1. The Changeling Baby


    Date: 1/1/2016, Categories: Supernatural, Author: TamLin, Rating: 3, Source: LushStories

    wait. *** They came back that night. William went to the window and even opened it, confident that if they wanted to hurt him they'd had plenty of opportunities already. The fog was hovering low tonight and it drifted, cold and wet, into his room. "I won’t help you,” he said. The creatures assumed pained expressions. "You don't understand," said the troll father. "Our son is—" "Downstairs in the Menskrs’ apartment. And you need me to do something so you can go and get him back. But what about the Menskrs’ real son? Why did you take him?" "It's the way of things," said the troll father. "It's how we get by. There are so few of us left anymore, and it's so hard for us to have children of our own." "It's so easy for humans," said the troll mother. Bitterness tinted her voice. "They could just have another baby without even trying. Not like us." "We can’t leave my son here. You’re young, but can’t you imagine what it’s like?” William crossed his arms. "I guess," he said. "But I won't do anything to help you unless you bring the real baby back." "That's impossible," said the troll father. "You don't even know how impossible that is.” William thought about what it would be like growing up among monsters, always knowing that you're different but never knowing where you come from or what happened to you, never knowing that somewhere out there were people who loved you and never forgot about you. His heart hardened. "Yeah?" he said. "Well, neither do you." And he turned his back on ...
    them. When he turned around again a moment later they were gone. He shivered and rubbed his bare arms, then went to close the window. Just before he did, he heard it: the sound of a creaky window frame sliding shut and latching right over his head. Was that Nissa? Her bedroom was right above his; had her window been open? Had she heard everything? William bit his lip. He wanted to run upstairs, pound on her door, and ask her everything right then and there, but he forced himself to lie down. He would have to wait until morning. His heart did little jumps at the thought of her. That was normal, but now there was an even more special reason: If Nissa had been eavesdropping, William would finally, completely know that the trolls were real. He stared at the ceiling again and imagined Nissa lying in bed right over him. He turned to his side and scooted over, leaving one half of the bed empty. He imagined she might be lying on the other side of her own bed right over him, so that it would almost be like they were sleeping side by side. In the night, in his sleep, one of his hands dangled off the bed, and the other reached out for her, even though she was never really there. *** It was Sunday. His parents had church on Sundays, though for reasons he was never entirely clear on they'd never brought him along or even suggested he accompany them. William didn't mind. He figured there might as well be some upside to their disinterest in him. He watched his mother smooth the fabric of her ...
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