The Cycle of Life

Wyatt reached over and squeezed Mia’s hand then wiped the tears from her cheeks before tentatively caressing the tiny perfect face in her arms. Tears fell from his red eyes as he felt the cold on his sweet son’s skin and noticed his pink hue was disappearing. Mia grabbed his hand again and held it tight as Wyatt cried out, “He is really gone isn’t he.”

They both sat there weeping together lamenting the lose of their son and all the experiences they looked forward to.

Eventually a nurse came and took him away while another gave them information on what to expect, and eventually they left the hospital in a daze

At there home they walked in just wanted to escape everything, but the tears fell again as they looked around at the numerous baby items they were not going to need now.

“I can’t Wyatt,” Mia chocked out, “I can’t be here,” and she went back outside. Wyatt understood how she felt, he looked around at the blankets and clothes they had been given. They were enjoying looking through them all before the frantic drive to the hospital. He didn’t know what to do with any of it, he didn’t know what to do period.

His phone rang and he answered glad for a distraction from the pain.

“Hi Wyatt, how are you guys doing,” his mother questioned?

He sank to the couch tears falling freely as he tried to respond.

His mom recognizing the struggle began talking, “oh honey, I am so sorry this has happened. I wish so much I could just take all the pain away. Your dad and I are on our way and will stay as long or short as you need.”

Wyatt getting control enough to speak sobbed out, “We just came home mom. Mia took one look around at all the baby things and walked back out. I don’t know how to help her and I am not holding it together myself even. What do I do mom? I can’t do this!”

Tears falling down her cheeks his mom thought for a moment then an idea came. “You two need to just get away from everything hun. Why don’t you guys go out to that cabin by the lake you love so much for a week or so. Leave a key for us and we will come in and take all the baby things out and put them somewhere until you guys are ready to make a decision on it all.”

Wyatt thought about it and decided that might be best. Neither of them were ready to deal with life right now, so maybe escaping it for a bit would help.

“Thanks mom, that would be nice,” he said before they decided on a hiding place for the key and said their goodbyes.

He went into the bedroom trying hard not to look at the bassinet, while throwing some clothes and toiletries in a bag.

When he got outside Mia was talking to a neighbor in the front yard. She locked eyes with him and they screamed save me. He quickly hid the house key and went over to her saying, “Ok let’s get going then. See you later Danielle.”

He walked away as Danielle started to follow saying, “I am so sorry.”

Mia’s shoulders sagged and she leaned into him for more support. He hurried them along though and held the door as she sank into the seat. He rushed around and jumped in himself and before Danielle could reach them.

“Thank you,” Mia cried, “she was the second one to come over and ask me about….” She couldn’t say it, she couldn’t say baby because she knew she would completely lose it if she did. Joel squeezed her knee knowing how she felt. “I just can’t do it Wyatt, I can’t tell another person and watch their eyes pity me and search for words that won’t make a difference anyway.”

Wyatt understood how she felt. He thought back to the phone calls he had to make to their parents and how difficult that was.

“Mom called me just after you went out. She gave me an idea. I’m taking us out to rent a cabin by the lake until we are ready to deal with life again.”

“I hope that helps,” Mia uttered too overwhelmed to think of anything but at the same time begging for something to occupy her thoughts before they returned to her lost child.

Wyatt hesitantly spoke, “I didn’t call and get a cabin yet. Do you think you can do that while I drive?”

Mia rubbed his hand that still lay on her leg suddenly feeling very guilty for her own selfishness. Wyatt had been there for her helping and holding her and what had she done to help ease his pain she wondered. “Yes, I can call them,” she assured. It wasn’t much, but it was a start she thought.

They drove the two hours to the lake stopping at a grocery store on the way to pick up some food and other items Wyatt had not thought to bring.

Once at the cabin they both just sat in the car looking out over the lake for a long time watching the waves rolling in. Neither one spoke, both lost in their own waves of thought. Eventually they began to unload the car, Wyatt keeping an eye on Mia making sure she wasn’t overstraining herself.

Once everything was out and food put away they fell on the bed exhausted, mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Several days later they were beginning to except their new reality, but still struggling with how they could ever move forward. Wyatt was pleased to see that Mia’s depression was no longer constant, they had moments of laughter giving hope that they could have joy again.

Mia jerked awake from the nightmare that had plagued her every night since she lost her sweet son. She was already crying and the tears began to stream down faster. She got out of bed moving to the small living room so she wouldn’t wake Wyatt up with her crying. She moved to the spot by the large window where she had stood for hours each night sometimes mad or angry other sometimes sad and depressed. Looking out over the lake, with the rippled reflection of the moon, she wept, just wanting the ache to go away. She watched a bar owl fly from one of the pines into the sky and was distracted by a bright light in the sky caught her attention. She watched it moving quickly towards her. She didn’t know what it could be, but as she watched it coming closer she began to fear it was heading right for the cabin. She ran behind the couch for some possible protection, watching as it barreled towards her. Whatever it was hit the beach, and Mia’s curiosity drew her back to the window.

