A Mother’s Love
by
J. K. Holmes
February 23, 2006
Revised: June 13, 2007

    “Hush, little baby, don’t say a word…Momma’s gonna buy you a mockingbird…”

    The hum of the streetlights added to Simone's the off-key melody. Shadows lined the street, pressing close to the puddles of light spilling from overhead lamps. She held the tiny bundle tighter to her chest as her song dropped to a low whisper.

    The baby slept, and she hoped to keep it that way for a little while longer. Hunger gripped Simone, reminding her that it had been hours since her last meal. She’d have to find something soon, before the baby awoke and demanded a feeding. The drowsy effects of sleep still pulled at her, but she shrugged them off. She had to keep moving, had to find food for herself and for the baby.

    Another sharp hunger pang twisted her insides. The closed shops and cafés along the deserted street offered no solace. She’d have to improvise. It was the only way.

    Simone stood on the corner next to the bus stop and stared at the door of the twenty-four hour diner across the street. She’d be able to get something to eat there. She’d chosen the where, now she had to find the how. Looking down at the sleeping infant, she knew she wouldn’t be able to do what was necessary with the baby in tow.

    Stepping back from the glowing circle of the streetlight, bushes and thick shadows surrounded them. What she was about to do filled her with loathing, but it was her only option. Pushing further into the darkness, Simone found a familiar depression at the base of a large oak tree. She checked it for bugs and cleared it of debris.

    Satisfied that it was safe, Simone nestled the small pink-blanketed bundle in natural hollow among the tree's roots. Worry clutched at her heart as she turned away from the tree and its precious ward. She told herself that the baby would be fine and that it wouldn’t be long before they both had food in their bellies.

    Returning to the street corner, Simone removed the black clip holding her corn silk blonde hair away from her face. She tucked the clip into the pocket of her jeans and ran her hands through her hair. It fell past her slender shoulders in gentle waves with the tips brushing the small of her back. Her pale skin glowed under the bluish-color of the streetlight. Her nearly colorless eyes scanned the diner for signs of anyone leaving, but no one exited. Sighing, she leaned against the light pole and waited.

    Her thoughts turned to him, as they often did. A vision of a handsome man with short black hair came unbidden from her subconscious along with a name, Marco. Pale skin to match her own seemed to glow from within in the distorted visions of her memory. His eyes were what she remembered the most, aside from the cold-fire touch of his bare skin as he caressed her. His eyes were pure midnight flame, glittering like sapphires in the moonlight. Even in her memory those eyes called to her, drew her in.

    Marco had promised her everything she ever desired. He'd promised to love her until the end of time. He promised her nights of unspeakable pleasure. The latter he'd delivered in spades but had fallen short of the former. Their relationship had been tumultuous with the only good thing coming from it now safely tucked away at the base of an oak tree.

    A smile tugged at the corners of her full, pouting lips. The baby, a daughter, was the only thing that mattered in Simone’s life now. Disowned by her own parents, she and the baby wandered the streets, finding shelter here and there. Simone was determined to make it alone, without help from others. So far, she was doing okay, but she'd gone without food for too many nights and it left her weak, especially since she had to feed the baby. She refused to let her daughter go hungry.

    A cherry-red sports car turned a corner further up the street. The vibrations of the throbbing bass music beat against her body long before she heard the unintelligible words. The car passed her slowly and she could feel unseen eyes on her, checking her out, wondering about her. The car continued around another corner and disappeared from sight.

    She turned her attention back to the diner. No one had left yet. Her hunger was growing as her thoughts turned to all the people dining within. They were unaware of how fortunate they were to have a meal, to not have to scrounge and worry about when and where the next meal would come.

    Bass vibrations signaled the return of the sports car. It'd circled the block and was coming back towards her. Anticipation and loathing filled her as the car slowed and then halted in front of her. She continued to lean against the pole until the passenger side window lowered. Glancing over the car’s occupants, she noted that the two men appeared to be barely out of their teens. The driver turned the music down to a reasonable level and Simone smiled at them.

    “Hey, baby,” the passenger began, returning her smile. “You out here by yourself?”

    Simone pushed off the pole and slinked over to lean into the open window. “All by me onesy,” she quipped, quoting a line from recent popular film. Her voice was a low, seductive purr as she spoke. “And it’s terribly boring.”

    The passenger glanced at the driver, who grinned broadly. “How about having a party…with us,” the driver suggested.

    Simone looked the driver and his companion over. Muscles rippling beneath their tee shirts has they flexed their arms, trying to impress her. “I don’t know if little ol’ me could handle two strappin’ dudes such as yourselves.”

    The passenger laughed. “We’ll be gentle. We promise.”

    Simone shook her head as she leaned forward, giving them a peek at her ample bosom. “Oh, but what if I like it a little rough? What will you do then?”

    The passenger glanced at his friend again. Both were grinning as they turned their full attentions back to her. “We can do that too,” the driver said.

    “Whatever you want, babe, it’s yours,” the passenger added.

