Vampire Slave Series: Spawn

Chapter Five

Amabell's POV

I turned the small bear in my hands, just as I did every day. Every time I was alone in this quiet room. The blue ribbon around it's neck held a small, red heart. And in it's hand was a larger heart, that read Get Well Soon. It was from Jude, before he deserted me here. Before he turned into nothing, along with our love. It was a short love, but it didn't matter how long I've loved him...it still hurt. It stung worse than a bee sting. It broke me in half, worse than this child inside me. I felt tears fall down my cheeks. It wasn't anything new. I cried to myself almost everyday. It was the only thing I had to do anymore, and was just about the highlight of my life. Besides today, I've pretty much fell into a dark hole in which no one, not even Reid, could get me out of. I could show happiness on the outside, smile and laugh, but deep inside there was nothing left to be happy about.

Was this child sucking the life out of me?! Or, is it the lack of love Jude gives both of us?!

I looked down at my exposed stomach. Since this morning, the child has done nothing but kick and tug at my ribs. I could feel a few of them cracking, threatening to break anytime. I still had a choice in the matter. Do I keep the child, and take care of it like a mother should? Do I give it away? If I kept it, what would Jude think? He would probably disown both of us. He would leave forever and we'll never see the love of our lives. But...if I gave it away? Would it terrorize it's new family? Who would want a child like this?

It was a hard decision and I couldn't do it alone. Who would help me? Who is close enough to both of us that could say rather it stays or goes? And, most importantly...is Jude really the father? Is that why he stays away? Because he knows it's not his...?

"When you're pregnant with a vampire child, the pregnancy goes by quickly. There's no telling if he was conceived a month ago, or a few days ago," Jonan would tell me. It didn't help the questions that I knew bothered everyone. Though, no one wanted to speak of it. Jordana or Madeline would talk about a nursery and color themes, but even then they would be fantasising that I wasn't in this position, and that I was carrying the baby like a normal person would.

The door creaked open, and the bear in my hands dropped to the floor. I pulled the blanket over my stomach and wiped away the tears, expecting to see Jonan walk in with everyone behind them. My heart raced and I crossed my toes that Jude would be with them. "Is it alright if I come in? I'm not going to hurt you," a small voice came from behind the curtain. Around the curtain, popped a girl's head. Her blonde hair hung low, and her yellow eyes stared at me. I nodded, and waited for her to step inside. When she did, she crossed her arms in front of her hospital gown and bowed her head. "I'm sorry for disturbing you. I wanted to wait until your friend was gone," She spoke. I didn't reply. I narrowed my eyes at the girl, trying to remember where I had seen her from. My eyes grew wide when the thought came to me and my tone was a bit more surprised than I meant it to be.

"You're the girl from the room! Mikayla!"

She smiled and nodded. She pranced to the side of my bed and leaned over, with her hand stretched out. I took it, returning a friendly smile. When her hand dropped to her side, she bowed her head again. "I listen to the baby's heart every night when you're asleep. I didn't realize you were human."

My eyes grew wide again. "You can hear the baby's heart from way down there?!"

Again, she nodded.

"I'm surprised you can't. If you concentrate on it, it's very loud and fast. I think he's excited!" She smiled and looked down at my stomach. "How far along are you?"

"Uh...I'm not sure. It's not a normal pregnancy..." Her hand slowly made it's way to my stomach and her finger tips trailed the blanket.

"My mom was pregnant...after me. It was a little boy, and I was super excited to have a little brother. But they said something went wrong in her tummy, and he died. Both mom and dad were sad for so long. Sometimes, at night when I was laying in bed, I could hear her cry all night."

I sucked in a deep breath, holding back a sob. How a family, happy and excited to be having their second child, could live after that was unthinkable. Losing a child would be the worst thing a mother could go through. Her story made me stare down at my stomach, and think of losing my child. Would I be just as devastated? Would anyone cry for me? I looked back up at Mikayla when she let out a long sigh, and removed her hand from my stomach. "He's asleep. You might want to get as much rest as you can while he's out. I can hear you in pain when he's awake," She said, flashing me a smile. "I'll come visit again sometime."

"I'd like that," I said, smiling back. She waved goodbye and left me alone with the thoughts of losing my baby. The thoughts stayed with me as I drifted asleep.

**

"You're killing yourself, Amabell!" Jude yelled at the girl lieing on the white bed. The girl, tears flowing down her cheeks, whimpered up at her love. She reached for him but he jumped back from her, disgusted with the mess before him. "Do you want to keep that thing?! Do you love that thing?!"

"I love you!" She cried. He scowled at her.

"If you really loved me, you wouldn't have gotten knocked up! You'd kill that thing right now!"

"Jude, please! It's our baby!" The girl cried in pain as Jude's large hand smacked her across the face. She buried her face in the pillow and cried harder. Hearing this, the child got angry. This man was hurting his mother and she was doing nothing to stop him.

