Chapter Fostering
She opened the windows, inviting the cold wind and the gaze of the hanging grey clouds. The rain has subsided but the sharp cold remained. Her overcoat was lying on the couch and the little ghost child she rescued was sitting on her bed with a renewed expression-the large ball like eyes looking less nervous.
She crossed her arms around her knees and sat facing the shaking child. The child of shadow.
“It will be alright.” She announced in her tepid straight voice. The little creature’s bulging eyes narrowed down to her words-it can not be seen for the change was so imperceptible.
The silence followed. She watched the boy and the boy watched her with quivering eyes-his ordeal quite not over. The wind inturrupted moments later, blowing away the stacks of paper and throwing a picture frame and food tins off balance. Her gaze didn’t leave the child.
“Your name is Wammy” she told the little creature. The creature did not understand. Shadow creatures never have names.
“I am your mother” she stated with the same straight eyes. Her voice like a whiff of mist in the air.
“You will live here.” She continued. The little creature didn’t react. He tried to speak. ” I...belong to the dark.”
The girl only gave him cold stare. She spoke again. “My house is the dark.” Though her voice contained the usual plainness, there was a substance of anger in the reply.
The wind screamed through her window madly tugging at her white curtain. She didn’t bother to that.
She stood up walking away in airy steps to her freeze. She opened the door to the deep freeze to scan the interior-just as she wanted.
“This is your room.” She informed. The creature didn’t say much but his thoughts werent up for approval “It is cold and dark. You’ll be fine.”
She walked across the room and picked up the shadow child, it’s long arms and legs dangling. Carefully she placed the boy in the cavity of the freeze. Once in the frosty environment, the child’s ball like eyes stopped shaking. They were in relief. She read it faster than he registered the feeling.
“Mother will take care of you from now on. It’s safe here.” She placed her palm on the crature’s charcoal misshapen head. A gesture of affection but what she gave could not be called affection.
“No one will harm you here.” Her blinkless eyes proceeded to look hazily at the boy tugged in the frozen cavity.
“Your mother will protect you.” She continued. “But you must be a good boy at all times.” Despite the hollow voice, it was scathing.
“You must not run away or try to escape. You can not leave your mother. You must obey her at all times. Do not displease me Wammy. A mother’s dissatisfaction is a terrible thing.” She reiterated.
“You will be punished if you dont do as I say.”
The creature swallowed every word, his body rejuvenating in the cold, the abated strength returning to him. The cramped freeze space was comfortably accepted by his body.
“And...” Her neat voice penetrating. “...don’t run away.”
The freeze door was closing as he watched the darkness spread around him.