Birth of the Son
The scream was loud enough to wake the orphanage. The older children went down the stairs to check were the screams were coming from while the younger ones hid under the covers or under the beds themselves. There was something scary about the woman screaming downstairs out of instinct they knew something wasn't right, wasn't human. They had every right to be scared.
The woman in red held onto her bloated belly in pain as the two nuns rushed her to the next room, closing the door so the older children wouldn't look. It still didn't stop them from being curious; they pressed their ears eagerly against the door. In the room the two nuns were making preparations for the new arrival. "Get him out of me! Get him out of me now!" cried Merope, the pain beyond unbearable. Nikolatta was frightened by the sight, paralyzing her. This was the first time she saw a woman giving birth. In that moment she was glad she was still a virgin at least for now. "Nikolatta, don't just stand there, help me," ordered Sister Mary. Nikolatta was about to get more towels when the elder Sister said, "I can see the head dear now push!"
Quickly Nikolatta came back with the towels making her freeze in place once Merope glanced at her direction in rage. "You did this to me!" The young Sister looked at her confused. She knew the mother to be meant but why was she blaming her, she didn't know this woman until 10 minutes ago and most importantly she didn't have the proper 'equipment'. "Once I get this monster out of me I'm going to rip YOU BALLS OFF!" she screamed at Nikolatta. The young Sister was about to defend her innocence when the elder ordered her over.
"Don't worry dear, she doesn't mean you. Poor girl, no man to vent her frustration." Somehow Nikolatta doubted that. From the corner of her eye she thought she saw a shadow figure standing over the red woman. Her hand was out to it, sometimes attacking it and sometimes reaching out lovingly toward it. Is that him was Nikolatta's thought when finally the son was born. The cry was even louder then the mother's screams. "It's a boy," said Sister Mary. The new mother held out her arms, her face covered in tears. "Give him to me," she beckoned, Merope had been waiting for so long to hold her son. Her patience was running thin as the Sisters cleaned up the child.
"Give him to me!" snapped the mother impatiently. Finally once the child was wrapped in a warm towel, she held her child for the first time. The new mother looked down on her child lovingly. "You will be called Tom Marvolo Riddle," she said then whispered to the sleeping child something that none of the nuns couldn't hear. Strangely Nikolatta knew that wasn't the child's real name. She watched the mother stare at the corner while the elder Sister was welcoming her to stay. "You are welcome to rest here for awhile-"
"AAAAHHHHHHH!" screamed Merope, her head thrown back in pain. Blood was seeping out quickly from between her legs. The floor was almost completely red. "Quickly take the child!" ordered Sister Mary as she tried to stop the bleeding. Nikolatta took the child away from the mother both screaming not to depart then left out the door. The older children parted like a sea for the new arrival, the child crying even louder as Nikolatta went up the stairs to a private room.
"I know, I know, I don't want to be here either," she said trying to calm the baby down. She walked back and forth hoping the child would eventually fall asleep. The young Sister thought the baby would cry for hours when it thankfully only lasted five minutes then put the baby in a nearby crib in the infant room. Nikolatta was about to check on the new mother when Sister Mary came up. The front of her dress was covered in blood.
"How is she?"
"She passed away," she said, her face solemn for a moment. "We have a new member of the family."