TW: birth, blood, this story is very f*ed up so be warned
193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0YUtdJFKOt
December 21st. The beggining of the new year. Hopes for a better holiday than last year. They weren't visiting their in-laws, instead, they were visiting Barbara's parents, whose house was deep in the woods. They had prepared much of the food in advance. The idea that it was far from civilization wasn't an issue for Barbara. Most stores were closed around christmas, after all. And the winter sky would be pretty, along with a higher chance of a blanket of snow for the kids to play in.
Yes, Barbara could see the day that Michelle and Sofie were staring at the window, their wide eyes tracing every fluttering snowflake reach the ground as their hands pressed against the chilled windows. The present wrap would be scattered across the floor. Barbara would be relaxed, sitting on one of Mom's dusty emerald-colored sofas and enjoying a nice cup of hot cocoa. She would reflect on her late husband, George, and give a solemn sigh as she was yet again reminded of what she didn't have.
Barbara turned her attention back to the present. Her and Sofie were at the mall, looking for a new pair of jeans before their snowy getaway. But around the toy aisle, Barbara spotted a familiar figure: Santa.
"Don't you want to see him?" Barbara asked Sofie. Sofie groaned. "Mom, I'm 14. I don't think they even grant wishes from kids my age anymore." Barbara sighed.
"God, I remember the day when you were still little, and he would be able to see you. Oh, how my life has gone by in a flash."
Sofie giggled. "You're being a bit dramatic."
"Wouldn't you just want to...say hi to him?" Sofie shrugged. "I have to be at Bethany's by 8 though. It better not be long." Barbara rolled her eyes.
"We already have the clothes, Sofie. Try to relive the mall Santa experience, for your poor mother's sake." Sofie sighed. "Fine, Mom."
Santa greeted them with a Ho-ho and a happy wave. "I haven't gotten many children at this time of hour. What's your name?"
"Sofie." Sofie responded. She made sure to keep an arms length away from Santa. Something about his cheerful eyes set her off. Even for a mall Santa who probably made at most 20 bucks an hour, he seemed too cheerful. "Well, Sofie, whad'dya wish for?"
Sofie gave a small smile before responding. "There's a new album I was looking for." She leaned up to Santa and whispered it in his ear. He nodded. "What about you, misses?" Barbara blushed. "I didn't know adults my age could get wishes." Santa chuckled. "Anyone can make a wish."
"Well, my daughter is 21 and has a wonderful boyfriend. And at some point, I want to be a grandmother. But I-" She stopped herself. I hope the baby's natural. I think it was a wonderful experience giving birth to Michelle in my own home. "Never mind." She figured the statement would be too inappropriate to say outloud.
Santa nodded, with a cheerful glow still coming from his eyes. Barbara frowned. It's not like he could read my thoughts. Sofie smacked Barbara's arm. Her wish was probably was a bit TMI. Awkwardly, Barbara waved goodbye, meanwhile Sofie smiled and said it out loud. Something felt off about that Santa, they had both sensed it. Barbara apologized to Sofie in the car, but that was that.
December 22nd. On the road there, something had seemed off. Despite the beautiful views of lush mountainside forests in a long but fantastic car ride, both the girls were quiet. Barbara had a few ideas. It could've been George's absence. Yes, that pain was strong. It could've been adolescence. The girls were older, and they weren't exactly the upbeat and with boundless energy as they had been in the past. But its not like they had brought phones. No, they had agreed that for the trip, they would bring books to read and games to play. But Barbara couldn't hear the flipping of pages or the small comments on what the two girls read.
Barbara took a peak at what the girls were doing. She let out a gasp. She saw Sofie with her legs spread apart, screaming in pain. Tears of blood ran down her cheeks as she wept. Barbara sped up, her foot pushing on the gas pedal in instinct. The car hit a bump, and Barbara slammed on the brake.
"Mom?" Michelle asked, her euphonious voice filling the air. Barbara turned to look at her children. Sofie's eyes were widened, staring at Michelle. She was safe, but paler than usual. Barbara breathed a sigh of relief. It was just an image. She's okay. But she couldn't help but shiver at the thought of her daughter in so much pain.
