Yes

“Brother, will momma get well soon?”
“Yes Marianna, she will. The sickness’s strong, but momma’s stronger.”
|~|~|~|~|~|
“I wish momma would get well soon. I miss her special potato soup. I miss her sweet 
raisin bread.”
“Me too, Hugo, she just needs more sleep.”
|~|~|~|~|~|
“Brother?”
“Yes Jenny?”
“Momma won’t leave us like papa will she? She’s not gonna go to sleep in the dark coffin will she?”
“No, she won’t. Our momma’s strong, stronger than papa – she had not been hurt in war. We just need more money, and then I’ll be able to afford a doctor.”
|~|~|~|~|~|
I rubbed her back and held her long brown hair out of the way as she retched, her whole body rocking with the intensity of the expulsion. Tears rolled down her cheeks as vomit mixed with blood trickled down her chin.
“It’s alright mother, breathe in and out, like this,” I made slow breathing motions, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth.
“Here, drink a little water, it’ll help,” I gave her a glass and slowly tipped it. She made a few swallows and turned her head away.
|~|~|~|~|~|
“Mother, Mother, MOTHER!” I was finally able to shake her awake. Her eyes slowly opened, half crazed, half terrified, and black like holes against the bloodshot background.
“H-here, sit up a bit, I’ll be right back.” I propped up the pillows and leaned her back, then raced out of the room to get the bandages. I had taken to sleep in her room to keep watch, and had awoken when I heard weird type of chewing. Somehow in her sleep she had begun eating her own hand, moaning in pain but not stopping.
|~|~|~|~|~|
I fumbled with the keys at the door. Giving it up as a bad job I knocked on the door instead. The door was opened immediately by a teary Marianna.
“Marianna, how many times must I tell –”
“Momma, something’s wrong with momma John!” at the words, I pushed her aside and rushed into the house, hearing the door slam in a distant part of my mind. I came to a halt before mother’s door seeing Jenny and Hugo trying to keep it closed. From inside the door I heard crashing and an animalistic growl. When something slammed into the door I paled. Crouching, so as to be more level with the three children, I spoke.
“I want the three of you to go and get Mr. Smith while I try to calm momma down.”
|~|~|~|~|~|
They had gone away a couple of minutes ago and wouldn’t be back in at least half an hour. Gathering my nerve I quietly opened the door and came in. The rug was littered with broken glass and the bed looked rumpled. The blanket had been dragged half off it. Mother was standing near the window, her palms pressed to it. Her long hair was tangled, and her nightshirt was half wet.
I took careful steps towards her, and had cleared half of the room when I stepped on a glass shard. Whirling around, she noticed me and bared her teeth. Her eyes were no longer human and her teeth were bared in an animalistic way. Snarling like an enraged dog, she lunged.
|~|~|~|~|~|
After a long time of dodging and even running away, I managed to push mother on the floor, my foot on her chest, my hands holding hers in a tight grip. She struggled and growled, but I held on.
|~|~|~|~|~|
“What kind of sickness is that supposed to be?”
“I…I have not the slightest idea. It had been met a couple of times in medicine history, but it’s impossible to understand. There is no possible cure.”
|~|~|~|~|~|
I sat wearily on the old sofa, my face buried in my hands. Suddenly, life seemed heavier than a 100 ton rock. Heaving a sigh, I stood up and went to get the phone.
|~|~|~|~|~|
“She’s crazy. She does not recognize any of us, she refuses to eat normal food, and she refuses to drink water. She EATS her own body. I can’t endanger my siblings anymore.”
“This is your final decision.”
“Yes.”
|~|~|~|~|~|
“You said momma wouldn’t leave! You said momma wouldn’t go away!” Jenny screamed hysterically as she tried to hit me. Hugo and Marianna sat in the opposite corner, silent, but not crying either.
“I know what I said Jenny. Jenny calm down. I said calm down!” I yelled the last bit. She looked up at me in shock and started to cry even harder.
“Listen.” I dropped to my knees and took her face in my hands, forcing her to look into my eyes.
“Mother was too much of a danger to be with us anymore. I sent her away where she’ll be cared for and safe.”
|~|~|~|~|~|
Jenny refused to forgive me. We would sit down for supper and she would sit at the farthest end of the table – as far away from me as she could. When I would lead them to school, she would refuse to listen to me. I tried to explain why I did what I did, but she would not understand.
|~|~|~|~|~|
I had promised them we’d go to visit her.
|~|~|~|~|~|
The clinic was disgustingly clean and sinister. I led my brother and sisters down the hall towards the room where she was kept. There were no people in the halls, the doctors were not seen either. Turning left, we came face to face with nurse who greeted us and led us farther into the building.
|~|~|~|~|~|
Jenny looked drunk with happiness. As soon as she saw mother, sitting there chewing on what looked to be a bone, she squealed and hugged me. I could see that mother was chained – like a dog – and I felt remorse for the male nurse standing next to us, smiling pleasantly.
|~|~|~|~|~|
“Can I get closer to momma John?”
