The Storm is here.
** Present Day ** “It was like one of those old fashioned horror movies. The ones in black and white. You know the ones I am talking about, right” turning her gaze from the roof she looked into the blue eyes of the aging man who sat next to her feet. Nodding his head she turned and focused back on the spot on the roof. Wondering if it was once a bug, or if it was just those black spots of mold that accumulated on the roof in damn rooms. Linking her fingers she shook the thoughts of mold out of her head as the man’s monotonous voice seeped into her mind “Go on?” he looked at her over the dark rim of his half-glasses edging her to keep talking. Taking a deep breath, the girl started talking again, revealing things that she couldn’t possibly know “It’s the same every night, but it gets longer the more I don’t sleep. It was dark and there was a storm rolling in off the ocean, one of those storms that we get every couple years, the big ones that do damage” her mind took her back to that day, the smell of a storm was in the air as she continued to fill the therapist in on what was keeping her from getting any decent sleep. ** 23 Years Ago ** The day had started out just like any, the summer sun beaming down on the pavement as people went about their daily chores. The town of Greyfriars, Maine was normally relatively quiet, but during the summer it swelled to capacity with people wishing to have the ‘Small town experience’. As midday rolled around, the center of town filled up with customers. Harmony, was a young girl with dark brown eyes and fawn colored hair. She hadn't been in the town long, but she was one of the popular waitress’ at The Rum Monkey, her age was barely legal, but Judas Le Croix had taken pity on the girl when she sauntered into his establishment with a tear stained face. Like most people passing through Greyfriars they had a history, secrets to hide, pasts to escape. Harmony’s secret was one that she couldn't keep hidden for long. She had done what most people her age had done on their twenty-first birthday, she went out and partied. Loosing herself in the club scene in New York city had lead to a one night stand with some guy out the back of some club. She didn’t even know his name, but she would forever be reminded of him. Pausing on the sidewalk, rubbing her hand over her stomach she felt a sharp pain radiate through her pelvis and up into her chest. She had grown accustomed to the kicking, it had been a feeling she had hated in the beginning, but after eight months and two weeks, Harmony was finally ready to look into the innocent eyes of her child. It had been a long road of recovery, that first day, walking into the bar she had almost stumbled backwards when she was confronted by a tall man with shoulder length black hair, a look of anger in his bright green eyes as he demanded to see her identification. Judas Le Croix, wasn’t always a likable man. His family had co founded Greyfriars and with it they became hated by everyone who didn’t have what they had. When Judas’ father passed away he was left holding everything. The Rum Monkey used to be his only problem, now he was owner and custodian of ‘Saint Lucian’s home for wayward children’ his father’s mansion, hidden in the hills surrounding Greyfriars had become a safe place for children who had been deemed replaceable by law. Jacob Le Croix had been a troubled teen who was shipped from home to home his whole childhood, when he was old enough and had enough money to back him, he petitioned the courts to allow him to take on children who were like himself, give them everything they needed and ship them back into the world when they were adults. Jacob was a good man, his childhood shaped him into what he needed to be, a saviour. Judas, was the result of Jacob’s second wife, although he grew up in the house his mother wouldn’t allow him to mingle with the other children, the ones she called evil. But Jacob knew Judas was more like him. Judas found ways to sneak away from his mother to play with the wayward ones. Those he grew close to were still considered family to this day. Judas was a tough love man, the children who lived in his home followed his rules or they were gone. He didn’t like second chances. The wind whipped up more as Harmony approached The Rum Monkey for her shift. Although Judas refused to make her do work in her condition she still showed up, and he still paid her. Harmony in the few months she had made her mark on everyone, and they all enjoyed seeing her face as they showed up for work. “Let me get thaat” Alice-May ran up behind Harmony, her heels clicking as her footsteps hit the cement pavement, her hand reaching the door handle seconds before Harmony’s “How’s you feelin’ lovie?” Alice-May drawled slowly in her southern accent as she pulled the heavy door open, spluttering as another gust of wind blew her cheap perm into her mouth. “A little rough today” Harm smiled slightly, rubbing her stomach as she felt another twang of pain. “Lord, honey. You look about near to pop” Alice-May called out over the whirring of the wind outside as she bustled the heavily pregnant girl into the empty bar. It was early in the afternoon but they always arrived promptly to