Red Writing Hood: Complications

Becca groaned as she shifted her weight. Her massive belly made even the smallest movements difficult. As she sank into the chair a flurry of kicks pummeled her abdomen.

“Hey, baby. Think you could keep the bruising to a minimum? I’m not made of steel you know”, she said as she laid a hand over the location of movement. Only a few more weeks to go and she’d finally meet this strange being who had taken up residence inside of her. Her little miracle.

The slam of a door caused Becca to look up. Jason came in from the back or the cabin, peeling off layers of outerwear as he walked. He hung up his massive jacket on a special rack near the fireplace to help dry it out and placed his boots on the hearth.

“It’s really coming down out there. I’m a little worried this might not blow over as quickly as the reports said.”

Becca looked out the window and watched the snow come down. Every so often a gust of wind would create a mini whiteout then calm down again to a steady snowfall. She frowned slightly, worry creasing her forehead. They were extremely isolated here. What if they became trapped?

Jason realized he was causing her more stress than was necessary. Becca’s pregnancy had not been easy, even without taking into account she had to keep hidden. He crouched down and took her hands in his.

“We’ll be fine. I’ve stocked up the pantry with enough supplies to last a month. There’s firewood to keep us going for that long as well. Don’t worry, okay?”

Becca tried to smile at him but her fears of being trapped in a blizzard brought her gaze back to the window. She started speaking quietly,

“Did I ever tell you I was found in a blizzard? My mom was trapped in her house, my dad was away on business and she heard me crying. When she finally managed to dig out enough snow to open a window she discovered me in a basket left nearby. They never located my real parents and since my mom couldn’t have kids the authorities let them adopt me”, she paused and looked at Jason. “I’ve been wondering if I was a baby like ours: conceived without a license and abandoned to avoid any sort of legal ramifications.”

Jason wrapped his arms around her and she began to silently cry. Deep down he knew that they probably weren’t the only people to ever experience a miracle pregnancy. Nothing is fool-proof and his studies in biology at university taught him that when pressed, Mother Nature found a way to go on.

“No matter what, we’re keeping this baby. We’ll raise this child and keep him or her safe. There was a reason this happened to us, Becca. I’ll never stop working to keep our family safe.”

Becca wiped her eyes and smiled up at her husband. She rested a hand along his cheek. At times like this, words weren’t necessary.

A sudden banging snapped them apart and a muffled voice could be heard outside. Jason ran over to the front door and eased it open. Drifts of snow flew in through the opening and a massive figure stumbled in, the face completely obscured by a hood and balaclava. As Jason struggled to push the door closed against the wind that battled to keep it swinging open, the figure began to pull off the layers and layers of clothing. Eventually Lillian emerged from within.

“Lillian!” Becca cried. “I’m so glad to see you. But, why are you here? How did you make it through the snow?”

Lillian moved closer to the roaring fire and allowed the warmth to suffuse her body. Turning her head to look back at Becca she said,

“Oh, I’m tougher than I look. I spent a few nasty winters here as a child, stuck when a blizzard took us unawares. My dad taught me how to survive.”

Lillian moved closer to Becca and gave her an assessing look. Then she took a deep breath,

“The reason I’m here, though, is I heard some people talking in Willow Glen. One was mentioning a pregnant woman he’d seen come through town to a man dressed in a black suit with a green armband.”

Becca felt her heart leap into her throat. Lillian noticed the color drain from her face and continued quickly,

“We all know what that means. You need to move,Becca. This cabin isn’t that isolated and many people who live in Willow Glen knew my family and will remember we had a place here. As soon as this storm stops we’re leaving.”

Becca felt her heart begin to race. The baby sensed the change in her mood and began to thrash around wildly. She groaned and wrapped her arms around her belly. Suddenly a vicious contraction gripped her and she screamed in pain. Jason and Lillian rushed to her side, holding her until it passed.

The contractions came steadily every ten minutes for over an hour. She moved to the bedroom during a lull and by the time they stopped Becca was so exhausted she collapsed into a deep sleep. Jason and Lillian sat in the outer room, discussing their options. There was really no choice: Becca needed to be kept safe and that meant moving to a new location.

Lillian stared out the window at the now whiteout conditions. She knew a place they could go but would the baby cooperate and stay put until they got there?

This is part of the Red Writing Hood. This week those gals got a little diabolical The prompt: