Becoming Maia

a story
by Maia
canon
2018-08-28 15:38:54,
2018-09-02 17:15:38
show more info

Beginnings - Part 1

"Alan, don't. I know you love your inventions, but this is too far," Eleanor protested. She looked over at their child, who was sitting on the floor playing with some metal gears Alan had given her. 

  She was three years old, and she was walking and talking well. She had a head of golden blond hair and had gray eyes that were almond-shaped and tilted slightly in. Eleanor was her mother and Alan was her father. They had named her Maia, and both loved her dearly.

  However, Eleanor was starting to doubt her husband's love for Maia. This idea proposal he had made was too much. She knew that Alan loved his inventions, and was always trying to find something to test them on, but she would not--would not--let him test them on their daughter.

 "Honey, it'll be amazing! Don't you realize how much greater Maia will be? She'll be able to fly!" He presented yet another point to Eleanor, which she immediately shot down. Her gaze turned back to him.

 "Oh, so now you're saying you don't appreciate her as she is? She's your--our--daughter!" Eleanor said yet again. Alan wasn't seeming to get that she was even human.

  He sighed. "I can't. I can't live like this. You get angry at me for going down to build, then I come up with something great and you don't appreciate it! How, Eleanor? How do you expect me to keep doing this?"

  "You come up with something great to test on our daughter! Are you insane? I'm beginning to think you are, because this is too far. Actually, if you can't live like this, take your inventions--" here she almost spit in disgust, "--and leave!"

 "And you think I'm cruel! You're taking her father away if you do this, which is more of a mental loss than my plan is. Do you know how that will hurt her? What about in ten years, when you'll have to tell her? She's going to be heartbroken, and infuriated at you. You! Do you get that?" He jabbed a finger into her chest.

  Eleanor's voice suddenly became deadly quiet. "No, she won't. She won't get mad at me, because when I explain why you had to leave, she will be mad at you. Because, unlike you, we are sane. We are compassionate people that don't use other people for their kids to experiment on."

  He gasped. "I didn't use you, no, I love you--"

  She pushed him backwards by pressing her palm into his chest. He didn't say anything as she led him to the downstairs door and opened it. She pushed him down, and he almost lost his balance, but regained his footing and stood looking up at her from the first step down.

 "Go pack your things. You're leaving, and you're never coming back." Eleanor put ice and steel into her voice. Her heart had already hardened.

 His face hardened. "I'll be coming back. You can count on that."

She slammed the door and waited until his steps sounded on the basement stairs, gradually fading away. 

He could leave through the basement door. No need to come up here, she thought, and locked the door.

She turned away, checked on Maia, then went into her room and started getting rid of his things--mostly pictures. His stuff was all downstairs.

"Maia?" she called.

"Yeah?" Her small voice carried to Eleanor as she walked down the hallway, towards the dining room.

"We're moving."


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