*Note: Hello y'all! Thank you for reviewing! I know I say that a lot to
everyone but I still don't think I say it enough. It means so much to get
input from all of you. Well, anyway, I just want to say that I realize
that I skip large chunks of time in this story of mine (hehehe... that
rhymes...). I just want to get to the part that involves Erik as quickly
as I can (and, if I may venture to assume, the rest of you do too). So
that is why. Also I realize this chapter may be a little "strange" for
lack of a better word. I know and understand this, but this chapter
contains many vital details to the rest of the story. It also develops the
character of the father to help better clarify the true villain in the
story. Umm, me thinks that's all... Okay, yep, it is. I hope you like
it! Thanx!
*FireStarter911- Thanks for reading my story! I really tried to loosen up on the dialogue in this chapter. I wasn't sure what you meant exactly, but I had a pretty good idea. Thank you for the suggestion! I hope it's better...
*Paperface- Okay, I'm really sorry, but I couldn't find "Gattaca". I searched and searched by the title. Is it a movie (a real one) or a fanfiction story? I found one called "After Gattaca" or something like that, and I read it, but it didn't have resonant caps (or lack thereof) or had any relevance to my story. I'm sure that it would've been enlightening too. But, in any case, you were the first to hit right on my theme of this story. "There are some things in our society that you should not obstruct and sometimes you must let nature take its' course." Finally, about the question you asked about "why they are doing this when it's obviously dangerous". Well, I'm glad you picked up on the doctor being the bad guy but... Well, he kinda is since it IS his fault that Erik is deformed... The husband is the most important villain here. He pressured his wife into getting this experiment because he wanted the baby "just so" if I may. Basically, he's a very mean and cynical perfectionist (ahem, a more subtle trait that Erik has except that Erik isn't really a bad guy deep down). Basically, he represents the evil in human nature (in a sense). I hope that helps. Anyway, thank you for also probing into the political aspect of my story (that's really what I was going for). I'm glad you liked it! By the way, I know I haven't reviewed it but (at least I don't think I did)... Your Empire in the Cellars story is VERY good. Just an observation. Thanks again!
*OGK- You are so sweet! I love the poem! And thanks for putting me on your favorites list!
~Okay, I AM THROUGH! FINALLY! Phew! Here it is...
"In every child born, under no circumstances, and of no matter what parents, the potentiality of the human race is born again."
-James Agee
"Honestly Raphael! I just don't see why we couldn't adopt!" She yelled.
It had been about ten and a half months since she had the operation. She had been holding that one line inside herself for ages, letting it suffocate her like strong, merciless vines on ancient bricks. Finally, though, she couldn't crack any more.
She had forgotten why they had starting fighting in the first place. It seemed, however, that the nearer they were to the baby's birth, the more often and violently they would clash. Almost every conversation, no matter how small, eventually came to this: battling over the baby.
"Why are you bringing this up now Annalise? There's nothing you can do!" He said this as if he was hurling an insult at her. She turned around and screamed.
"RAPHAEL! I have been holding this in for months! The baby would've come by now! It's as if he knows that the world is cold and cruel. He's not coming out Raphael! He's not!"
It had been so long. The baby, no matter how much they tried to coax it, just refused to be born. Annalise was beginning to get concerned with the baby's welfare whereas the husband was beginning to get concerned with his own welfare.
"We can't just adopt now! I FORBID IT! We are so close Annalise!"
"I never recalled you remarking on how you wanted him to be born, not being the perfect boy and all." She winced at the last remark, as if her husband's selfishness disgusted her.
"I won't have this Annalise. You are going to birth this child whether you want to or not!"
Annalise, absolutely exhausted by the bickering, collapsed in the nearest chair by the fire. She shook her head and sobbed. "Of course I want him. That's one thing you can't control Raphael." She looked up and peered vengefully at him. "You can't control that."
Raphael glared at his small pregnant wife. "Who says I can't Annalise?"
"Love surpasses all constrictions." She replied with a shaky yet dignified tone. She let the timbre of her voice slap Raphael in the face with reality. He wouldn't take it lying down.
He walked over to the fireplace and looked into it. He folded his hands behind his back and said, "If you continue to talk out of line Annalise, I cannot be sure if I can control just where my hands could fly..."
Annalise folded her hands resignedly over her bulbous stomach. She was so tired, and she knew Raphael was right; there was nothing she could do now. But somehow, it seemed that the birth of Erik would only bring heartache to them both, mother and child. She was also quite familiar with Raphael's frequently violent temper, and she was afraid of Raphael's blind rage somehow further damaging Erik's condition.
"I give up." She sighed. "There's nothing I can do. You made this decision for me in the first place, why shouldn't I carry it through? I just would like to know why," She added, after a thought, "you wanted someone perfect."
