Chapter 9 - The Last Descendant

The corners of Dave's eyes crinkled, he might have heard it wrong. He leans to the chair and looks heavenward for a second. There is a moment of silence while Phoebe continues to munch the spoonful of rice and strips of beef steak in her mouth.

Martha stares at Amelia without blinking. Her hands stopped slicing the steak on her plate, turned her head in Amelia's direction, and bravely whispered, "Since when Amelia?"

"If you're are going to ask me Nanny if you are included in my plans, of course. How could I leave you when all my life you have been my second mother?" Amelia almost finishes her dinner and takes the last bite of her steak.

"I plan to leave this unit and relocate to a more quiet and peaceful place away from the hustle and bustle of the city, a life away from this city will be better for my child." Amelia surprisingly announced leaving Dave and Martha puzzled.

"Our child, you must say," Dave murmured with his left eyebrow raised intensely.

"Mom, does that mean that we will leave this house? How about my friends?" Phoebe glances at Amelia while playing her lips into the glass of water.

Amelia smiles,  leans forward, and gets the glass, "Yes, and you will have to say goodbye to all your teachers and classmates."

Phoebe sighed and her lips curled downward, "I'm gonna miss them, why do we have to go to another place?"

Dave tensely asked, "Exactly, Amelia, I don't understand the sudden commitment of yours. Why did you not consult me about this? Phoebe is my daughter too."

She stopped chewing her food and instantly swallowed the rice "Oh wait, does your opinion matter when it comes to raising my child? Accept it, only I can make decisions for Phoebe, but you know what's cool? You can still visit her but of course with my conditions."

Dave jerks his head to Amelia and chuckled, "Why are you so being harsh to me? Why do you set limitations for your child's father."

"Because it's for the better." Amelia sarcastically smirks.

"Amelia, it's not because I am against your decision in settling down in a village but, I think it will be hard for Phoebe to adjust to a new school and new environment." Martha convincingly explained while pouring a pitcher of strawberry juice into Phoebe's glass.

Amelia reached for Martha's arm, "That is why you're there Nanny, I know you will never let us down." Martha hesitantly smiles back.

Dave suddenly turns to Phoebe hoping to catch her attention, "Honey, your teachers, and classmates will miss you. And I, your Daddy will miss your smile."

Phoebe is about to answer but Amelia cut their conversation, "Dave be honest with her, tell her that you were never been there for us for the whole time. You know she is mature enough to understand our situation. I have never kept a secret from her and she is brave enough to comprehend things happening around her."

"What I am trying to say is, I do not want you to leave this place, if you are having a hard time paying for the rent, I am willing to shoulder your rental expenses. I told you I decided to support you financially for Phoebe."

"For Phoebe... Oh yes, I get it, you are just doing this for her, only for her. Tell me, Why are you so persistent in getting Phoebe's vote? What is in it for you Dave, what do you want? What is behind those deceiving smiles of yours?" Amelia fires the insults.

Tension in the air is circling the dining area but Martha does not want to meddle. She somehow trusts Amelia on this, maybe Amelia wants justice from being abandoned during the time that she faced her battle alone. She felt betrayed and it will be hard for her to trust someone again.

Dave raises his chest and replies, "I have my reasons, they are surely valid, but this is not the proper time to talk about it." 

"What's your motive, Dave? Are you just going to use us for your parent's inheritance?" Amelia spills which gave him chills to his spine.

"Well I admit, they are getting old, but I don't feel threatened to be an only child. Sure enough, their assets will soon land on my precious hands and money won't be a big thing, does that make your eyes gleam, Amelia?" Dave smiles with bills in his eyes.

Amelia blocked it, "Of course not Dave, that does not satisfy me at all. So you will present Phoebe to your parents to finally get what you want, and then what?

"For Phoebe's sake Amelia, I'm a renewed person now. You and Phoebe matter to me the most. And of course, Martha, who has been there for so many years. Can't you just forget all my mistakes and let me, just give me a little chance, just a little chance to make up for all those mistakes."

"Huh! You wish... but I can't." Amelia strongly replied.

Martha sighed with regret. She hoped that the ending of their conversation will be positive for both of the ex-lovers but she's wrong.

Phoebe suddenly asks displaying an emotionless face, "Mom, will I turn into a beast someday?"

Dave felt his heart was about to get out from his chest and his eyes rolled in terror. Martha strongly grasps her glass and Amelia felt curious about her daughter's peculiar and out of the blues questions.

"Why did you ask honey? That's not true, are you so hooked on reading those books on my shelves?" Amelia comforted her daughter.

"Well, I read a story about a rivalry of werewolves and beasts. I read that a cursed child is set to offer in a ritual so that she can possess immunity against immortals. She is an immortal but because she grew up in a normal family, she questions her mortality."

Dave abruptly talks, "Wow that's a great story Phoebe, but you know those stories are just myths. They can't be true. We are living in the 21st century, those odd stories will just tickle your mind." He reaches for Phoebe's side and acts childish purposely tickling her side which gives Phoebe an instant chuckle.

Surprised Martha, observes Phoebe's actions because she remembers that when Phoebe was born, she felt an unusual creepy feeling in her nerves. From the moment she held the child in her bare hands, a cold gush of blood rise into her head down to her feet. This unexplainable feeling puzzles her every time she sees Phoebe combing her hair in front of the mirror.

With assuring words, Amelia whispers, "Phoebe I told you to stop reading those books, when we leave this place, I might as well leave those books so you won't be able to flip those pages again, you understand? Are you having nightmares from reading all those stories?"

"Yeah, one time, but then again when I get up, I think I saw a shadow of a big black bird in our window. It was smiling at me then, I just can't remember if it's still a part of my dream or it's a real bird because I don't know Mom, I just fell asleep and never dreamed of that same big blackbird again."

Dave holds his child's hand who is about to finish her plate, "Someday, when the time is right, you will understand, why we are being protective to you. Your true identity and where you came from won't matter but the pureness of your heart will."

Amelia squeezed her eyes and queered, "What do you mean Dave?"

Before Dave can answer a strong wind whoosh outside the window which made the curtains part. The coldness of the air from the outside enters the room and secures a creepy feeling on their skin giving them freakish goosebumps.

Their attention was caught by the madness of the wind which make their eyes wide and their lips sealed in panic. For a moment, stillness breaks their conversation and filled the room with seeming drops of thin rain. Dave gets up from his sit to shut the windows but a big black bird stops his feet from walking.

His feet were frozen for a minute when this 6- foot high black enormous crow appeared in the window giving them a devilish look from its red velvet eyes. Its stare can pierce the drops of rain and winning a fight from this weird creature would be impossible.

They can hear their heart pounding so fast and their bodies are blocked by fear. Phoebe cannot cry, she is being hypnotized by the creature's presence. She smiles and leaves her chair, walks closer to the crow. 

Dave unexpectedly stared at the crow's devilish eyes and a strong flesh-piercing wind blew the creature away from the window. Phoebe immediately picks the paper that fell from the creature's sharp beak that says, "You are the last descendant. You must fulfill your duty."