FLASH FICTION:-- HORROR, SCI-FI, HUMOUR, CRIME, SLICE OF LIFE, ETC.

Friday 2 November 2012

My beautiful baby


I just couldn't stop crying, overwhelmed by exhaustion, relief, and joy. I had given birth alone of course, the father long gone.

I held her to me tightly, my beautiful baby.

I cleaned her, kissed her, wrapped her, and began life as a parent.

I kissed her and hugged her often, told her how much I loved her, every single day.

I watched her grow, felt the joy, the thrill, and the happiness of every small stage. The first time she rolled over, sat up on her own, learned to crawl, to totter, to walk, to run.

I paced through the nights cradling her through the painful teething times, rocking her, whispering to her, giving what comfort I could.

The weaning was a joy to watch, the transition from milk to solid something to behold.

Her first kill was amazing, less than two years old and already she could take down a full grown man.

She is magnificent, and when she's all grown up she will be unstoppable. My beautiful baby.


©2012 Stephen. J. Green.

36 comments:

  1. Ooh! Intriguing!! Very early on I started wondering where this was going and got to the end and I'm still not sure. Love it! :)

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    1. Thank you Laura, as with many of my flashes I have left it rather vague, many of them are more concept than story really.

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  2. Oh my that's some baby - now the question is, is she an animal or is she alien?

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    1. Hi Helen, the (loose) idea I worked with, was a breed of humans, only infinitely more powerful and predatory, possibly living amongst us, I may put my muse in gear and see if I can come up with a 2 or 3 parter to expand on the idea. :-)

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  3. The first few paras are quite lyrical, lulling you into a sense of harmony, one that is very effectively shattered by that penultimate line.

    Great transition from touching to terrifying. =)

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    1. Thanks John, My intention was to create the picture of horror and violence, without actually stating it.
      Thank you for the appreciative compliment. :-)

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  4. I did wonder when the horror would begin - after all, it's one of your stories - and you didn't disappoint!

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    1. Thanks Icy, I hope it worked for you though. I'm thinking maybe I should work on one or two silly/funny flashes sometime soon, just for a change. :-)

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  5. Ha, nice work. Reminds me a bit of the movie HANNA! Maybe the saying should be, "Hell hath no fury like the daughter of a woman scorned."

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    1. Thanks Elizabeth. I absolutely LOVED that movie, Hanna was a brilliant character. I think the baby here would be infinitely more powerful and dangerous when she gets older though. :-)

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  6. Yow! Sweet, sweet, sweet, BAM!, sinister. Nice touch.

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    1. Thanks Aaron, I do this a lot, don't I? Bwuhahahaha!!

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  7. That's unconditional love for you and like the others I wasn't expecting that twist!

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    1. Thanks Craig, The sweetness of the title was a deliberate bit of misdirection too. :-)

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  8. No growing pains here. Nicely done Steve!

    marc nash

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    1. Thanks Marc, I think it may be her victims that have the pain. :-)

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  9. I was so "distracted" ,in a good way, by the memories wrapped in those warm words that I was absolutely taken by surprise when the line came and with it the twist! I had to re-read to be sure!

    Ooh, now I want to know what is that she gave birth to, but at the same time am frightened to find out.

    Bravo Steve.

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    1. Cindy, thank you very much for the lovely comment.

      I think she will grow to be a beautiful woman, albeit a very dangerous and powerful one.

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  10. Love it! It's like a sane version of Grendel's mum.

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    1. Thanks Katherine, I like the Beowulf connection you make, this baby is far more beautiful than Grendel though, probably far more dangerous too.

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    2. Great twist! You pack so much into so few words. Loved it and want more!!!

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    3. Thanks Carolyn, I am toying with the idea of expanding on this concept, I'll see if my muse has the same inclinations. :-)

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  11. A flash that succeeds with so few words is always a joy to read. Well done on this Steve. It reads beautifully then packs what I believe they call a "killer punch". Hugely satisfying.

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    1. Justin, thank you so much for the very kind words, comments like this are a real confidence boost. :-)

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  12. That was a chilling twist! Very nicely done, Steve.

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    1. Thanks Danielle, as I so often do, I have left the reader to imagine exactly what she is, or looks like. A person's own imagination can most often do a better job than the words can.

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  13. LOL WOW. A baby vampire. A baby werewolf?

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    1. Hiya Sonia, I'll let you decide on that one. :-)

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  14. Hi there Steve -- Uh, oh... maybe we...uh... can go back to rusks. Something's gone wrong. Very wrong. Nice blind-siding creep from stage left and I like the fact you didn't reveal what it is. Yah, but it sure is hungry...

    St.

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    1. Hi Stephen, Ah this baby is beyond rusks now, what she wants is MEAT!!!

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  15. A monster of a baby, but at least it has a clean bill of health!

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    1. Oh yes, definitely fighting fit is this one. :-)

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  16. A baby tiger -- a maneater -- dangerous and fit! Although tiger moms can be quite dry and not as gushing as this one no pun intended :)

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    1. Hi Brinda, a tiger wasn't what I had in mind, but the comparison fits quite well, the hunting instincts would probably be similar. :-)

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  17. Replies
    1. Thanks Tim, dunno about sweet... How about sweetmeat? Heheh!!

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