Michelle turned her head to behind them. "We hit a squirrel. Mom, what were you going so fast for?" Barbara shivered. "I-it was just nothing. A mistake."
Michelle could sense something deeper. Barbara saw it in her eyes. But Michelle didn't ask any further questions. There was no use to doing so. So Barbara continued on the journey, as the girls started to whisper to each other.
10:30pm. The doorbell cautiously rang before Gran and Gramps opened the door. The two girls ran into their grandparents arms, Michelle running into Gramps and Sofie running into Gran's. Barbara waited to be last before hugging her parents tight. It felt just like all the other Christmases she had had at her home, the bright city lights of Los Angeles making the night feel more like a spectacle rather than a log cabin snow day. The mountainside was certainly a change.
As they sat down and chatted by the burning fire with scrumptious hot cocoa, Barbara glanced at Sofie. She was fast asleep on the dusty, gray armchair in the corner. But what was stranger...was her stomach. It was protruded with a bump. No, Barbara did not remember this. Sofie was normally on the skinny end. Barbara sat up, and started to walk to her resting daughter.
Michelle sensed Barbara's worry. She grabbed her by the shoulder. "Mom, we need to talk." Barbara nodded, but she couldn't help but wonder what Michelle and Sofie had been whispering about. Gramps and Gran gave pleasant smiles. "Come out soon, the two of you. Sofie isn't in the mood to chat." Gran gave a small chuckle at Grampa's comment, but the two remained silent as Michelle and Barbara entered the guest room through the hallway.
Michelle turned on the light, which barely flickered to life. They sat on the rustic, amber bed together. "Mom, I don't know how to explain this but...I think Sofie's pregnant."
Barbara's jaw dropped. She thought of the image she had seen in the car. Surely it can't be a pregnancy. "W-why do you think this?"
"Her stomach. She said she had been feeling 'off' for about a day. Mom, she looks like she has a pregnancy bump. You saw it to. I felt her bump. I felt a kick, Mom. Small, but a kick. She had been feeling...I could only describe it as morning sickness. She doesn't have a boyfriend. There's no reason for her to be pregnant. She certainly didn't have a bump in the beginning of this trip. I-" Tears were rushing out of Michelle's eyes. "This shouldn't be happening Mom." She croaked. "There's no way to explain how this would happen. I should've told you earlier. She was sick. I should've told you and we could've gone back and-"
Barbara held her hand to Michelle's mouth. "Michelle, this isn't your fault. This hasn't been the case in all of medical history. We can talk to Gran and Gramps. Maybe tomorrow. We shouldn't ruin the holiday now. Then, we can call the doctor, we can..."
"We should've bought our phones, Mom." Michelle whispered, her voice full of worry.
"I have mine. There's probably cell service. Gran and Gramps have a landline phone. We'll be okay. They have a computer, I think. We'll be fine. We just need a good nights sleep to take this off our minds."
Michelle nodded, wiping away her tears and leaving the room. The light flickered a bit, and Barbara was once again left alone. For the rest of the night, she never got the courage to leave the room. To face her daughters. She didn't know if she had made the right decision. How could she? This had never been seen before. This didn't seem...real. Her daughter, Sofie, who she still remembered holding as a precious baby in her arms, having her own only 14 years later? It didn't feel possible. Sofie was a good kid. She only hanged out with Bethany and Josephine. Barbara knew both of their parents. There certainly wasn't shenanigans. Sometimes, the three of them would walk through the town center together. With no supervision. Maybe...they weren't at the town center at all. Barbara shivered, clutching the blanket tighter.
For the rest of the night, not another soul entered her room. Just, her, silence, and fear.
9:50, December 23rd. Barbara awoke with sweat drenching her body. She dreamed of a weak, disformed baby dying in her arms. She ran her fingers along the blanket, just to make sure it was real. That wouldn't happen to Sofie. It'll be okay.
Barbara frowned after getting out of her bed. 9:50 was later than she had expected. She heard talking in the other room. Rubbing her eyes, she stepped outside into the living room.
