Lauralie

"Lauralie march yourself down those steps", shouted a manly grave voice.
No answer.
"Lauralie if you don't get down here now i,m going to beat you twice as hard"
No reply.
"Lauralie. THATS IT. I,M COMING UP", hollered the angry man.
He stormed up the stone steps to check on his daughter, to do what he craved, to make her scream to make her cry. He wanted to see the fear in her brown deep eyes and he wanted her to cry the blood of 100 dead widows.
Keys jingled and he stopped dead in his tracks. "Honey! I,m home", called a soothing voice. Followed by a cheery giggle. His heart said stop but his head said kill. Footsteps got nearer and nearer. "Paul...what are you doing?", whispered Stella. He ground his teeth together so they made a rusty noise. "I,m checking on lauralie. Shes awfully..quiet", he said in a hypnotic voice. Sweet innocent Stella smiled, her daughter was about to tell her about teddy...or flowers..or something completely innocent and friendly to cheer her up today. "Shes probably sleeping..why don't we leave her be". Paul shuck his head slightly. They both walked across the dusty landing, it was awfully cold. The echo of Stella's cat crying filled the space, filled the air. "I wonder whats gotten to twilight..shes never a rowdy cat", Stella said as she sneezed. They approached their daughters bedroom. "PAUL", Stella said rather loudly. "STAND BACK. SOMETHINGS...wrong", she said as she felt the coldness of the door handle. Everything was wrong, like a candle had just gone out. Stella closed her eyes and opened the door. It creaked leaving the room. She wanted to open her eyes, she really wanted to but she couldn't. Stella reluctantly blinked. She gradually fully opened her eyes. She stumbled to her knees.
She cried a cry of pain. Two firm arms where on her shoulders. The cold arms of Paul. He was white in the face and his eyes had gone white with shock. 
The candle of lauralie's life had been snuffed out as she hung still in her wardrobe.
The wind carefully played with her as she swung ever so slightly to and fro to and fro.
Paul's wife weeped helplessly. "Paul do something", sweet little Stella cried.
He'd never seen her this upset before. "bring her back paul bring her back", his wife whimpered. What have i done Paul pondered. He reached for the phone and dialed 911. He strolled out of the room while he calmly alerted the police. Paul was distort and he didn't know what to do staying calm would be wise he guessed. He hung up. "Stand up Stella", he calmly said."I SAID stand up", he shouted. She acted on orders. Paul held her as she cried for her lost child. The police arrived the next second. They stormed through the house and pulled Stella away from the house. They took one look at Paul, then dismissed him to stand outside.

--1 Year Later--
"Happy birthday Stel", said Nate. She falsely smiled. "Humm,, stel. You should be happy on your birthday. You get to make a wish", Nate said trying to cheer her up.
"I don't care. Theres nothing here for me"
Nate shook his head "Stel..you get to make a wish!". Stella blinked.
"if you wish to..be with her again..it will come true", he said in a kind voice.
Stella looked up. "How do you know....it...i,ll...."
Nate smiled, "It will too work because your my sister and anything you do will work"
Stella was thinking, day dreaming. "Now smile and make a wish stel"
She closed her eyes. She'd never closed her eyes the same since that night.
She went to blow out the candle. Her lips paused.
"Stella....", Nate started to speak. She hushed him. "If i blow out this candle....i,ll be...." A tear went down her cheek. "Nate.....you knew paul,right?" He nodded.
"When we went up those stairs...i was thinking to myself, its like a candles been snuffed out", she closed her eyes. "its so hard...why did they take..my baby away", she cried. She felt a finger pressing against her lips. "No! I wont be quiet nate! I won't because my baby's gone and no one can bring her back!"
"Stella...what are you talking about i,m sitting way away from you, no ones touching you", nate said curiously. Stella opened her eyes slowly like a flower was blooming. It was true no one was there. Nate waved at her. She felt a cold spot on her ear.
"No one took your baby away...i took myself away. I love you mommy. Daddy made me sad, he always said i was better of dead. Daddy used to hit me and hurt me. You used to always smile when you saw me. Like you knew about it and you agreed. I love you and daddy so i wanted to make you happy so i talked to my teddy. I noticed the cord around his neck and i made one that was the same. I used it to hang off my wardrobe. I,m sorry mommy...i really really miss you. I,m okay in heaven i can be with granny and granddad and i can be free, please don't cry mommy"
Stella opened her eyes in surprise. "nate!", she said. He was gone. She tilted her head to the side. "lauralie!" she screamed. So many mixed emotions flooded her blood, hate for paul, love for her baby, happiness that her baby had found happiness, sadness that she had lost her baby, anger that paul had abused her baby and love that she had found her baby. "Blow out the candle mommy", Lauralie said. "Its your birthday everyone should be happy on their birthday"
Stella wiped the tears from her cheek. She felt lauralie's presence all around her.
She felt lauralie cover her eyes. "blow out the candle", said lauralie, "make a wish mommy". Stella smiled. She blew out the candle. I wish...I wish...everything would be right again
It was sealed with a kiss as lauralie kissed Stella on the cheek and as the flame was snuffed out, lauralie faded into the midnight.








Stella awoke crying. She observed the cold and dark room. "Help me", she cried.
She looked all around her, she looked at her velvet pj's and her long crimson hair. She looked at her large stomach and felt a second heartbeat. She looked at the white door. She watched it open. Nate walked through. "Are you okay stel", he asked her. Another person entered the room. It was paul.
"Daddy", said Stella