Big Love • Alcina Dimitrescu

1.

I was consumed in darkness. I saw nothing but black, is this what it feels like to be dead? Is this how Bernadette felt? Mother, father, poor little Claudia? It wasn't that it was bad, not painful. You're just painfully aware that you're nowhere, not anywhere on the ground that is. Death truly is quite a peaceful thing.

Slowly, black turned to red, and the peaceful silence that I was surrounded by was broken by the sounds of sobs and pleas from a very familiar voice,

"Please, Marley. Come on I need you," The sweet, loving voice of Donna. It amazes me that no matter what emotions she's feeling, she continues to talk in such a soft, calm voice. A voice that could soothe anyone.

"Come on Marley. You know you're stronger than this, fight it," Donna sobbed once more. I need to comfort her, I need to give her some sort of signal that I'm alive. I don't know how she would react to my death, I'm her only family now. She took it the hardest when we lost our family, she's my best friend and I'm hers. She needs to know that I'm not going to leave her,

"It's for the best. We do not need another tall bitch, just leave her," An unfamiliar voice spoke out. It came from behind Donna, the voice belonged to a man, and the arrogance in each word spoken was astounding, "I mean you've seen that vampire bitch, she's your replacement,"

"Karl, be quiet please," another voice spoke. I know that voice. It's Mother Miranda,

"Well we don't need another annoying tall bitch in the family that massive space has been filled by Dimitrescu and her gigantic ego," Karl whined once more. The noise of Donna sobbing and Karl whining and Mother Miranda's attempts at shutting him up was starting to give me a headache.

It took all the strength in my body but I finally opened my eyes. I blinked away the blurriness in my eyes and I was greeted by my beautiful sister, Donna, standing over me along with Mother Miranda and a weird fish-looking man. "Come on Donna, it's best to move on."

I shifted my position on the miniature bed, my legs falling over the edge of the furniture and my feet landing flat on the floor, alerting everyone to my consciousness. Donna grabbed my hand and buried her face into it, her loud sobs vibrating through my palm. I heard a grumble come from the corner of the room, when I turned my head my eyes fell upon a dirty looking man sitting in a purple armchair, he was wearing grease-stained clothes, a faded green hat and a pair of round glasses, "Have you got a problem?" I asked Karl, who sat rolling his eyes so far back I don't doubt he caught a glimpse of his small brain,

"Yeah, you're my problem. We don't need another super-sized ego around here," Karl groaned,

"Who the hell even are you?" I snapped,

"I'm Karl Heisenberg," he said in a baffled tone as if he expected me to know who he was,

"Marlene, dear, do you think you could try to stand up for me?" Mother Miranda asked in a soothing voice. She held my hands and helped me up from the tiny bed where I lay, as I stood up my head started to spin and my vision went blurry causing me to lose my footing,

"TIMBER!" Heisenberg yelled,

"Shut up!" Mother Miranda scolded Karl, reaching out to hold onto my arms with Donna to keep me steady, "Marlene, dear, are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm ok," I confirmed. As my vision got clearer I became aware that I was very close to the ceiling. I looked down at the bed where I previously lay, a bed that a family of 6 could fit comfortably in, not a child's bed at all, "What the fuck!"

"Yes, it seems the Cadou has enhanced certain attributes," Mother Miranda explained in child-like wonder, craning her head back to look me in the eyes,

"Enhanced! I was 5 foot 6, I'm now 10 feet tall," I complained,

"Actually Marlene, dear, you're 9 foot 4 inches,"

"Oh my God!"

"Relax you're not as tall as the other bitch," Heisenberg snarled

"Who do you keep whining about?" I asked, tired of his immature attitude,

"He's talking about my first daughter Lady Alcina Dimitrescu, she's just 9 foot 6 inches, like you dear. She'll be at the meeting today, so you'll meet then and I'm sure the two of you will become very close," Mother Miranda assured me, she looked up at me with a look of compassion, one that a mother might give a child. She also looked at me with a sense of something sinister, "Come on everybody let's leave Donna and Marlene to be reacquainted." Before I could think about what Mother Miranda was planning, she shooed Karl and the hunched-over fish man out of the room. Leaving me and Donna alone.

After half an hour of catching up, I had been made aware of everything that had gone on during the 3 days I was out. Donna had only woken up the day before me, so she didn't know much. She filled me in on the other lords; Karl, better known as Heisenberg, can control metal, Donna describes him as quite nice although his ego and temper get the best of him. Salvatore Moreau, the fish dude, Donna didn't know much about him, just that he doesn't speak much and all he does is trail Mother Miranda. Finally, Alcina Dimitrescu, Donna met her once, briefly, she's of noble descendant, very nice and very classy. I think Donna liked her best.

Just as Donna and I were laughing at how big I've grown to be, we were interrupted by Mother Miranda,

"My dears, I hope you have had a nice talk but our meeting begins soon, we must be on our way. Marlene, there is a spare change of clothes on the dresser, they're nothing fancy, I'm afraid you might have some trouble finding clothes that fit from now on,"

I looked down to see that I was wearing a loose fitted slip, it ended mid-thigh and I could see the threads stretching to fit around my body, "This is going to take some getting used to," I laughed awkwardly. 

"Indeed it will dear, just remember to duck down when walking through small doors," Mother Miranda smiled up at me.

Well, there's no going back now.

[Rewritten]