She waved to her two children, and her parents. But she took a step back when she saw her fathers eyes. For a second, they were blank, like he had been possessed. When she looked at them again, they were the same pale gray-blue. She gave a sigh of relief.
"Mom." Michelle called, staring at Sofie's belly. It was far bigger now, like a woman in the late stages of her second trimester. Woman. That's not who my daughter is yet. "Do you have your phone?"
They tried calling the local hospital 10 times before the signal was good enough that it could be picked up. As it turned out, Barbara's parents' computer was old and broken, and their landline phone had just as much trouble as Barbara's cell phone.
"Hello, Blayfield, Minnesota hospital. Is this an emergency?"
"Yes." Barbara exclaimed. She had to get the word out, otherwise her daughters life was at stake. "My daughter's pregnant. She's due very soon. I don't know when. I'm currently in 211 Maple Leaf Road with my parents for christmas. I don't know how far I am from the closest hospital. It's up in the mountains."
"We have to-" Suddenly, the phone cut out, and the voice was gone. Barbara slammed her phone on the ground in rage. "We'll never get anywhere with this!" She shouted.
"I'll try calling again. But I expect nothing." Michelle said. That was exactly what happened. 6 times they called, before they gave up. Even if they did take the call, the connection made it useless. All the while, Sofie's belly got bigger. Nobody could explain it. This was happening fast, in a way that was just impossible. Barbara tried to think back. There must've been something that could've caused this. Anything. Even thoughts of witchcraft and devils sparked in her head, but those paths led nowhere.
Sofie kept eating like a rabid animal. The entire shelf was ransacked. By nightfall, they only had a few cans of food left for morning. If they tried to take away her food, she would shout, venom in her eyes.
Whatever relaxing and fun Christmas Barbara could've had was dashed. She could barely speak to her parents, who in their own confusion could barely process what was going on. Even Michelle, who gracefully tried to keep Sofie occupied and alive, seemed like she couldn't handle it much longer. Barbara saw several other visions of blood and screaming.
But the day passed.
Barbara went to sleep, watching Sofie nibble on a few graham crackers. She felt tears streaming down her eyes. It felt like her daughter was gone, replaced by some monster. Sofie's eyes were red from her own tears. Sofie gave her mother one last look. A look of agony. A look that said everything Barbara needed to hear: that she was failing her daughter.
Barbara reflected on the measly conversations she had with her parents. The 'how are you's' and 'What's been going on lately's' couldn't distract from what was happening to Sofie, as much as they all would've liked. In times like this, she missed George. She didn't want to think about him. She didn't want those feelings to return. But neither she, nor Michelle, nor her parents knew how to deal with something like this.
Perhaps it would get better tomorrow, she thought. Oh, so wrong she was.
December 24th. Unknown time.
Barbara's eyes fluttered to the sound of "silver bells" on her parents old record player. The sunlight, bright like fire, eased its way into the old cabin. Barbara frowned. How long was I asleep?
She squinted at an odd detail on her parents emerald green sofa. Blood.
Knocking on the door ended the silence. Then screaming. Barbara sat up, the hairs on her back standing up. She ran to the front of the door. There, she found her entire family. Michelle was knocking on the door, shouting: "Mom! Mom!" Barbara opened it, and they ran inside.
"Michelle-" Barbara started, but she turned to look at Sofie. She looked 9 months pregnant. "S-Sofie-" Barbara couldn't get the words out of her mouth. She had almost forgotten everything that was happening. For just a moment, she was back at her parents cabin and enjoying christmas eve.
"Mom," Michelle put her hand on Barbara's shoulder. Barbara tensed, staring into her daughters deep brown eyes. "We were standing outside for an hour. You were asleep. We tried getting Sofie to the hospital early in the morning, but the car broke down and we were stranded. We had to go back up the mountain. Mom, her water broke."
So this is it. Barbara thought, not being able to make any more sense of what was happening. Her heart beated faster, and suddenly all she could hear was her breath.
"Mom? Mom?"
Barbara blinked several times, and took a deep breath like her grandmother used to tell her to. "Yes, Michelle," She said, before taking a gasp of air. "We have to get her ready."
