The Devil With a Pretty Face

The Dawn

There she sat with her swollen feet fixed heavily on a stool. Beatrice Andrea Geller was six months pregnant. It was on a cold day and the snow seemed to be taking over everything in the city. She watched the fire burn silently spreading the warmth to her feet and all over her body. Her husband sat on an arm chair on the other side of the room reading an old magazine. Beatrice remembered how annoying it was when he kept reading the same old magazines over and over again. 'You know they publish new magazines, right?' she had once said to him with a smirk on her face. He had smiled without looking at her and carried on reading his magazine..

Now he kept on adding chunks of wood to the fire to keep it burning. The house was starting to overheat. Beatrice was deep in her thoughts though she was not sure what she was thinking about. She could see her husband on her side view glancing at her now and then. She turned to him and smiled, he smiled back and then stuck his face back to his magazine. They hardly spoke about anything important. They had been married for two years now and lived in a magnificent house at the center of the city. Beatrice had met James  at the bus station on his way home from work. He had just started his new job and did not own a car of his own. Beatrice was on her way home from the grocery store. The sun was setting and darkness was striking. She had felt him staring at her the whole evening as they waited for a bus home. She had noticed his well kept short hair and his perfectly shaped face. He was wearing a black suit and had an old briefcase on his hands. She had wanted to say hello but she did not bear enough courage to do so. Her ride had arrived a little late. She was pushing her way through the crowd when her bag teared up and her groceries scattered all over. James offered to help out  and her face was red with embarrassment. The bus had left at the moment which was even more embarrassing. She had stubbornly resisted when James asked to walk her home but he had insisted .He was the the giving-up type. 'Where do you live?' He was smiling. ' Down the street. I'll walk its not far.'  It was getting dark as they walked home or as he walked her home. They talked and laughed. They had so much in common. James was funny and adventurous. He loved reading and also talked a lot about politics which she found boring and just nodded along not to be rude.

James was now sipping coffee from a large mug. He loved coffee and had asked his wife to make some for him. He was the kind of person who believed that house chores were not the kind of job for him. Despite his wife being a few months to delivering their baby, he did not care to help her around the house. Beatrice thought of this as stupid and  immature though she never addressed it in the view of the fact that  she wanted their marriage to work. She also was in consideration of what her parents would think of her. She was their pride unlike her younger sister who had been married young and her marriage had instantly failed. They had regarded her an abomination. She did things her way and she never considered  what anyone thought of it provided it made her happy. There is a point she wished she could be like her sister; happy, independent and daring without anything having to stop her or considering anyone's opinion about it. The fact that her parents despised whatever life she was living never for a second bothered Rachel. 

'Ooh... you should feel this James' The baby had kicked so hard bringing her back from her thoughts. James hurried and he was on his knees feeling her belly. The baby moved and kicked again startling him. They both laughed briefly. This had been happening for the last few weeks and Beatrice was getting alarmed. 'I guess it is really playful' James had said. She knew that that's not what it was and she had smiled in agreement.

Two years ago Beatrice was happy walking down the aisle. It was a dream come true but right now she was not sure that her marriage life brought her any happiness. Her husband was a news reporter who was barely home. She spent days alone in their house which was supposed to feel like home and not just a house with big empty halls. He would come home late after midnight from work. She used to plan date nights for them to spend time together but he never showed up. The food had gone cold and she would end up frustrated and drunk from the wine. After she got pregnant, he had improved a little. He would be home a little early but it did not help since she would be asleep by then. She still hoped that after the child was born James would find time for them. This child was their only hope.

James was getting for work. It was on a cold morning and the skies were dark ready to pour down. This was so not expected since it was at the beginning of summer. This appeared to be the wrong day. It was calm and dark in a strange way. It started drizzling a few hours before  Beatrice went into labor. James was worried as he moved around the house confused about what to pack before heading to the hospital. Beatrice was looking at him moving around in circles 'Hey, James calm down and breath' He tried to pull himself together and packed the few things they needed. He helped her down the stairs and to the car. He drove slowly through the streets. He kept throwing glances at his wife with look of assurance that everything will be okay.

He loved his wife since the very first moment he saw her the grocery store. He loved how she carefully picked up vegetables at the store. He loved how she walked and her intelligent sweet voice when she spoke to an old woman who needed help. He had followed her up to the bus station hoping to see where she lived. He was hypnotized by her beauty and beautiful silky dark hair. He still was years later. He had introduced her to his family eight months later. Her mother did not like her very much. His father had left when he was young and never got a chance to know him. His siblings has liked Beatrice. Her mother on the other hand disapproved of their relationship. She had heard rumors about Beatrice's mother being a witch. James thought that it was crazy of his mother to believe such rumors  and he had walked out on her with anger burning him up. How could anyone believe that? Beatrice was an angel. That beautiful smile of hers was heavenly. Her sweetness and kind heart was everything to him. Besides, he had met her family and they did not have long creepy nails and definitely did not look like witches.

