♪♭Hush, little baby, don't say a word, Mama's gonna buy you a Mockingbird.

And if that Mockingbird won't sing, Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring.♪♭

𓆟𓆟𓆟

-The Sacrifice-

Piety arrived at Edwards just shy of ten minutes, went inside and took off her cloak hanging it on a hook by the door. She found it strange that the lock bar had been left open, but attributed it to the situation.

She slid it across the door, straightened her hair beneath her bonnet because the wind was awful frightful and if truth be known, an ill wind. It razed through the top branches of the trees quivering the leaves to and fro. Piety always said, the higher the wind in the sky the more ill intent it bode, and a quote breathed past her lips.

¹"The quality of mercy is not strained, it droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven."

She crossed herself and went straight away to the fireplace and put on a tea kettle after adding several logs and stoking the glowing coals with the fire poker.

A baleful wail came from the adjoining bedroom, halting Piety momentarily and she looked toward the door as one of the midwives bustled out looking frazzled.

Upon seeing Piety she clutched her bosom. "Oh Ma'am you've bout near given me a fright! I didn't hear you come inside."

"You've left the door ajar, and I let myself in. Tis fine. Tell me how Sadie is. Is she close to birth? Is she faring well?"

"Aye, my lady, she is close. But to how she fares I cannot say. She is already in a weakened state."

"Go, and tell her I am here."

"Yes Ma'am," the midwife mumbled with a curtsey.

𓆟𓆟𓆟

When Piety finally entered the room with a cup of herbal tea, Sadie was sat up against a pillow bathed in sweat but smiling demurely. She did not look weakened to Piety at all, but instead she seemed perfectly fine.

In her arms she held the most beautiful baby Piety had ever laid eyes on.

Edward's baby.

Sadie lifted the swaddling newborn up and Piety took his child gingerly, looking with adoration on the tiny porcelain features.

She looked back to Sadie and her voice was rich with tenderness as she inquired to whether she had a grandson, or daughter.

Sadie smiled. "Meet your granddaughter, Mother."

Piety broke into tears of rapturous joy. Her heart was full and she sat down beside Sadie and embraced her.

Between them they marveled at the exquisite little fingers and toes and the fine soft tuft of hair on the crown of her head.

So enamoured they were, neither of them noticed the silence from the midwives, or the looks of apprehension on their faces. Presently the older of the two, summoned her voice. "Ma'am, if it is all the same to you, we have cleaned and disposed of the birthing sheets, and will be taking our leave now."

Piety stood up to thank them and noticed movement, outside the window. It appeared to be a long procession of cloaked figures approaching her sons home. "Who might that be?" She asked absently going right over and peering out.

The midwives rung their hands together, clearly becoming upset. "We shan't stay here another moment, Ma'am, please!"

"What is this?" Piety demanded.

"The curse. They have come for the child," the midwife stated flatly. "Surely, you knew, for your very own husband summons them."

"How dare you say such things! Such evil has no place in my husband's heart." Piety blurted, her own heart beating wildly in her chest.

The midwife smiled then.

Piety's body went numb with fear. That smile pierced her conscience and rage bubbled under the surface of her carefully controlled demeanor.

Time slowed, coming to a stop in her mind and her heart beat dully in her ears as an anger she had never known surfaced along with strange memories she had repressed along with coincidences she had explained away for her own sanity. Now they crashed forward incensing her emotions.

The midwife's smile widened as her words had the effect she desired, for she had no intention of receiving the brunt of Cornelius's wrath if she failed to perform the instructions he had tasked her with years ago when the bird people had come, haunting his dreams and turning Edward into a silent monster.

"Tis true," she nodded. "And your own son Edward, joined him. Twas Edward who told your very own husband what must be done," the midwife further jabbed. "And we did just what he instructed of us Ma'am. You should be grateful."

Those last words sounded hollow, as if they came from a long distance, as if Piety heard them on the wind and her mind snapped. She looked around and at the side of the bedroom door saw, and took hold of a long gun. With a damning glare at the midwives she had trusted for years, she turned to see her daughter-in-laws face, ashen with fear.

"Please Mother, please don't let them have her!" Sadie wept now, uncontrollably, clutching her new born daughter to her breast.

With her lips set tight Piety crept from the room and entering the small sitting room she approached the door, opening a small hatch and looked out.

The midwives came straight to where Sadie lay helpless to protect herself or her baby. "You must give us the child now! She was not meant to live! Now!" They laid hands on Sadie's baby and worked silently to force the infant from her arms.

A cry of desperation broke from her and Sadie screamed, the heartbreaking wail reaching Piety's ears even as the strange entourage arrived to stand at the entrance just outside. Piety could not understand.

What kind of evil was this?

The long gun was powdered and primed and she slid the barrel out through the tiny window hatch and took aim, finding the face of her own husband staring back.

Piety jerked her head back pulling the gun back as well and went hurriedly back to Sadie. She was on the floor at the foot of the midwife who now held Edward's precious child.

The midwife's face was contorted with some expression she could not decipher, as it was an evil look, filled with hellish rancor, but with deadly precision Piety pulled the gun up and pointed it at the woman.

"You will place my grandchild there, on the bed or your life will be required of you this very moment," Piety said with a strange sense of calm.

The woman stayed her ground and her nostrils flared with loathing as she squeezed the infant in her arms tightening the hand she held over the childs nose as if to suffocate her to death, Sadie screamed and suddenly the midwife was froze, a blank look in her eyes and she crumbled to the floor beside Sadie. The baby tumbled from her arms, Sadie scrambled to catch her and Piety stood like a stone looking at the gaping hole left by the long gun.

As the midwife's blood pooled on the floor, several loud raps on the door startled her and she heard Cornelius' shouts. She helped Sadie to stand and they went into sitting room. Piety opened the little square peep hole and looked out.

"Come outside Piety," Cornelius whispered.

"I will not," Piety answered stiffly looking beyond him to the shadowed men, their cloaks blowing in the wind. She crossed herself again and addressed Cornelius with brazen hatred. "You, and your men will leave here---,"

Cornelius slammed a meaty fist on the door. "Open the door Piety. You have no idea what you are doing!"

"I don't care, husband. I will not be part of this witch hunt and neither will you anymore! Please, come to you senses and disperse from this evil!" She shouted.

Cornelius beat against the door like a mad man and Piety jerked with each jarring hit.

"Open the door Mother."

Piety jerked around to see Sadie behind her, in her arms she held a basket and in the basket lay the tiny form of a babe swaddled in blankets it's face hidden. "Nooooooo, please Sadie please tell me you didn't--," her words trailed off in a choking gasp.

Sadie lifted the edge of the blanket to reveal the face of a little doll. Made of straw and dressed in a long white linen christening gown. When Piety had seen it, Sadie covered it back up. "Open the door."

Piety pulled the wooden latch and Cornelius stormed inside and seeing Sadie with the basket he held his arms toward her.

"Give me the child." His voice was hard.

Sadie waited for Cornelius' impatience, and was rewarded for her intuition. "Now! I've not much time left," he panted, sweat pouring from his hairline.

With tears in her eyes, Sadie stepped up to him and held the basket out. He took it and turned on his heels leaving them.

Both Piety and Sadie stood in the open door and watched them disappear into the darkness.

Cited:
¹) Quote from Shakespeare's play, The Merchant of Venice written in 1595- 1596.
Wikipedia.

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