Mutations

Chapter 4 : Bird Sleeps On Dragon

CRUNCH!
The leaves on the ground were being stomped by the Axis soldiers; Dawn held her mother's hand as they saw her father being taken away. Her father looked restless as they arrested him and placed him into a carriage. Her father stared out the small wooden barred window and saw his little daughter and his wife with sadness in their eyes. "Come on, Dawn." Dawn's mother clenched her hand and dragged her all the way home. Silently, they both walked as Dawn saw her mom's dark circles. She was exhausted, she looks like she hadn't slept for ages. "Mama?" Dawn asked while they walked. "Yes," Her mother replied in a low voice. "Where is daddy going?" Dawn had asked innocently. Her mom sighed and said, "Oh, he's going to work hard for the emperor, he's gonna take forever to come back." Dawn nodded as they arrived at home. "Ms. Tzu, how lovely to see you!" An old woman approached her mother as she smiled gently. "Ah, this must be your daughter. She's as beautiful as you." The old woman exclaimed. Dawn's mother smiled politely. "Thank you, I see that you brought your nephew? How cute he looks just like Mateo." The old woman gestured the small child to get out of hiding behind her. Dawn saw a blue-haired boy gazing shy at her. "Go ahead, Dawn, introduce yourself."
Dawn let go of her mother's hand and walked closer, "My name is Dawn, what's yours?" Dawn asked as the small child began to cry. "Oh!" Dawn said, frightened. "It's okay, Dawn, Emilio is just shy; he will lighten up eventually if he knows you more." The old woman said, patting Dawn on the head. The boy kept crying as Dawn clenched her hand onto his, "Mama does this when I'm sad, are you fine now?" Dawn saw Emilio tears drying up as he nodded. "Ah, there getting along." Dawn's mother laughed gently. "Indeed." The old woman said as they watched the children play.
"DAWN!" Emilio shouted while barging into her room, holding two fishes. "Look what I caught today with grandpa!" Emilio said happily while dancing around. Dawn was still half asleep, and eventually, she threw one of her books at Emilio's face. "AHG!" Emilio fell onto the floor along with the fish. "Did anyone ever tell you it's rude to walk into someone's room in the morning, shouting?" Dawn got up furiously as Emilio was dizzy from the book hitting his head. "HEY!" Dawn shook Emilio to wake up. Dawn's mother entered the room, confused, "Dawn? What are you doing to Emilio." She asked. "Mom, he sneaked into the house again!" Dawn crossed her arms. "Oh? I let him in; he had fish for us." Dawn's mother smiled gently. "Mom, seriously!" Dawn kept shaking Emilio. "Hey, please stop. I'm going-" Emilio vomited onto Dawn tunic as she screams in disgust. After bathing and changing, Emilio waited patiently for Dawn to sit in front of him to eat breakfast together. "Eat up!" Dawn's mother said as Emilio quickly munched on all the rice cakes. Dawn stared blankly at him, "He looked like a pig." Dawn muttered. "HUAGH? Did you something?" Emilio happily said, nibbling on the fish. "Yes, Mr. Piggy," Dawn said, sipping the green tea her mother prepared. "WHAT? MR PIGGY?" Emilio stopped eating but had his mouth full; Dawn chuckled a bit. Minutes after, Emilio lays on the floor, "AHHHH! THE FOOD WAS HEAVENLY!" He said as he closed his eyes. "Don't tell me you going to sleep?" Dawn replied. Emilio stood silent as she got annoyed. She went around the table and saw Emilio happily sleeping, muttering the words, "Mr. Piggy..." She giggled.
CLACK!
Dawn heard a sound coming from the storage. She gets up and walks over to the storage, leaving Emilio behind. As Dawn approaches, there were whispers, so Dawn hid behind a column. "Mors Vincit Omnia..." said a low voice, as she saw a dark aura come out the storage room. "Mors..." repeated the voice. Dawn swallowed her saliva slowly. A silver-haired woman came out. She was surrounded by a dark aura; she looked out into the skies and let the breeze hit her long hair. "You can come out, Dawn." said the women; Dawn came out of her hiding spot as her mother watched her. "Why were you hiding?" Dawn's mother said, "..." Dawn stood silent, "Come to me, child, let me show you something." Her mother walked into the storage as she gestured her to come inside. Dawn entered the warehouse and saw symbols of a demon all over the storage. "Mom, what is this?" Dawn asked, "It's your father's prize possession, Baphomet." Her mother smiled as she shut the storage door. Dawn's heart skipped a beat. "You know how your father, 5 years ago, went off to work forever?" Dawn's mother crept closer; Dawn stood still. "He's working hard for us now, here." She pointed to the symbol.
"Mom, what-" Dawn's mother's eyes turned green. "Mors Vincit Omnia." Her teeth became sharp like a lamia as she kept closer, and Dawn was frozen in fear as she closed her eyes as Mother went to eat her. "Huh?" Dawn opened her eyes to see Emilio bleeding from his lower abdomen while holding a bloody wooden katana. "ACK!" Dawn's mother was no longer humane. The once coffee eyes became nothing but possession. "We have to leave now!" Emilio grabbed Dawn as she kept looking back at her mother, who stood still in place. For a moment, Dawn never saw her mom as demonic she saw her as humane.