Wight Album

“Dad, what’s this I found in the attic?”

Phenak looked up from his book. His wight daughter held a thick, leather-bound book in her hands. He gasped.

“You found it! I was wondering where that was!” he exclaimed.

Vaquel blenched as her father ripped the book out of her hands. “W-what is it? A grimoire?”

“Even better!”

Phenak took a seat on a sofa and opened the book to the very end. Pictures of him posing with Vaquel’s mother littered the page, each tucked neatly into their own slot.

“A photo album?” asked Vaquel.

“Yeah…”

Vaquel looked quizzically at her father. He bore a strangely poignant grin.

“Of you and mom?”

Phenak nodded. “Yep! Come take a look.”

“Vaquel! Are you going to help me with dinner, or am I-“

Zara rounded the corner in her apron, ready to scold her daughter and froze when she saw what the two had found. Her already pale face blanched, and her crimson eyes went wide.

“Is that…” she said softly.

“Babe! I found it!” said Phenak excitedly.

“Oh Druella, no…” groaned Zara.

“What is it? Is it more than a photo album or not?” insisted Vaquel, upset she was being left in the dark.

“It’s a special photo album! All the way back from when I met your mother. I thought it was lost forever!” said Phenak, thumbing back to the beginning.

“I thought I had hidden it well enough this time…” muttered Zara under her breath.

“Back when you met mom?” asked Vaquel.

“Yes, it was a romantic and beautiful time. Now, put that thing away and come help with dinner.” Said Zara. A spectral hand shot out and latched onto the top of the book.

“Hey!” shouted Phenak. “Stop! You’re going to lose it again!”

“And it’s going to stay lost this time!” snarled Zara.

Vaquel summoned her own claws and severed her mother’s connection to the book. Zara yelped and drew back, nursing her hands.
“I want to see!” she pouted.

Zara glowered at her. “Betrayed by my own daughter… I should have taught you more humility.”

“We’re wights, mom. It’s in our nature to be haughty.” Said Vaquel, flourishing her hair.

“But you weren’t always!” said Phenak.

“Huh?”

“Dear, I REALLY need Vaquel for dinner, so why don’t you show her that later?” pleaded Zara.

