ENSHROUDING LIGHT

THE DARK DAY

CHAPTER 2

THE DARK DAY

She woke to white mist. Behind it was a room filled with blurred objects. She rubbed her eyes. It wasn't mist; it was a white light. Was she awake? Where— What— multicoloured flashes and unearthly images rushed inside her mind like a swarm of locusts. Holding her head, she strained to separate and make sense of them.

Squinting to see beyond the light, she tried to take in her surroundings. Daylight shone through the window to her right. This window had been creaking, threatening to blow because of a frightening, intense light that blasted through the dark sky! To her left, a young midwife she didn't recognise was tending to Tom. Tom! He was alive and well despite the surroundings of his birth and the crazed woman she'd been given for a midwife—

Wait—Adaeze hadn't stolen him?

'Afternoon.' The girl smiled at her and then peered back over Tom's crib. 'He's not cried for a feed, but I've fed him for you anyway. You were talking in your sleep just now. You were saying "Bright One" over and over. What were you dreaming about?'

'I...' Nevaeh shook her head. Had she really just dreamt she was an amorphous green being? She gulped. 'Last night, did Adaeze give me some drugs?'

She didn't turn. Instead, she peered into Tom's eyes. 'It's like looking at emeralds in snow.'

Nevaeh was also drawn in for a moment as she focused on his acute manner, but shook her head. 'Hello.'

'I'm sorry.' She snapped out of her gaze. 'Who's Adaeze?'

Nevaeh's breathing became heavy. Did Adaeze even work here? If not, how did she get into the hospital? Was she real or just a phantasm of her mind...just like the dream?

The door opened and, seeing her dad walk through, she opened her arms and sighed.

'How y' doing, chuck?' He rushed to her and kissed her cheek. He then turned to Tom and lifted him from his crib. 'Wow!' He stared at him like a prized fish he'd just hooked from the lake. 'You've created some marvellous things in your time, Nev, but this is the most gorgeous so far. What a lovely little laddo he is!'

A warm glow spread inside her chest as she watched her dad sit down with Tom in his arms and tickle his chin.

Frank came through next, swinging his broad shoulders as though they were too heavy for him to carry, chest out like he was some kind of bouncer about to tackle a situation in a nightclub. 'This better be worth wasting your education for!'

'Shall I leave you to your guests?' the midwife asked.

'Yes.' She wanted her out of the way now for sure. Not only did she not want to be embarrassed by her older brother, but she also couldn't discuss the incident in front of her family; they'd have her committed. 'Thank you.'

Her mum followed, sniffing the air. 'It's stuffy in here, isn't it? I'll open the window,' she said like the room would poison her. 'Oh dear, this wallpaper is hideous.'

Nevaeh shook her head. 'We can't all afford the posh hospitals like him and Alicia you know, Mother!' She pointed to Frank. Frank and his wife could do no wrong in her mother's eyes. The fact that his wealthy wife, Alicia, had chosen to give birth to their child in a private hospital clearly enhanced her regard.

Her mum turned, her eyebrows furrowing. 'I know that, sweetheart.'

'What a lovely big smile, my laddo! What's his name?'

She spun her head back to her dad. The smile; she'd forgotten about the smile! She searched her dad's face, waiting for the same shock and disbelief she felt to appear on his face. Thankfully, his smile remained. He obviously didn't realise the baby's expression was far too advanced for his age, thankfully.