His Black Wings (32 page)

While Emrah was visiting her family, little Etrigan’s wings sprouted forth in a series of crackling noises until as his father looked on, a loud pop was heard and the small black wings spread out as if gasping for breath. Little Etrigan cooed happily as he stumbled towards his curious, but not surprised father. Etrigan had not begun to learn how to walk on his own yet, but with an inborn instinct he scrunched up his little face and the wings began to flap, then lift him a few inches off the ground.

Delighted now that Fredrick was sure his young son was going to survive, he raced towards the plump baby and scooped him up to hold in his arms. With eyes closed he cried grateful tears and kissed his son’s small face. This is how Emrah found her husband and son when she arrived home, Etrigan asleep in his father’s arms and Fredrick crying.

Fredrick had always admired Emrah’s calm nature, not prone to hysterical outbursts. If there ever was a time where he hoped this quality would come to the fore front, it was now, now that she spied the small black wings that had sprouted from her sons back.

Fredrick, after asking his wife to stay calm and assured her of their sons health and well being, asked her to sit down so that he could tell her the story of his birth and childhood. Emrah sat still and quiet till long after the house grew dark as Fredrick spoke. Not even when she could only see his faint outline in the darkness, did she move to put on a light. Little Etrigan stayed asleep as if calmed by his father’s story. He told Emrah of his father’s work in the mine and how the company forced him and later his mother down into the mines where Fredrick was born. He saw tears spring up in Emrah’s eyes when he related his father’s dying wish to let go of the hate. He told her that Etrigan’s wings were his fault, his genetic material had been altered and he passed it on to his son. He asked her forgiveness and pleaded with her to be with him in the goal of keeping their son safe and hidden from Maidstone laboratories. She said nothing but walked over to her husband and enfolded him and her son in her arms.

Fredrick felt a new sort of well being now that he had revealed his past to Emrah. Etrigan continued to thrive and grow stronger and yet they had still not revealed his birth to anyone. Especially now that Etrigan’s wings had come in, they knew it would cause a scandal that would spread through the town, and then who knows how much further. Husband and wife made a pact to hide Etrigan until they could move somewhere else, away from her family’s prying eyes. Things had changed drastically at the mill in the few years that Emrah had given birth to Etrigan. The elder Sutton had been much plagued by various ailments and was now confined to bed while Fredrick spent more time at home with his family. In doing so he gave away even more power to his coworkers, who continued to edge him out of the company. Fredrick began to look for suitable employment elsewhere, one in which he could provide for his family. Etrigan was now five years old and Fredrick did not think it was right they kept him constantly at home hidden, but he knew school was out of the question.

When the elder Sutton announced that he was going to give the company over to the husband of his eldest daughter, Fredrick had been prepared. Emrah, knowing all about the treatment of her husband by her brother in- laws, went to the family home to complain without Fredrick’s knowledge. She raged for a full hour in front of her brother-in laws, sisters and father. Fredrick, frantic with worry when his wife did not come back from an “errand”, bundled his son up in an over sized child’s coat. Etrigan hated anything that confined his wings and voiced his displeasure. He was now a handsome five year old and knew he was the apple of his parent’s eyes.

Fredrick had no choice but to go to his in-laws house, since that was the only place that she might be since hearing the news of his demotion. Upon arriving at the Sutton house, he heard a low cry and thump as his wife passed out and fell to the ground, so great was her despair at her family’s actions. No one rushed to help Emrah, but only cast a critical eye at her fallen form.

After quickly putting Etrigan down for a moment, Fredrick rushed over to his wife’s side and spoke her name. The Sutton family that had been continually poisoned by the brother in-laws stared now at the handsome boy that looked back at them with frank curiosity. They all wondered who this small boy was that Fredrick had with him.

Fredrick momentarily forgetting his son, bade his wife to open her eyes which she did.

“Fredrick, you are here.” She said weakly, barely being able to keep her eyes open.

“Yes my love I am here. Can you manage to walk?” She nodded as he helped her up to her feet.

“And who are you little man?” A brother in-law said to Etrigan as he slithered his way up to the boy.

“Etrigan!” He shouted and laughed, delighted to be able to speak to others.

“And who are your parents?” Emrah’s older sister asked. Etrigan pointed to Fredrick who was now supporting his wife with one arm and about to scoop up Etrigan with the other.

“There is my papa!” Etrigan said happily to the now shocked group of people. The room broke out into a chorus of accusations directed towards Fredrick. He ignored them all as he took his son and wife out of the Sutton house forever.

After years of restrained contact with her family, Emrah Lowood now found herself besieged by them. Fredrick allowed no one in except the doctor. Emrah herself wanted to address their wrong thoughts, that Fredrick had fathered a child out of wedlock. She wanted to claim Etrigan as her own, but she knew to do so was to put Etrigan at risk of exposure by the vipers in her family. The chances that they would even believe that Etrigan was her own were also slim. When the Suttons could not gain entry in to the home to pester Emrah in person, they resorted to a campaign of letter writing. On her sick bed, Emrah insisted on reading each letter until her health became such that Fredrick, who had never denied her anything, denied her this last wish.

“Please, I want to know what they are saying Fredrick.” Emrah said weakly. He took the pile of letters and threw them into the fireplace in their bedroom.

“You don’t need to know what they are saying or thinking. You already know. I won’t allow you to read anymore of their accusations. Even if we submitted to a DNA test to prove you and I are Etrigan’s parents, his DNA would bring up much more questions and will expose him.” He walked over to his wife’s bedside and kneeled down to be at eye level with her.