“Oh, one or two pictures won’t hurt. Here, let’s start at the beginning…”

~~~~~~~

“Open the door, human! I can smell you in there!” barked a gruff, feminine voice from outside.

Phenak opened the door to find a large, brown skinned woman leering down at him. What else was he supposed to do? Undead were overrunning the city. It’s not like he could do anything at this point. Might as well just get eaten and get it over with…

“Huh. You’re rather obedient. If a little stupid…” remarked the ghoul. She tapped her chin thoughtfully for a second. “Yep. I’m thinking zombie.”

“Zombie?” asked Phenak. Of all the undead, that seemed like the worst way to go. At least the intelligent ones were smart enough to go for the vitals. If a zombie got him, it might take all damn day for the thing to gnaw through his leg to an artery. That is, if these monsters were truly hostile. He had interacted with a few monsters in his lifetime, and found them to be surprisingly amicable. But they hadn't been undead, and they certainly hadn't been invading a city.

“Yes. She’ll be your wife from now on. Here’s a pamphlet.” Said the ghoul.

She shoved a small, but densely texted piece of paper into his hands. Phenak read the title.

“So You Married a Zombie: An Idiot’s Guide to Wedding the Dead”

“…Is this a joke? Some sort of setup with the punchline being me getting eaten?” asked an incredulous Phenak.

“No. We’ll be back in an hour with your new wife. If you even think about skipping town, I’ll let the wisps have you.”

Phenak wasn’t exactly sure what the severity of that threat was, or even what a ‘wisp’ was, but it didn’t sound pleasant. The ghoul bid him farewell and walked off to his neighbor. Phenak took the opportunity to sit down on his couch and read up on what exactly he was getting into while the screams of his beleaguered peers echoed throughout the sieged city.

By the time the ghoul returned, Phenak was almost looking forward to meeting his wife. If everything the pamphlet said was true, he might be in luck! A wife of his very own; devoted, innocent, and caring.

“I’m back. This is your wife.” Said the ghoul, gently sliding a zombie through his door. The bluish corpse groaned and stared at his ceiling. This must be his wife. A second zombie accompanied the ghoul, idly standing next to her as she spoke.

“Umm… Okay… What’s her name?” asked Phenak, eyeing his bride. The pamphlet had mentioned that undead had varying levels of… ‘exuberance,’ but this one looked like it hadn’t even revived all the way.

“Dunno. We just scraped her out of the dirt in the last town. Call her whatever you like.”

“But-“

“Sorry, I got other deliveries to make. Read the pamphlet and figure it out.”

With that, the ghoul slung the other zombie over her shoulder and trudged off to the next bachelor.

Phenak shut the door. The zombie grumbled and swung her arms in his direction. Phenak experimentally stuck his left hand out. The zombie’s hands clumsily fumbled for his hand, stiff fingers making a few passes before coming to rest on his wrist and sliding off.

“Well, looks like you’re not here to eat me after all.” Said Phenak, sighing in relief. “Guess that means the pamphlet wasn’t lying, huh?”

The zombie burbled.

“And I guess that means I have to give you a name. A name… What should I call you?” mused Phenak.

She was utterly plain. Prettier than average, perhaps, but otherwise nondescript. Straight white hair and greyish skin all zombies had, normal proportions, and champagne-colored eyes. Even her dress was unremarkable; a raggedy piece of fabric that looked like a repurposed flour sack.

“Well, you’re a zombie. Zombie… zombie… ‘Z’…” muttered Phenak.

“Ahhhh…” moaned the zombie.

“Ahhh…” echoed Phenak. “Z…Ahhh…Raaaaa?” he said. Chief God, he hadn’t had this thing five minutes and he was already acting babbling like a lunatic.

“Wairarapa.” Mimicked the zombie, staring at him intently. She shuffled forward a few centimeters.

“Zara, huh? You like that?” asked Phenak. The zombie groaned. “Okay, we’ll call you Zara.”

Phenak shuffled awkwardly, unsure of how to proceed.

“Oh! I know what to do…”

Dashing upstairs, Phenak ran to the attic to retrieve his picture device. A nifty little invention all the way from Zipangu, the compact magical box allowed the user to store images on a series of flexible slides. As far as he knew, it was the only one this far west. It was state of the art, and he had only been able to obtain one for his work as a surveyor and cartographer during a stint on Zipangu. It was also one of the reasons he was more acceptive of mamono than his neighbors. Not that he would ever publicly admit that…

“Here we are! Something to commemorate the moment…” said Phenak.

The zombie appeared to have grown distraught in his absence but emitted a relived coo when he reappeared. Taking her by the hand, he directed her to the couch and helped her sit down. After a few minutes of tinkering, he had the camera erected in front of the couch, slide inserted and timer wound.

“Perfect! Now, just hold still…”

Phenak adjusted the viewing port to capture Zara. The zombie wailed softly and waved at him.

“Calm down, I’m coming back.”

Phenak hit the timer and dashed to the couch. Zara eagerly grabbed at him as he plopped down next to her.

“Face the camera!” hissed Phenak, giving the whirring box his best smile. Zara persisted and he gently nudged her head towards the box.
There was a flash of light and Zara yipped.

“It’s okay! Shhh! It’s okay, I’m here.” Said Phenak. Goodness, she really was like an infant. He had been hoping to have someone to help out around the house; now he had another chore. Striding over to the box, he pulled the slide out and shook it.

“Ahh! Look at this mess! You’re all blurry!” lamented Phenak. He sighed. “Oh well, might as well save it. These things aren’t cheap after all…”

~~~~~~~~

“You were a ZOMBIE?!” exclaimed Vaquel.

Zara had her face buried in her hands, trying to hide the bright mauve blush in her cheeks.

“She sure was! And a rough one at that. She was so low on mana she could hardly move. Thank goodness that ghoul inferred that I was a good fit for her. Other guys wouldn’t have had the patience to raise her.” Said Phenak.

Vaquel looked at the photo again. Her mother looked different; more weary, less beautiful. Less like a creature of undeath and more like a corpse. Her father sat confidently, arms in his lap with a beaming smile. Zara’s blurry face was in motion, trying to come to rest on his shoulder. Strands of hair fell in front of one of her eyes, only outdone in comedic value by the glaring gape of her open mouth.

“I’ve changed!” wailed Zara. “That was a long time ago!”

“But you were a ZOMBIE?!”

“ONLY FOR A LITTLE BIT!” shouted Zara.

“So that’s why we live in this house…” said Vaquel, sinking back into the couch.

“Ooh, your mother was the most precious thing in the world back then. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad she can talk, and cook, and sing, and…”

Zara cleared her throat.

“…Anyways, taking care of her as a zombie was a lot like taking care of you as a baby. I had to feed her, wash her, clothe her, and make sure she stayed out of trouble.” Said Phenak.

“You couldn’t do anything? Not even speak?” asked Vaquel.