Now here they were. His sweet wife was in so much pain and it was breaking his heart. James still had in his mind that she was an angel. When she imagined what labor would be like, Beatrice never thought it would like what she was feeling right now. She could not think clearly and the streets were a blurred image to her eyes. The pain was eating her alive. It was as if the baby hated her and was tearing her apart. She glanced at James who was now driving recklessly. She saw fear written all over his face. He was scared and was sweating though it had already started raining.

He pulled over and parked at the hospital and helped her out. It was still raining but he did not care for an umbrella. It was as if he understood how much pain she was in. He helped her through the halls to the delivery room. He waited outside moving from one end of the small hall to the other. He did not have this much patience. His feet was restless and his heart was pounding loudly in his heart. Time seemed to be moving backwards.

He held his daughter in his arms and tears hanging on his eyes His feet was sore from all the moving around while waiting for about an hour. It seemed like just yesterday when his wife handed him the pregnancy test and he was beyond happy he could not speak. Now he had a daughter in his hands, so perfect and beautiful. She had tiny feet and hands, with soft black hair and big round shiny eyes. He looked at his wife who was sleeping. Her daughter was the perfect image of her mother. She was gorgeous. She was all Beatrice. When Beatrice woke up later it was still raining heavily. The baby was crying 'Is she okay ?' She asked weakly yet concerned. 'I think she is just hungry' James handed her the baby. 'She is perfect' she ' her voice was breaking. James kissed her forehead ,smiled and then sat next to her on the bed. ' What should we name her' She was looking at him with a look that he knew he had to come up with the right name. They had not yet decided on the name after a couple of arguments. 'Ruth if its a girl, Paul if its a boy' Beatrice did not like the idea of naming her baby Ruth. At the mention of the name she had choked on water. She had explained to him that it reminded her of a mean old lady who hated kids from a movie she had watched when she was thirteen. She new to herself that it was a lie that would remain a secret. ' Okay. What do you have?'  'I like Paul, but if its a girl, Sophia' She had suggested. He did not like Sophia. 

'Please don't say Ruth.' She was smiling though she was serious. He smiled back ' How about Lora?' 'Lora' she repeated softly and nodded slowly. ' Lora Andrea Albertson ' they both agreed. Albertson was the family name of James.

James sat on the bed next to his family; Beatrice and Lora. This was a dream come true. Since he got married he had always felt that his family was not complete without a child. He wanted to be a father and now here  he was; a father to a sweet little girl. He was ready to be the best father to her. At the same time he felt like he had failed his wife as a husband. He was never there for her. His job needed his full attention so did his wife. He had chosen his job over her but at this moment all he wanted was to be there for them. He had wanted to be a news reporter ever since he was a kid. He now had to choose between the two things he had ever wanted so bad in life. It was a dilemma but he knew his daughter meant everything to him so did his wife. He did not want her to grow up without a father like he did. He wanted the best for Lora. He needed to make up his mind . He had to quit his job and maybe find a half-time job in order to make time for his family. He knew his wife was not not going to like the idea of him giving up his job for Lora and her, but he had made up his mind and there was nothing that could stop him from being with his family.

Beatrice was staring at her daughter who was so peaceful with her eyes shut. Tears were slipping down her cheeks. She did not care to wipe them up. She wondered what would become of her daughter who is born innocent but the world was waiting for her, hungry with its sharp claws ready to lure her into its evil nature. She wondered if she had made the right choice bringing an innocent soul to suffer for crimes she did not commit. Lora did not deserve to have her destiny determined and planned out for her. But this was happening. 'Are you sure you want to do this?' It was a question Ruth had asked her a few months back. It was still raw in her mind ringing like an alarm to wake her up from the dream land. Ruth was a known witch but Beatrice never believed in witches or any other related things. Beatrice's mother Nancy had introduced her to Ruth before she died of heart attack. After getting married, Beatrice was not able to have a child for a long time. She was desperate for one and so was her husband. He was unhappy and spent hours in his office working. This was breaking her into pieces. Her mother had suggested she visit the witch and see if she could in any way be of help. This was after seeking medical help without any luck. ' I've never done this kind of witchcraft but I know its not a good idea' Ruth had said as Beatrice observed  how dark her eyes were and the movement of her filthy hands with long nails.' The baby might bring bad luck to her family and to other people.' Ruth had warned but compared to how hopeless she was, it did not cross her mind. All she wanted was to make her family happy and complete. Ruth gave her a nasty green concoction and asked her to drink. As she gulped, she thought this of a way to make her husband happy and proud, not to mention no one would judge her for being childless.

 During her pregnancy, she had gone through a lot of difficulties that her husband did not know of. The baby would kick and turn with restlessness when there was loud music or any loud noise. This was very uncomfortable for her. ' Are you alright?' James asked her switching her back to the reality. She nodded knowing she was not. She was now scared what would happen to Lora. What if what Ruth had said come to be true? What would she do? How would she explain that to James? She felt like she was waking up from a long dream that seemed like reality.