Water of the Womb

Charlotte's muscles are painfully tense as she struggles against her own body, her hands unwillingly guiding a knife toward her throat.

This had become routine become the mother and daughter pair. It was scary the first few times, but eventually, Charlotte came to enjoy her mother's "lessons". It was painful. Always. Her mother's hemokinetic abilities were powerful, and the woman was smart enough to only exert as much control as she needed. That way, she could up the ante whenever Charlotte started to become resistant.

Still, these were the only times when they were really together. The only times her mother seemed interested in her existence. So despite the pain, her heart fluttered.

"Mama, I-I'm getting tired. Can we stop for today?"

But something seemed different today. It had extended hours past the usual length of these sessions. Her body ached. Her heart felt like it was going to explode. The blood loss from all the cute and across her slim body was making her dizzy. Yet her mother only responds to her pleas with a glare as the knife edges closer.

"Mama?"

The knife's point digs into Charlotte's neck and more blood stains her pale skin. Tears fall down her cheeks as her legs give out. It should have been obvious.

A woman who refused to hold her daughter's hand, only roughly grabbing her by the wrist to lead her around.
A woman who forced her daughter to scavenge for food if she didn't want to starve to death.
A woman who had never uttered the words "I love you" to her daughter.

Anyone else would have seen this coming and may have saved themselves, but even as the blade is plunged through her neck, Charlotte struggles to comprehend that the mother she loves is killing her. Her body is freed, but all she can do is lie there on the ground as she dies. Her mother's gaze lingers on Charlotte for a moment before she turns away. Charlotte wants to cry out for her not to leave, that she'll do better, but only blood spills out of her mouth as a hand weakly reaches out.

Then it happens. Her vision goes red and is replaced with the image of what she can only understand to be a massive 'thing'. Her skin seems to peel away. She doesn't know what's happening, but she can move. She reaches out to her mother, slamming the far into the far wall with a sickening crack on impact. She moves forward. It doesn't feel like she's walking. It's so much easier.

As Charlotte looms over her mother, the woman makes a face she hadn't seen before. Not from her mother, but it was one she was very familiar with: fear.

But why would her mother be afraid? Eyes form around Charlotte's body to look for the source, but only spots a pool of blood. Her blood. She knew Mama wasn't afraid of that. It had to be something else, but she couldn't figure out what. With no other options, Charlotte picks her mother up. Her arms look really red, but she figures that it's just from the lesson. Mama screams, or at least Charlotte thinks she does. She doesn't feel her ears.

Regardless, she ignores it. She'd never gotten to hug her mother, but people always seemed happy when they hugged. So she hugs her mother tightly and the screams die down. The woman's body recedes into her chest, but she doesn't feel alone. She still feel her Mama inside of her.

"Now we can always be together, Mama!"