The Changeling by H P Mallory

Author:H P Mallory [Mallory, H P]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

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As afternoon turned into evening, we found a cozy Bed and Breakfast that was run by one of those elderly couples who only exist in British country villages.

“A double room, are ye wantin’?” asked the very Scottish landlady. “Will ye perhaps be lesbians then?”

“Oh God,” I grunted.

“No, just friends,” said Klassje. “Separate rooms, please.”

“Ah well.” The old lady sounded disappointed. “We had a lovely lesbian couple last month, did we not, Stewart?”

“Aye,” said Stewart from behind his newspaper.

“Just married they were. Is that not right, Stewart?”

“Aye.”

“Such a lovely couple. Ah well. Come with me.”

The rooms were spotlessly clean, and Klassje and I settled in quickly. Stewart and Martha (as the old lady’s name proved to be) recommended a restaurant ‘ run by a lovely wee Indian gentleman,

’ and we headed out for dinner.

The restaurant was as good as advertised, and Klassje seemed to make a conscious effort not to bring up our previous conversation again. Throughout the evening, we managed to avoid all reference to Kinloch Kirk and the issues there. It was a genuine break, and I was glad for it.

After dinner, we strolled home, Klassje a little tipsy from the wine, me a little heavy with food and baby, and rolled into our respective beds for a long night’s sleep.

My dreams were strange that night. They were indistinct and vague, yet haunted by a presence. A shadow that followed me no matter where I went.

Despite the dreams, I was scared to wake that morning and tried to force myself back to sleep. Once I woke, I had to face things.

Finally, there was no more putting it off. The sun had found a way through a gap in the curtains, and I could hear people moving around elsewhere in the house. I was officially awake.

It was a few minutes later that I heard the discrete tap on my door, and Klassje poked her head in.

“Hey, sorry to intrude but I thought I heard… Bryn, why are you crying?”

I looked up at my friend, my face stained with tears. “I can’t feel the baby. I still can’t feel her. We came all this way and I still can’t feel her.”

Klassje said nothing, but came to sit with me and put her arms around me. We sat like that for a while. It wasn’t as if anything had changed. I was in the same position today that I’d been yesterday and the day before and the day before that. But I’d hoped. A fatal error, of course, but I’d dared to hope. Now I felt as if my heart had been ripped out all over again.

But of course, this little trip hadn’t been entirely worthless, as it proved, or at least strongly suggested, one thing.

“Does this mean it can’t be the Daywalkers?” asked Klassje.

I didn’t know. But now I needed to speak to Jolie.

SIXTEEN

Bryn

“I’m so glad we’re talking again.” Jolie smiled at me with sisterly love. It was the first time we’d spoken for any length since that fateful council meeting and, as I’d hoped, she was all forgiveness.

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