[Flashback]Birth and Abandonment

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The westernmost tip of Kalea, Wind Reach is home to an amazing group of people and their giant eagle mounts. [Lore]

[Flashback]Birth and Abandonment

Postby Maya on July 30th, 2010, 1:27 am

Day 23 of Spring of 491 AV


A pregnant woman lies on a bare mattress, stripped of its cloth. Maid-women bustle around her, and a tall man, standing at six feet, holds her right hand, whispering to her. The woman screams in the pains of childbirth, screams bloody murder and screams cries of agonizing pain. The man tightens his grip, feeling her blood rushing through her hand. Suddenly, a woman, about 30, hustles into the room, pushing her way past the busy nurses. She takes the man’s other hand, and whispers in his ear.

“Time to go…” She says, pulling gently.

“W-What? You expect me to- to- to just leave her?” Replied the man, shocked and bewildered.

“You must. This is not a matter for men. Go boil a pot of water, it will do us good.” The man slinks away dejectedly, giving one small squeeze to the woman lying down before letting go of her hand and leaving, to their private kitchen.

The woman approaches the pregnant one, rubbing her arm, trying to bring some sort of comfort. For now, the screams have subsided, but soon they would continue.

“Shh…” Cajoles the woman, whispering. “It will be over soon, and you will have beautiful babies.” The pregnant woman smiles, looking up at the woman, before cringing once more.

“Shh… Breathe… Breathe… In and out… That’s it…” The woman was breathing deeply, her rasping throat audible. She suddenly screams once more, as she pushes, the pain of her birth canal expanding to accommodate the size of the baby’s head. One of the maids lifts the sheet draped over her propped-up legs, and says, “I can see the head! The top of the head!”

“Just a little bit more…” The woman says, gripping the mother’s hand. “A little bit more, and you will bring new life into this world…”

More screams. The head comes out a bit more, the eyes visible now. The screams don’t stop, as the mother pushes with all of her strength. The head comes out, rotating as the shoulders find their way through. The woman lets go of her hand, rushing to the bedpost, placing her hands on the bare mattress to catch the baby. Out comes the baby, falling neatly into her hands. But something is wrong. The Umbilical cord has wrapped itself around the baby’s neck, strangling it, turning its skin an eerie blue. The woman cuts the cord with a dagger she retrieved from her belt, and blinks away a single tear. There was more. Maybe there would be more. There had to be more, there were no single births in Wind Reach.

“Damn you, woman, and push!” She could push no more, strained and exhausted. She stressed her neck forward, trying to see the baby. “Is it… Is it a boy?” She asks, unknowing.

“Yes, it is a boy,” She said, not looking the mother in the eye. “It is a boy… Was a boy…”

“W-… Was?” Asks the mother, her eyes widening. “W-… W-… WAS?” The pain is visible in her eyes, as she screams. “NO!” Her screaming and her rage gave her new strength, and as she pushed, the second baby following smoothly after the first. This one was almost strangled as well, the cord twined around its’ entire body, yet its cries pierced the room, causing everyone to catch their breath. The father peers into the room, carrying a bowl of boiling water. One of the maids sees him, and smiles kindly, instructing him to place the bowl on the table. “What… I heard a scream…” He said, inquiring what happened.

The mother quieted, her breath shallow, her pupils dilated, and her eyes wide open. The size of her stomach lessened considerably, with the release of the two human fetuses within. The older woman quickly cut the umbilical cord of the second child, tying it, and checked the sex of the baby. “A girl,” She said, quietly, looking not at the crying child, but at the dead one laying on the bed next to her. The father’s smile is wide, and he goes to hold the child. Then, he glances down, and sees his lost son. His mouth drops open, his eyes tear. “It’s… It’s dead, isn’t it…” He says, not asking, but stating.

“Yes… You have a daughter,” Said the woman, smiling, “And you had a son… And a wife…” The woman lying on the bed stopped breathing, a slight smile on her face, her eyes closed, and her body still warm. The man, at this revelation, tears up, his cries spilling over his lids, falling on his hands and on his daughter. The daughter cries as well, but for different reasons. The man’s knees cave and he drops to the ground, the baby being caught by the midwife, had her nostrils cleared with a soft cloth, and was handed off to another maid to clean, and to find a wet nurse to breastfeed the child.

“Why…” Whispered the man, to nobody in particular, yet anyone who was listening. “Why did this happen… Inartan women…. They’re supposed to be strong… What does this mean…? Am I cursed?” He looks up to the ceiling, crying. “WHY?” He bellows, tears flowing down his cheeks and off his chin, falling into the heavy carpeting of the room. The midwife puts her hand on his back, consoling him.

“It is not our business to know the will of the Gods, Johnathan. You know that as well as I do.” He sits crying for a few minutes, not taking his face off of the mattress, his tears now sinking into the fabric. Then, suddenly, he stands up. “Where is my daughter?” He asks, looking strongly at the midwife.

“She is being fed. Babies tend to be hungry after birth.”

“I- I know that…” He said, feeling he was being mocked in this time of sorrow. “Take me to her. Now.” She leads him out of the room, and down the stairs, into a living room with a large, extravagant couch. There, a woman, a stranger to him, sits with his daughter pressed to her breast. The child is quiet now, happily suckling away.

“What will you name her?” Asks the midwife, staring fondly at the baby.

“Maya… It was the name we agreed…” He answers, his emotions threatening to cave again.

“A good name. She will do well.”

“Of that I am certain…”
Last edited by Maya on August 18th, 2010, 5:15 pm, edited 2 times in total.
"The intellect of the wise is like glass; it admits the light of heaven and reflects it onto others." ~Augustus Hare
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[Flashback]Birth and Abandonment

Postby Maya on July 30th, 2010, 1:27 am

Day 32 of Summer of 495 AV


A four-year-old Maya plays with a small doll, when a visitor knocks on the door. She runs over and opens it, surprised to see Sheyrd, their neighbor, and her father’s close friend, at the door.

