Mr & Mrs Daniel and Rita Orobayan came back from picking up Benedicta from her crèche. They agreed to do so together for a week because of a bad feeling that crept into the house over the last 3 days. On their way home, they noticed the area had power.
When they got home, the lights were not working. Rita dropped her bags on the couch, reached in for her phonr, turned on the torch function, picked up Benedicta & followed Daniel to fuel the generator. When they passed the change over switch, it had been turned off.
"Daniel, you know that I cooked for the week, why are you making running the house difficult for me?"
"I don't like your tone and I don't like what you are suggesting."
They bickered for a minute while Benedicta was making eye contact with someone standing directly behind Daniel.
"Hello. My name is Benedicta. What is your name?"
The couple stopped talking immediately. Rita was too scared to point the light along Benedicta's line of sight.
"Daniel. Rita. I'm not here to personally harm you or your child. I'm here for a more important reason. If you scream, panic, or make any sudden move, I will be forced to demonstrate the resolve meant for someone more deserving."
The voice felt like cold water splashed on their faces. They were very alert and listened with great attention. They obeyed, waiting for the next instruction.
"I want you all to walk back to the living room and sit there. No matter what you might hear in this space, it is not your business and you have no power to influence the outcome. Now, go."
As they walked back like sheep, they were trembling. They sat in the dark for over an hour in silence. Benedicta had already fallen asleep.
The first scream seemed like wind blowing through the branches of many trees, but it sounded like a wounded.
The second scream seemed to get louder and louder with every beat of their hearts and suddenly stopped.
The door to the storage room opened and a young man came out holding a staff that was familiar to Rita, but she couldn't fathom why.
"I guess you want an explanation. You probably don't want it. Because once heard, you cannot unhear it."
Daniel cleared his throat. He had been silent for so long, he didn't trust his voice not to fail his masculinity without a warming it up.
"Let my wife and child leave and I will bear the burden of knowing."
"Brave man, and who knows, you might have been a good father to me, but I was speaking to Rita, not you."
Daniel turned to Rita sharply and by instinct.
"I was the child that you thought she aborted, but Rita gave me up to the Half-Moon Council when you were both teenagers. They brought my soul out and hid it in the staff that I am holding. I'm an inanimate. At least that's the easiest way to explain what I am."
Daniel felt angry and naked.
"I had to put off the power. I don't do well in the light, you see. I happen to be very good at what I do and the best way to stop me is to kill my source, my connection to the world. I was here to preserve myself.
"They will not return. I have made sure of that. You can return to your way of life. I will not return. You can decide how you want to forgive her and why. I've forgiven her a long time ago."
Rita got up to walk to him and he sidestepped to keep the distance.
"What name did they give you?"
"Labichi"
The lights suddenly came back on and the boy was gone, but the staff stood unassisted. Another boy suddenly appeared and picked up the staff.
"Rita! How many abortions?!", Daniel suddenly screamed, waking up Benedicta.
The boy laughed at the family and said, "You need to be educated about the nature of destiny. She couldn't join & take her father's place among the strongest of the strong. I'm just here to pick him up. I'm no relation to either of you."
Suddenly he wasn't there anymore.
There were scorch marks all over the storage room, but they were fading, as if hiding from common eyes.
Rita fought back her tears as she whispered their son's name one time, "Labichi".
