"Help, I haven't got my body on." Alexandra cried out.

She had been living the life of a woman for only the first time in her existence, and was finding it difficult to comprehend the changes that were occurring. She had been longing for her first child since her Mother had been walking round in a visibly pregnant state. She loved her Mothers round appearance, the way she swayed as she tried to walk as best she could. She wanted to have that walk, and practised it secretly in front of the long mirror in her room.

Alexandra seemed to think that red was a poignant colour in womanhood, and she now adored all shades of red. She would only wear the brightest shades of reds that she could find amongst her clothing.

" Alex, teas ready." Her Mother was shouting from the kitchen.

" Coming Mother."

The family sat at a large table set with red napkins, table mats and recycled wine glasses. Alexandra noticed that she had a glass set at her place on the table. She was now an official woman at the table, she thought.

The family were a mere threesome. Herself, mother and the lump behind her mothers apron, one day to be a brother or sister.

Her Mother looked tired and ashened faced. Her hair tied back in a bun at the nape of her neck now not so tidy. She was looking older and warn.

Her Mother had placed the dishes of food and a bottle of wine at the table. The wine had taken its place as head of the table for that evening. In fact, some kind of object had always taken that place as the Father of the ritual gathering.

" Oh god, oh god it hurts." Shouted her Mother, now grimacing and clutching at the lump.

" What's wrong Mum, why are you crying, is it the lump?"

Her Mother could not speak, but rose from the table and hurried as best she could towards the bathroom.

Alexandra lifted the lid of the first bowl, thinking it had been something her Mother had eaten, but the bowl was empty, all of them were.

Alexandra was taken by her next door neighbour for the rest of that evening. She didn't even have time to take her coat hanging on a peg in the hallway.

The next day she was taken home. She knew that her Mother had not been well, but know one had given any explanation as to why she was taken to stay next door that evening. Her Mother looked different now, she walked as if in constant pain, and her face showed no sign of any response to anything. Alexandra noticed that the lump had shrunk considerably under her Mothers clothing.

The fire was hot, and the flames rose as high as the ceiling. Alexandra decided that she had no need for her red clothes any more, she had given death to all of them. She put it down to a miscarriage of justice.

Bloke

Bloke sat at the table stabbing away at the food in front of him. His wife congregating at the kitchen sink again, with the usual crowd of dishes present.

" What do ya call this then?"

His usual line with the beginnings of, "can't ya make decent grub woman, or do I have come in there and give ya a few lessons?"

His lessons where of an unpleasant and brutal nature, that she went to great lengths to play truant from.

Slouched at the table, now full up with belly ache, he contemplated the last piece of bloody meat on his plate. Approaching it the usual manor, stabbing at it with the end of a sharp knife. However, on this particular occasion, it was not to be a repeat performance of the usual events that followed these ritualistic activities. Something rather strange took place. The meat on the end of the knife did not separate from its blade. The blade had come loose, and unbeknown to him, he had washed it down with the last of a fine ale. He had not noticed it, and continued to abuse his wife with words of his undoubted wisdom!

The blade now finding its home, began to carve its way through his body. It had begun to prepare its own meal for her, in the form of a new person inside of him.

" Get me some indigestion tablets woman, this steak must not have been cooked properly. Either that or your trying to do me in ya bitch."

The anger began to well up inside her, the waves crashing the dirty plates together as she hummed her song at sea. She knew he hated her humming, but in her own way she could get him back for the hurt without fear of his hands doing her any harm.

" Will you stop that awful racket, and hurry up with those pills woman."

The body of the other now complete, listened intensely to the beautiful sounds she was making, amist the grumbling of an aggravated stomach ulcer. The body longing to come out of the bloke so that it could hear better.

Bloke started to cough, his face turning a sea of midnight blue as he choked on the body. Its head now just inches away from his pharynx.

" What's the matter?" Shouted his wife.

Bloke was heaving and his wife was in a state of panic or was it excitement. Some how she felt a place deep down inside her enjoying the display. She couldn't help but feel some revenge and enjoyment from his suffering. However, her conscience was getting the better of her, and she looked inside of blokes mouth to see if she could dislodge what was restricting his breathing. To her horror, she observed two eyes in the back of his throat and with that, fled the room screaming. Body decided it was time to come out.