Zara sighed. “I hardly even remember anything from back then. Just bits and pieces, random memories. Other than that, it’s all a blur…”
“So, thank goodness your old man had the foresight to capture every precious second in immortal film!” said Phenak.

Zara covered her face again and moaned, curling into the fetal position and flopping down on his lap.

“How long was she like that? It sounds like she was quite mana deprived.” Said Vaquel.

“Oh, she was. Took me a loooong time to finally turn her.” Said Phenak.

“What else did she do?” asked Vaquel.

“I’m so glad you asked!” said Phenak.

He turned the page. The next few pictures of Zara showed a discernable improvement in her hygiene and appearance. Her hair was brushed, she had been bathed, and she now wore a simple grey dress. Though it was clear by her vacant stare and her slack jaw that her mental faculties were still missing, she at least looked a little more presentable.

“It was easier to take care of her than I thought, honestly. Sure, I had to look out for her, but it wasn’t like I could do any permanent harm if I forgot to feed or bathe her.” Said Phenak.

Vaquel looked at a picture of her mother at the dining room table. She was sitting in front of a plate of slop, looking despondently at the camera.

“What is THAT?” asked Vaquel, reviled by the sight of the culinary abomination.

“That was one of our first meals together. I wanted to get a picture of the simple life; my wife at the dinner table, enjoying her meal.” Said Phenak.

Vaquel looked at the adjacent picture. Her mother’s face was contorted into a grimace and on the verge of tears. A smear of the mystery meal caked her cheek.

“Believe it or not, I used to do all the cooking around here.” Said Phenak proudly.

“So I see…” said Vaquel. Suddenly it made sense why her mother was so insistent not to let Phenak into the kitchen under any circumstances.

“I think that food was one of the things that made me turn as fast as I did. So I never had to suffer your ‘cooking’ again.” Said Zara.

“You loved my cooking!” said Phenak.

“I don’t remember much from my time as a zombie, but I do remember dreading the word ‘dinner’.” Said Zara.

Phenak huffed. “I think you’re misremembering things.”

Turning the page, Vaquel was surprised to see another picture of both her parents. Strangely enough, this picture was taken at an odd angle, with both of them out of the center of the shot. They were in a crowded market square in more formal wear than they had been in all the previous domestic photos. A large dullahan was standing over Phenak, looking quite displeased. Zara was clinging to his arm, wailing her lungs out judging by the gawks of the other onlookers.

“What’s going on in this picture?” asked Vaquel.

“That’s uhh… me almost getting arrested.” Said Phenak.

“Arrested?! For what?” Vaquel was shocked. Her father was a little eccentric sometimes, but never had he done anything to warrant an arrest.

“It was an accident. I overestimated your mother’s intelligence.” Said Phenak.

Zara summoned a spectral finger and held it under her husband’s chin. “Choose your next words carefully.”