Raphael turned around slowly and faced her, his eyes equally sharp in comparison with the flickering flames behind him. "What you are asking of me I cannot divulge. It is of my own sick fantasy that you should have no concern."
She glared at him. "Do you mean to tell me that you are using our baby to further your sick ambitions? Our baby?!" She sobbed, the suppressed tears finally coming down in earnest once more. "You still have not answered my question. Raphael," She added, "he is my baby as well. I at least deserve that much or I shall take this baby and leave you!"
Caught with the sudden and definite threat his young, innocent, and meek wife offered, he decided that she did deserve to know. "Merely telling you that my objective is that of a mental state would be lying. It is far beyond that. All I wanted," He paused, "Was someone so perfect that the world would not be able to begin to fathom the pure and withstanding talent of something that belonged to me; was a part of me, something I made... It's always been a trait of mine... A hopeless perfectionist."
Annalise stared at her husband in disbelief. Just a few moments ago he was a strong and powerful man about ready to strike her, and now he was a weathered, disheveled man who was revealing his secrets to her. He was a completely different person. But she was still confused. "Why have you put me through this? Ten and a half months of pregnancy and for what? To satisfy your dark desire? What are you going to do, then, when he isn't perfect? Are you going to kill him for missing a toe or something?" Annalise was growing hysterical, literally fearing for her baby's life.
"I won't hurt him. Regardless of how perfect he is or not, I won't hurt him. He is still a part of me. I couldn't harm him even if I tried."
She reflected upon this in silence and then looked up at him with big, red eyes.
"But, you were about ready to harm me, weren't you?" she said finally.
He looked beyond her out the window, finding it appropriate not to respond at all. She recognized this and sighed. "I'll go to bed. It is nearly midnight."
"Some things are better left unsaid, Annalise." He said after her.
She stopped on her way to the bedroom and regarded him, but did not turn around. "There was a lot tonight that was better left unsaid, Raphael. But that didn't stop you, did it?"
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She shut the door behind her. She knew she had asked for an explanation and yet she didn't know how to take all of this. She really didn't like getting testy with Raphael. But this was no trivial matter; this was a baby.
She heard him pacing outside and she would've done anything to stop it. But what could she have done? What was there left to say? She feared, for the first time in her life, that she was more of a beast of burden than a wife.
And there she sat on her bed, half dressed in her night clothes, in a drowsy moment when you have every intention of performing some task (in this case, sleep), and find yourself so lost in your thoughts that you sit there for an unknown amount of time and ponder your present state.
And that's the way she was until she was thrust so suddenly back into reality by the imminent beginning of labor.
*FireStarter911- Thanks for reading my story! I really tried to loosen up on the dialogue in this chapter. I wasn't sure what you meant exactly, but I had a pretty good idea. Thank you for the suggestion! I hope it's better...
*Paperface- Okay, I'm really sorry, but I couldn't find "Gattaca". I searched and searched by the title. Is it a movie (a real one) or a fanfiction story? I found one called "After Gattaca" or something like that, and I read it, but it didn't have resonant caps (or lack thereof) or had any relevance to my story. I'm sure that it would've been enlightening too. But, in any case, you were the first to hit right on my theme of this story. "There are some things in our society that you should not obstruct and sometimes you must let nature take its' course." Finally, about the question you asked about "why they are doing this when it's obviously dangerous". Well, I'm glad you picked up on the doctor being the bad guy but... Well, he kinda is since it IS his fault that Erik is deformed... The husband is the most important villain here. He pressured his wife into getting this experiment because he wanted the baby "just so" if I may. Basically, he's a very mean and cynical perfectionist (ahem, a more subtle trait that Erik has except that Erik isn't really a bad guy deep down). Basically, he represents the evil in human nature (in a sense). I hope that helps. Anyway, thank you for also probing into the political aspect of my story (that's really what I was going for). I'm glad you liked it! By the way, I know I haven't reviewed it but (at least I don't think I did)... Your Empire in the Cellars story is VERY good. Just an observation. Thanks again!
*OGK- You are so sweet! I love the poem! And thanks for putting me on your favorites list!
~Okay, I AM THROUGH! FINALLY! Phew! Here it is...
"In every child born, under no circumstances, and of no matter what parents, the potentiality of the human race is born again."
-James Agee
"Honestly Raphael! I just don't see why we couldn't adopt!" She yelled.
It had been about ten and a half months since she had the operation. She had been holding that one line inside herself for ages, letting it suffocate her like strong, merciless vines on ancient bricks. Finally, though, she couldn't crack any more.