She couldn’t see anything looking out so she tossed her shoes on and went out the door. Her mind was convinced she’d just seen a meteor crash into the earth, and she wanted to find the space rock.

The bright moon cast a pale glow on the path and beach, enough to aide in her hunt. Mia jumped as movement caught her eye, but relaxed some once she realized the trees cast eerie shadows along the path that moved with the cool breeze. A shriek pierced her ears as she reached the sand and she nearly bolted back to the cabin when a gull near by took flight.

Her heart pounded in her ears and she took three deep breaths to calm herself. “Don’t let moon light shadows and scared birds get to you silly,” she told herself as she kicked off her shoes to move easier in the cool sand.

She looked out over the beach hoping the landing point would be obvious, but everything looked normal. Clouds slowly began to make their way in front of the moon, Mia walked along watching the shadow take away her already dim light.

The hair on her arms started to stand on end, and she was about to head for the cabin not liking the sinking feeling in her stomach. Some movement a short ways in front of her caught her attention and she stood rooted to the spot unsure why she wasn’t running away. She thought it was a large crab emerging from the sand at first, but she had never seen a crab here before.

Two dark pincer looking objects came up and sat on top of the sand starting to pull the body upwards. The body was not crab shaped at all, but more like a rocket. Up it moved and Mia was fixated on it; fear coursing through her body but curiosity holding her fast. The dark object was about half her size, she gazed on it watching as a door appeared to open.

A form moved into the opening and Mia began to shake. She couldn’t see it well, but there appeared to be several arms or legs attached to a thin body and large head.

Finally, she turned and began to run away. Looking back she saw the form lift off and fly towards her as another stepped to the doorway. She reached the pebbled path and in her fear ran right past her shoes, a mistake she would come to regret. But, for the moment the fear outweighed the pain on her feet. Looking back she couldn’t tell if the thing was there or not. It was not very big and the moon was still shadowed by clouds making it even darker in the wooded path. A sharp stick or rock stabbed into her foot just then and down she went.

She stood as quickly as possible but she could hear the frittering of wings and began frantically swatting the air around her. “NO,” she bellowed as the sound grew louder along with a clicking noise. Panic took over and she waved her arms around darting this way and that trying to avoid whatever had found her.

Spinning in a circle she felt several sharp stings on her arm. A moment later her whole body went numb and she fell down helpless. The creature hovered over her. It was about the size of a hummingbird, but reminded her of a praying mantis. It’s huge bug eyes watched her for a moment then landed on her.

She tried to scream out but it was only in her mind, nothing escaped her lips. Over and over again she willed her arms to move and whack the unwanted creature. She sat helpless as it moved up and down her body, she couldn’t feel it but her mind still imagined thousands of tiny punctures wherever the thing went. “Stop please stop and go away,” Mia cried out in her mind.

Then it moved to her face, all Mia wanted to do was close her eyes and cringe away from it, but no matter how much she begged her body to just that nothing happened.

The creature then positioned itself above her eye and Mia lost consciousness after seeing what she could only guess was eggs slip out of the creature and into her eye.

Wyatt woke before the sun rose and after finding the cabin empty he went searching for Mia outside. He found her sitting on the path to the beach and ran to her calling out, “Mia, are you ok, what’s wrong?”

She looked up at him with a smile he had not seen in some time.

“They brought him back to us Wyatt,” she cooed looking down at her lap. One hand sat on her knees the other just above gently caressing empty air. “Oh he is perfect isn’t he,” she cooed.

Wyatt didn’t know what to do and just sat next to her in confusion.

“Isn’t he wonderful,” Mia sang out, “so perfect in every way!”

“Honey, our sweet boy is gone,” he said to her hoping she was just having some dream.

She looked at him not phased in the least and said, “I have to do my best to keep him safe, I have to eat right and make sure he grows up to be strong!”

With that she got up and went to the cabin pulling out raw meat and scarfing it down.

Wyatt looked in in horror not sure what was going on with his wife.

After a full day of her eating nothing but raw meat and sitting “holding their child,” he was sure she needed help.

He hurried home calling his parents on the way. They convinced him to take her to the mental hospital right away.

“She needs more help than any of us can give her dear,” they had said. “She is going to end up hurting herself if we don’t get her some professional help!”

He changed course and went for the state mental hospital.

He sat there answering the doctors questions and watching his wife get more and more upset because she needed to eat more meat to help him grow strong.

The doctor said she had a complete mental breakdown and he would keep her for observation and determine a course of action.

A week later she was still there, still behaving the same.

Wyatt sat next to her watching her and praying she would come out of this dream she had created in her mind. He noticed something black at her nose and reached for a tissue thinking she had a bloody nose, but when he turned back hundreds of little bugs were crawling out of her nose and mouth. He jumped back in shock and horror. He started to scream for help and as he did the bugs came towards him, he hit and kicked and swatted, but some were burrowing into his skin. He saw the door fly open and a nurse yell as some bugs started for her and then instantly everything changed. He was no longer being attacked by black bugs, but in his arms he held his perfect little son, pink and beautiful. And, all he wanted to do was make sure he was safe and growing strong which meant he had to eat meat any kind of meat right away!

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