Phenak gulped. “I suppose I was at least partially culpable as well…”

~~~~~~~~

“Zara! Come here! We’re going to the market!” said Phenak.

Zara shuffled after him. Since he had started sleeping with her, she had become a bit more mobile. Things like steps and steep inclines could now be surmounted without his assistance, and she could keep pace with him while he walked.

Today was grocery day. She might not need to eat, but he sure did. And wherever he went, she went. It was frustrating to have her along sometimes, but it was better than the alternative. One of his neighbors had locked his new wife in the basement while he went to the tavern for a pint, and Phenak STILL hadn’t seen him reemerge from his home after the undead guards tossed him in. He hummed as he did the buttons on Zara’s coat. She looked absolutely darling in the grey tweed jacket, whose collar covered her face up to her nose. Taking her beret off the hat rack next to the door, Phenak slipped it onto her head and adjusted it as Zara moaned and fumbled for his arms.

“There we go. Don’t you look nice?” said Phenak.

Zara groaned and hugged him. Seeing her waddle around in her deerskin boots was almost too much for him. For though she was more adept at locomotion than she had been when he had first ‘married’ her, any footwear thicker than a sandal caused her to goosestep as her body overcompensated for the extra layer of material between her foot and the ground. Not that Phenak minded. He found the whole thing endearing.

“How about we take the picture-box today? Maybe we can have someone take a photo of us. Yeah… You can hold a fresh baguette, and I can have a basket of food… I think that would look nice.” Said Phenak.

Zara cocked her head. Her muted-yellow eyes stared at him curiously as her zombie brain tried to comprehend what he was saying. So far, the only phrases she seemed to understand were ‘Zara,’ ‘come,’ and a few actions she enjoyed such as ‘hug,’ ‘sleep,’ and ‘snuggle.’ She did seem to know the words for meals, but for some reason she always looked frightened when he mentioned dinner.

Phenak retrieved the camera and a few slides. “Let’s be off then, shall we?”

He offered her his arm. Zara instantly latched onto it with a coo and shambled along beside Phenak as he sauntered towards the marketplace.

“Ahh… Such lovely weather today.” Said Phenak. Zara couldn’t respond, but he knew that someday she would be able to talk and speaking to her like this certainly wouldn’t hurt that process.

Zara ignored him, too focused on navigating the cobblestone road as she stumbled along on his shoulder. Steering them away from any puddles, Phenak led them to the edge of the bustling market.

“Let’s get the bread first.” Said Phenak, getting a whiff of fresh-baked delicacies wafting from a bakery.

Zara blinked at him. Phenak blushed. It was one thing to speak to her in private, but he always felt strange doing it in public. At least he wasn’t the only one in this boat. Several other men were towing their own zombie wives around, some in less orthodox ways than he. Phenak watched in rapt awe as one brave soul dragged his wife along behind him on a leash. Several guards raised their eyebrows at the spectacle, but it didn’t look like the zombie was suffering so they let it slide for now.

Weaving through the crowd to the bakery, Phenak got in line. Zara took the opportunity to wrap her arms around him. Phenak rested his head on hers. It was a natural response now. A simple reciprocation of love that let her know he cared, even if she didn’t understand her own being yet. And it let him know that there was a nascent personality in there, buried by grave dirt, that he was slowly excavating and molding. A gaggle of passing monsters giggled and squealed as they passed. Phenak averted his gaze. Zara hugged him harder as if to reaffirm that there was nothing embarrassing about the gesture. He sighed and rubbed her back.

“Next.”

Phenak advanced into the crowded store and up to the counter. “One baguette please.”

The baker quickly bagged the bread for him and took his money.

“Here, you take it. It’ll warm you up.” Said Phenak, handing the bread to Zara.

She looked between the baguette and Phenak, unsure of what do to in this new scenario. Food was something she seemed to instinctually understand, even if she did forget to eat every now and then. But this was a conundrum she had yet to encounter: food that wasn’t being served to her. Phenak gently took her hands and guided them around the bread. It took a few attempts, but eventually Zara’s arms remained firmly clasped around the bread. She rested her cheek against the fresh loaf, and finding it delightfully warm, snuggled it tightly. Phenak felt a strange jealousy. Betrayed by his own bread…

“Come on, let’s go get the rest.” Said Phenak.

Zara hummed as he held her hand and led her out of the bakery. The town bell chimed.

“Is it that late already?! Damn… Zara, listen to me.” Said Phenak, putting his hands on her shoulder. “I need to make a quick run to the other side of the market. The butcher was having a sale on cuts today, and if I don’t get there soon, he’ll run out. Just stay here for a second and I’ll be right back, okay?”

Zara looked at him, slightly offput by his tone.

“You’ll be fine. Just stay here, alright? Here.” Said Phenak, gesturing to the spot they were in. “Actually, here.”

No use, she just didn’t understand these cues yet. Plopping her down on a public bench, Phenak unslung the camera from his shoulder and draped it over her shoulder. Zara became increasingly worried, glancing wide-eyed between him, the camera, the bread, and the bench.

“I’ll be right back. Just a few minutes, I promise.” Said Phenak. Patting Zara’s head, he dashed through the crowd to the butcher. Zara uttered a pathetic mewl as he left.

The line was out the door by the time Phenak arrived. He cursed under his breath. The dinner he had planned might have to change. Slowly, the line inched forward. Phenak could only watch with dread as the minutes rolled by on the clocktower. This was not good. If he waited much longer…

A wail cut through the usual din of the market. Heads turned and people gawked as an irate looking dullahan stomped towards Phenak, Zara in tow. The girl was louder than some of the banshees that had moved into town, and that was no easy feat.

“YOU.” Snarled the dullahan. Her voice was oozing with contempt. Phenak flattened himself against the wall of the butchers as the dullahan thrust his wife at him.

“Is this YOUR WIFE?!” asked the dullahan.

Zara shrieked and threw herself onto him. Phenak sputtered and blubbered, wrapping his arms around Zara and using her body as a shield to protect himself from the imminent verbal onslaught.

“You left your wife ALONE and UNATTENDED?” roared the knight.

“J-just for a little bit…” said Phenak.

“A little bit, huh? And did you think about how that would make HER feel?” asked the dullahan.

Zara threw herself onto Phenak and squeezed him. Her beret fell off as she buried her face in his chest. Her wailing mercifully subsided into hysterical sobbing as Phenak did his best to comfort her. The dullahan was unmoved by his tardy attempt to mollify her.
“Did you know that by abandoning your wife, you violated the Spousal Dereliction Ordinance?” seethed the dullahan.

“I-“

“And did you know that such a violation is punishable by two months home imprisonment?”

“P-please, I just needed to-“

“You NEEDED to be there for your wife. But you’ll have plenty of time to think about it. I hereby sentence you to two months house arrest. You two are coming with me.”

Phenak heard the whirr of his picture-box. A succubus smiled at him from behind the instrument, chewing the baguette he had purchased.
“Oh! So that’s how it works.” She giggled.

Phenak knew better than to protest. The dullahan seized Phenak by the arm and dragged him away as Zara clung to his arm.

