Miranda

It was a cold and hunting night when everything went to hell for Meranda Mangold, when just the day before she was living her dream life. It's been just a year since civilization crashed and the world became no man's land due to the asteroid that hit and ripped out more than half of the population. Meranda and her husband Morgan survived out of pure luck. They were on vacation in the smoky mountains with their cousin Eric and his wife sophia, when the asteroid hit in the pacific ocean Causing massive continental flooding. It was by the grace of God that Meranda and her husband went to the mountains when they did, now the smokey mountains are a chain of islands, and only few lived on. It was what Mernda secretly dreamed of, a world where there was no government, no one to tell her what she can or can't do. It was paradise. That was until that hunting night when her dream fell to pieces and woke up to a nightmare. She was out collecting firewood for the night when she came across a beautiful young woman, with red hair and porcelain skin. She seemed like she was in distress. "Excuse me miss, are you ok, i haven't seen you around these parts." Miranda calls out. Which startles the young woman. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you. Are you lost?" The young woman shakes her head, then starts to cry. Meranda was flabbergasted and did not know what to do, how to console her. If she would not tell her what was wrong, then how could she help. It was then that she noticed she was heavy with child, and she was clutching her abdomen like she was in pain. Marinda quickly assessed the situation and realized she must be in labor. She rushes to the woman and tries to erg her to the cabin her and her husband stayed in, but for some reason the woman resisted . " Listen lady, you're about to have a baby, you need to come with me." The woman just shakes her head in despair, "you don't want to help me. I don't deserve your help." The woman wails. Meranda was confused, she never met this woman in her life, why would she not help her. "Well if you won't let me help point me in the direction of your home so i can get your husband." Merands offers The young woman wails even louder, Meranda was not sure if it was due to contractions or what she just said. "I'm not married," the woman sobbs, "that's why I don't deserve your help." She adds in a muffled whisper. It was so muffled that Meranda almost didn't hear. "What do you mean by that? Why wouldn't I help you because you're not married? Speak up now, I'm not a self righteous woman, I will help anyone in need." Meranda proclaim The woman clutches her abdomen and sinks into the mossy forest floor, sobbing uncontrollably. "Th.. th... the father is.. is.. your husband" she sobbs. Merianda felt like time just froze in that moment, could she be telling the truth, could her husband of 6 years truly betray her in such a manner. The maN she loved and trusted, The man who refused her children of her own got another woman pregnant. Morgan claimed he had a swollen prostate and he couldn't get it up any more, and she was ok with that after a while, because she loved him, supported him and wanted to be there for him, and when the world crumbled around them, It was still ok because she still had him. But it was all a lie, she had gone without s*x for and a half years, while hes been sleeping around on her. Mirandas heart turned numb. Her husband was having a child thta was not her own. He was finding his pleasure in a nother womans arms. Part of her alreday suspeted, so that means shes the i***t who let him walk all over her, let him take everything she had. She gave up everything because she held ture to her vows she made. Meranda wanted to cry herself. The woman sobs tore meranda out of her thoughts. " It doesn't matter if what you say is true,'' Meranda says quickly, " you need help and that's more important than my personal feelings. Come now let's get you comfortable." Meranda pushes the woman on her back and urges her to spread her legs. Meanda was thankful the woman was wearing a dress for it made it that much easier. She took out her pocket knife out to cut the womans pantties off, then put it aside to see. "What's your name sweety?" Meranda asked while ripping pieces of the woman's dress for rags she may need. "Natalie '' the woman gets out between gasps and sobs. "Well Nattallie, I hope you don't mind me cutting up your dress, we are going to need rags for when the baby is out. I'm going to need you to spread your legs wider so I can see what's happening down there. Miranda urges. Nattallie does what she's told and screams in pain as a contraction hits her. After it passes she looks at meranda with wonder in her eyes. " Why are you being so kind to me? You should hate me." Meranda looks at Nattallie with acceptance. There was no room for hate in her heart. Plus the child is innocent. Know lets see what we got here." Meranda takes a look to see the baby crowning. " ok Nattallie couple more good pushes and the baby will be here. I need you to push me for the next contraction." A half hour later the sound of a baby crying echoes in the forest. "Nattallie, you did it, it's a girl. A beautiful baby girl." One look at the child and she knew without a doubt that Nattallie had told the truth. Her husband was the father. But instead of resentment she felt a longing and a love so strong for the child it scared her. After cleaning the child with the rags she cut and bundled her up in her sweater, she turned to Natalie, and saw that she was bleeding out too much and losing consciousness. She nugges her to get up.`` Nattallie, come on, we need to get you indoors, your bleeding too much. We need to get help." Meranda urges Natalie opens her eyes, for a brief moment looks Meranda in the eyes `` thank you, take care of her for me. Keep her safe." She says before passing into eternal sleep. Meranda kept shaking Nattallie, hoping she would wake up, so she could be the mother to this child. She needed her mother, who was Meranda but a poor substitute. Between the child cries and Meranda's frantic attempt to wake Nattillie up she failed to realize she had witnesses, one who watched the whole thing from his hunting tower, and the other only saw the dead woman and his wife holding a newborn child, and assumed the worst of his wife, and saw red.