It was 8PM by the time we landed in Paris. There was a four hour layover in New York and another four hour layover in Italy. Luckily we got to see a lot of things before having to leave. There was a lot of interesting things in the ladies room.
The hotel Zak booked for us is amazing. It's a top floor room with a pool in the balcony. I don't even want to begin to think of how much this cost. I'll need to repay him.
"Wow....." I say softly
"Yeah." Dakota says
He sets out luggage in the corner of the room on a luggage cot. Then he takes my hands and whirls me around gently.
"I am so excited for this trip. We definitely needed a vacation." He says kissing my head
"Yes we did." I say
"Let's go swimming!" He says suddenly
"Can we go get dinner first?" I ask
"Yes! Dinner, then swim. I brought my camera so we can take pretty pictures of you and our little nugget." Dakota says placing a hand on my baby bump.
I smile and kiss him on the nose.
"Let's get dressed!" He says leading me to the suitcases.
We each dig through them finding something nice to wear. I settle on a nice pair of jeans and a cable knit sweater. I put on my little band underneath my jeans. Being so thin and small already, I need the band to support my back and the bump.
Dakota finally decides on a pair of jeans and a button up shirt. We head down to the lobby to ask where the nearest restaurant is.
"I just remembered that I took French for three years in Oregon!" I say
"Really?" Dakota asks
"Yeah! Language was a requirement at my old school. I took French because I wanted to go to Paris with my family and surprise them with my knowledge." I say
"That's adorable. Well, you can surprise me because we're at the lobby." Dakota says
We walk to the front desk and a kind looking lady looks up at us.
"Bonjour." She says silkily
"Bonjour! Oû est votre restaurant le plus proche?" I say in French
(Where is your nearest restaurant?)
"Ahhh! You are American! The restaurant is down the street! Make left at stop sign, then right on next corner! Next to cinema!" The lady says in broken English.
"Merci!" I say watching
"Thank you!" Dakota says following me
He takes my hand gently and we walk to the restaurant. Dakota stops to take pictures of me with the shops in the background. We finally make it to the restaurant and get a table next to the window.
We're served delicious appetizers and Dakota has a fine tasting wine. I take a tiny sip, just to taste it. It's very tart but sweet. I gulp down some water to wash the flavor out.
"I didn't like that." I say giggling a bit
"I can tell, I'm not much of a wine guy but today is a special occasion." Dakota says
"Cheers." I say holding up my glass of water
We tap glasses and drink. The waiter comes back and asks if we are ready to order. I order a Lamb Shank Navarin, which is basically a lamb stew that's cooked really slow so when you eat it, it melts in your mouth. Dakota orders a Bouef Bourguignon, which is a French version of beef stew with a mix of veggies.
"Merci, Mademoiselle. Les ragoûts sont fantastiques pour une journée comme celle-ci." The waiter says
(Roughly: Thank you miss. The soups are fabulous on a day like this.)
"Oui, monsieur. Merci pour le vin." I say
(Yes, sir. Thank you for the wine.)
The waiter nods, gives a small bow, and leaves. Dakota offers me a sip of wine and I shake my head. I sip more water and look out the window onto the street.
"France is so nice." I say to Dakota as I focus my gaze on the table.
"Yeah! It's amazing! Maybe when the baby is older we can bring them here!" Dakota says happily sipping his wine
"Maybe." I say smiling and placing a hand on my swollen belly.
We slowly sip on our drinks when suddenly I have to pee. Like, really bad.
"Oh god." I say placing a hand under my belly.
"What?" Dakota asks
"I gotta pee. Really bad." I say standing up.
I walk to the front counter and politely ask where the restroom is. The lady points towards the back of the restaurant and says its the second door on the left. I waddle as fast as I can to the bathroom. I make it to the toilets just in time. I unzip my jeans and...
"Ahhhhh....." I mutter to myself.
After relieving myself, I fix my clothes and go to wash my hands. I finally make it back to the table. An old lady stops me in the hall way. Her cold, grey hands wrap around my wrist and she stares right into my eyes.
"He won't make it out alive. You're carrying the devil's child." She wheezes
Her hollow eyes burn themselves into my memory. It's not just her eyes that are hollow, it's her entire face. Her skin is grey and saggy, hands made of bone, eyes as black as coal. Her hair looks like it's been ripped out of her scalp.
I yank my hand out of her own and start yelling at her.
"DON'T YOU EVER SAY THAT TO ME! HOW DARE YOU TELL ME THAT ABOUT MY UNBORN CHILD!" I roar.
She grins at me evilly as someone wraps their arms around me and gently pulls me backwards. It's a brunette. She was sitting next to the hallway where the bathrooms are. She must have gotten out of her seat to pull me away from the crack box in front of me.
"Do not yell at her." She whispers in English "You only make her more angry."
A security guard comes up to the old lady and handcuffs her. The lady doesn't put up a fight as she's led away by a barrage of police officers.
"What did she say to you?"asks the woman holding me.
"She said that my baby wouldn't make it out alive, that he would die. She said he was the devils child." I say, tears welling up in my eyes.
"Don't listen to her. She is crazy. Escaped the mental center two days ago." The woman says
"Mental.. Center?" I ask
"Yes. Is that your husband over by the window?"
"Yeah."
"Come, I take you to him."
The brunette leads me to my table and helps me sit back into the chair.
"Is everything alright? I heard you yell and then this creepy looking woman was led out of the building in handcuffs!" Dakota says rushing to my side.
"She is okay. Keep her inside, that woman attacks pregnant women and eats the fetus." The lady says.
I shudder.
"Babe, I think I want to go back to the hotel. Is there a way we can get our food to go?" I say
The woman looks at me and nods.
"I'll let them know. I am the owner of this restaurant." she says
"Oh, thank you." Dakota says.
"Are you sure you're okay?" He asks me once the owner walks away.
"I'm just spooked. She really scared me." I say softly.
"Don't worry, we'll get our food and be leaving this place soon enough." Dakota says.
I nod as he holds my hands in between his own. A sudden chill runs down my spine. That's a chill I'm all too familiar with. It's a chill that lets me know when a ghost is around.
"Dakota... How far away are the catacombs?" I ask softly looking up at the window.
"They run all throughout the city of Paris, why?" He asks
"The Dead...." I whisper
"They're all around us."