“No. Didn’t you hear the nurse say that it was dangerous?” She looked at him crossly, and then stuck her tongue out at me, looking pouty. I ignored the sign of trouble and turned around to ask the nurse something.
|~|~|~|~|~|
“That’s not an animal you heartless creep. She was human –,” I heard Jenny let out a shriek. Whirling around I saw that she had gotten close to what used to be our mother and had been bitten.
|~|~|~|~|~|
During the next couple of days I began noticing that Jenny seemed paler and sicker. She would eat less; go to the bathroom only once a day. When asked if everything was alright she would begin screaming that she was fine. I felt hopelessness.
|~|~|~|~|~|
Two years later, I had to send her away as well. I hated myself for it, I hated myself for allowing them to visit mother in the first place. I vowed that I would never come near them again in fear that Hugo or Marianna would get into the same situation.
|~|~|~|~|~|
I kept my vow. Hugo and Marianna never saw their little sister of mother again. I refused to let them seduce me into the notion. Once, they asked my boss to try and hold me longer on the job so that they could visit the sick family. I caught them in the act. We moved to a different country.
|~|~|~|~|~|
Hugo began to hate me for the betrayal. I told him to learn. He started skipping lessons. I told him not to become friends with the thugs that were known as Hell Pups at school. He didn’t listen. I told him not to take drugs. He started selling them. A year later he landed in jail for murdering a family while under alcohol. Added to that, somehow the police got hold of the fact that he sold drugs, he got more years in jail.
|~|~|~|~|~|
I moved for the final time, taking Marianna with me. She was the only one who still listened. I was able to make her see the world as it should be. I was able to keep her safe.
|~|~|~|~|~|
Ten years later, she married a wealthy businessman – he was charming and a gentleman. She had two children from him – one was named Eileen and the other Marietta.
|~|~|~|~|~|
I lost count of years, enjoying my life as the godfather of my two nieces, living with my sister and brother-in-law. I never remembered my mother, or Jenny, or Hugo.
|~|~|~|~|~|
He visited me late into midnight. Eileen and Marietta had been put to sleep; Marianna and Ted were out, celebrating their anniversary. I heard a knock, then another, and another.
|~|~|~|~|~|
“You’ve got it made here big brother. Everything you always wanted to have, family, good little children who treat you with respect. You forgot your family except the perfect little Marianna.” Hugo held me by the neck, pressing me into the wall, whispering into my ear.
“It’s your entire fault you know; your and father’s fault. Leaving mother alone, not giving her enough care; being too harsh to Jenny. Where have you been when I needed your help? Where have you been when I was struggling with my life? Away on this sunny little island. Pathetic b*****d.” He squeezed my throat slowly, making it hard to breathe, until his malicious face began to get misty, until everything seemed to swim on waves of indifference. Something hit me between the legs viciously, and I felt nothing from there on.
|~|~|~|~|~|
I woke up on a bed, Marianna sitting grimly next to it.
|~|~|~|~|~|
“Are the children alright?”
“Yes.” I felt relief flood my body and smiled.
|~|~|~|~|~|
“Why are you so sad?”
“Have a look at your arm.”
|~|~|~|~|~|
I hugged Eileen and Marietta tightly, kissing each on the head.
“Where are you going Uncle John? Will you be back soon?”
“It’s time I made my dream come true and traveled the world. Yes, I’ll be back,” I smiled at them.
“I hope you don’t get lost!”
“Don’t worry, silver flower, I won’t.”
|~|~|~|~|~|
It was in London where I met my last day. I woke up to feeling ravenous, but when I looked at food I wanted to vomit. I understood then.
|~|~|~|~|~|
Leaving the hotel, I walked the city till I reached a bridge that stood over a river. Climbing over the rail, I felt shaky, my breathing came in pants, and consciousness disappeared with seconds. I remembered no more.
|~|~|~|~|~|
“So the visitor was sick? That’s why Uncle John left? Not to put us in danger?”
“Yes. They found his body drowned. He committed suicide.”
|~|~|~|~|~|
The cure had been found by Eileen Portno – it cured Ursula and Jenny Olovo along with many other victims of the curse.
|~|~|~|~|~|
“What would you like to say about your drug Ms. Portno?”
“I wish I had discovered it before my godfather had been hurt by it. His whole family was struck down, and in the end, he himself was. I wish he didn’t have to hurt so much during his life.”
==Author's Note==
So...I hope this fits in for the December Oneshot Contest, and I hope it's still acceptable... Thanks - User:DraculaFan
Category:Axanda
Category:T Rated Story
Category:One-Shot
Category:DraculaFan