Chapter II.

It was born at midnight at 2nd November. The day of the Dead according to Catholic liturgy. Erik remembered back the grandfather's clock hit twelve when Christine sang her last notes, and the little monster did sing its first ones.

He knelt on the floor, shaking and weeping for nearly two hours. At first he thought he was shivering due to his inner fear and sorrow, but after a time he realized he left the window open. He slowly got up from the floor and staggered to the window and closed it. He sighed.

Everything was too silent. Christine did not let out any more cries or moans he could hear and the baby remained silent as well. Maybe it is dead? What has happened to Christine?

Alarmed, he hurried to the bedroom. The hallway seemed so much longer than before. Finally he reached for the doorknob with trembling hands. The door opened and Erik could see the remains of the washbowl, shattered to pieces on the floor in front of the bed. He nervously walked to the bed and called out:

- Christine…? – He could not recognize his own voice.

No answer came, but a tiny gasp could be heard from the sheets. Erik suspiciously leaned closer and saw two tiny feet. He reached out for the baby to put it away from Christine's feet, he just randomly wanted to place it somewhere else to be able to take care of his wife who sure needs his help. He lifted the baby that was just hurriedly covered in a towel, and left on the bed.

But when he took a glimpse at the baby's face, he cried out in horror as well. The little thing looked just as horrifying as his poor miserable father. Erik even thought it looked WORSE than him. Erik, himself, at least had both eyes of the same yellow color. But the small monster's sunken eyes were mismatched, one light blue and one yellow. It lacked a nose, just as Erik did and its features were skull – like. The whole figure looked like it has just climbed out of the tomb. The tiny hands had bony long fingers. Its lips were absent on the right side of its face and showed the pure rose colored flesh of the gum. The kid's face and body was extremely thin and had a yellowish tint, just as Erik's. The only thing in which it resembled to Christine was the very few and silky blonde hair on its head. It only inherited its mother's hair, as Erik had a few locks of dark brown hair hanging down to his shoulder length, turning gray at the temples.

He held his nightmare in his hands. Of course, he had been worrying about this moment for months and as the midwife left, he KNEW what he was going to find here, that's why he was so miserable, but still it hit him unexpected in a way. His mind was racing. What shall he do to this… thing? Is it alive at all? Just as he was wondering, the thing opened its half- mouth. It was alive.

Erik shuddered. It would be the best to end its life… it will lead a miserable existence, full of hatred and hurt, just as his poor unhappy, miserable father. He should not let it happen. This thing does not deserve the treatment he got in his life. His bony fingers were wandering on the thing's neck when suddenly he heard the voice of an angel from the bed.

- Erik… is that you? – He nearly dropped the thing out of his hands and released its neck.

- Yes, my dear Christine… it is your loving husband. – He replied with his calmest voice possible.

- What has happened.. to our child? … - she sounded so weak but so much worried. Erik cleared his throat as he answered.

- Have you seen it? – He turned to Christine and nervously examined her facial expression.

- No. I passed out when the baby was born finally. – she sighed exhaustedly. – I woke up just now.

- I am sorry my dear… but it is… not alive… any more. – Erik said with his most compassionate tone.

- Oh no! – she sobbed, but in this exact moment the small bundle of horror got tired of silence and gave a sign of its miserable existence by letting out a powerful cry. Erik almost dropped it again. – Oh but it is alive! – Christine hopefully rose on her pillows- Please let me see it, Erik… give me my child…!

- Oh… no, no, no, my dear, it is… not worthy of your beautiful eyes to… look at it. – Erik sighed, in tears.

- Erik… - Christine paused. – Does it…?

- It does. – Erik nodded with a dark tone in his voice.

- It doesn't matter. – Christine replied with a sudden determination. – It is our child, Erik… I love it anyway as I do love you too.

- It would be better if Erik fixed his mistake and we could forget about this miserable happening. – He stated on a cold and very creepy way.

- Erik…. – she gasped. – No… please… no….

- Yes, Christine, it shall not have the same fate as your poor unhappy Erik… I would do it just for the child's own good… it would ask the same of me… if it could speak and understood it… - he cried.

- NO! – She argued. – Give it to me, Erik… please… let me hold it… just let me see it….

- For one first and last time, Erik will let his sweet Christine see it… as she wishes. – He placed the baby in Christine's hands.

When she saw the baby, she realized Erik was right, and to be honest, she was sorry for the baby, and in a way, she could understand why Erik wanted it dead so much. Of course, she did not. But Erik saw things differently, and in the end he wanted the best for them. But she should not let Erik kill it. No, no and no! She is going to protect the child.

- A disgusting sight, isn't it? – She heard Erik's bitter voice beside her. – I don't blame you, my dear… my poor unhappy mother did not bear the sight of my face either… but don't worry… your Erik is going to take care of it… he promises it won't hurt to the baby, it really won't… - he reached out to take it from Christine, but she hugged it to herself protectively and turned to Erik.

- No, you won't!

