Tala

Chapter 1

A gloomy day in Washington state, with scarfs covering faces and the cold wind whipping the hair of the oblivious. There are six friends, or should we say, 3 couples standing around the white marble kitchen island. They all have drinks in hand except for one, the mother. She cradles her newborn with a glow they talk about in the media. She is laughing with such joy, such fulfillment of pushing that damn baby out.

“Jay, you'd really otta to think about getting a photoshoot for Nathan, he is so photogenic,” says Lee, the tall dark handsome man. He is caressing his boyfriend Kevin who leans on his chest while admiring the baby, Nathan.

“You know we know photographers, all you have to do is ask darlin’” says Kevin as he flips out his phone.

“I would like to have a photoshoot with him, a family photoshoot!” Jay says, as she kisses Nathan on the forehead.

Tala chugs her tequila as she tries to really like this baby. One thing about Tala that everyone knows is that she hates babies. She doesn’t see the point to them. They create more pollution, are expensive and only add to the overwhelming population on planet Earth. Yet she was here, at Jay and Martin’s “baby welcoming gathering” that she saw no purpose to. But her boyfriend Erin was brothers with Martin, so as the uncle's girlfriend she put on her best smile and best tequila.

The baby they called Nathan cooed softly as he yawned. “Awwwww!” they all went, even Tala joined in to not be seen as the odd one out.

“Erin, you’ve been here for one hour and still haven’t held your nephew!” Jay said excitedly and pushed Nathan towards him.

“Oh, I’m terrible at holding babies, I kid you not. They hate me, I think it’s my smell,” Erin lied, as he knew he was too drunk to properly hold Nathan with care.

Jay insisted and pushed the caramel tinted baby towards Erin’s arms and he clumsy grabbed him with his right arm, Erin was left handed.

Tala took his drink from his other hand and as she did, Erin struggled to hold Nathan firmly. The soft blanket didn’t help either, and the seconds passed as he fumbled with Nathan….he slipped from his grasp.

Jay who was backing away already and Martin who was across the island reached towards Nathan, Lee and Kevin were sitting by the side stools to not even have a chance to grab the baby. Tala dropped both the drinks on her hands and reached for Nathan only to have her hand barely touch his leg as the baby hit the ground head first.

Silence.

And then a screech of pain.

“Erin!” Jay screamed as she skidded towards Nathan where he lay in a puddle of bright blood.

Erin backed away in shock, in a shock of misunderstanding. Did he drop him?

Martin rushed behind Jay as his massive chest breathed heavily.

Jay and Martin dropped to their knees next to Nathan as Lee and Kevin stood motionless.

Jay grabbed Nathan as gently as she could as Nathan's silent screams disappeared.

Tala stood with eyes wide as an owl as she saw the aura of Nathan slowly fading.

The aura was bright yellow before and now it’s color looked grey as a cloud.

She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t. They would find out.

They’ll know. But if I don’t do it..Nathan will be gone forever. But it will change everything. Everything. I can’t. What will the future hold?

No….I can’t risk it.

It’s the first rule.

...Oh no..it’s fading, fading away.

Jay...oh Jay, you don’t deserve this.

...maybe...maybe I can make them...forget?

How...How...think.

I have no time.

They would find out…

What am I thinking, it’s just one child...one soul..

I have to...for Jay.

“Jay..” Tala tried to get near Jay's side.

Jay’s hysterical screams poured in the room as Martin was calling 911.

“Jay...I can help. I can make him good again,” Tala tries to explain as she lowers herself to the floor. Her voice is almost a whisper to Jay’s ear.

Jay looks at her in confusion and then anger. “Not now Tala! I don’t want your stupid idiotic opinions now!”

“I know. I can bring him back Jay. But..”

“But what!?” Jay screams, not even knowing why she is mad at Tala.

“But someone else will lose their life. Someone else, could be me or your or someone we don’t know. Will die..” Tala’s low whisper was now loud enough for everyone to hear.. She sounded crazy.