It took several minutes for them to get Sofie situated on the bed, which was in a guest bedroom that was only accessible from a hallway with a doorway in front of it. Barbara stared at her child. Sofie was just a girl. The way she looked and cried and smiled, it was innocent. Now, even when she was crying, Barbara could still only see the face of a little girl. Her little girl.
"This is going to hurt." Barbara blinked back her own tears as Sofie sobbed. "But you'll get through this." She squeezed Sofie's smooth hand tight. "I promise. So help me, your my child."
It was only an hour of soothing Sofie before her first contractions came. Then, the screaming came. Barbara held on tight to Sofie's hand as it happened. She didn't cover her ears. "I'm here with you. I'm here with you." It was all she could manage. By then, Michelle and her grandparents where there, soothing Sofie as well.
December 24th. 11:56 PM.
They waited for many hours through the pain. At some point, most of them had fallen asleep. For a brief moment, Sofie was resting her eyes as well, even if she wasn't asleep. The pain was mitigated. But the baby would arrive soon.
Barbara awoke. She heard a noise. Knocking. The hospital had arrived to help, and just in time. Despite the darkness, she was sure of it.
She got out of the room, went down the eerie hallway and opened the door to the living room,. Creeping to the front door, she was dismayed when she realized it was just a tree limb hitting the window.
All of a sudden, she heard the radio turn on. She recognized the tune: Santa's coming to town. It must've been coming from the guest bedroom. Hopping to her feet, she ran to the door of the guest-bedroom hallway, gently closed it, and then darted to the end of the hallway to open the doorway to the guest bedroom. But when she opened it, she saw the hallway again.
She ran to the other side, opening the door. Again and again, she couldn't reach the guest bedroom. She started running, banging on the door to the guest bedroom. Nobody would open it, and when she finally did, it was the door to the hallway yet again.
Soon, she heard screaming. The music was getting louder. She kept running to the screaming noise, but nothing worked. It was like there was no guest bedroom in the first place. Her daughter was giving birth, but Barbara didn't exist at all.
Behind her, there was an infinite array of hallways. Barbara started banging on the door, not out of worry, but out of pain. She fell to her knees, tears streaking down her cheeks.
The screaming got louder. So did the music. The song had changed: Santa Clause is coming to town. "He sees you when you're sleeping..." She heard a bang on the wall. Something was with her, in the hallway. She stood up, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"He knows when you're awake..." Something grabbed her shoulder. She turned around, curling her hands into fists. And yet, there was nothing behind her. It had felt so real. "Why are you doing this to me?!" She shouted to the creature, stamping the ground.
The screaming continued to get louder, but she couldn't tell if it was her own, her daughter's, or a combination of the two. "He knows if you've been bad or not..." Barbara tried to open the door. This time, it was locked. She slammed with all her might, but it wouldn't even so much as crack.
She felt the creature touching her shoulder again, its claws scraping the back of her neck. She started yanking on the doorknob, when suddenly, the screaming stopped.
Her heart skipped a beat. Her whole world was on fire. "SOFIE!" The word escaped her mouth as the door opened. "...and be good for goodness sake!"
And there it was. The guest bedroom. Everyone was there. She ran up to the bed, Sofie's resting body covered with blood. Sofie was there, alive, breathing, holding a beautiful baby boy. His deep brown irises stared at Barbara, and he too started to cry.
Sofie smiled, holding onto the baby. Barbara grabbed onto her, hugging her tight. "I'm so sorry." She could barely get the words out. How could she? Her daughter had gone from wishing for an album for christmas to giving birth in 3 days.
All of a sudden, Barbara saw a light coming from the window. It was strange, like an extra bright star moving through the sky. Something dark was attached to it, but it was close enough that she could see it. Could it be? Barbara wondered. Santa's sleigh...
Barbara then heard the record crackle to life. "That's all for tonight folks," The radio station host's voice was heavy in the air.
"It was going on and off all night." Grandpa commented. His sea-green eyes were numb from watching his granddaughter in so much pain.
"But before we go, we have one special guest: Santa himself."
Barbara frowned. The voice, the lights, the birth...No, it can't be. It can't be.
"Ho-ho-ho! We hope you had a merry Christmas!"
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