"It must be done tonight," Mikki whispered.
Across the small room Kaori began to cry.
"Wait a second chibs," She called. Mikki used her teeth to tear a strip of fabric from the bottom of her blouse. "Wait a second," she reassuringly muttered. Mikki used the fabric to tie a dagger around her wrist.
Kaori's cries turned to ear splitting wails, and what was left of Mikki's blouse turned wet with milk. She ignored the dampness, she slid the dagger free, then replaced it, Drew and replaced. Finally satisfied, she rushed to the cradle and scooped up her daughter.
"Oh, my big girl," Meiko whispered, trying t keep her voice calm and soothing. "Soon you're toes will be pushing through the slats. You're much bigger than you're brother was when he…"
Dryden, oh god, Dryden. It seemed like only a few days ago that she had held him in her arms, just as she held Kaori now. Her sweet baby boy. Her first born, now five years old, with a laugh that sounded like a jaybird's caw. How many times she had woken to that sound, followed by Dryden pouncing on her with smacking kisses and persistent demands for lots of honey on his porridge?
Dryden is gone, Mikki told herself. I must except that. Kaori starting rooting around her bosom like a hungry little piglet.
Life continues, Mikki thought. She sat down in the arm chair Yamcha had bought, and freed one breast for her daughter. It felt wrong that it should, after all that had happened, but life did continue.
Is she taking more than nourishment from me, my innocent little babe? Mikki wondered. Is she taking my horror and revulsion at what I must do? Does Kari (shortened from Kaori) know that before morning I will become a killer, taking revenge from those who stole my son from me?
Across the small room Kaori began to cry.
"Wait a second chibs," She called. Mikki used her teeth to tear a strip of fabric from the bottom of her blouse. "Wait a second," she reassuringly muttered. Mikki used the fabric to tie a dagger around her wrist.
Kaori's cries turned to ear splitting wails, and what was left of Mikki's blouse turned wet with milk. She ignored the dampness, she slid the dagger free, then replaced it, Drew and replaced. Finally satisfied, she rushed to the cradle and scooped up her daughter.
"Oh, my big girl," Meiko whispered, trying t keep her voice calm and soothing. "Soon you're toes will be pushing through the slats. You're much bigger than you're brother was when he…"
Dryden, oh god, Dryden. It seemed like only a few days ago that she had held him in her arms, just as she held Kaori now. Her sweet baby boy. Her first born, now five years old, with a laugh that sounded like a jaybird's caw. How many times she had woken to that sound, followed by Dryden pouncing on her with smacking kisses and persistent demands for lots of honey on his porridge?
Dryden is gone, Mikki told herself. I must except that. Kaori starting rooting around her bosom like a hungry little piglet.
Life continues, Mikki thought. She sat down in the arm chair Yamcha had bought, and freed one breast for her daughter. It felt wrong that it should, after all that had happened, but life did continue.
Is she taking more than nourishment from me, my innocent little babe? Mikki wondered. Is she taking my horror and revulsion at what I must do? Does Kari (shortened from Kaori) know that before morning I will become a killer, taking revenge from those who stole my son from me?