We can drive home
with one headlight
I’ve been watching mother’s stomach grow. I’ve seen the tired lines on her face spread and the anxiety in her face. She told me that she was with child and it looks like I’ll soon have a new sibling. Surely most would be excited at the news but Momma seems frightened by the idea so it makes me nervous too. I’m a yearling now and it’s weird to be growing up in the Chamber. Life is rather boring here with nobody to play with or talk to. Mostly I just stick close to my Mother and make sure she’s ok. I’m getting use to the weird vibration in the dirt beneath my hooves. I’m getting use to the loud caws of the ravens which are everywhere. But I’m not getting use to the feeling of time ticking by, of being bored day after day. Of wondering when we get to go home. I’m upset nobody has come to save us. It’s like nobody cares that we are here. We are forgotten and alone.
When Mother starts to go into a labour and slips off into the trees, I follow. There’s nowhere else to go and I don’t want her to be alone. I’ve never seen anyone give birth before and it’s both exciting and disgusting to watch. I can’t help but make a face as my sibling slips from Mother’s womb. Gross. Momma starts to clean the foal and I hesitantly make my way towards them. Suddenly my mother gasps and stumbles away from the baby. Curious, I step closer to see what’s wrong. The baby has red eyes just like the pale winged man that brought us here. I instantly remember when the winged man had hurt my mother and jumped on her back. So this is his child. The way conception works now makes sense to me and I frown slightly. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t ever want to do that. Not that I couldn’t be easily overpowered. I still don’t quite grasp just how smaller I am compared to everyone else.
I look at the baby again, a boy now that I take a closer look. Even though Momma is frightened of him, I’m not. It’s just a baby after all with unfortunate eye coloring. ”Hello little brother.” I say quietly and smile at him. I wonder what my sister Sidra will make of our new sibling. Instantly a pang of homesickness washes over me and I sigh softly. How badly I want to go home. ”One day we will go home little brother. One day.” I miserably say to him. A voice from behind me suddenly makes me whirl around and stand rather protectively before my sibling and my Mother. My violet eyes take in the stranger with the milky white orbs and I tilt my head curiously. ”I think we are ok…” I glance at Momma, not quite sure if she is or not. ”Why are your eyes that color?” I ask curiously, not realizing what a rude question that is. Momma is missing an eye but her good one has color. I’ve never seen a blind man before.