Special thanks to ADJ for being my very first reviewer, to JENNY THE CHICA
for being the second, and to OUCH for being the third, I love you all.
Also thanks to everyone whose review since then.
_Chapter 2: In which the child is born_
Sara paced anxiously inside their cottage as she thought. "I have to tell Thomas today, there can be no more putting it off. Although, maybe, I could push it off just a little more, no that just isn't possible. He always seemed nervous when I mentioned having children, could it be he doesn't want any? No, that couldn't be it, he was probably just worried that the doctor was going to be right about my ability to have kids, that must be it."
She turned around as the door opened and Thomas walked in.
"Hello sweetie", said Thomas, "how have you been?"
"Fine, just great", She replied, "but, um, Thomas, dear? I do have something to tell you. You know we talk about having children many times, even though it didn't seem likely after my illness, right?"
"Right"
"Well, um, surprise! I'm pregnant."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile in the witch's cottage, the witch paced back and forth.
"What am I to do?", She worried. "If they don't have a kid how am I ever going to join the NVA, (the Nefarious Villains Association). I'll be the laughing stock of my coven, not too mention my family. I'll be the only Devilsin without a membership in over three centuries.
You see this witch was quite eager to join NVA. This club specialized in only the top-notch schemes and spread their pernicious influences everywhere. If there was an earthquake, they were there. If a child went missing, they were there. If the was a great famine throughout the land, you better believe it, they were there. It was often said they took credit for things they didn't even do just to encourage trepidation in hearts of good, kind people around the world. It was like the ultimate country club for evil. Some people even said that it was they who created Lucifer, Himself. Whatever the truth may be, this witch was desperate to get in, and of course attempt murder or kidnapping of a young child was the most common way. (Hey, if you don't believe check out your other fairy tales. In Sleeping Beauty, witch tries to kill the girl; in Little Red Riding Hood, the wolf tries to eat the girl; in Hansel and Gretal, once again the witch tries to eat the kids, and so on and so forth). So when she caught the farmer stealing her rapiun, she jumped at the chance to steal the kid in hopes of admittance to the NVA. And she really didn't need to have the first-born child, it's just she didn't want to have to wait around to see if they would foolish enough have more children.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back at the farmer's cottage, Thomas had turn into a frustrated, angry man to the bewilderment of his wife.
"What's wrong dearest?", asked Sara worryingly, "I'd thought you would be happy. We have always longed for children."
"Of course I want children, but I want ones we can keep.", Thomas shouted back.
"Keep? Why of course we could keep them, why on earth would you believe otherwise", inquired Sara, "we certainly have enough money to support of a family know so what is the problem?"
"That we can't keep the child", Thomas said in frustration, " you don't understand"
"Then explain it to me"
"When you were sick the doctor told me that only a syrup made from the rapiun plant could save you, so I, um", delayed Thomas, "might have stolen it from the witch's garden."
"You what?!"
"Well, it really wasn't such a big deal, I didn't get caught, well at least not the first time."
"What do you mean at least not the first time?"
"Um, when you had your relapse I might have told you something that wasn't quite true. I told you that the doctor had said this might happen and not to worry. In reality though, we, um, kind of ran out of syrup, and I had to steal some more."
"And what happened then?"
"Well, she caught me and she made me choose between my life and our first- born," Thomas said hurriedly, "so I chose what I thought was the lesser of two evil. We could always have more children, right?"
Sara sat quietly pondering the story Thomas had just given her. It's not that the fact he had stolen, that bothered her. In fact she had quite suspected he had stolen it, but she had never asked and he had never volunteered the information before. He had saved her life, so she really couldn't be too mad, and he was right, they could always have more children.
"Do you think she would come after us if we left before the child was born?", Sara finally asked.
"I think she would, she was quite insistent about it, even though she wouldn't tell me why. I believe the only thing we could do is to give it over to her. If we don't, she very well could bring us to court, and while it would be her word against mine, she generates more fear in the town then we do, so she would most likely win."
"I guess your right", Sara resigned, "at least we could always have more children."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To shorten a long story, roughly nine months later their child was born. It was a beautiful baby boy, who they named Thomas Fredrick Jr., and his parents set out no announcements hoping that the witch wouldn't find out, or if she did that she had forgotten. Unfortunately as soon as little Fredrick was weaned, a knock came on the door.
"Thomas dear, will you please answer the door?", called Sara, "Fredrick needs to be changed.
Thomas opened the door, only to find the witch.
"Sa, sa, sa, Sara", Thomas stuttered, "you may want to come here."
"What's wrong-"
Sara stopped as soon as she saw who was at the door.
"Oh please don't take Fredrick", she began again, "anything else that we might be able to do for you or give you, but please let us keep our Fredrick."
"Sorry", said the witch, "no deal, I need that child."
Thomas and Sara begged and pleaded for over an hour, but the witch stood firm. She only wanted the child. And in the end, the witch was the one who won. She took the child and went off, never to be seen in that town or anywhere near it ever again.
A Reflection on Reviews
Reviews are oh, so nice Reviews are oh, so fine They are simple to give I'd love a review anytime
I love you on, keep reviewing and I'll keep writing. The higher the number of reviews, the happier I'll be and the quicker I'll try to get the next chapter up. Feel free to e-mail with any suggestions or whatever, I'll answer your questions and or comments, or anything else I can do for you. Your Talented Author- -PUNZELS
_Chapter 2: In which the child is born_
Sara paced anxiously inside their cottage as she thought. "I have to tell Thomas today, there can be no more putting it off. Although, maybe, I could push it off just a little more, no that just isn't possible. He always seemed nervous when I mentioned having children, could it be he doesn't want any? No, that couldn't be it, he was probably just worried that the doctor was going to be right about my ability to have kids, that must be it."
She turned around as the door opened and Thomas walked in.
"Hello sweetie", said Thomas, "how have you been?"
"Fine, just great", She replied, "but, um, Thomas, dear? I do have something to tell you. You know we talk about having children many times, even though it didn't seem likely after my illness, right?"
"Right"
"Well, um, surprise! I'm pregnant."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile in the witch's cottage, the witch paced back and forth.
"What am I to do?", She worried. "If they don't have a kid how am I ever going to join the NVA, (the Nefarious Villains Association). I'll be the laughing stock of my coven, not too mention my family. I'll be the only Devilsin without a membership in over three centuries.
You see this witch was quite eager to join NVA. This club specialized in only the top-notch schemes and spread their pernicious influences everywhere. If there was an earthquake, they were there. If a child went missing, they were there. If the was a great famine throughout the land, you better believe it, they were there. It was often said they took credit for things they didn't even do just to encourage trepidation in hearts of good, kind people around the world. It was like the ultimate country club for evil. Some people even said that it was they who created Lucifer, Himself. Whatever the truth may be, this witch was desperate to get in, and of course attempt murder or kidnapping of a young child was the most common way. (Hey, if you don't believe check out your other fairy tales. In Sleeping Beauty, witch tries to kill the girl; in Little Red Riding Hood, the wolf tries to eat the girl; in Hansel and Gretal, once again the witch tries to eat the kids, and so on and so forth). So when she caught the farmer stealing her rapiun, she jumped at the chance to steal the kid in hopes of admittance to the NVA. And she really didn't need to have the first-born child, it's just she didn't want to have to wait around to see if they would foolish enough have more children.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back at the farmer's cottage, Thomas had turn into a frustrated, angry man to the bewilderment of his wife.
"What's wrong dearest?", asked Sara worryingly, "I'd thought you would be happy. We have always longed for children."
"Of course I want children, but I want ones we can keep.", Thomas shouted back.
"Keep? Why of course we could keep them, why on earth would you believe otherwise", inquired Sara, "we certainly have enough money to support of a family know so what is the problem?"
"That we can't keep the child", Thomas said in frustration, " you don't understand"
"Then explain it to me"
"When you were sick the doctor told me that only a syrup made from the rapiun plant could save you, so I, um", delayed Thomas, "might have stolen it from the witch's garden."
"You what?!"
"Well, it really wasn't such a big deal, I didn't get caught, well at least not the first time."
"What do you mean at least not the first time?"
"Um, when you had your relapse I might have told you something that wasn't quite true. I told you that the doctor had said this might happen and not to worry. In reality though, we, um, kind of ran out of syrup, and I had to steal some more."
"And what happened then?"
"Well, she caught me and she made me choose between my life and our first- born," Thomas said hurriedly, "so I chose what I thought was the lesser of two evil. We could always have more children, right?"
Sara sat quietly pondering the story Thomas had just given her. It's not that the fact he had stolen, that bothered her. In fact she had quite suspected he had stolen it, but she had never asked and he had never volunteered the information before. He had saved her life, so she really couldn't be too mad, and he was right, they could always have more children.
"Do you think she would come after us if we left before the child was born?", Sara finally asked.
"I think she would, she was quite insistent about it, even though she wouldn't tell me why. I believe the only thing we could do is to give it over to her. If we don't, she very well could bring us to court, and while it would be her word against mine, she generates more fear in the town then we do, so she would most likely win."
"I guess your right", Sara resigned, "at least we could always have more children."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To shorten a long story, roughly nine months later their child was born. It was a beautiful baby boy, who they named Thomas Fredrick Jr., and his parents set out no announcements hoping that the witch wouldn't find out, or if she did that she had forgotten. Unfortunately as soon as little Fredrick was weaned, a knock came on the door.
"Thomas dear, will you please answer the door?", called Sara, "Fredrick needs to be changed.
Thomas opened the door, only to find the witch.
"Sa, sa, sa, Sara", Thomas stuttered, "you may want to come here."
"What's wrong-"
Sara stopped as soon as she saw who was at the door.
"Oh please don't take Fredrick", she began again, "anything else that we might be able to do for you or give you, but please let us keep our Fredrick."
"Sorry", said the witch, "no deal, I need that child."
Thomas and Sara begged and pleaded for over an hour, but the witch stood firm. She only wanted the child. And in the end, the witch was the one who won. She took the child and went off, never to be seen in that town or anywhere near it ever again.
A Reflection on Reviews
Reviews are oh, so nice Reviews are oh, so fine They are simple to give I'd love a review anytime
I love you on, keep reviewing and I'll keep writing. The higher the number of reviews, the happier I'll be and the quicker I'll try to get the next chapter up. Feel free to e-mail with any suggestions or whatever, I'll answer your questions and or comments, or anything else I can do for you. Your Talented Author- -PUNZELS