Why would she help me?
For the last month, I had been looking over my shoulder, increasing the security in my home until it became paranoia. To the point, I created homemade pepper spray and bought an array of weapons. A gun would have been preferable, but I didn't have a clue how to obtain an illegal firearm. So, I made do with knives and an aluminium baseball bat, which was light enough for me to get a few swings in.
The first thing I did when I got home was dump Liam and ask him to move out. When I came home dishevelled, wearing oversized men's clothing and none of my camping gear with me, he hadn’t even looked at me as he continued to play on his stupid game.
After a long, hot shower, I reported all my debit and credit cards as lost. It took me days to process what happened to me, but by the first week, my stomach began to bulge, and I knew I was in trouble. A pregnancy test confirmed my worst fears, and within four weeks, my belly grew at an unprecedented rate.
It wasn't a normal pregnancy. Far from it, as I found out a month later.
???
I stared at the raw ribeye steaks, the dark red meat marbled with white fat, which made my mouth water. The hunger gnawed at my insides until I ripped the packet open and stuffed the cold meat into my mouth. The first raw chunk hit my tongue and I nearly wept. My teeth became sharper now, though I refused to examine them. I tore through sinew with obscene ease. Saliva trickled down my chin as I swallowed whole mouthfuls, barely chewing. The meat soothed the burning hollow in my gut, if only for moments.
Behind my clenched eyelids, something laughed. Not the witch. Not the wolf.
Something older.
My body thrummed, and my gums throbbed from the expansion of my teeth, but when I felt the ripple in my belly, a calmness penetrated my haze. This was my child. It didn't matter who the father was. I picked up the empty container that held the steaks and tossed it into the bin before returning to the fridge to get the chicken.
Once the whole chicken was devoured, I rubbed my stomach before I went into the bathroom to inspect my teeth. I traced my fingers along my flat teeth and wondered if I was losing my mind. There was no way my human teeth had been able to chew those chicken bones up. I should feel sick from eating so much raw meat, but I didn't.
I pulled my top to one side and touched my neck. There wasn't a single blemish from where the beast had bitten me. With a sigh, I washed my face with cold water. While I was drying my face, there was more movement in my belly, and it made me smile. At least Liam had finally gotten the message. He hadn’t pestered me for weeks. I could relax and focus on my fast-growing baby.
???
The grayscale screen showed two distinct outlines. Baby A curled normally. Baby B's spine arched at an unnatural angle, its skull elongated. As I watched, it stretched, limbs moving with eerie coordination.
The technician's grip tightened on the wand. “That's...not possible at twelve weeks.”
“I probably got the dates mixed up,” I said casually, but hoped that she wouldn’t freak out.
I focused on trying to process the news of twins while she took some measurements. Of course, it was twins. The massive dog dig had practically made its way to my throat. The visibly shaken technician nervously chattered as I wiped the gel off and rearranged my clothes.
I sat in the hospital waiting area, gaping at the pictures. This wasn't supposed to happen. Yet baby A and baby B were staring back at me. My parents were going to kill me. They would probably wait until I gave birth, steal my babies and then kill me. I could already feel their disgruntled glares. It would be a mixture of anger and disappointment.
Fuck.
All this and I didn’t get to see the fucking waterfall. Fuck my life.
I stood up and stomped out of the hospital, ready to fight anyone who blocked my path. I wish that mangy dog were in front of me so I could give it a swift boot in the balls. Yet even as my anger burned, I clenched my inner muscles at the thought of its knot inside of me. The witch’s ashes had cursed me, or they had seeped into my brain.
My day had been tiring, and I knew I was running out of time. I needed to let my family know that I was pregnant. It would be worse if I turned up at their door with the babies. Actually, that might work. They couldn’t kill me while I held their only grandchildren.
I pulled my bedcovers back, but I heard a noise before I could climb in. After switching my lamp off, I snuck to the window to peek through the middle of the curtains. It was dark except for a few lights in other houses, but I didn’t see any movement. I listened for a few moments before I made my way back to bed. It was probably a fox or a cat.
???
I sniffed the air when I stepped out of the house. The woody scent seemed familiar before I could think any further my neighbour distracted me.
“Oh, my God. You never told me you were pregnant. You look about seven or eight months. How did I miss this?” Ginny said, practically running across the street.
“It’s a miracle how you missed it,” I snickered as she began to fondle my belly.
I grimaced and almost threw up on her when I smelled the foul odour of dog from her. It made me gag as I glared at her before I covered my mouth and nose. Her dog needed to be put down. My anger vanished, and my cheeks burned from shame at the thought.
Where did that come from? I loved Ginny’s old dog.
“When are you due?” she asked, pulling her hands away.
