Hunter

Chapter 2

         When I arrived in front of our manor, I still had no idea what I was going to tell Susanne, my wife. Yet, I had to enter. Before the door, I sighed and then pressed the handle with my free hand. 

"Gustave, is that you?"

"Huh... Yes!"

I sighed again. What should I do?

I observed the interior of the house as if its walls held the solution to my problem. In front of me were the stairs, while on my right and my left openings in the walls lead respectively to the living room and the kitchen. I knew Susanne was on the left, in the kitchen. I was to come into the room when the child in my arms started to cry. Susanne turned towards me, a hand on her belly. She had been pregnant for eight months now, and still she looked splendid. Her eyes widened as she saw where the cries were coming from.

"Chéri, what have you done?"

"I..."

She did not give me time to finish and swiftly crossed the space between us, her blond hair, so light in colour they were almost white, fluttering around. Once beside me, she looked at what I was holding, before staring at me with shock. "Gustave?" she asked.

We did not have any secret for one another. I did not want what was happening to become the first of a long series. I told her everything.While I narrated the story, fear, horror and disgust passed through my spouse's angelic traits. Then, her eyes found the baby. When she turned, my throat was dry with the fear of what she may think about this story. When she finally talked, I held my breath.

"I don't know what came over you... But you're right. We can't deliver it to your colleagues."

Slowly she turned again to face me. Relieved she was on my side, but exhausted, I let myself drop onto the closest chair. Susanne did too.

"How are we going to hide it?" I asked.

When I had taken the baby with me, I had not thought for a second to what we would have to do to protect this child. Now, I felt like I was in an absolute dead end.

"We are not going to hide it." Susanne said.

"What?"

I did not understand what she meant. It was only when she laid her hands on her belly that everything became clear.

"We are having twins!" she added.

She looked at me in the eyes and smiled.

Suddenly, someone hammered the door violently. In sync, Susanne and I jumped.

"Take him!" I said, giving her the child.

She took the baby in her arms and fled upstairs.

I waited until she had completely disappeared before opening the door, a lump in my throat. Henri was on the threshold, soaked from top to bottom. The rain had started to pour again.

"What's gotten into you to take off like that, without warning?"
I thought hard to find a valid excuse, but my mind was paralysed with panic. I had no talent for instant lies.

"I... I felt ill all of a sudden... I thought it was better I came home..." I stammered.

Henri's accusing look weighed on me. He did not believe one word of my story. I was petrified at the idea he might want to come in and a retch had me stagger.

"Humm. Without warning me?"

"I... I felt it was urgent..."

My colleague's eyes were scanning me, not convinced. Not convinced at all. It felt like he was reading my thoughts.

"Can I come in? It's freezing outside!"

He had hardly pronounced the words that my heart got a beat wrong and panic grasped me with such a strength that I had to lean a bit more on the door. My stomach contracted and I threw up at Henri's feet who jumped back before looking at the front step.I took advantage of the occasion. This vomit was my cue. Slowly I straightened up.

"I think I caught something... Do you mind if we talk later?"

Highly disgusted, he simply nodded and left without a word.

         Upstairs, Susanne had put the infant in our future child's crib and he slept tight. She had put on her nightshirt and was now in bed. When I passed the door, she rose her eyes towards me before sitting up, leaning on her elbow, worried.

"What's going on?"

I looked at her. From her expression, I must have looked aweful. 

"Nothing. It was Henri and... and I dropped my guts at his feet."

"What?"

She did not understand. I started to change, completely exhausted. When I fell in bed beside her, Susanne was still staring at me in bewilderment.

"Never mind." I said. "Kill the light!"

She did. Darkness bathed the room and I felt sleep starting to take me. I came nearer to Susanne and leaned my head on her shoulder. She stroked my hair. In a last effort before letting Morpheus cardle me, I said:

"By the way, chérie. Don't go on the front step tomorrow morning... It must be slippery... I have to clean up..."