"I could help you mama," the child said. "He won't hurt you ever again!" The child starting digging at the soft, pink walls around him. His small finger nails cut into the inside of this womb. His mother cried out in pain, gripping at her stomach. "Don't worry, mom! I'm coming to help!"

The girl was in so much pain, she was wishing death apon herself. She kicked and thrashed around on the bed before Jude, but he was doing nothing to help her. She reached out to him but he seemed to be stepping away. "You kill that thing right now!" He kept screaming. The child inside her kept digging; digging until a break of light showed. The woman screamed out with the last of her energy.

Then, the child lunged at Jude...

***

I woke with such fright, the bed shook under me. The room felt a hundred degrees and I couldn't breath. I sat up in a rush to gather the air around me. Gasping and weezing, I felt a pair of hands on my back. I jumped sidways, almost falling off the bed. "Bell, it's alright!" Jordana said. She held onto my arm so I wouldn't go tumbling to the floor. Still gasping, I looked around the room to see everyone sitting before me. Jordana, Jake, Madeline, Reid, and Jonan. But the one person, the one I expected to see dead on the floor, wasn't here. Realitly sunk in and I leaned back against my pillow. Jordana stayed hung to me while Jake set his hands on my feet, looking at me with concern. I looked into my brother's eyes, but I didn't see anything happy in them. He watched as his sister lay here, waiting for death to take her. But, it didn't come soon enough. And I was stuck to this world with bad dreams, no Jude, and a child trying to kill me. The images roamed around in my mind as I turned to Jordana.

"When did you guys get here?" I gasped. She relaxed, and sat back in her seat.

"About twenty minutes ago," Jonan answered. He stepped forward, flashing a smile no one else dared to. "How are you feeling?"

"Hot...and a bit hungry," I replied. I could feel the sweat drip from my forehead. I must look a mess. Again I scanned the room, as if expecting to see Jude hiding in the corner or something. When I didn't see him, I sighed. "What time is it?"

"Midnight," Jordana said. I looked up at the clock hanging above the door. Sure enough, it was exactly midnight. The same time I woke up last night, and the night before. I yawned and sat up in bed.

"We wanted to come and check up on you," Jonan continued. He had the look of regret on his face, and I knew what he was about to say, he didn't want to. "And see what you've decided to do." I stared up at him. I didn't know how to answer him, just like from the beginning. With everyone's eyes on me, I felt center of attention. I wanted to curl up under the blankets and hide until this was over.

"The thing is...we don't have anymore time. The child is getting bigger by the day and, we need to know." Jonan watched me carefully. I wanted to scream at all of them. Tell them to give me more time...or make more time. It wasn't enough! I opened my mouth to reply, but the door cracking open stopped me. The words stuck in my throat, the air I had breathed in was sucked back out of my lungs. The room fell silent as Jude closed the door behind him. Now, everyone's eyes were glued to him, including mine. As much as I prayed and hoped he'd come tonight, now that he's here, I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what to say. And from the look he gave us, he didn't either. Jonan cleared his throat and walked over to him, putting his arm over his son's shoulders.

"Jude, it's so good to see you!" Jude just looked at him. Not giving a smile. Not saying a word. Jonan wasn't bothered by this and directed Jude to a chair next to Jordana that Madeline was sitting in. She happily got up and let him sit down. His eyes scanned the room before falling on me, and the look we shared brought goose bumps rising on my skin.

"Well, we'll talk later," Jonan said. He eyed me before shoving Jordana, Madeline, Jake, and Reid out the door. I wanted to tell them all to stay, but they were gone before I could open my mouth. I brought my knees to my chest, trying to hide my stomach from him. I felt embarrassed...ashamed if he saw me with the little bump that was rising from my pelvis. I didn't catch his eye after everyone left. Everything happened so fast since I woken up that I didn't have time to gather my thoughts. I was still imagining the dream I had just awoken from. Pain in my lower stomach made he groan into the blanket.

"Reid told me you've been worried," He finally said. I wasn't expecting him to speak at all and was grateful when he did. I lifted my head slightly to see him. His body language said he didn't want to be here. His foot tapped the floor, like he was eager to leave. He didn't look much different besides the dirt that caked his jeans. I noticed it on his boots, and footsteps where he had come in. "Why are you so worried about me?"

"Because...!" I didn't know how to react to his dark tone. What was I supposed to say to him? "I-I...I miss you! Jude, I haven't seen you in so long! It's like...you don't even love me anymore."

His sudden movement made me jump and the first thing to come to mind was, he was going to hit me, like in the dream. But, his rough hands cupped my face and I was staring into his soulless, colorless eyes. The beautiful green was no longer there. "I love you, Amabell," He whispered before pressing his lips softly to mine. The kiss, the romance, the passion, lasted for only a few short seconds. When he pulled back, he was gone quicker than I could open my eyes.

I blinked away the tears and turned from the spot he had been sitting in.