~~~~~~~

“Those were a wild two months…” said Phenak.

“Really? Was house arrest really that interesting?” asked Vaquel.

“It in when you’re being forced to take mandatory aphrodisiacs.” Said Phenak.

Vaquel grimaced.

“What? Those were the laws!” scowled Phenak.

“Let’s move on…” said Vaquel.

She flipped a few pages ahead. One of the photos caught her eye. It stood out from the rest she had seen thus far. Her mother seemed to be actually posing for the camera instead of just standing in front of it. She was holding the sides of the simple white dress she wore, as if performing some sort of curtsy. Though her smile was small, it was more vivacious than it had been in previous pictures. She looked less “fresh out of the grave” as the undead said.

“What’s so special about this picture? Did you just decide to photograph her?” asked Vaquel.

“No. That was the first time your mother ever dressed herself. Oh, she was so proud. Shuffled over to me right away to show off and get praised.” Said Phenak.

“I was NOT seeking your praise, I just wanted you to know that I was dressed!” said Zara.

“You remember that?” asked Vaquel.

Zara blushed. “No, but that must be what happened. Your father holds my opinions above his own after all.”

Phenak stroked his wife’s head as she rested in his lap. “Of course, dear.”

Vaquel turned the page. Phenak snickered. Zara gasped and quickly flipped the page with her magic.

“No! Dear, stop it!” she protested.

“What was that? It looked like some kind of accident.” Said Vaquel.

“It sure was!” Phenak laughed. Zara stabbed him in the gut with one of her claws.

“It was NOT an accident! I didn’t- I… I just got a little ahead of myself!” said Zara. Her face was as flushed as an undead could get.

“What is it?! Let me see!” Vaquel snatched the album away from her father and flipped back. More images of her mother in tears, this time standing over the ruins of some sort of food. By now it was clear that she was on the path to wighthood. Her light-yellow eyes had begun to make the transition to red, now a captivating rose color. Streaks of platinum blond interwove with her white hair. Even Zara’s body had begun to become more elegant, filling out in all the right places.

“Your mother decided that she was going to try cooking. But she never actually watched me prepare anything. So when she tried to do it herself, she-“

Phenak kicked his legs and roared with laughter as he remembered the mess Zara had made. Vaquel looked at the first picture in the set. Zara stood over a spilled pot of water, the floor littered with vegetables, fruits, meats, and other random ingredients. Some were burnt, some were raw. A small fire was searing some blackened puck behind her on the stove. A few strands of her hair had been singed, and the apron she wore was chock full of black holes where it had burnt through. It looked like she had lost a fight with an ignis…

“-She just tried to copy all the things she thought cooking was at once!” wheezed Phenak.

Zara began throttling him with her spectral hands. “AND I WOULDN’T HAVE HAD TO IF YOU COULD ACTUALLY COOK, YOU CULINARY PSYCHOPATH!”

“Was Dad’s cooking REALLY that bad?” asked Vaquel.

Zara released Phenak and sighed. He collapsed back onto the couch giggling. “Sweetie, your father’s cooking was BEYOND atrocious. The undead even forced him to take a cooking class once after the neighbors complained about the stench from one of his "roasts". I didn’t have to eat, but it made your father happy to share a meal with someone. And that meant that if I wanted to consume something edible, I’d have to make it myself. I don’t remember this particular instance, but it’s true that I was probably a little… over ambitious with my efforts…”

“I’m surprised she got as far as she did for someone who was still nonverbal.” Said Phenak, wiping a tear away.

The pictures showed a distraught and dirty Zara waddling towards Phenak, oven mitt hanging off one of her hands. Phenak must have put the camera down on a timer for the subsequent shot, showing him embracing the despondent chef as she hugged him tightly.

