the baby reached up, and the rest of the lights shattered.