The birth

A Story by Queenie

She was relieved with the ease in which he had been born. His head slithered out followed by his tiny body which twisted and slumped to the floor to be enveloped in a thin layer of hay and animal manure. His eyes flicked open in an instant and his tiny lips crumpled as if in disgust. His eyes darted across the room until they found his mother’s fixed on his, he responded with soft sounds that seemed almost melodic. The goats that had been watching, gingerly, stepped backwards and lowered their heads.

Three elderly gentlemen anxiously entered the stable. They shuffled their feet as they waited. One man fiddled with the rope that wrapped around the first of the offerings. All three men stared intently, waiting for an indication. As she presented the child to the three men, the baby’s eyes widened and darkened to a deep, blood, red.