“After that disaster, I took her out to some cooking classes. I’ve never seen someone learn so fast, but I’ve never met anyone as talented as your mother either.” Said Phenak.

“I’m still mad at you…” pouted Zara. Phenak kissed her cheek.

Vaquel smiled. Her mother was now renowned throughout the town as a wonderful chef. During the holidays, she was always content to stay in the kitchen with the other low-level undead helping them prepare meals for extravagant galas and balls. Now that Vaquel understood her roots, it made sense that a turned wight might be more comfortable in the company of zombies and ghouls rather than vampires and other wights. Some of the undead nobility were notoriously out of touch with the monsters under their rule.

“Momma, where do your memories start? I mean, REALLY start?” asked Vaquel.

Zara took the album and flipped through it. Vacations, holidays, picnics, and a few mundane life moments flew by.

“Wait!” said Phenak.

He flipped back a few pages. His hand came to rest on a picture of Zara, beaming at him from underneath the brim of a straw sunhat. The sundress she was wearing was blowing with the grass around her in the summer breeze. Both her hands clasped the sides of the hat down, keeping it from flying away.

“That’s my favorite.” Said Phenak lovingly.

“Your favorite, hmm?” asked Zara.

“One of them. I could sit here for the rest of my life and never decide which picture is actually the best.” Said Phenak.

“No, you’re right. This is one of the best.” Said Zara.

Phenak tucked the photo back into the sleeve and continued.

By now, Zara’s transition into a wight was clear. Her eyes were now fuchsia, and her face had become more regal. An almost imperceptible change if Vaquel hadn’t seen pictures of her years before just moments ago. She could even make out the faint outlines of magical claws around her mother’s hands in some of the photos.

“Do you remember this?” asked Vaquel.

“Hmm… Yes. I remember this by now. At this point, I was a high-level zombie. I could do anything a normal human could at this point.” Said Zara.

“And why do you…” Vaquel stopped herself. Zara’s body had undergone changes as she morphed from zombie into wight, but now she seemed to be… regressing. Her slender waist was filling back out, and her stomach was beginning to protrude.

“That’s you, silly.” Said Zara, hugging her daughter.

“Me?”

“Yep. You were technically conceived while I was still a zombie. But your father and I worked extra hard to get you all the mana you would need to become a wight while I was still carrying you.” Said Zara.

~~~~~~~~

“You’re pregnant.” Said the lich.

Zara’s hand clamped down on Phenak’s. “W-what?”

The lich wrote a few notes down and hovered over to a filing cabinet. “Pregnant.”

“W-w-what do you mean I’m pregnant?” asked Zara.

The lich stared at her. “Pregnancy is the result of copulation, during which an egg is fertili-“

“I know what it means!” shouted Zara.

“…I do not understand your question…” said the lich.

“I’m going to have a baby?” panted Zara.

“Yes.” Said the lich.

Phenak hugged his wife. “Baby! This-this is great! I mean, I can’t believe it! I never expected this to happen so soon!”

“And-and… Will she be a wight?” asked Zara.

The lich frowned. Raising her hands, she cast a spell on Zara. Zara’s body glowed purple.

“Not yet. As of now, you lack the mana to be classified as a wight.” Said the lich.

“And you’re SURE I’m pregnan-“

“YES.” Said the lich firmly.

Zara shrunk into Phenak’s embrace.

“What are we going to do? How will we raise her? Phenak, I want her to be a wight so bad… but now she’s going to be a normal zombie!” said Zara. She began to cry.

“Not necessarily.”

“What do you mean, ‘not necessarily’?” asked Phenak.

“With enough mana, it will be possible to transform your daughter and yourself into a wight.” Said the lich.

Zara perked up. “Then we’ll do it.”

“I see. Congratulations.” Said the lich, handing them a small basket full of baby supplies.

“Thank you.” Sniffed Zara.

“I guess we have some planning to do, huh?” said Phenak, kissing Zara’s forehead.

“Oh, you’re right. We’ll need a crib, and a nursery, and baby clothes… Oh! And we need to make the house safe! Do we have anything we can barricade the stairs with? What if she gets outside?!” said Zara.

“Zara, calm down. We’ll get through this. All three of us.” Said Phenak, taking her hands.

Zara took a deep breath. “You’re right. I’m just so nervous…”

“Come back and see me in two months. Until then, I’m going to prescribe you this.” Said the lich, handing a jar of pills to Phenak.

“What’s this?” he asked.

“Mana production boosters. Maximum strength.” Said the lich. “I can have more delivered to your house when you run out.”

“Can’t I just pick them up when we come for the checkup in two months?” asked Phenak.

The lich stared at Phenak. He shuddered. In her stoic gaze, he saw a hint of pity in her purple eyes.

“It won’t last that long…” she said softly.

“W-what’s that supposed to mean?” asked Phenak.

“Babe, can we go home? I’m hungry…” said Zara.

Her nearly invisible spectral hands caressed Phenak’s arm. He knew by her look that she wasn’t just craving food either. Her face was flushed, and her half-lidded eyes promised him that she was about to enjoy a four-course meal. Phenak looked at her, and then at the pills in his hand, and then at the lich.

She pursed her lips and gave him an apologetic nod. “Stay hydrated.”

Zara got up and began dragging Phenak out of the exam room. The nurses and clinical staff all bid Zara congratulations on her pregnancy. Most of them.

“That guy is going to get FUCKED.” Said one of the ghouls, watching Zara drag him past.

Phenak clutched his bottle of pills. Eros have mercy…