- Christine…

- Silence! – Her voice was so loud and demanding that Erik fell silent and the child started crying again. Christine soothingly cradled it in her arms and hushed it. – Erik… no matter what it looks like, it is our child and I want it to be alive. If you harm or kill it, you are not going to see me ever again in your life, do you hear me? Promise me you won't hurt the child!

- You can't be serious… you sure don't want it to be around… we will have a lot of problems with it, believe me. That is why Erik did not want to have a child of his own… can't you see it, my dear, sweet, naïve Christine? Now there is one more miserable hideous creature on this Earth as Erik is… There should really not be two of Erik.

- There isn't two of you, Erik. The baby is another person. It won't meet the same fate as you, my dear. Your mother treated you rough… but I will love our baby and treat it kindly.

- It will be hard to live with a child like this. In every way possible, it will give us problems.

- I don't care.

- We could get past this awful episode and live just as we did before… sure it would cause you some sorrow at the beginning, my dear, but…

- There is no BUT, Erik. The baby is a part of our lives now. Like it or not, it won't change. And if you don't accept the fact and try to harm it even by one finger of yours, I swear I will leave with the child and never ever return. I am willing to raise it all alone if you don't want us together.

- Don't say that….- Erik whispered in pain and fell on his knees.

- Promise it, Erik!

- All right, all right… - he paused. – I promise. – He put his hand on his heart. – I do, just please stay…

- I will as long as you don't hurt our baby.

- Erik will try his best to accept his fate if that is what Christine asks of him, and will try to be a good father to the… child…

- Erik… don't be afraid. Everything will be all right. We have gone through worse together. Remember the time after our wedding?

- Don't make me recall it, please. – He sighed softly as raising back up at his feet.

- I love you Erik.

- Erik loves his Christine as well.

- Please kiss me on the forehead. – She smiled.

Erik bent down and kissed his wife's sweaty forehead. He also caressed her face with his bony and cold fingers.

- And now kiss the baby, please. – She continued.

- Erik is afraid he caught a cold. – He swallowed. – He doesn't want to infect the newborn with his germs.

- Erik… you are perfectly healthy. Please kiss our child to show how much you love it.

Erik gave a quick kiss to the baby's cold face. It was just as cold as he was – a little living dead.

- Is it a boy or a girl? – He asked after a bit of silence.

- A girl. – Christine smiled. – We have a daughter, Erik. How should we name her?

Erik looked helplessly at his shoes. Now he understood why he didn't have a name as a child. How on Earth someone could name a thing that looks like this? There are no suitable human name for the thing. Maybe if they get to know it a bit more of her habits… it would be easier. Why people have to name newborns anyway? They did not understand their own names and there is not much to call on even a normal looking baby, let alone such a little monster as she is.

- I honestly don't have a single idea. – Erik murmured finally.

- Maybe we should name her Lotte? – Christine tried to help. – And that way we could call her Little Lotte…

- Ha! – Erik exclaimed a bit more sarcastically than he wanted to.

- Margerite…? – Christine continued.

- No. – Erik answered simply.

- Christine? – She tried to make him happier as she thought this was his favorite girl name.

- I never liked names going from generation to generation in families. – He shook his head.

- Then tell me a name you like. And please don't think of the child's face, Erik. What would you name your daughter?

Erik was biting his lips for a time, and scratched his head. He then finally whispered a name in front of him:

- Mahtab.

- Mah… Mahtab? – Christine repeated curiously.

- Yes. – He nodded dreamily.

- What kind of name is it?

- Persian. – He explained shortly.

- What does it mean?

- Moonlight.

- A beautiful name…

- It is. – He nodded.

- Did you know someone very dear to you with this name? – Christine asked, looking at Erik's strong emotional reaction to that name. He seemed to hug someone dear in his mind.

- I have to clean up the mess… - He stood up nervously. – You might step in the washbowl's remainings and Erik really does not want that to happen.

He did not say anything else, just tidied the room to be normal again.

- I like the name Mahtab. – Christine said as Erik knelt down to mop the puddle of water.

- Good. – Erik nodded. – We should name her that then.

As he finished cleaning, he walked to the bed once more and kissed Christine on the forehead.

- Good night my dear. Just call my name if you need anything. I should put… Mahtab… to bed. It is late and she is sure tired…. And I will also retire for the rest of the night… I am a bit worn out from these happenings.

- Don't hurt her… please. – She took Erik's arm as he wanted to leave with the baby.

- I promised. – He nodded and carried the baby out of the room.

When he got all alone with the child he washed it in the sink of the main bathroom, dried it and covered it in the same towel he found her in. In the nursery he tried to put a diaper on her, but she was moving too much, so he just bundled her in it. He sighed. He knew he had to learn much about taking care of babies. He never held such a tiny child before. He covered her up with a blanket and then left. He did it all monotonously, without any feelings. It was frightening he could not feel anything towards his own daughter. Or maybe was he just tired…?

He lay down to the sofa in his study and kicked his shoes off. He blew out the candle and sighed. Maybe tomorrow everything will be better.

Maybe he will love her within time… or at least maybe God will help him. There are so many children's disease… smallpox, diphtheria, sudden infant death syndrome…

Maybe he doesn't have to kill it himself… God will take care of her… hopefully.