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The nursemaid stayed on as long as needed and returned home for good. I missed her chats, but it was getting harder to conceal my bloody secret from her, and if she found out, I know she would have found some way of taking my only connection to Miriam and my mother away.

I named her Claudette and she was a joy to have around. She was like Momma, she knew about me, but did not bring it forward, she only loved me, and I loved her.

We moved only a couple times, and not because anyone feared me, Claudette was calming to everyone. We moved because people got suspicious about our relationship, since I never looked older. She was my daughter, then my younger sister, then my younger sister closer in age. It was in the third village we lived in when she made an announcement.

“I want to be wed, Antigone.”

Her admission startled me, but really came as no surprise. I told her I knew she would want to be a wife and mother and I would be sorry to see her go, since one day I would have to part with her. So we set about arranging a marriage, though no guy I found suitable would have a girl with no father and little dowry. One man did step forward that I found more suitable then others, a poor farmer that needed a wife and extra help, and the little dowry she brought didn’t hurt him either.

The wedding was small, but Claudette looked beautiful and happy. It wasn’t long until she was with child. I doted on her something awful and visited her much. One day I visited to see Claudette bearing a large bruise on her cheek.

“What happened?” I asked.

“It’s nothing. But Peter has asked that you only visit once a week, for Sunday dinner.”

“Did he do this to you?” I asked feeling my blood boil and my rage flaring; the urge for blood began to rise.

Claudette saw the look in my eyes and sat me down. “He is a good man, but is concerned about his home. You distract me from my chores while you are here and he likes a clean house and a good supper. You are still welcome on Sunday’s and when anything arises with the baby, you will be called.” Something was hidden in her eyes, I knew there was more but I did not push the subject.

I calmed and finished my visit, helping so that Peter would not know I stayed the entire day again. I still feared that he hit Claudette, and wondered what was hidden in her eyes, but I believed Claudette and kept my anger inside.

The months passed and I only visited on Sundays for Supper. I was alone during the week with no one to keep company with, just me and my herbs. I found out the effects they had on me and started the knowledge not knowing how I would use this later.

Then one night came a knock on my door from Peter. “Claudette has gone into labor, come now!” I disliked the way he ordered me, but it was Claudette so I went quickly. When I arrived I could hear her screams of pain, I grabbed a knife and stuck it under the bed to cut the pain, then went about my duties, Peter on the other side of the door.

As I set about preparing for the birth I saw large bruises everywhere on Claudette. I knew Peter was hitting her, I saw the evidence. I would take my revenge someday, I had no idea it would be that night.

Hours passed and still the babe did not come, if I did not see anything soon I would begin to fear. Eventually a head moved to the opening and Claudette managed to push the child mostly out, I pulled the child the rest of the way. I started to wrap the child, but the smell of the blood was overwhelming. There was so much and I was not as prepared for this birth as I should have been and the urge rose and my mouth yearned to drink. The blood continued to flow; I put the baby girl in her mother’s arms and started trying to stop the blood.

“Antigone, stop.” Her weak voice called. “I know you cannot help me, it is my time.” I moved and took hold of her free hand. “Promise me you will care for my daughter and husband.” She looked at me sternly. “This is not his fault.” She leaned forward and handed the baby back to me. “Call her Dierdra, promise me.”

I nodded, tears never gracing my cheeks, only once ever did they again, but it is much too soon to tell of that. I held Dierdra until Claudette breathed her last breath then I took her daughter out to meet her father.

“You have a daughter,” My voice was flat as I handed the girl over to Peter.

He smiled only briefly at the girl then looked back at me. “Claudette?” He questioned. I could only shake my head. In his anger he flew at me, I did not fault him this anger, I too felt it but it was pointless to fling myself around in rage. He looked down at the girl in his arms and forced her back to me. “Take her, I have no need for a daughter, I need a wife who can give me a son.” He opened the door and waited for us to leave.

I was leaving when I heard a scream coming from the bedroom. Only seconds later Peter was barring my way.

“You did this to her!” He screamed at me waving a knife back and forth. I held on to Dierdra and tried to pas shim, but was quicker and stabbed me in my side. I gasped out in pain and could feel him taking the baby from my arms. “There have always been rumors that you have a strange fondness for blood, but your own sister?” He kicked the knife in further as I fell to the ground gasping. I was going to join my mother and sisters finally; at least I thought I would.

I gasped again and looked around; I could hear a shovel digging in the dirt. I was no longer in front of the house. I stood up and brushed myself off looking at the area of the wound, there was no mark on the skin only a tear in the cloth.

“You bastard,” I growled at Peter. “How dare you blame me for what you did to your own wife?”

Peter whirled around and let out a startled scream. “How… how… you were dead.”

I moved closer and grabbed his neck. He was clawing at my hands for freedom but I only held tighter. “You beat her.” He shook his head wildly and tried to speak. I loosened my grip; I wanted to hear him plead for his meager life.

“I never hurt her, I would never hurt her.”

Angered by his words, I slapped his face leaving a large red mark. “I saw her with a similar bruise not long ago.”

‘I opened the door too soon, I swear to you. I loved your sister.”

Still I did not believe him and grabbed his neck again forcing his head sideways. “She was covered in bruises tonight you bastard!” I did not give him a chance to respond before I plunged my teeth into his neck and began to drink his blood. His ear splitting screams nothing more than a tickle in my ear.

I dumped his body in the grave meant for me and went inside to get Dierdra. I would need to find another we nurse, but first I would have to take her somewhere else, somewhere safe.

Would my life be constant moving, losing a sister and friend only to raise another? It might have been if only…