TARTERUS - HELL

NINE.

Menses V11 natalis X111/ Month seven

Birthday thirteen

I was super excited when my eyes opened. Today I was thirteen and it was the start of my new life. Trouble was it started badly. My gut was on fire and when I jumped out of bed deep red-coloured blood was on my sheet. I screamed as I ran into the bathroom holding my guts with blood dripping onto the floor.

Pa beat Ma into my room by about two blinks, but he backtracked and said to Ma, 'I will leave her to you beloved.' He kissed Ma's cheek and faded.

'Ma what's wrong and why is my gut aching?' I screamed as I sat on the toilet. I could feel it streaming out of me and I smelt like a skunk. Not that I've ever seen or smelt one. That had been an animal story on tele, it didn't take me long to learn the lingo, about North American animals and a skunk was one of them.

'It's nothing to worry about my dear. You have begun your menstrual cycles. Didn't your father talk to you about the reproductive system?' she queried as she gently rubbed my tummy. I began sighing big time as the pains vanished in a blink of an eye. Ma produced a small tubular thing and told me where to put it. Ma left me to it. I showered dried shoved the tube up you know where and got dressed. I wasn't overly impressed with that present so wandered slowly down the stairs to the breaky room. Ma was sitting talking to Pa. They appeared very civil to each other.

'Happy Natalis Day, my darling,' Pa said as he gave me a hug and a kiss.

Ma kissed me and also wished me happy Natalis Day. A large brown parcel was sitting by the wall.

I had to wait until we finished our breakfast because my parents were going to take me to New York for the day. They both nodded their heads after we finished eating. Ma's parcel came to me on its own and then dropped onto my lap. Excitement level was so high my fingers were all thumbs when I tried to open it. Pa waved his hands and the most beautiful pair of white wings with golden tips expanded and flew behind my back. I could feel them as they bore into my skin. It didn't hurt actual it was kinda itchy.

'Can me Ma, please. I gushed.

'Yes darling, but only inside for the moment until you are used to them.'

Now here's the thing, you would think from her answer that I had never had wings or flown before in my life. I've had wings, they may not have been real fancy like these beauties, but I have had them and flown back home as long as I can remember. I actually think I was born with them. Red had them when he was a baby and drinking from Pa's breasts because they would flutter the whole time. So, I ask you, why I had to stay inside to fly. It was no use asking either of my parents because neither of them was forthcoming when it came to answering questions, or more importantly telling the truth. And here's another thing my Mother only called me darling or dear or any of those endearment terms when in the presence of Pa. Otherwise she tended to ignore me and as I said before she never once spoke about Red. It was as if in her mind he wasn't her child. I lifted up and spread my wings and wobbled in the air. I crashed into the cabinet by the kitchen door and then flew up the stairs only to come a cropper as I smashed into the old dude with the sucking machine. It frightened me because as my wings wrapped about him, he became the handsome young man with shiny black curly hair and black eyes. He didn't revert back to the old dude when my wings disappeared behind my back.

'Thank you, Your Highness,' he said as he bowed to me.

Ma and Pa were there in a blink. They both had strange looks on their faces.