“Shey-red,” She says, smiling and opening the door further, to allow him in.

“Maya, I must speak with your father. Where is he?”

“He’s out at his stall.” Sheyrd turns and runs away, towards where the traders were gathering. Today was Market Day, after all.

“Buh-Bye, Shey-red,” Maya says, knowing he could not hear her. She closes the door with a shove, and goes back to the living room, back to playing with her doll.

Sheyrd, in the meantime, found Johnathans’ stall, and leaned heavily against the table, what few wares were left from the days sails pushed against the sides.

“I must speak with you,” He said. “It’s about Kayleb. He had friends, powerful friends.”

“So?” said Johnathan.

“These friends… they’re known for their… let’s call it, expertise, in the art of making someone suffer.”

“So?”

“Johnathan, you cannot face them all by yourself.”

“I won’t be. I have you by my side.”

“No, Johnathan… Not now, not this time. These men… They know no limits. I don’t want to put my family at risk. Think of your daughter.” And he did. He thought about his daughter, alone at home, and what would happen to her if he died.

“Alright… I’ll leave tonight.”

“Good. Oh, Johnathan?”

”Yes?”

“Good Bye.”

”Thank you.”

”I’ll miss you.”

“I know you will.” Johnathan took his wares into a bag, and took them home. He would need them to start his new life. His life without Maya. Opening the door, he found her playing in the living room, two dolls grasped, one in each hand.

“Hey, you don’t talk about my daughter that way,” She said in a deep, gruff voice, the deepest she could manage.

“Oh yeah? What’re ya gonna do about it?” This time, the voice is a tad bit higher pitched.


“Rah!!” The two dolls slap each other around, the one with the higher voice falls to the ground.

“Ha ha! I have won!” She said, in the deeper voice.

“Oh no, please stop.”

“Don’t come around here again.”

“Alright, alright, waaaaah!”

Johnathan walked into the room smiling at the overheard conversation. He picked Maya up, his hands holding her from under her armpits, and he held her high, close to his face.

”Hello, honey, how was today?”

“Good, daddy, but boring. I only played with my dolls.”

“That’s nice. Dolls are nice.” He sighs. Could he do it?

“What’s wrong, daddy?” Asks Maya, sensing something.

”I… Daddy has to go on a short trip.”

“Goody!” She clapped her hands as best she could while being held. “Oh, wait…” She ponders the meaning of his words, then realizes something. “I’m not going, am I…”

“No, sweety, I’m afraid you cannot.”

“But, why?”

“It’s too… dangerous. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

“For how long will you be gone?”

“I… I’m not sure.” His eyes teared, but he did not allow them to overflow.

“Will you be Okay?” She asks, definitely sensing something was wrong. He puts her down, and runs up the stairs, packing his things into a large leather bag once he gets to his room.

“Are you Okay?” She calls from the bottom of the stairs, knowing she’s not allowed up there.

He doesn’t answer. Maya goes back and sits on the couch, looking at the red silk texture. She plays her fingers over it, causing the fabric to move, reflecting the light of the lamp at different angles.

Johnathan comes back downstairs with two bags, one large one for him, and a smaller one for her, which he carries as well. “Come for a walk with me.” He says, not looking at her.

“Alright…” She says, following him. He was her father. She could trust him.

The walk was, indeed, quite short. They went next door, to Sheyrd's residence, and he knocked on the door. Sheyrd's wife, Lana, answered.

"Johnathan." She said, looking from him to Maya.

"Lana. I need to leave Maya here for a short while."

"How short a while...?"

"Father?" Interrupted Maya. What was going on?

"I'm not sure." He said, answering Lana. Maya, he ignored.

"Well... We have room. You know you're always welcome here."

"Thank you..." he holds out his hand with Maya's things, Lana taking them from him.

"Father?" Maya asks once again, afraid.

"Daddy has to go for a little trip, dear," He says. "He'll be right back."

"Okay..."

Johnathan blinks, the tears once more spilling over. He had not cried since that day… Maya’s birthday was his wife’s Death day. A bad omen. He turned and walked away, slipping on a coat. It was going to get cold, outside, and he would probably not survive in the wilderness. No… He thought. I have to survive… For Maya… With grim determination set on his face, he walks through the gate to the city, being eyed by the Guards, but they made no move to stop him. He walked alone along the road, disappearing into the night.

Fin
Last edited by Maya on August 18th, 2010, 5:16 pm, edited 3 times in total.
"The intellect of the wise is like glass; it admits the light of heaven and reflects it onto others." ~Augustus Hare
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Posts: 82
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[Flashback]Birth and Abandonment[Maya]

Postby Dreamcatcher on July 30th, 2010, 3:00 pm

.
Image


Character:Maya

Experience: +1 Impersonation

Lore: Acting out roles with dolls, Hardships of Wind Reach, and Hazy Memories of Daddy

Additional Note: Interesting thread, I love the emotion turmoil presented. However, I wish to remind you that Wind Reach is in a mountain and they really don’t have a marketplace as much as a market day. Otherwise, well done.
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[Flashback]Birth and Abandonment[Maya]

Postby Maya on July 30th, 2010, 9:14 pm

OOC
---------------------------------------------
Thanks, I fixed the marketplace mishap.
"The intellect of the wise is like glass; it admits the light of heaven and reflects it onto others." ~Augustus Hare
User avatar
Maya
Player
 
Posts: 82
Words: 38603
Joined roleplay: July 17th, 2010, 12:50 am
Location: Syliras
Race: Human, Mixed
Character sheet


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