PRETENDING TO LIVE~ {The Lestrange Daughter #2}

𝟔𝟖. Won-Won

Valentine knew where she was, although she didn't know why or how she came to be there. She was certain that she was in the Zambini Mansion, but the room around her was one she hadn't either seen or been inside before.

The infant's cries had been there even before she realized where there was. At first, she'd thought it was a trick of the wind, but then she realized that as well. And Once she took notice, they grew louder, echoing around her as if she was in an empty cavern.

She spotted a cott against the wall and felt a sudden surge of protectiveness, running to its side.

She peered down over the railing. The baby was wrapped in a blanket, small, red-faced and screaming. She had to help, every fraction of her being was begging her to do so. It seemed to be physically impossible to stand by and do nothing.

Valentine reached down, scooping up the child and immediately the wailing stopped. She cradled it gently, swaying back and forth slowly.

Hush, she told it.

She felt eyes on the back of her neck and suddenly realized they'd been there the entire time, watching. Yet another thing that had been secondary in her mind. The gaze made the length of her spine prickle uncomfortably. She'd felt this gaze before and it was so utterly unwelcome.

She clutched the baby tighter to her chest. She couldn't run lest her sudden movement ignited the watchers gaze. But then what could she do? She couldn't let the baby be hurt. She'd die before she allowed that to happen.

She heard a noise. Right in her ear. A hiss like screaming steam. She turned. Nothing. Just the rest of the room behind her as it should be.

She turned back to the baby and found instead of pink skin, porcelain in it's the place. Its face was frozen mid-scream, mouth wide, eyes wrinkled. The detail was amazingly lifelike but she knew it was anything but real.

The eyes were still there, although she couldn't find it's source. This gaze was dangerous. It was a danger to her, a danger to the baby. How could she escape? She needed to protect the baby, but how could she do that against a threat she couldn't see?

Despite its porcelain skin and static movement, the baby seemed to stir.

She leaned down and kissed its brow, cold against her lips.

What options did she have? Run? Fight? Pretend as though the eyes weren't there? What if they attacked in due course and the only way for Valentine and the baby to escape was to take a risk? Could she really take that risk with a baby in her arms? It seemed less and less that these were really options at all.

She tugged the blanket tighter around the child and kissed it's brow once more.

She was going to run.

~~~

Valentine woke to feel strange and cold. She looked down at herself to find the blanket covering nothing but her left foot, hanging over the end of the bed.

I must have kicked it off in my sleep.

That was...weird. Since when do I dream about babies? Why did it turn into a doll? And why wasn't I more weirded out by that?

She sighed and rubbed at her eyes.

Whatever. A dream is a dream, I suppose.

Valentine didn't bother to pull the blankets back over herself and instead swung her legs over the side of the bed. She'd fallen asleep waiting for Leah to do the same again.