set up for the night. The Rum Monkey wasn’t just a bar, it was also a restaurant that was popular for it’s brown butter lobster tails and blueberry pie. Judas had hired a new chef, Pablo, who needed to get out of the city. He didn’t ask why, all Judas cared about was pleasing his customers so they came back. And it was working. The day outside started turning bleak, the storm weaving it’s way up the coast. The lights in The Rum Monkey had been flashing on and off for the last hour as Alice-May and Pablo leaned over the bar the radio screeched with static as the voice came over loud and clear *Hurricane Bob is expected to touch down on the coast of Maine come nightfall. Beaches along the east coast have been closed down until further notice* glancing at each other, Alice-May and Pablo pushed themselves off the bar at the same time. “What‘s going on?” Harmony asked, looking at them like they had suddenly gone crazy as she walked out of the ladies room “Oh Honey” Alice-May drawled “They say there’s a Hurricane on the way” all three of them jumped when the front door to the bar flew open on it’s own “Híjole!” Pablo gasped in his native tongue as his hand flew to his chest in fright. Waddling over to the door, Harmony reached out and grabbed it, struggling to close it again “Pablo, I need your help” she groaned as she felt another sharp twang of pain, this time it radiated down her thighs making her weak at the knees “Argh…” she screamed, letting go of the door and grabbing her stomach as the door slammed against the wall, splintering in two. “ ‘Armony!” Pablo looked at her as he slipped in a puddle of water surrounding Harmony’s feet “Lordy me, looks like you’re about to have that baby in this storm” Alice-May smiled as she moved in behind them and pushed what was left of the door closed, locking it behind them. Grabbing Harmony under the armpit, Pablo and Alice-May helped her to the office, and the comfortable red couch that was Judas’s newest addition to the bar. Frowning but letting them fuss over her, Harmony shook her head “I’m not due, the baby isn’t coming” Taking a deep breath she tried to ignore the shooting pain that was radiating through her pelvis as she tried to tell herself this wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be happening. “the phone” Harmony groaned through the pain as she heard the dull sound of the phone ringing in the bar area. The one thing she had always hated about The Rum Monkey was that there was only one phone, Judas preferring to do all his business via email or mobile phone, leaving the bar line open for customers. “I get it” Pablo smiled as he rushed out of the room, his soft accent could just be heard over the noise of the storm outside. “It can’t happen, Alice-May, I’m not ready” Harmony’s eyes sparkled with the arrival of tears “It just can’t” tapping her on the hand, Alice-May looked at her “Honey, it has to come out no matter if you’re ready or noooooot” Harmony had decided to grab Alice-May’s had as another contraction hit, squeezing it hard so the knuckles crunched together. Both of the girls screaming together in pain, Pablo ran back into the room a look of worry and confusion on his face “Hell little girl that‘s some grip!” Alice-May yelled as she rubbed her raw knuckles “Sorry..” harmony frowned, breathing slowly as she tried to think of something other than wanting to push the lump from her stomach. “Señor Judas called” Pablo said coming back into the room as he placed a pile of clean bar towels next to the couch before sitting in the black swivel chair behind the desk “He wants us to stay here, and wait out the storm. When I told him Miss ‘Armony was in labour, he said he was on his way” shrugging as the female’s heads whipped around to look at him, he gave them his trademark grin. Pablo, though he was a talented chef was only in his mid twenties. None of them really knew that much about his, but they knew he would do anything for them if they asked. As another contraction started, Harmony watched as Pablo stood up and walked out of the room without another word. “They’re getting’ closer” Alice- May smiled, grabbing a towel off the pile and dabbing it against the sweat beads glazing Harmony’s forehead “I need to push” Harmony groaned, wrapping her hands around her stomach, almost like she was unconsciously trying to protect it. Suddenly, a loud rhythmic banging vibrated the walls, the shutters on the outside of the building had come loose and were now threatening to break off completely. The tin on the roof was flapping madly and Harmony knew the storm was closer than they had thought. Judas had every intention of making it to The Rum Monkey to help Harmony, but he only made it as far as his front gate. Pulling his car slowly to a stop he opened the door and looked down towards the town, the swirling clouds had come closer than he had ever seen them before, almost an unnatural phenomenon. Leaning on the open are door, Judas cursed loud enough to hear it echoing in the wind as the rain started coming down on him. He was too late, and there was no time for him to make it safely to the bar without risking his life. Giving up in defeat he climbed back into his car and drove up the long driveway to Saint