    “Well, then, in that case,” Simone said as she stood, “step into my office and we’ll discuss things.” She gestured toward the bushes behind her.

    The driver shoved the passenger. “You go first, man,” he said, “I’ll circle a few times and park up the street.”

    The passenger opened his door and stepped out. “I’ll try not to wear her out,” he said, laughing.

    The driver’s laughter was cut short as his companion shut the door. The car pulled away from the curb and was soon lost from sight once more.

    Simone jerked her head to the side, indicating that the boy should follow her. “Shall we?” she asked, smiling again. As they stepped into the bushes, another sharp hunger pang gripped her. The things she was willing to do for food amazed her. She would never have thought of doing this a year ago, but that'd been before Marco. She definitely wasn’t the same Simone now.

    The two pushed through the bushes until they came to a clear patch. Simone had purposefully led him away from the oak tree. She didn’t want to run the risk of having him discover the baby.

    The boy looked around nervously. “You want to do this here?”

    Simone stepped close to him and nuzzled his neck. She hadn’t realized how cold she'd gotten while standing on the corner until she felt his warmth. “Sure,” she breathed along his neck. “It won’t take long.” A shiver ran through him as her lips brushed his skin. He smelled wonderful, like freshly baked ginger cookies, and felt so warm against her.

    The boy turned his face to her and kissed her lips eagerly. She returned his kiss, sinking to her knees and pulling him with her. He broke from the kiss to trail his lips over her neck and nibbled her ear. Her breath caught in her throat as desire mingled with her hunger.

    Simone nuzzled his neck again and ran her tongue over the pulsing vein just below the surface. The boy’s hands slipped beneath her shirt to cup her breasts and she groaned. Desire filled her and set her skin on fire. She'd forgotten what it could be like. She hadn’t allowed herself to feel this way since leaving Marco, and now desire threatened to overcome her hunger.

    “You like that?” the boy asked, pulling back to gaze into her eyes. His smile faded and fear supplanted the desire on his face. “Jesus Chri–”

    Simone's fangs sank into the tender flesh of the boy's neck. The sweet and heavenly taste of fresh blood filled her mouth as she drew on the wound. So much of the crimson fluid rushed into her mouth, pumped out by the frantic pace of his dying heart that it threatened to choke her.

    Simone swallowed as much of it as fast as she could. Gradually the tide stemmed as his heart slowed. His breath became ragged and his body fell limp in her arms. He sagged toward the ground and she cradled his head in her hands, laying him down as gently as she had her daughter earlier. She felt his last shuddering breath and heard his heart still forever. She closed her eyes and reveled in the warmth that returned to her own body. The metallic aftertaste of blood filled her mouth and added to the sweetness of her happiness. She hated killing, but she had to survive, had to feed her daughter.

    A faint mewling sound drew her attention. The baby was awake. Standing up, Simone stepped over the rapidly cooling body and pushed her way through the darkness toward the oak tree. The cries of the infant intensified and grew more insistent. Suddenly the cries ceased and fear gripped Simone’s chest, constricting it like iron bands.

    Racing through the darkness, she burst into the small clearing where the oak tree stood. A dark figure stood next to her daughter's hiding place. The figure had its back to her, but she could see the edge of a pink blanket peeking around its side.

    “Get away from my child,” Simone hissed. Her pale eyes blazed to a fiery red as she leapt forward. The figure turned and Simone stopped dead in her tracks. “Marco.”

    His handsome face glowed with happiness. White fangs flashed between his crimson-stained lips as he smiled broadly. Those haunting eyes fixed Simone with the tenderest of gazes.

    “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked in a voice of pure velvety smoothness. He held their daughter in his arms ever so gently. The baby gripped one of his long, pale fingers in her own tiny hands while she greedily sucked on its tip.

    Tears came unbidden to Simone’s eyes. “I didn’t think you wanted a family.”

    Gently pulling his finger from the infant’s mouth, he extended his hand to her. A small droplet of blood formed on the tip of the finger the baby had been sucking. “Of course, I want a family,” he whispered. He smiled as the infant yawned to reveal two tiny white fangs embedded in pink gums. “How could I not want a beautiful daughter, or her equally beautiful mother?”

    Simone sobbed and took his hand, noting its warmth, and allowed him to pull her close. She wrapped one arm around his slender waist and raised the other to stroke the black downy hair of the infant who blinked luminous red eyes up at her parents, and Simone smiled.

    Marco grasped her hand and kissed the back of it. He leaned down and brushed her lips with his own. “Let’s go home.”

    The family stepped out of the bushes and into the glow of the streetlights. Marco carried the baby in one arm while the other wrapped around Simone’s shoulders as they passed the sports car.

    Bass music vibrated the air and echoed off the buildings and trees. Simone could smell the fresh blood emanating from the car and knew why Marco's skin held such warmth. She pressed closer to him, snuggling next to his side, and he leaned over to kiss her cheek.

   The baby squirmed and grunted only to settle against Marco’s chest as Simone began to sing.

    “Hush, little baby, don’t say a word…Momma’s gonna buy you a mockingbird…”