"Aunty Lexi, I dreamt of you last night."
"Really, that's great, not that I care." Lexi said rolling her eyes. She put the pancakes she was making in two white plates and placed one on the table and the other on the floor.
"Now sit on the floor and eat quietly." Lexi said to Ellie.
She left the kitchen to call her daughter. Lexi came back to the kitchen with Geraldine, whom was two years younger than Ellie.
"Sit on the table honey."
"Mommy, why is Ellie on the floor?"
"Oh, she likes it there." Lexi said giving Ellie the 'side-eye' with a frown on her face.
Mark walked in looking tired. His blond hair was slightly shorter than before and his facial features a little more mature.
"Ellie you can sit with Gerry." he said looking at his wife, eyes narrowed.
Lexi rolled her eyes and went into the laundry room. Mark took Ellie's plate and placed it on the table then followed Lexi.
"What has she done to you?" asked Mark, "she's just a little girl."
Lexi ignored her husband and kept stuffing the washing machine with dirty clothes. Shaking his head, Mark left the room and went back to kiss the two girls goodbye.
The girls ran out to wait for the school bus and talked about what they were going to do at school. They were pretty close and treated each other like sisters. The bus came and they both ran in and sat together. As the bus was moving, Gerry noticed a woman standing by an old abandoned house looking at the ground. Her orange-brown hair covered her face. She pulled Ellie closer to the window to show her but the bus had already passed the house. Geraldine got up and ran to the back to look for the woman. The woman stood on the road looking at the bus until she could not see it. Geraldine felt a hand on her shoulder and her heart began to beat fast.
"Are you alright, Gerry? "
Geraldine turned and found Ellie smiling at her. She walked back to the seat with Ellie. When they got to school, Gerry could not concentrate, she kept thinking about the woman she had seen.
..................................................................
After school the school bus dropped them off at home. The ten year old went up to her room and left Geraldine to talk to her mother. She threw her bag on the floor and jumped on her bed, facing the window. It was raining. Ellie began to trace the raindrops on the window. She suddenly fell asleep.
After a few hours, she could hear voices in the kitchen. 'Uncle Mark is here' she thought to herself. She ran out of her room and walked slowly to the dining room.
"Have the girls eaten yet?"
"Yeah."
Ellie stood by the door and looked at Mark, tears in her eyes. Lexi looked at her from head to toe then placed her husband's food on the table. Mark sighed and called Ellie to eat with him. Lexi sat forcibly at the table and tried to ignore Ellie's presence at the table.
"So, did you hear about the disappearance?" asked Lexi.
"Another one?"
"Yeah, closer to our house this time. We have to keep our daughter safe."
Mark looked at her and took Ellie to sit on his laps.
"Where is my other little angel?"
"She slept early today, not that you care since you love her more than us." said Lexi staring at Ellie. Before Mark could answer he heard a knock at the door. He looked at his wife and put Ellie down.
Knock knock
Mark and Lexi walked to the door.
"Don't open the door Mark. I have a bad feeling about this."
Mark hesitated but eventually turned the doorknob. He saw a young girl standing by his front door, looking down.
"Can I help you, are you lost?" he asked.
"Let me in."
Her skin was pale and the way she spoke was unusual, like she was trying to imitate a human.
"Excuse me?"
"Let...me... In, sir."
Mark looked at Lexi then back at the girl and said 'no'. The girl looked up at Mark in a quick, swift motion. Mark stared into her black eyes and his jaw almost touched the floor. When he was about to open the door, when he was about let the black-eyed girl in, Lexi pushed the door shut.
"Hey, you were about to let her in. What is it with you and bringing children into our home!?" scolded Lexi.
"Her eyes...were black." said Mark looking traumatized by what he had seen.
"Ugh, what is wrong with you!" exclaimed Lexi shaking her head as she took the plates to the kitchen.
Ellie walked to the nearby window and looked outside. The girl was gone.
Knock, knock
The same slow, sinister knock that was heard earlier. Mark froze.
"Move away from the window, Ellie." whispered Mark.
He took her by the hand and locked the door and closed the curtains. Mark took Ellie to her room and put her in bed. He checked if her window was closed and closed the curtains. When he was about to walk out, Ellie sat up and called him.
"Uncle Mark, do you have a picture of my mom?"
Mark looked at her and smiled. He shook his head.
"But you look just like her, from your orange-brown hair to your pretty little toes." he said tapping his index finger on her little nose, making her giggle.
Mark tucked her in and kissed her goodnight then went to bed.
YOU ARE READING
The Origins
Short Story"She didn't sound human. " "Her black eyes were disturbing." "I was about to let her in. " "They disappeared mysteriously. " "She was the mother of the children. " The black-eyed children begin... A story about the origins of the black-eyed children...