She had forgotten why they had starting fighting in the first place. It seemed, however, that the nearer they were to the baby's birth, the more often and violently they would clash. Almost every conversation, no matter how small, eventually came to this: battling over the baby.
"Why are you bringing this up now Annalise? There's nothing you can do!" He said this as if he was hurling an insult at her. She turned around and screamed.
"RAPHAEL! I have been holding this in for months! The baby would've come by now! It's as if he knows that the world is cold and cruel. He's not coming out Raphael! He's not!"
It had been so long. The baby, no matter how much they tried to coax it, just refused to be born. Annalise was beginning to get concerned with the baby's welfare whereas the husband was beginning to get concerned with his own welfare.
"We can't just adopt now! I FORBID IT! We are so close Annalise!"
"I never recalled you remarking on how you wanted him to be born, not being the perfect boy and all." She winced at the last remark, as if her husband's selfishness disgusted her.
"I won't have this Annalise. You are going to birth this child whether you want to or not!"
Annalise, absolutely exhausted by the bickering, collapsed in the nearest chair by the fire. She shook her head and sobbed. "Of course I want him. That's one thing you can't control Raphael." She looked up and peered vengefully at him. "You can't control that."
Raphael glared at his small pregnant wife. "Who says I can't Annalise?"
"Love surpasses all constrictions." She replied with a shaky yet dignified tone. She let the timbre of her voice slap Raphael in the face with reality. He wouldn't take it lying down.
He walked over to the fireplace and looked into it. He folded his hands behind his back and said, "If you continue to talk out of line Annalise, I cannot be sure if I can control just where my hands could fly..."
Annalise folded her hands resignedly over her bulbous stomach. She was so tired, and she knew Raphael was right; there was nothing she could do now. But somehow, it seemed that the birth of Erik would only bring heartache to them both, mother and child. She was also quite familiar with Raphael's frequently violent temper, and she was afraid of Raphael's blind rage somehow further damaging Erik's condition.
"I give up." She sighed. "There's nothing I can do. You made this decision for me in the first place, why shouldn't I carry it through? I just would like to know why," She added, after a thought, "you wanted someone perfect."
Raphael turned around slowly and faced her, his eyes equally sharp in comparison with the flickering flames behind him. "What you are asking of me I cannot divulge. It is of my own sick fantasy that you should have no concern."
She glared at him. "Do you mean to tell me that you are using our baby to further your sick ambitions? Our baby?!" She sobbed, the suppressed tears finally coming down in earnest once more. "You still have not answered my question. Raphael," She added, "he is my baby as well. I at least deserve that much or I shall take this baby and leave you!"
Caught with the sudden and definite threat his young, innocent, and meek wife offered, he decided that she did deserve to know. "Merely telling you that my objective is that of a mental state would be lying. It is far beyond that. All I wanted," He paused, "Was someone so perfect that the world would not be able to begin to fathom the pure and withstanding talent of something that belonged to me; was a part of me, something I made... It's always been a trait of mine... A hopeless perfectionist."
Annalise stared at her husband in disbelief. Just a few moments ago he was a strong and powerful man about ready to strike her, and now he was a weathered, disheveled man who was revealing his secrets to her. He was a completely different person. But she was still confused. "Why have you put me through this? Ten and a half months of pregnancy and for what? To satisfy your dark desire? What are you going to do, then, when he isn't perfect? Are you going to kill him for missing a toe or something?" Annalise was growing hysterical, literally fearing for her baby's life.
"I won't hurt him. Regardless of how perfect he is or not, I won't hurt him. He is still a part of me. I couldn't harm him even if I tried."
She reflected upon this in silence and then looked up at him with big, red eyes.
"But, you were about ready to harm me, weren't you?" she said finally.
He looked beyond her out the window, finding it appropriate not to respond at all. She recognized this and sighed. "I'll go to bed. It is nearly midnight."
"Some things are better left unsaid, Annalise." He said after her.
She stopped on her way to the bedroom and regarded him, but did not turn around. "There was a lot tonight that was better left unsaid, Raphael. But that didn't stop you, did it?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
She shut the door behind her. She knew she had asked for an explanation and yet she didn't know how to take all of this. She really didn't like getting testy with Raphael. But this was no trivial matter; this was a baby.
She heard him pacing outside and she would've done anything to stop it. But what could she have done? What was there left to say? She feared, for the first time in her life, that she was more of a beast of burden than a wife.
And there she sat on her bed, half dressed in her night clothes, in a drowsy moment when you have every intention of performing some task (in this case, sleep), and find yourself so lost in your thoughts that you sit there for an unknown amount of time and ponder your present state.
And that's the way she was until she was thrust so suddenly back into reality by the imminent beginning of labor.