There once was a child born with hair as bright as the sun...
A bright light flashes then shuts off, making the small, tiled room become enveloped in darkness. A small candle is lit, its flame flying around in the dark. It settles onto a table that leans against the bed, casting light on the large woman lying there. Sweat glistens on her forehead as her face contracts in pain.
She jerks forward, crying out right before a spurt of blood flies out of her mouth and lands on her chest. The blood gathers and then begins to roll between her breasts, leaving a trail in its wake. A faint giggling is heard, coming from a corner of the room.
The light of the room changes as the girl stands, the light chasing the dark into corners. A bright glow surrounds her long golden hair, which falls to her bottom. The girl, no older than ten, walks across the room, her bare feet barely making a sound.
Stopping at the foot of the bed, she reaches over the woman's bent legs and presses on her overly-round stomach. The woman cries out in pain and the girl stifles a giggle, watching as slowly a head appears from between the woman's legs.
"Hurry up," the girl whined as she pushed down harder, "Come on! I don't have all damned day!" Her voice was sweet and cheery with a hint of sourness. "I'm..... trying...," the woman barely got out between the coughing and pushing.
"Well, try harder! Your taking forev-", she stopped when she noticed the baby that sat on the bed, totally shocked by it. The woman obviously knows she's done and relaxes a bit, relieved. The girl, only wearing a white dress, went and picked up the baby, aggressively removing the cord wrapped around its neck.
"Why do yours always come out like this, hmm?" The girl questioned the woman. Snapping in front of the baby's face, she turned towards the mother as the baby's cries began. Grinning like a mad woman, the girl sat the baby on the mother's chest so she may see it.
"Oh, come on, hold your baby!" The girl giggled then watched as the mom slowly picked up the baby and hugged it. As she caressed its head, hair began to grow, blinding the woman with the magnificent light it brought with each new strand.
"It's a girl!" The girl feigned surprise as she covered her mouth dramatically with her hands. Laughing vigorously, the child grabbed the baby off of the mothers lap and set it against her shoulder.
The woman on the bed was shaking now, swinging her arms around searching for safety the new baby girl would have given her, lighting her hand on fire in the process as she hit the candle beside her bed.
"Shit, woman! You're acting like a crazy person, swinging around and shaking like a Chihuahua. You're only dying."
The baby squeaked and then opened up its bright red eyes, causing the girl to say, "Damn baby, you'll be hella scary out there, too bad. People'll think you're a monster."
The baby ignored the girl and turned to watch as its mother burst into flames, sending it into a wave of giggling. A chuckle then a snort, "Ooh, just wait till I'm with you! Then you'll see this even more!"
Smiling, the girl turned away from the fire that smelled oddly like steak and set the baby down on the cold, hard tiled ground, making the baby squeak out an uncomfortable cry.
"Give me a second, okay honey? I just gotta do something-", she fumbles around with her dress that now has a blood stain covering most of it before something clatters to the floor. She picks it up then smiles down at the baby. "Here we are...," Holding a long blade like it's a toy, she skewers her arm with it and then laughs like it was tickling her.
"Owwy! Okay so I just give you some of this and...", She spaced out as if looking at instructions in her mind before bending down and holding her blood soaked arm above the baby's mouth. As soon as a drop entered the baby's mouth the girl stood up and began speaking almost robotically.
"Et incarnatus est de morte, quæ exulibus deputatæ sunt, praecipio, ut multa patiatur!"
When the last word left her lips she stood completely still and silent, waiting for something to happen. Quietly, a piece of her hair disappeared into bright yellow dust, floating into the warm humid air and kind of just waiting.
Slowly, her body began to turn into the dust and float into a big cloud a few feet above the young child's head. The dust then began to spin in a tornado way before tunneling and dropping down the child's throat where it evaporated. The child began to cough, and then grow until soon her body was that of a seven year old, the penalty for fusing with a baby, probably.
Smiling the girl tested out her name with these new lips, "Metallah." Reaching for the dress dropped when she was changed to dust, Metallah slipped it over her head then sat down. "I can't let her use Metallah; it'll ruin the fun...hmm? How about Hope? No that sounds too cheesy," she began to hum as she thought of names aloud. "Rosa, Layla, Pie. Pie? Great now I'm hungry!"
"Uhm...... Mira! The uh... star! Great! Mira sounds like a nice and friendly name...," She trailed off as she thought of something else. "Oh," she looked down at her bloodstained dress and then lightly touched it with her fingers. As soon as her fingers made contact with the material a quick shine overtook the dress. The shine then faded and all that was left was the white dress, the blood stain had gone.
She continued to speak aloud to herself, "Let's just get out of here already. Someone will clean this mess up for us, right? You, my good friend Mira, need to meet the world."
Beaming, Metallah stood and pulled the dress straps that had slipped down her arms back up to her shoulders.
- - - -
I awoke in a place I didn't recognize at all; nothing registered even the...grass? What is grass? I don't remember ever seeing grass before in my lifetime.... I stood up and looked at the sky which seemingly glimmered a dark purplish color. How did I know what that color was? How do I know how to stand? I never learned any of this! Did I?
Everything just pops into my head when I think about it... but not any memories? What in the hell happened to me? Shaking my head I sigh. As my hair whooshes past my face I see a blink of blinding gold that then fades to a dark red. What was that? Grabbing my hair I stared at it and willed myself to see whatever I saw again but no result came. It remained red.
I looked around and saw nothing, no buildings, no tents, not even any trees. Where am I? I began to walk forward, seeing no reason to stay there any longer. As I walked my surroundings changed, the purple sky fading into a bright baby blue and the emerald grass hardening and then forming stone and gravel paths.
I glanced to my right and saw a building made of a dark type of wood that I couldn't name. I turned and walked to the door, needing to ask some questions. Sliding my hand along the wall, I noticed that the wood was very smooth. My hand reached the door and I gently pushed it open, letting the candle light from inside light the ground.
"Hello? I need to speak with someone, please," my voice was quiet and yet demanding, though I meant to be nice. Peering into the room I saw a man about the age of twenty looking at me curiously. He had hazel eyes and dirty blonde hair that covered his perfect head. He also had olive skin and some nice muscles that really made him seem a bit older.
His head was tilted and I could tell I was speaking the wrong language entirely. What language do they use? I smiled and tried again in Latin, "Salve? Pauculis rogationibus rogem?" Perfect! The man's eyes flashed with understanding and he replied, "Lorem ipsum! Non animo quaestiones." Hi! I wouldn't mind answering some questions.
"What year is this? Where is this exactly?" It took him a minute to make sense of what I said before he answered, "Here is Gatura. It is small town. Year is 230 BC." Hmm..."Oh perfect! Would you mind if I worked for you? I will be needing some money." He nodded and took my hand, leading me into a room to get changed.
