Page 1 of Deathless
1
RORI
“Come here, sweetheart.” My mother lowered into a squat, holding her arms straight out in front of her. Her face was lit up with love and adoration. “Come to grandma.”
I looked down and noticed the child in my lap for the first time. A girl, going by the sparkly butterfly clip holding back waves of dark brown hair. She, my daughter, held onto the forefingers of each of my hands for balance. Tiny, chubby hands released me slowly as she started taking wobbly steps toward my mother.
Her grandmother.
“Yes!” my mom praised with a huge smile. “You’re doing so good! Come here and give me a hug.”
The little girl ventured forward, growing more confident with each unsupported step. She giggled, reaching for her grandma, her other favorite person besides me. My daughter was so happy and loved with the two of us to take care of her.
“Yes! That’s my girl!” My mom swept her up on her last step, holding her granddaughter tightly, protectively, as she smothered her in kisses.
I watched, feeling as if it were recording being played. Or like I was a sheet of glass.
“What is this?” I asked, unnerved by the odd detachment from the two people before me, the two people I was supposed to love most. “I’m dreaming, aren’t I?”
“It’s real if you allow it to be.” My mom stood up with a groan, lifting my daughter to settle her on her hip. “Isn’t it, my love?” She tapped the child on the nose.
Or at least, it looked like she did. I had yet to see the little girl’s face.
“What do you mean?” I looked around, finding small homes, cottages and trailers entering my vision. And women bustling about, some with small children as well. “This is wrong,” I heard myself say.
“How so?” My mom grinned at the little girl on her hip, bouncing her up and down as she made funny faces.
“Where are her fathers?” I demanded. “Where aremyfathers? Your husbands.”
“Oh, we don’t need them.” My mom pretended to bite the little girl’s nose. “We’re a much better, happier family like this.”
“No, we’re not. This is wrong.” Panic settled in; and I wanted to move, to run. But I felt stuck, as if swimming through thick mud. “What about my brothers?” I demanded. “Where’s Daren and Nolan?”
“Where they belong.”
“They’re your fuckingsons. What do you mean by that?”
The woman, entity, or whatever was wearing my mother’s face, finally made eye contact with me. “I have no sons. Only daughters.”
“Give her to me.” I approached her with my arms out, even though it felt like I wasn’t crossing any distance at all. “Give me my daughter.”
The thing holding the little girl seemed to float backwards in space, her arms tightening around the child. “You’re not ready, Aurora.” It gave me a twisted smile, distorting my mother’s face. “But don’t worry. You will be soon.”
“Ready for what?” I demanded. “Give me back my daughter!”
“All daughters are mine, Aurora. The sooner you accept that, the sooner we can begin.”
The little girl then turned to look at me, but in place of her face was just...a moving hunk of flesh.
It was smooth and grayish-brown, expanding and contracting on itself rhythmically as if controlled by a breath or heartbeat.
The faceless child reached its hand toward me and I careened backward, trying to get away. It was wrong. It was evil. It had taken everyone I loved and now it was trying to consume me...
It caught me, gripping my shoulder with a rough hand and shaking me.
“Rori, snap the fuck out of it!”
There was a falling sensation that made me kick, and then I was somewhere else.
