Watched

The Cry of a Child

Chapter 23: Pandora

Smoke filled my lungs, and I hit the porthole looking window with my hands. Shadowy figures stood outside, and I clutched Jade to me, giving her my shirt to breathe through. “P-panda?”

“Stay silent, Jade. Help is coming….” I honestly didn’t know if help was coming, but I hoped for my children and Jade’s sake.

Realizing something, I thought up an idea. I would call Zane. Surely he could hear me if I could hear him in my mind at times. I thought really hard, but my calls weren’t heard, and fat tears ran down my face. The smoke was suffocating, but whoever was outside didn’t look the type to help two sick, pregnant ladies. “Jade,” I shook her shoulder lightly, and she stirred. “I need you to hide in the bathroom. I’ll join you in a minute.”

She nodded, crawling towards the bathroom with my shirt in tow. It actually would have looked funny if fire and explosions weren’t going off. Observing through the window, I saw small, furry creatures run about what Zane had told me was the boundary line. The forcefield shimmered, and sparks, little dancing wisps fluttered through the air. Breathing through my sleeve, I looked for any sign of Zane. None showing, I crawled towards the bathroom, and waited.

It happened to be the most stressful moments of my life, and that was saying something see as I got kidnapped to carry alien babies. Suddenly, there was a cramp in my side, but I put it off as Jade’s cuddling form against me.

The cramp came back, stronger than before, and I stiffened. What the heck was that? “Jade, my side hurts…” I whispered, and she glanced over before snapping back towards me.

“Where?” I pointed to my stomach on the right side, and she touched it.

“Pandora, why don’t you lie down for awhile?” I nodded, lying down, but tensed my stomach muscles when a sharp, shooting pain stabbed at my abdomen. A silent scream on my lips, Jade covered my body with hers, whispering words of encouragement in my ear.

“Shh…calm down, Zane will come. I know he will,” she murmured, before stroking my pregnant belly. Her hand stopped suddenly, and she inhaled sharpely.

“What?”

“Your shirt is wet…” I struggled to get up, but with the help of Jade, I leaned against the wall.

“Oh shit….”

My water had broken; out of all the times it just had to break it was now. Another contraction hit and Jade had to muffle my cries of pain. Tears ran down my face, but I no longer coughed because the smoke had now dissipated. My cries fell on a silent Jade, who continued holding my hands, and it wasn’t long until the contractions wracked my frail body with painful force.

“Jade! Jade, make it stop!” She shushed me, grabbing my hands with less force than I was using.

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Hours later, sweat clung to every part of my body. Each contraction arching my back in pain, and my clothes seemed to strangle me. My breaths came out in short gasps, and Jade pulled down my pants, propping my legs up.

“You need to give me a big push this time,” she ordered, and I nodded weakly.

“Oh, god I’m going to beat the shit out of that stupid alien boy!” I shouted while I pushed, and sighed in relief when the large pressure dissolved.

A wailing cry rose from between my legs, and Jade handed me my firstborn with tears in her eyes. Tears poured from my eyes as I cradled the small infant, rubbing his cubby cheeks with my thumbs. You’re perfect. I almost dropped him when another contraction hit, and he started to cry at my pain. A small smile from me caused his choking cries to stop, and I pushed with renewed strength. Also, with the desperate need to get my baby girl out of my womb.

If I knew it was going to hurt this much, maybe I would have shot Zane with one of those stupid laser guns of his. Idiot! Doesn’t he know they look like Buzz Lightyear toys?

I held onto Jade’s hand once more, taking on the full brunt of the pain. It almost seemed as if time had stopped, no noise was heard, only the shaking of the protected building. My son did not cry, and only when the pain subsided could I open my eyes. A shrill cry rose from between my legs, and I slumped back in relief. Yep, definitely going to kick his alien ass! If I could find him…

New, hot tears sprang to my eyes. What had become of him? How would I raise two children on my own? Or rather, with an extremely pregnant individual, due any moment. I knew I had had them too early, but both looked fine. Blood lay in puddles on the floor, and the children were disconnected from me by a small pocketknife.

No words were said, only glances between my children and I. They were the most beautiful babies I had ever seen. Both of their eyes seemed to be a mix of colors, and their skin was pale, pure. The girl had pitch-black hair, the boy’s a lighter black, and all I could do was stare.

A quiet voice to the side caused me to look up. “What do you want to name them, Pandora?”

“I wanted to name them with him here, Jade…b-but they need to be called something. How about Kida…and Luka…” I whispered weakly, rubbing my fingers across Kida’s soft cheek.

“I think he’ll like that…”

“Where is he? I want him here, he promised.” Tears (how much can I cry today) sprang to my green eyes, and Jade held both children above the growing puddle.

“He will be…I promise. Just stay awake, alright? Help will get here.” She trailed off, but them I realized it was just me loosing consciousness.

I tried to stay awake for Jade, and my newborn children. It was a want so strong that nothing could compare to it, but I had lost too much blood. White dots started to cloud over my vision, and the whispering I heard above me was probably yelling. Babies crying was heard, and I weakly moved my arm to comfort them.

Soon though, the fight was lost, and sleep overtook me.