“We will leave this place as soon as you are well. I have already found a beautiful house for us far away. I wanted it to be a surprise but now, well, now you just concentrate on getting better then we can leave this place behind.”

“Leave my family behind?” She whispered softly closing her eyes.

“Think of the good memories Emrah, when we were all great friends and your father was healthy and not prone to evil gossip from jealous workers. We will only take the good memories, when you are well, we will leave.”

But Emrah never recovered and to the shock and heartbreak of her husband, passed away a few short days later. The cruelness and conniving of her family, coupled with her delicate health was just too much for Emrah. The funeral was small, but a great spectacle with accusations hurled at Fredrick right up until the actual interment. Blinded by his pain and tears, the harsh words that were hurled at him had no effect. It was only little Etrigan that did not understand why these people were being so mean to his Papa.

As he stared down at his wife’s coffin, the dirt being poured over it, thoughts of a different life played over and over in his mind.

If only he had not been cursed by these genes coursing through his body!

If not for his genes, his wife would have not had so many miscarriages, instead they would have been born healthy children, normal children. Emrah’s family would not have withdrawn the way they did and everyone still be close, happy and normal.

Normal, what is normal? Wasn’t it enough that we were happy, the three of us?
Fredrick thought holding his sons small hand by the graveside.

Maidstone did this to you Fredrick, they ruined your parent’s life and now they are ruining your life. Your son is born disfigured and now because of the ruling of the Grand Council, no plastic surgery can be performed unless it is to save a life, and even then the Grand Council has to know about it. So now they are ruining his life and any chance that he may have to live a normal life.

Fredrick wondered why the Grand Council would decree that all cosmetic surgery was banned. Yes, they had their propaganda machine sending robotic messengers to everyone’s door, “Natural you is beautiful you”. But as he thought about it more, in regards to his own past and his son, he wondered if the Grand Council knew about him escaping the mines. If you were to go in for a surgical procedure, especially an unusual one like the removal of wings, the Grand Council would be notified. Only it was not
he
that had wings but his son, it skipped a generation. Fredrick looked down at the little raven haired boy with deep blue eyes that clung to his hand. Etrigan feeling his father’s gaze upon him looked up at him not understanding that he had just lost his mother.

“It’s only you and I now, my little man.” Fredrick said taking his son up into his arms and walking away forever from the life he once had.

The town of Desolation was once a quaint community of charming, pre Great War tract houses with large yards. Its name, before the Great War, had been Scottsdale, but the Grand Council found it necessary to change it to suit their needs. Desolation was the only town that was close to the Maidstone mines that had not been razed by the Grand Council. While far enough from the evil chemicals that the Grand Council said was in the mining area to be safe, people were warned to go no further than Desolation. Desolation received no grant funds for upkeep for its many roads or parks, so naturally it fell to ruin. Cracks in the roadway turned into large pot holes, roots of trees came up through the sidewalks. Many people moved away from Desolation into the other nicer cities that were being renovated during the revival after the war. There were still a hand full of people who chose to stay behind on their land. They saw no evidence of chemical contamination even though they lived so close to the Maidstone mines and they preferred their town quiet.

Fredrick had taken two trains and a carriage to get to Desolation. As he looked around the town he knew that its new name fit it well. The weather was warm as he removed his trademark grey gloves and placed them in his pocket. He had brought only one small bag that he had packed in a rush. Early February in Hartsford was still chilly, while here in Desolation, he wanted to continue to remove clothing. Making his way to what seemed to be a house turned café (or perhaps it was the other way around) Fredrick scanned the dead dry grasses left over from a harsh winter.

“Hey Buddy, can I help you?” Fredrick looked over at an older man who was sitting on the porch of the house turned café. No one had addressed him as “Buddy” before. He recognized it as a long forgotten term used to signify “friend”.

“Ah, yes good day. I was hoping to acquire a room for the night. Might there be somewhere in town where I might find suitable accommodations?” Fredrick did not shake hands with this man since he was unsure of the last time this fellow had bathed. It was obvious this town and small population were cut off from the progressive polite revolution that had overtaken the rest of the world since the war.

“Acquire? You from the bank or the Grand Council? Those people are always coming out here for something.” At the mention of the Grand Council Fredrick’s throat tightened.

“Are you okay?” The old man asked leaning forward on his chair. The old man pushed another chair in Fredrick’s direction, indicating he should sit down on it.

“Yes, thank you.” Fredrick said forgetting about the unkempt appearance of the man.

“Want some water? It ain’t tainted or anything. Here’s a secret, they say that Desolation is tainted but it’s not. We are all fine out here. We grow vegetables and our water source is fine.”

“Thank you, but no. I think I may just be a bit fatigued.” The old man sat back in his chair and cast a curious eye on Fredrick.

“I won’t ask you what you are here for, even though you talk snooty, I know you are not from the crummy council and them banks don’t come out here anymore.” Fredrick listened to him feeling lightheaded from the heat.

“I will tell you this though. There are nothing but ghosts out here. We folk who still live in these houses that are falling down around our ears can deal with the ghosts, but you’re an outsider an’ the way you are looking, well they might just get the better of you.”

“Ghosts you say?” Fredrick said trying to rouse himself but the truth of the matter was the warm weather and this environment was becoming more mentally taxing then he had imagined.