Part Five
Sofia and Ryan camp in the old house, but not without a few challenges.
Sofia did not run out of the house after the first wave of Noh, but before the second night, she bolted for the hilltop, and Ryan chased her down and convinced her to return before the night came. For several nights following, turning further into weeks, and then months, the woods would return to quiet, bringing with it a sense of normalcy and calm that Sofia had not experienced since before the Noh arrived.
But today is different.
The strangeness in her belly feels different today. Something is wrong. She massages her stomach, but the feeling will not go away.
She sits nude in the darkened main room of the home, waiting for Ryan to return from the only working water well across the village. When their eyes connect, he drops the bucket to the floor and runs over to her. “What happened?”
Sofia lets go of an aching breath to sit up, revealing her stomach.
Ryan stares at her. He opens his mouth, but no words come out. “You were hiding it -- I thought it was just all the berries you’ve been hoarding!”
She slowly shakes her head.
Then, laughing.
Hollering.
His feet dance.
Sofia smiles, holding her belly with her right hand.
“Are you feeling alright?” Ryan asks. Do you need anything? Food?” He reveals a bag of berries that he, too, had been hoarding.
“No, no, I’m fine now. I’m just worried about tomorrow.”
Ryan snaps his fingers. “This calls for a feast! I’ll go find some dates, and a nest egg from the bald rock up on the hill face.”
Sofia resists, but Ryan leaps to work before she can protest.
That night, with belly twice as large, she falls asleep in his embrace, but not before murmuring, “You are my prince.”
He kisses her forehead, gently.
“You’ve made me a princess.”
She sleeps well that night, the last night she will sleep so soundly.
Read the next chapter:
Part Six - @michaeladamparis/escape-from-the-noh-an-original-story-part-6
Start at the beginning:
Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four
(More installments of this 8-part story are coming soon.)
"Escape from the Noh" is a short-story that is a combination of sci-fi and horror. As a writer, I enjoy deconstructing genres to see where I can mix them for a synergistic effect. I welcome feedback and will be publishing my 300,000 word epic novel "The Messiah" on Steemit in 2017.
Facebook page: (https://facebook.com/michaeladamparis/)
My Blog: (http://www.michaeladamparis.com)
Thank you all for your support and encouragement.
Image Credits: stevebidmead | John Rocha | gypsyastronaut
