Lisa began to open the door to Alessa's room, but paused when she heard
voices inside. Heart pounding, she pressed her ear to the wood to listen.
"How far along are you?" Dr. Kaufmann said.
"About six months," Dahlia replied.
"Really? You don't look pregnant at all."
The woman cackled, an unpleasant sound like a rusty gate opening. "I didn't show when I was pregnant with Alessa, either. Everything will be all right."
//My god...Dahlia Gillespie is pregnant? But she's too old, isn't she?//Â
"I'd like to do an exam to be on the safe side. We can't afford to let anything go wrong."
"I told you, Doctor, everything is going according to plan. This baby is safely sheltered in my womb, and when she is born, Samael will rise and bring us glory once again!"
//Samael? What the...//
Lisa backed away quickly as she heard footsteps approaching. The door swung open and she found herself face to face with Dahlia Gillespie. She'd heard the stories about the crazy old woman since she was a kid, and occasionally seen her at the library or the grocery store, but she'd never actually spoken to her.
"Hello, dear," Dahlia said, extending a withered hand. "Are you the one who's been taking such good care of my precious angel?"
"Th---that's me," Lisa said, forcing herself to shake Dahlia's hand. Her skin felt like paper, and the bones underneath felt brittle, but Dahlia's grasp was surprisingly strong.Â
"I do so appreciate it," Dahlia said. "Doctor, please give her a token of my appreciation."
Dr. Kaufmann reached into his bag and pulled out several bags of White Claudia, which Lisa eagerly accepted.
"What was your name again, dear?" Dahlia asked.
"My name's Lisa. Lisa Garland."
"Ah, yes, Ronald and Julia's daughter, right? I was so sorry to hear about your parents' accident. I should have brought you a casserole or something, but I was having some troubles of my own then." She leaned forward eagerly, eyes shining. "Tell me, did they ever find out wh---"
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude, but I don't like talking about that," Lisa said, stepping away and shoving the White Claudia into her pockets, fearing that Dahlia would take it back.
"I understand. I shouldn't have asked." Dahlia crooked a finger, beckoning Lisa closer. "Come here, dear, I've got a secret to tell you."
Nervously, Lisa glanced at Dr. Kaufmann, but he wouldn't meet her gaze. She stepped closer to Dahlia, and the old woman suddenly grabbed her ear and yanked her head down.
"Ouch!" Lisa cried, trying to free herself. "Stop it, that hurts!"
"I know you were listening, you little slut," Dahlia hissed. Her breath was hot against Lisa's ear. "You're one nosy kitten, and don't forget what curiosity did to the cat." She released Lisa's ear and patted her cheek. "Have a good day, dear," she said sweetly, as though nothing had happened.Â
Lisa rubbed her stinging ear and watched Dahlia and Dr. Kaufmann walk down the hall. Once they were gone, she ran into Alessa's room and slammed the door.
"Oh god, Alessa," she panted, ripping open a packet of White Claudia and spilling it onto the tabletop. "Your mother is pregnant again! After what she did to YOU, what the hell is she going to do for an encore?" She bent her head and snorted the powder, then sat down on Alessa's bed.
"I think your mom and Dr. Kaufmann might be part of that cult," Lisa confessed, tilting her head back to let the White Claudia numb her throat. "I don't know that for sure, but they mentioned something about Samael rising and bringing them glory, which sure sounds cultlike to me." As the drug began taking effect, she curled up next to Alessa and gently laid her arm across Alessa's chest.
"I don't know what to do," she whispered. "I think they were behind what happened to my parents, and I think the police looked the other way. I know what they do to unbelievers, and I'm so scared. I just don't know what to do."
Lisa closed her eyes and heard a voice whisper, "Of course you know what you have to do."
"Yes," she murmured sleepily. "I know what I have to do."
"How far along are you?" Dr. Kaufmann said.
"About six months," Dahlia replied.
"Really? You don't look pregnant at all."
The woman cackled, an unpleasant sound like a rusty gate opening. "I didn't show when I was pregnant with Alessa, either. Everything will be all right."
//My god...Dahlia Gillespie is pregnant? But she's too old, isn't she?//Â
"I'd like to do an exam to be on the safe side. We can't afford to let anything go wrong."
"I told you, Doctor, everything is going according to plan. This baby is safely sheltered in my womb, and when she is born, Samael will rise and bring us glory once again!"
//Samael? What the...//
Lisa backed away quickly as she heard footsteps approaching. The door swung open and she found herself face to face with Dahlia Gillespie. She'd heard the stories about the crazy old woman since she was a kid, and occasionally seen her at the library or the grocery store, but she'd never actually spoken to her.
"Hello, dear," Dahlia said, extending a withered hand. "Are you the one who's been taking such good care of my precious angel?"
"Th---that's me," Lisa said, forcing herself to shake Dahlia's hand. Her skin felt like paper, and the bones underneath felt brittle, but Dahlia's grasp was surprisingly strong.Â
"I do so appreciate it," Dahlia said. "Doctor, please give her a token of my appreciation."
Dr. Kaufmann reached into his bag and pulled out several bags of White Claudia, which Lisa eagerly accepted.
"What was your name again, dear?" Dahlia asked.
"My name's Lisa. Lisa Garland."
"Ah, yes, Ronald and Julia's daughter, right? I was so sorry to hear about your parents' accident. I should have brought you a casserole or something, but I was having some troubles of my own then." She leaned forward eagerly, eyes shining. "Tell me, did they ever find out wh---"
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude, but I don't like talking about that," Lisa said, stepping away and shoving the White Claudia into her pockets, fearing that Dahlia would take it back.
"I understand. I shouldn't have asked." Dahlia crooked a finger, beckoning Lisa closer. "Come here, dear, I've got a secret to tell you."
Nervously, Lisa glanced at Dr. Kaufmann, but he wouldn't meet her gaze. She stepped closer to Dahlia, and the old woman suddenly grabbed her ear and yanked her head down.
"Ouch!" Lisa cried, trying to free herself. "Stop it, that hurts!"
"I know you were listening, you little slut," Dahlia hissed. Her breath was hot against Lisa's ear. "You're one nosy kitten, and don't forget what curiosity did to the cat." She released Lisa's ear and patted her cheek. "Have a good day, dear," she said sweetly, as though nothing had happened.Â
Lisa rubbed her stinging ear and watched Dahlia and Dr. Kaufmann walk down the hall. Once they were gone, she ran into Alessa's room and slammed the door.
"Oh god, Alessa," she panted, ripping open a packet of White Claudia and spilling it onto the tabletop. "Your mother is pregnant again! After what she did to YOU, what the hell is she going to do for an encore?" She bent her head and snorted the powder, then sat down on Alessa's bed.
"I think your mom and Dr. Kaufmann might be part of that cult," Lisa confessed, tilting her head back to let the White Claudia numb her throat. "I don't know that for sure, but they mentioned something about Samael rising and bringing them glory, which sure sounds cultlike to me." As the drug began taking effect, she curled up next to Alessa and gently laid her arm across Alessa's chest.
"I don't know what to do," she whispered. "I think they were behind what happened to my parents, and I think the police looked the other way. I know what they do to unbelievers, and I'm so scared. I just don't know what to do."
Lisa closed her eyes and heard a voice whisper, "Of course you know what you have to do."
"Yes," she murmured sleepily. "I know what I have to do."