~~~~~~~~~

Pictures of Zara flew by. At first, her pregnancy was hardly noticeable. But with every picture it became clearer and clearer that she was with child. The pictures were almost haunting. In the beginning, Zara was full of joy. Smiling at the camera, cooking meals, snuggling with Phenak, and even taking trips out into the town. And then…

The farther Vaquel turned, the more distorted Zara’s image became. Her hair was less tidy every picture. The brilliant smile that she had worn in the earlier pictures was replaced with a muted look of contentment. Her clothes became less and less formal, rapidly changing from formal wear to simple dresses to casual clothing as her belly swelled. Dark circles became a permanent feature on her exhausted face. Vaquel was terrified by one of the last pictures of her mother’s pregnancy: a photo of a spectral hand reaching for Phenak as he took a picture of her eating a massive bowl of mashed potatoes on the couch, cheeks stuffed with starchy goodness. The scowling, squat figure emanated an almost primal rage as she lashed out at the unsolicited archival of her sorry state. By now, her belly was big enough to poke out from underneath the shirt she wore.

“Ahh. That picture earned me quite the draining. I was hoping for more pictures like that one…” said Phenak gesturing to a photo of Zara in an elegant pregnancy dress. She was lovingly stroking her belly, eyes shut with a contented smile on her face. “…But your mother had other ideas of what should and shouldn’t be remembered.”

“I told you, I was craving mana! And potatoes… But you had all these grand ideas of things we could do together. I almost starved!” said Zara.

“You did not. And it’s not like I could have done any of the things I had planned anyways. You were clawing me into a coma every chance you got!” said Phenak.

“Hmph. You deserved it. What kind of deadbeat neglects his starving pregnant wife? What if Vaquel had come out as a zombie because she didn’t get enough mana while I was carrying her?” said Zara.

“Then I still would have loved her with all my heart.” Said Phenak, squeezing Vaquel.

Zara’s expression softened. “You’re lucky I love you.”

“Don’t I know it.” Said Phenak.

Time went by and it looked like Zara’s stomach would burst.

“Oh! I take back what I said earlier. THIS is definitely my favorite.” Said Phenak.

He pointed to a picture of a newborn Vaquel, resting in Zara’s arms. Vaquel was resting peacefully on her breasts, as a sleeping Zara cradled her.

“That was the day we took you home. Your mother was exhausted, but I’ve never been prouder of her. Oooh, look at you. Back when you had that cute little head of hair…” said Phenak.

“I like this one.” Said Zara. She pointed to one of her holding up Vaquel for the camera. Baby Vaquel was reaching out towards the lens, red eyes wide with wonderment as she gawked at the mysterious box her father held. Zara smiled at her daughter, now looking more regal now that her pregnancy was finally over. Her hair was done up, and she could fit back into the dresses she had put away so many months ago.

“Oh! And this! You remember this, don’t you Zara?” said Phenak.

He pointed to a picture of a little Vaquel, teetering towards Phenak as Zara sat behind her.