Lucian Manor and the children that were currently huddled in the basement awaiting his return. A sinking feeling sat deep in the pit of his stomach, like a rock of regret. He was torn between his responsibilities. The children who relied on him to keep them safe till they come of age, and the people who worked for him. The storm hit hard and fast, people weren’t as prepared as they thought they were. If the wind hadn’t destroyed it, the torrential rains had, and through the crumpled rubble of the well known establishment The Rum Monkey, a baby could be heard. The frantic cries of a newborn taking it’s first breath “It’s a Girl!” Alice-May screamed as she held the child in her arms, the small arms and legs moving as if they were trying to reach out to something as they were swaddled in a bar towel “Harmony, did you hear me, it’s a girl” Alice-May glanced over the wiggling newborn in her arms. A gasp of shock escaped her lips as she realised Harmony’s blank stare wasn’t natural “no no no no no no no no” Alice-May mumbled in shock as she placed the baby at the feet of it’s mother, the red couch now a dark maroon as the blood seeped in more. Pounding on Harmony’s chest, Alice-May frantically tried to resuscitate the young woman. After fifteen minutes, Alice-May stopped her efforts, the sobbing tears had taken over as she attempted to close the eyes of the woman she had considered a friend. Scooping the child up, Alice-May didn’t know what to do. But she couldn’t stay in that room anymore, she couldn’t stay in that bar anymore. Stepping out the door of the office she gasped as she stopped suddenly. The body of Pablo rest on the floor between the office and the bar. Covering her mouth, Alice-May ran, jumping over the bloody body of her other friend Alice-May grabbed an old slicker from behind the bar. Judas always had something laying around that was for ‘Just in case’ moments, and Alice-May was glad for once about the junk that was laying around the bar. Placing the baby in a box, Alice-May slipped on the slicker, struggling to find her hands in the tool long sleeves as she picked the child up and cradled it against her chest, pulling the coat over it to protect it from the rain that was still falling outside. It wasn’t much of a plan, but it was the only one she could think of. Getting out of the bar was first on her mind, getting the baby to Judas was her second. Pushing open what was left of the double doors at the front of the bar, Alice-May covered her eyes with her free arm, blinking as the wind and rain hit against her body hard, the baby crying in her arms. **Present Day** “And that’s just about it” the brunette sat up running her hand through her hair to settle it down, just as a loud buzzing noise filled the room. Standing up quickly the therapist let his notes fall to the floor “Oh, my. I’m sorry Mikah… I mean, Miss Le Croix” turning off the timer he walked over to Mikah who had moved off the couch and collected the noted he had dropped on the floor “Same time next week?” she asked with a smile on her face as he gazed at her “Actually, I was wondering what happened next, if you have time” he gestured towards the couch again. Looking down at the brown suede couch, Mikah shrugged and sat down after all she was getting used to the couch being her new best friend “So, what do you want to know?” she asked the therapist as he clicked his pen on again “what happened next?” he asked, glancing up at her over his glasses like he always does. “Well…” leaning back against the couch Mikah got settled as she started talking “Alice-May didn’t make it to Judas. Instead she was found on the side of the road next to a fallen tree, the baby still cradled in her arms. She was less than 200 metres from the front gate of Saint Lucian’s” closing her eyes, Mikah wondered if the therapist had put the clues together yet “Then what happened?” he asked, leaning forward a little as he took his glasses off, the need for writing notes was forgotten “The sheriff who found her body had an idea where she had been heading. When he showed up at the door and described the scene to Judas, he knew what must have happened, although he sent the sheriff back to town to check The Rum Monkey to confirm his thoughts” fiddling with the zipper on her leather jacket, Mikah wanted out of the room now, but she had a feeling the doctor wanted more so she gave him what he wanted, the final clue “Judas knew the baby in his arms was Harmony’s, even though she was tiny, he said she had her mother’s eyes. He eventually was granted adoption rights and named the baby Mikah May” looking over at the therapist his mouth dropped open at the final words, his breath gasping as he struggled to formulate proper words “It was you!” he finally said with a little more gusto than he should have as his secretary knocked on the door. Nodding, Mikah stood up and grabbed her keys off the coffee table “Yup, It was me” walking over to the door she opened it and smiled at the secretary, calling over her shoulder “See you next week, Doc” as she walked past the next patient in the waiting room, sitting there chewing on the corner of a piece of paper. Mikah, knew she was different, but she was thankful for not being that different.