The Black Cradle

Chapter 5

5 years later

Putting on a black glove on her left hand, and a white one on her right, Ashley waited for her mother to finish braiding her black hair.

 "There! All done." Amelia exclaimed. Ashley sighed, content as her mother patted her head, and grinned up at her. 

A quiet chirp interrupted their mother-daughter bonding time, and Ashley quickly looked over to the window to see a bluebird with her head cocked to the side. 5-year-old Ashley skipped happily over to the window to say hello her morning friend, AKA Birdy. "Hello, Birdy!" Ashley greeted excitedly and took the white glove off her right hand. 

She pressed her hand onto the side of the window sill, willing a sunflower to grow up the side of the house. And it did, and Amelia's mother squealed from the other side of the room as the ground shook beneath them for a moment, then a huge green bud sprouted from inside the earth, growing up to meet Ashley's hand. Ashley gently touched the tip of the green bud, smiling as she watched it separate into a big, bright yellow sunflower.

The bluebird chirped happily as if inviting the rest of neighborhoods small neighborly animals to feast on the newly grown sunflower seeds.  Accepting the small bird's invitation, about 20 squirrels, a few mice, and 10 crows came or crawled up to the window, either to greet the small child, or to eat the sunflower's seeds, or both. Ashley laughed loudly as mice nibbled on her hands, birds perched on her shoulder, and squirrels sat on her head. Amelia smiled gently, but that smile was wiped from her face as she glared at neighbors looking at her child questioningly. They must've heard all the commotion Ashley and her little animal friends were making, and out of curiosity looked out their window to see what was going on. Amelia walked over to her daughter, who had that special glint of mischief in her eye whenever she uses her powers. "Ashley, sweetie, you're going to have to send them away. People are staring. You don't want to move again, do you?" Amelia said. Ashley frowned but did as her Mom said.

Since only Ashley could communicate with the plant and animal life around her, she whispered in some secret language to her friends, and they all protested in their own way but ended up leaving in the end. Ashley went up on her tippy toes and grazed the top of the window, grunting as she tried to close the window. Amelia was just about to offer help, but one of her daughter's vines beat her to it. The vine stayed hidden behind the hitched up curtain as it gently pushed the window into the child's reach. Ashley smiled at the vine as it squeezed her arm gently, then slithered back to the pot it came from. "Like a snake!" Ashley shouted excitedly. "Yeah, the vine did look a bit snake." Mason pointed out from the hallway. Mason was still in his dress suit, as he just came back from work. "Daddy!" Ashley screamed, jumping into her father arms. "Hey, kiddo! You missed me?" Mason laughed.

"You know for a fact she did. You were all she would talk about until a bird came to her window begging for food." Amelia joked. "It was blue!" Ashley joined in, giggling. She was a really happy child, usually brightening everyone's day. Suddenly becoming serious, Mason quickly smiled gently at Ashley, setting her back down on her own two feet. "Hey, kiddo? Can you leave me and your mother alone for a while? There is something that we have to talk about privately." Mason asked. Frowning, Ashley complied quickly. Nodding frantically, Ashley sped walk out of the room, knowing when the parents were talking seriously, she wasn't supposed to be present. Halfway down the hallway, a thought crossed the child's mind that made her stop in her tracks...

                                                        She just got kicked out of her own room!!

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As soon as Ashley was out of the room, there was only one question that Amelia needed the answer to. "Did you see it?" Amelia asked. Mason nodded his head. "Who wouldn't? The sunflower was so big I think I heard someone scream. Though, I don't know why. It's just a flower." Mason said. "So we're going to have to move again?" Amelia whispered. "I believe so. I'm so sorry Amelia, we both know she doesn't think before she acts. She's completely instantaneous. I never know what she is planning next in that mischievous mind of hers." Mason chuckled, but there was no humor in it. "Oh, well...I'm sorry."

A quiet voice squeaked from the hallway. The adults snapped their heads towards the voice, Amelia taking in a sharp breath as she watched her daughter, who was struggling to hold back the tears in her eyes. Amelia quickly ran over to Ashley, hugging her tightly and kissing her head. "Oh sweetie, it's not your fault! We've neglected to teach you how to control your powers, but not anymore. We're going to move and get this all sorted out, okay?" Amelia consoled. Ashley nodded, crying out when she noticed the rain coming down outside her window, the weather matching her emotions. Amelia and Mason looked at each other as if to say 'this is getting out of control'. Her powers must have made it rain, as it was sunny and warm out just a few minutes ago, without a cloud in the sky.

Ashley's green eyes widened at her parents innocently scared, as she had no idea what she was doing or a way to fix it. The small child ran to the window and willed it to stop raining. But it wasn't going to stop any time soon, as it was much harder to control weather than plants. An escapee mouse that found its way inside the family's house nudged Ashley's hand, trying in a futile attempt to make the five-year-old feel better. The child pets the mouse slowly with a small smile, but that smile quickly dropped as she realized she took off her glove in the hallway and had used what she calls her killing hand.

She jerked her left hand away from the mouse, but it had been too late. The mouse laid dead on its side, unmoving, as she sucked the life out of it. Thunder rumbled loudly in the distance to match the child's choked sobs, and Ashley watched the storm going on outside with clouded eyes, as she continued to pet the dead mouse's side, all the way from it's neck to its tail. Ashley slowly dragged her hand down the window, following raindrops as the ran down the window, crashing at the end. And as Ashley stared out the window in her own little world, Amelia cried quietly and Mason sighed sadly as they watched their daughter get eaten up by guilt.

They've ignored their daughter's abilities for too long, and now, Amelia and Mason were finally paying the price.