“How could I forget?” said Zara.

~~~~~~~~

“She’s getting stronger.” Said Zara. She steadied Vaquel as the toddler tried to support herself on her wobbly, sausage legs. Zara let go of her wrists, and Vaquel flopped back into her lap.

“Of course she is. She takes after her mother.” Said Phenak. He set the camera up on a timer, and stood in front of Zara.

“Trying for an action shot?” asked Zara.

“Look at her! She’s ready. I know she is.” Said Phenak.

“Dear, she’s so small…” said Zara, tickling Vaquel’s tummy with one of her ghost hands.

“You’ll see. I know she can do it.” Said Phenak. “Come here, Vaquel! Come to Daddy!” he coaxed.

Vaquel smiled and burbled. Zara helped her to her feet again. Holding her torso steady, Zara held her up as she took a step towards Phenak.

“Do you want to go see Daddy?” asked Zara. “Go on! You can do it!”

Vaquel thrust her arms out in front of her and charged forward. Zara released her, and the momentum of her tiny body propelled her forward across the carpet. The camera whirred and snapped a picture just as Vaquel took three successive steps towards her father, chubby arms outstretched. Phenak lunged towards her and caught her as she fell forward.

Zara gasped. “Did you see that?! She did it! She walked!”

“I saw it!” said Phenak, lifting Vaquel above his head and spinning her around. “You did it! My big, strong girl…”

Vaquel shrieked and laughed. Zara stood up kissed Phenak. “I guess you know her better than I do.”

Phenak wrapped his free hand around Zara, sandwiching his daughter between them. “Oh, ye of little faith…”

Zara giggled. Vaquel cooed in her arms as the family savored each other’s embrace.

~~~~~~~~~

“Ahh… I almost miss when you were that small.” Said Phenak.

“Are you saying I’m not cute anymore?” asked Vaquel.

“Of course not! Looks like you got you got that presumptuous aspect from your mother…” said Phenak. Zara smacked the back of his head with her claw.

“I PRESUME you’re going to apologize to your loving, perfect wife for that remark, no?” said Zara.

“Ow! Fine, I’m sorry.” Said Phenak.

“You don’t sound very sorry.” Said Zara.

“Yeah, yeah. Hey, I don’t remember taking this…” said Phenak.

He pointed to a picture of him sleeping on the couch, a small Vaquel snoozing on top of him. Both of them were sleeping in the same position, Phenak’s arm hanging off the couch, and Vaquel’s arm hanging off Phenak. The shot was slightly blurry, and a little off center.

“Babe, did you take this?” asked Phenak.

Zara blushed. “I, uhh… I might have…”

“When did you add this? I thought the album when missing around this time. We looked everywhere for it, remember?” said Phenak.
Vaquel looked at her mother. Zara was blushing furiously.

“W-well, uhh…” stammered Zara.

Phenak gave her a knowing smile. “Dear… How ‘lost’ was this album?”

Zara scrunched her face. “I didn’t want Vaquel to see the first half, okay?! Not until she was older… It’s so embarrassing!”
“It’s not embarrassing. It’s endearing.” Insisted Phenak.

“I don’t care if you were a zombie…” said Vaquel.

“Ahh! Don’t say it like that! I’m a wight!” said Zara, burying her face in her hands and kicking her feet.

“And I love you no matter what you are.” Said Phenak, drawing her in and kissing her head.

Vaquel sniffed the air. “Mom, weren’t you cooking dinner?”

“Oh! You’re right!” Zara leapt off the couch and hurried into the kitchen.

“I’ll be right back…” said Phenak.

Vaquel was left alone with the album as her father hurried off on some unknown errand. Contrary to the first half of the album, Zara seemed to be the photographer behind most of the photos detailing Vaquel’s childhood. Pictures of her and her father abounded. Only a few holiday shots had all three of them in frame.

“Here we are!” said Phenak. He returned with the camera and set it up in front of the couch. “Dear! Come back!”

“What is it? Oh, oh no…” moaned Zara, reentering the room.

“Come on! Sit! It’s been so long since we’ve taken a family photo.” Said Phenak.

“Dear, I’m wearing a dirty apron…” said Zara.

“And you’re wearing it better than any other woman could. Now sit!” said Phenak, patting the seat next to him.

Zara blushed. She tried hard not to smile but smirked and sat down next to him.

“Vaquel, hit the button on the right side of the box, would you?” said Phenak.

“This one?”

“That one.”

Vaquel hit the button and sat back down on the couch next to her parents.

Phenak wrapped his arms around their shoulders and pulled them closer. Zara rested her head on his shoulder. The camera clicked, and the image was magically imprinted on the slide. Phenak got up and pulled it out of the slot.

“Perfect.”

He tucked the photo into a fresh sleeve of the album. “Guess you want this back in the attic, huh?”

Zara blushed. “I suppose… it wouldn’t hurt to have it around…”

Phenak smiled. He put the album on the top shelf of a bookcase and stroked the spine appreciatively. “Come on you two, let’s go eat.”