Midnight Arrival

A small farm houses windows glowed dimly, sitting on the edge of a forest; hard to seeing the raging storm. Strong winds causing the tree branches to rattle against the house, the rain poured down in sheets. The 36 year old woman who lived there sat in her living room, her brown hair pinned up in a bun, brown eyes hidden by small reading glasses. Sitting with several candles lit as she read a book in her chair. Bang! Bang! Bang! On the front door made Marie pause, the faint sounds of a familiar voice and an animal cry..? Placing a book note on the page, Marie sat the book on her side table heading to the door. She glance out the window to see it was a familiar woman standing there soaking wet from the rain.. "Julia… Of course who else would be this foolish.." Marie muttered to herself opening the door to see her younger sister standing there covered in mud and soaked with rain.. "Marie! How good it is to see you again!" The blond haired, bright blue eyed woman smiled brightly.. even like this she looked to pretty in Marie's eyes..

"What have you done this time Julia…? Come in out of the storm.. And for the lords sake. Leave what ever that crying animal is outside on the porch!" Marie turned quickly to go grab a towel so Julia wouldn't dirty the entire house.. The door shut, shutting out the noise of the storm but the cries continued. "My sister never listens.." Marie growls.. "Julia what did I say!" Marie was upset storming back into the living room clutching several towels and froze.

There was no animal crying in her sisters arms, as Marie had imagined.. It was a baby only a few months old from what she could gather.. "Marie your an aunt, this is Sidka. My daughter.. Would you like to hold her?" Julia walked over to Marie smiling brightly trying to calm her child. Marie shook her head glaring furiously at the baby then to the clueless sister staring lovingly at the child. "No, what are you thinking bringing a baby here in this storm! Why are you here at all?!" Marie yelled getting Julia's attention.. "We are being chased, I had no where else to go. We need your help Marie." 'Of course you got yourself in some type of scandal, a married man maybe or drugs..?' Marie thought to her self sharply.

"You may stay the night.. clean yourself up in the morning and we shall talk.. and keep THAT quiet." Marie left to her room, she already was getting a headache. Now wishing it had been a homeless man or anyone or thing else that showed up tonight. Always she loathed her prettier, thinner, perfect little sister who got the world handed to her. Took off after graduation to the city with no word, and now to just appear again. As if nothing had happened almost twenty years later.. "Thank you sis-" Julie said getting cut off by Marie closing her bedroom door. She changed into a night gowned climbing into bed.

Morning arrived the storm had now calmed to a small mist of rain and fog.. Marie woke to the sound of the baby crying, she tossed and turned trying to muffle out the sounds with her pillow. "Damn it Julia!" Throwing off her blankets Marie stormed out into the living room to see in the dim light the baby laid on the couch crying. "Hush you!" Marie snapped at the baby glaring at the thing that disturbed her sleep. "Julia! Come here this instant!" No response.

Marie went to every room of the house. No Julia. She ran outside "Julia! Come back here this instant! It crying!" Silence and the fog was to thick to see. "Damn you Julia! Where are you!" Marie headed back inside closing the door. Seeing a stack of folded papers on the floor by the baby, she picked them up reading.

-The Letter-

Marie, thank you for allowing us to stay the night. I have no one else to turn to and you are my only family. My precious older sister. I know we never got along as children but I know you love me as I love you. Our lives are in danger so I leave you my most precious thing. Please look after Sidka. She is now yours. The other letters are for her, when she is older. I love you Marie, thank you for doing this. Keep her safe, care for her and love her. Your sister Julia.

-end-

Marie's hand trembled reading over the letter the baby still wailing behind her. "Damn you! Damn you to HELL JULIA!!" Marie crumpled up the letter tightly in her fist glaring at the letters.. "YOU APPEAR AND ABANDONED YOU MISTAKEs WITH ME!! AFTER ALL THESE YEARS!!! HOW DARE YOU!!" Marie stood frozen shaking in anger… The child still crying.. She lit the fire place tossing the letter in it along with the notes for the child.

"I will not bail you out of this.. I won't be punished so you can live a carefree life.. Sisters Ha! You mean nothing to me and only saw me as a way out of raising a child and facing reality!" Marie, looked to the crying baby..

Sidka was now 17 just about to graduate High school. She was 5'2", skinny, has long golden blond hair, a strange bluish purple eyes, sun kissed skin with light freckles, looked more beautiful than her mother. Marie kept an eye on her at all times. Other than school and shopping for the house hold or things for the farm. Sidka wasn't able to ever go out, unless it was on the property. The woods behind their house or in the fields, are the only escape at home away from her Mothers watchful gaze and anger.