Beneath The Skin

The Beginning

The year was 1665. Morrison laid in her bed, listening to her younger sisters giggling almost silently so their parents wouldn't wake up. They didn't have a care in the world. Being young must be great. Its been years since Morrison had felt young. Being able to laugh over such little things such as how rain hit the tin roof that night, making a strange pining noise. It's been raining the past few days. Almost as if god was punishing the human race even more then he has.

God. Morrison felt her roll her eyes. She grew up being taught how God was great, God was good. Her mothers words. But the damage that was happening outside. The disease that was spreading through France made it hard for Morrison to even believe in anything her parents had taught her.How could God place such a horrible thing in his word. Black Death was killing off hundreds of people as she knew of and it was only getting worse.

Morrison felt her sister shift and her mind moved away from the subject of God and Black Death, moving her focus on her sisters. Those two innocent little girls are what kept Morrison going. Even when her father was a horrible bastard who drank too much, and her mother who stayed quiet to often, those little girls made everything better. Both had dirty blonde hair that was identical to Morrison's long and wavy dirty blonde hair. Their eyes the same pale blue that were too big for their faces. All of them had a frail frame with ivory white smooth skin. A trait they got from their mother. Morrison and her sisters looked identical to each other, they should have been triplets, despite their ages being years apart.

Georgia was 8 years old. The middle child. Mostly the favorite for the fact that she prayed at the table every night before dinner. Then there was Isabelle. She was 5. She was the child that their parents didn't think they could have. But when she was born, she was a gift from God. Her child-like behavior was what bothered their parents. Morrison  was the one who watched them and took care of them.She knew they were children. She didn't mind their behaviors. They were children and they would act like it. Morrison loved those kids more then anything.

A loud noise startled the three girls as they all shot up into a sitting position in the bed they shared. It was thunderous feet running over the wooden floor boards of the house, the sound of gagging and then followed by vomiting filled the air. Softer foot steps moved across the floor towards the sickening noise.

"What is that?" Georgia asked quietly. Isabelle looked at Morrison with wide eyes, waiting for Morrison to give her comfort. Morrison smiled softly, easing their minds with her soft face.

"It's just father. He must be sick." Morrison stated. She pushed their quilt off her legs and stood in her night gown.

"Stay in bed." Morrison said softly. She moved toward their bedroom door, pulling the wooden door back slightly. A candle lite in the next room, Morrison stepped out and moved silently to the light of the flame. She rounded the corner to see her father leaning over a bucket vomiting. Her mother stayed a foot back, holding onto her arms tightly as if in pain.

"Mother?" Morrison said. Edith was her name. She turned to see Morrison. Her eyes where sunken in to the point it nerved Morrison.

"Oh, hello love. Everything is okay." Edith said, her voice wavering. Morrison's eye brows knitted together. She opened her mouth but was interrupted when a bell started to ring. It was a frantic ringer, getting louder the longer it was rang. Morrison turned back to her mother, eyes wide with concern.

"Get... the masks." Harold breathed as his vomiting took a break. Edith looked at him horrified and Morrison turned, rushing back into the bedroom. Georgia and Isabelle held on to each other tightly, flinching with ever ding of the bell. Morrison moved to their chest and dropped to her knees, pushed the lid up quickly. Five masks laid on the top of inside of the chest. They were a worn off brown color and the shape of a birds head, a long beak protruding from the front. Morrison grabbed three and moved to the bed.

"Now... we are going to play a game." Morrison said, trying to keep her frantic voice comforting. Isabelle was interested.

"A game?!" She asked excited. Morrison nodded with a flash of a smile.

"Yes a game." Morrison nodded, she lifted the masks to her siblings.

"We are going to be birds." Morrison said. Isabelle smiled but Georgia wasn't as easily persuaded as she watched Morrison. Isabelle didn't ask questions as she slide on her mask, it was too large for her head. But it was going to work. Morrison held the second mask to Georgia. Georgia hesitated.

"Please." Morrison pleaded with a soft voice. Georgia watched Morrison for a moment longer before she took the mask and slide it over her own head. Morrison nodded and abandoning her mask on the bed. She lifted the other two masks and moved to her parents in the other room. Morrison lifted a mask to both of her parents... but both shock their heads.

"But...mother... father.... you'll get sick." Morrison stammered, terrified. Edith smiled sadly. Harold stood, weak and sickly.

"Isn't it obvious... We already do." He snapped, his aggressive voice softer then usual.

Two weeks had past since the bell had been rung. The Black Death spread quickly through the people of the city, taking the elderly first, then babies, saving the rest for last. Edith and Harold died a week after the bell was rung. They laid in bed for days, crying for Morrison to help, vomiting onto the floor and all over themselves, their bodies too swollen to get up.

7 days after Morrison found out of their sickness, they had passed. Morrison had went in to see if they wanted any biscuits, but she got to response. Their skin cold and gray, eyes lifeless and clouded over. Morrison had suck to door to their room, sobbing, ripping the mask from her head and collapsing. She cried for a long while until her sisters came looking for her, finding her crying. Morrison couldn't tell them then. She wiped her tears away and stood moving them back to their room. It was ten that she noticed that both her sisters had the same sick look on their faces as their mother had. Morrison watched over them closely but on the 9th night after the bell rang, both Georgia and Isabelle started vomiting profusely.  Morrison would put cool towels over their foreheads to keep their fevers down but their little hearts didn't compete well with the disease.

On the 11th day, Georgia passed, she was sleeping when she went, Morrison running her fingers through her hair to keep her calm. The last thing she wanted was for them to be scared. Isabelle and Morrison were the last left. Isabelle's little hands clung to Morrison has she sobbed from the pain of the swelling. Morrison hugged her to her tightly, crying herself, selfishly not wanting her family to be gone. Isabelle was the last thing she had and she was slowly fading.

Morrison smoothed her hair down, pressing her check to Isabelle's head. Isabelle was quiet now, her little chest fluttering up and down, her breathing coming out shorter and faster.

"Don't be afraid my sweet angel. It'll all be okay soon. I promise. I love you." Morrison whispered softly. Isabelle tightened her small grip around Morrison.

"I...love you." Isabelle said, her small toddler voice hardly audible. But moments later Isabelle's grip loosened and her breathing quit completely. Morrison couldn't hold it together anymore. She let her sobbed take her over and she clung to Isabelle, hugging her lifeless body to her, feeling her remaining warm against her. Morrison's tears landing in Isabelle's hair.

Morrison held onto Isabelle for hours before she could calm down enough to lay her down soft on the bed. Morrison kissed Isabelle's forehead, brushing hair from her eyes with shaking hands.

"I'll see you soon." Morrison whispered, her voice unsteady as the tears continued to stream down her face. Morrison moved from the bed room and to the front door.

The rain pounded against the ground, soaking the earth as if the sky was sobbing with Morrison. She stepped into the rain and started into the dark night, the rain matching her tear soaked face.