A little family problem

When Kyra fell asleep after filling her stomach with food, Caitlin laid her properly on the mat and used her hand to smoothen her golden-brown hair. She has been blessed with a beautiful daughter and yet, the prophecy wants to take her away from her at a very young age.

Getting up on her feet, she moved her eyes to look at the shady corner next to the door and she asked with a little frown, “Why are you hiding in your shadow?”

Just as she said that, the dark shadow at the corner became a real person in form of a woman and she smiled upon seeing Caitlin.

Caitlin stared at her from up to down, starting from her black hair to the hem of the expensive dress she wore unlike hers which had stitches on them and whose color already faded.

“I came to see you after a long time,” the woman said and moved her feet towards her before her eyes fell on Kyra who was fast asleep.

Noticing how she was staring at her daughter, she said to her, “Follow me,” and she turned around before heading to the back of the house where the woman followed her closely behind.

The place where they now stood, facing each other was hidden as no one would be able to see them and the woman spoke first, “Why are you putting on that face? Are you not happy to see me after a long time?”

“Why have you not left? And did I not made it clear to you the last time not to dress extravagant when making your presence known?” Caitlin asked, ignoring what she said and not liking that she was still lurking around.

The woman sighed and said, “You still have not changed a bit. Just look at you. Do you like the life you are living? Even if this is how you want it, why let your daughter suffer like this?”

“Leave my daughter out of this. Why have you come to see me?” she asked.

“I came to see you regarding the last discussion we did not finish talking about.”

“If that is it, then I want you to leave now, Kathryn.”

“No, let us talk about it. You cannot send me away like you did the last time I came,” Kathryn said, her expression suddenly turning serious. “You came to this town after cutting ties with everyone because they did not respect your decision and since then, you never came back. Did you know how hurt everyone felt, especially mother? Do you even care about the family at all despite all they have done for you?”

“Did the family care about me?” Caitlin asked and shook her head. “You all don’t want me to live a happy life and that was it. I was finally settling down and then the book of prophecy came alive and you all want me to give my daughter to you for a ritual?”

“It is a sacrifice, Caitlin. A sacrifice to save all mankind. We are not just talking about our race here.”

“Can you listen to yourself too? If it were you, would you allow your child to be sacrificed for the people who are not even worth being saved? Would you allow your child to die to save humanity?”

Kathryn held her hand and said, “I know how you feel Caitlin. A mother’s love for her child is the greatest of all love and I know how painful it is to lose one’s child. But you know your daughter was chosen. She was born to do something great and you should not stop her from fulfilling that. Remember a man was also chosen and he redeemed all kind. He did it just so we can all live, else, we would have all perished by now.”

Caitlin released her hand from hers and blinked. “But why?” she asked. “Why does it have to be from a kind like ours which the humans hate so much? Why do we have to be the ones to save them and yet they continue to do that which we are saving them from? Can’t you see that they can never change? Why waste a life because of them?”

“To us, we are doing it to prevent something very bad from happening. We don’t want hell to arise and believe me or not, it is already happening, but it has not gotten so worse. And that is why we need to stop it now before it is too late.”

“No,” Caitlin shook her head. “I am not giving away my daughter to die,” she said firmly. “Let the worse happen. The prophecy cannot take my daughter away from me.”

“Caitlin,” Kathryn called and let out a deep sigh. “For how long do you think you can protect her? Do you think you will be able to stop what is coming if you delay this sacrifice any further? Have you not perceived the air lately? A bad omen is approaching and it is heading towards your direction.”

“Trust me, nothing is going to happen. I am a Blackburn after all.”

“Then act like one and stop being a coward! Have you not heard the saying that people lose what they love the most? Because of this prophecy, you kept her hidden inside you for two years and half, fearing what will happen if you give birth to her and you even had to hide her from her father because you know that if he finds out, he won’t hesitate to do what the prophecy says. After all, that is what he was called to do.”

“Aiden’s calling cannot stop me from protecting my daughter...even if I have to kill him to save that which is mine. So, know this and tell my family that if anyone dares to even take my daughter for the sacrifice, I won’t hesitate to put a stake through their heart.”

Kathryn’s face fell, looking disappointed and she stared at her, then after a moment, she said, “Mother is gone. She died two days ago,” her voice broke and someone can easily tell that she is trying hard not to break. “I came to tell you that, but I guess you don’t care anyway. The family is waiting for you so you can see her for the last time and pay your last respect to her.”

Caitlin’s heart went sad immediately and she wanted to hold Kathryn’s hand, to tell her it was not true, that she was joking. She wanted to ask what had taken their mother away but as badly as she wanted to do that, she held herself back and said instead, “I won’t be coming. Tell the family to go ahead with the burial without me.”

“Caitlin,” Kathryn called, her breath shuddering as she spoke and she closed her eyes, taking it all in before opening them. Sniffing back, she said, “You have changed so much and it feels like I do not know you anymore. What happened to the one great happy family? What happened to having our backs whenever we are being attacked? What happened to keeping the lineage of our family? What happened to all of that?” she asked. “You are a Blackburn and the blood runs in you. We are not called Night-blood for no reason. And mother...she loved you, cherished you, and all you did was to hurt her by leaving. If only you knew how she lived through those years, staying up all night and always assuring herself that you will come back on your own the same way you left...and now that she is dead, you won’t even pay your last respect to her.”

Caitlin stared at her, her expression barely changing. She clenched her hand behind the dress she wore and her nails dug into her flesh.

“You are evil, sister, and very selfish. And because of you, mother died. This is the last time I will ever come to you. Live your life the way you want and stay away from us. And when I die...stay away from my dead body too. I just hope you find the happiness you so desire in your heart and I pray you don’t lose that which you are protecting.”

Kathryn took two steps backwards, away from her and the next second, she was not there anymore. It was like she had vanished into thin air but Caitlin knows she was gone for good this time.

Not a second later, she felt overwhelmed with sadness and her heart became heavy. Her mother was dead and the least she could do was to pay homage to her but no, she chooses to stay in a town where the people looked down on her and say hurtful words but even after that, she walked on the street with boldness and her head held high, not letting the gossips and curses of the town people get to her. All these were just so she can protect her daughter from being sacrificed in a town of her own. She was doing all these for her daughter, hoping that she can change her fate while bearing the pain upon herself. But if only they know she was bleeding inside.