“Tala you crazy bitch! What the fuck are you talking about?” Lee screamed at her.

“Jay. I need you to answer. Do you want me to do this?” Tala asked as she ignored Lee.

Jay kept a steady angry look at Tala as she nodded her head, yes ever so slightly. Yes, to who knows what. Jay never liked Tala, and even now she wanted to bash her head, but Tala’s eyes...they were different this time, she meant what she said and Jay knew it.

Everyone knew Tala was off in some way, everyone wished Erin would leave her. Sometimes she would stare off into space, or would dodge something that wasn’t there. She would whisper to herself, freeze at random times...and worst of all. She would at all cost avoid being around children. No one knew what Erin saw in her, except...well that she was drop dead gorgeous. Her complexion was clear as day, never had a pimple on her face. Her short hair was shiny and smooth, her eyes were a dark rare forest green and the one thing that people were drawn to her about was her soothing voice. So soothing. Yet, there was this dark feeling around her. Every time you stood near her, you would get a bad feeling, almost sick to your stomach. No one talked about it outright, yet everyone knew...Tala was bad news.

“Please know...this was your decision. Not mine,” Tala says as she puts her hands on the kitchen floor.

Erin is slumped by the nearby couch trying to understand what is happening. The alcohol is still swirling in his head and he is thinking that this is all a nightmare.

Kevin and Lee hug tightly as the room starts to vibrate very slightly.

There are now small white orbs floating in the air now, all illuminating like little fireflies. And each little light floats towards Tala as her body absorbs them like water.

Martin stops talking to the operator on the phone, Jay stays still as she watches millions of these little orbs passing through the kitchen.

Tala begins to glow, like a white light. And in a quick movement, she lifts her right hand where a single little ball forms floating above her hand. The rest of the little lights disappear into thin air.

Tala looks at the little ball.

Forgive me.

She puts her hand over Nathan and the little light falls into him.

Everyone watches in hesitation as Jay’s open mouth has become dry.

The light disappears into Nathan, like a magic trick.

There is silence, except for Erin’s heavy breathing.

And just like that Nathan open’s his eyes and starts crying. Jay examines his head and wipes of the blood where the crack on the skull had been. She examines him with disbelief as Nathan is now perfectly fine.

“Witch…” Kevin whispers, but everyone hears it.

“What the fuck...what the fuck..” Lee says as he gets near Jay.

“What the fuck are you..” Martin says.

Tala gets up and feels the tension but also sees the auras around her turn shades of blue. Fear.

“I can explain,” Tala says as she starts to back away from them.

“How did you do that? What the hell were those fucking lights in my damn kitchen Tala!?” Martin yells as he tries to hold back tears.

“I. It’s what I can do. Just a thing I can do. I can cure a life...if it’s not gone. It’s just something I can do,” Tala tries to explain, but her words jumble. They sound crazy, they don’t make sense, and they know it. Her plan was to do this and then erase their memories, but she wasn’t prepared for their angry reactions. She’s struggling to cast the spell, struggling to deal with their emotions.

“I always knew there was something off about you...I always knew,” says Kevin as he hides behind Lee as he now towers over the room with hate. Hate towards Tala.

Erin, still in a drunken wave of confusion, only looks at Tala before he passes out on the couch. No one acknowledges him.

Jay is silently rocking Nathan, paying attention to only Nathan.

“Get out…” Martin says with a steady voice.

“But..look. I’m telling the truth, and I just saved him!” Tala says with sadness, but she is backing away towards the door anyways.

“Get the fuck out of my house you freak bitch!” Martin screams and throws his flip phone at her.

Jay doesn’t look at her.

Tala looks at Nathan’s aura and sees something is not right…

Oh No…

Tala goes near Jay and whispers something to her…

Martin quickly stands in between them, “Tala...don’t..whatever it is. Please leave.”

Tala takes one last look at Erin and back at Nathan.

I’m so sorry Nathan...

Tala turns around quickly and before shutting the door she looks at Jay, “Forgive me.”