The Open Book

Chapter 4, Scene 1

1.

The pain hadn't gone away, there was still a violent rebellion between mind and muscle, but there'd been a change. There was a bizarre misunderstanding between the two creating a space that wasn't rebellion, nor a truce.

Her head could move, sort of.

The nightmares did not involve the waking world. No horrific visions of Chuma who was with her so often the bed was pulled up, literally. Cabu silk tied to the ceiling made the bed hover overhead, the bed itself a puzzle piece that had been slotted into that of a far larger bed overhead.

There were six girls on the floor with two grown women on their ends, like guards. Aphiwe lay in the centre, eyes wide. They wanted to shut, aching for the right. But she refused, the Jokai was waiting for her. Which one, she didn't know. Her mother would go away if she closed them.

That could not happen, she'd rather die.

Her body wasn't taking requests. She was a pen without a page.

Shifting caught her attention, her ears perked, but in the wrong direction. She could feel it moving the wrong way, dragging pain outlining it all. She didn't even volunteer for the reflex! They'd moved for a reason, Aphiwe's trained mind had been set to listen for just that, she had to move! She drained her willpower, ripping ahead. There was bleeding just not on her skin. It was as though the muscles inside of her were ripping oozing all over, or rather 'under' her skin. But it wasn't allowed to matter, there was work.

Lesanda, Chuma, Feneke, Esihle, Langa were out meaning she'd have to 'manoeuvre'. The thought was beyond her scope. But she'd have to. Chuma didn't so much as slow before turning away from her. Chuma's tail on the other hand had risen out of her range of sight before trapping around her chest sneaking under her armpits. It lifted but would need her help. She groaned and pushed up. She was up on her knees, sweating profusely. It wasn't over.

The work needed to be done. The work. Dammit all. She had to do more.

The tail had her up, lifting her over Chuma. Then came Esihle, a girl their age, but with a blanket of muscle around her, on top of fur. The richest and darkest of crimson, long, straight enough to curve at the end like a mane. Like a mane it grew thickest and longest by the shoulders, running all the way down her back into the darkest night.

"Wait." She whispered.

The tail stopped.

"I can't climb this."

Sweat dripped from her chin.

It was a nightmare running continuously. There'd be no breaking from it. Not yet. The tail pulled down easing her down Esihle's back and over where the fur was the lowest. She'd made it. Her mother was different, bundled together, alone trembling. That was Thato, a part of her that few were allowed to see. And even then it had to be caught out or fought to be pulled out. Tears glistened as Aphiwe's mom held herself, trembling. Aphiwe battled her way up, throwing herself on top of her mother who jumped up, shocked.

"Love, are you?" She stopped, seeing Chuma's tail.

A tearful smile formed and she pulled herself up with Aphiwe.

"Clever. My perfectly created child. I've created trouble for you. For everyone. You're a genius child, I'm sure of it. But I wonder if you see the work I'm doing. Most certainly your father wouldn't have. But he'd push me as though he could. Then, after all that pushing, be there when it's over, waiting. Now, there's a hole. Your grammy." Thato paused unable to speak.

Thato's mind was lost... It was different. The Prime's method of thinking was dark. Her mother's light, a funny blank and plain look. Pure black skin, able to reflect light perfectly, silver like a river ran against the moonlight. Her face a page spread wide. It crumpled back into her natural look, square, angular, bold, even at rest.

"I don't want another child by another woman. But your Grammy." She trailed.

So many words were missing, but some she knew. A noble woman didn't just have a child. That was a choice. One with consequences that played over her mother's eyes, made her gaunt, a strange thing to see from a woman so large.