The sun kissed the horizon as Sonkla put the baby down to sleep. He was growing so fast, they would need to decide on a name soon. She still wanted to name him after his father, Rendon, but he said that he already heard his name being shouted often enough for this job and that, he did not wish to give cause to hear it more. She smiled at this, the memory of her husband making her long for his return more than ever. He should be back any day now, maybe even tomorrow if the weather stayed fair. Hopefully he would have made enough on this last trip to allow them to move to the capital. Sonkla couldn't stand the place, all that noise and the people bustling around, too busy to just stop and enjoy the day. No, she didn't like the place, but she wanted more for her son than to just be another farmers boy. If they moved to the capital, he could enrol in the academy, maybe even travel to Kreshington or Astlevonia to pursue some teaching or other. One day he could be in the Kings guard even, or perhaps he might turn to teach others what he has learnt. Whatever happened, he would have a chance at a better life.
Sonkla moved to leave the room, turning back at the doorway to take one last lingering look at the tiny boy, sound asleep, oblivious to the many futures his mother was imagining him in. She smiled and turned away, gently pulling the door to behind her. She headed downstairs and stood at the back door, looking out over the freshly ploughed fields. She could hear the horses stabled round the other side of the house, chomping on the carrots she had left for them earlier. She saw two of the workers heading into their quarters across the way, waving as they disappeared through the door, their work finished for the day. All was calm and quiet, just the way she liked it.
Sonkla headed to the pantry and fixed herself a small supper of cheese, bread and tomatoes. She poured herself a small glass of her own home made wine. Settling herself in front of the unlit fireplace, she began to eat her modest feast. Once finished, she tidied her plate away, bringing back with her the rest of the bottle of wine, setting it down next to her chair. She sat, enjoying the peace, drinking her wine. Dusk faded to night outside, and still Sonkla drank and drank and drank...
***
Sonkla suddenly shot bolt upright, the sound of glass shattering in her ears. Her wine glass. She must have dozed off, the sudden sound startling her from her slumber. No, that wasn't it. There was something else. Her brain was foggy from the wine, and she struggled to work out what was wrong. Then, she heard. A blood curdling scream across the otherwise silent night. It was coming from the workers quarters. She heard the scream again. Suddenly sober, she headed to the door, trying to see what was going on. As she opened it, she saw one of the workers knelt beside a slumped shape. Sonkla felt her stomach drop as she realised it was a body. Around them there was some sort of dark shadow, formless one moment, skeletal the next. As she watched, the woman turned and saw her. She screamed, telling Sonkla to run, but was cut off mid sentence, the darkness suddenly becoming solid, as a blade sliced clean through her, her now lifeless body dropping to the floor.
At this, Sonkla screamed in terror. She turned and slammed the door, running upstairs as fast as she could. She needed to get the baby and get out before that...that thing, whatever it was, got them too. She had never been so scared in her life. Throwing the door open into the baby's room, she hurried over to him, bundling him up. He was crying, his mother having startled him from his sleep. As she held him, she heard a crashing downstairs, the door coming off its hinges. She stood frozen to the spot, not knowing what to do. She closed the door to the baby's room and backed away, her mind racing. As she watched, the shadow seeped under the door, rising higher and higher. Once it reached the ceiling, it suddenly turned almost solid again, revealing a skeletal form with a twisted face. It's mouth opened wider than should be possible and it let out a single, blood curdling, unnatural scream. Sonkla tried to huddle further away, but she was already as far into the corner as she could go. The baby was screaming now, the creature upsetting it more and more. She held him close to her chest, tears rolling freely down her face. The skeletal figure drifted towards her, the darkness consuming all light around her, until all she could see was its twisted face, as though it was in agony. She looked to it, her mouth moving trying to beg for mercy, but failing to produce sound. She saw the figure draw a shimmering black blade from no where and raise it high. A gentle "please" leaves Sonkla's lips. The skeletal figure held the blade high, for what felt like an eternity. Then, as though time had caught up, it brought it down hard and fast. Sonkla felt herself screaming, joining her child for a split second, before both were silenced.
Sonkla felt a moment of searing pain, and then nothing, the darkness consuming her as she faded, until eventually, she knew no more.
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