{"sf1_id":1480434,"sf2_id":"ynZgJDb1","title":"An Unusual Pregnancy","author":"WritersCrossing","words":722,"posted_at":"2019-08-23T00:47:00.000Z","tags":["Creative Writing","Male","Poem","Short Story","WritersCrossing","Writing prompt","greek","muse","short stories"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1480434-an-unusual-pregnancy","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/ynZgJDb1","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/d0/a1/d0a182e4-aa6a-420c-9f58-fe25bd64c687","description":"Writers Crossing writing prompt submission for the week starting 8/15/19 and ending 8/22/19 by  ChaonWriting prompt this week: You have been informed that you are pregnant\n\nGo fave the origional authors work at the link below if you enjoy! They deserve the credit for the work, so let them know!https://inkbunny.net/s/1952703\n\nPosted using PostyBirb","content":"Agreements are made when moneys are paid  \n  \nin exchange for the work of my pen.  \n  \nCommissions l gained, grotesque and mundane  \n  \nportraying the longings of Men.  \n  \nAlthough l have had affairs good and bad,  \n  \nyet the strangest accruing to me  \n  \nwas Renee de la Frere, for whom l would bear  \n  \nmy terrible dark pregnancy.  \n  \n  \n  \nOf Dame de la Frere; there's little to share,  \n  \nAs any commissioner knows -  \n  \nOur clients assume a fake nom de plume,  \n  \nRenee was the one that she chose.  \n  \nShe showed not her face, but fain would amaze  \n  \nmy muse through command of her quill,  \n  \ninspiring wit; to fave and critique...  \n  \nA fellow colleague in the field  \n  \n  \n  \nTo whom l would tell anxieties fel;  \n  \nEnough to confound or enrage  \n  \nCreators as we: the bleak scrutiny  \n  \nattained when l crumple a page  \n  \nunaltered and white, revealing my plight--  \n  \nO how she would giggle to see  \n  \nthe curses I'd say to hasten away  \n  \nthis drought which alighted on me.  \n  \n  \n  \nOn one such a day I courted Renee,  \n  \nmade reckless by clients and need  \n  \n``Ideas will not run, till writer-block's done,''  \n  \nQuoth I, ``What l would to be rid  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; of villain accursed; this block is the worst - ''  \n  \nLa Frere then replied thus to me  \n  \n``Should writer's block leave, what then wilt thou give?''  \n  \n``The firstborn related to thee?''  \n  \n  \n  \nNow let it be said that l was no maid,  \n  \nno maiden or lass or betrothed -  \n  \nA bachelor then; and clearly a man,  \n  \nsuch was the response that l wove:  \n  \nOne safe enough then; for l did not plan  \n  \nto wed or be burdened with child  \n  \nor infant or sprat - ``what say you to that?''  \n  \nThus would our troubles beguile.  \n  \n  \n  \n``The bargain is struck. Mortal Man, you're in luck -  \n  \nSuch favour would l show to thee  \n  \nas one who should dare; their suit thus to bear  \n  \nbefore my relations and me.  \n  \nAlthough it's an age, since men would engage  \n  \nour audience on Mount Helicon  \n  \nwhere Hesiod once did. As then our seed  \n  \nshall root and be pregnant hereon.''  \n  \n  \n  \nShe seemed so sincere, I couldn't say, ``Here,  \n  \nyou sure you're not pulling my leg?''  \n  \nNaught else would she say in Discord that day,  \n  \nsave `now our bargain is made'.  \n  \nThose words which l read conspired and bred  \n  \ndisquiet in one such as me  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; that night on the LAN, where I conceived then  \n  \nCalliope's dark progeny.  \n  \n  \n  \nPregnancy fair, (as I'm sure you're aware,)  \n  \nis perceived as a boon and a curse.  \n  \nThose fortnights which passed in fever aghast  \n  \nranked surely alongside the worst.  \n  \nI battled the chills, the cramps and the spills,  \n  \ninfused in creativity  \n  \nas line after line exited a mind  \n  \nin such undeterred urgency  \n  \n  \n  \nI labored and strove, delivered and drove  \n  \nnine months, with a week give or take,  \n  \nencountering squirts, occasional spurts  \n  \nof one I endeavored to slake.  \n  \nA bargain was made, a debt to be paid  \n  \nwhich hung like a burden on me  \n  \nO how l would nurse those letters accursed,  \n  \ntheir yet unresolved legacy  \n  \n  \n  \nThe letters piled high, the weeds to the sky,  \n  \nwell-wishers I sent far away.  \n  \nEntreated to fare to hence god-knows-where,  \n  \nrepeated, ``Not now, not today,''  \n  \nFor fires burn hot, and muse must be caught  \n  \nafore She supposes to go...  \n  \nThose nine months of hell I loved; loathed as well,  \n  \nas mothers perchance yet may know  \n  \n  \n  \nThus came to The-End, and stoppered my pen  \n  \nwith rather a sigh of relief:  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; The manuscript done, the madness has run  \n  \nits course was the thought l conceived.  \n  \nNo more need l slave for tribute I crave,  \n  \nsaw I that the story was Good  \n  \nAlas when l found, disinterest around  \n  \nwhen audience scarce understood  \n  \n  \n  \nAs you would expect, I then recollect  \n  \nthe bargain l now call accursed:  \n  \nTo sacrifice there my child to La Frere,  \n  \nnot reading the smaller print first.  \n  \nThat work which I made, was not of my stead,  \n  \ncommissioned by callous Renee  \n  \nwho's empowered to act, and rightly collect  \n  \nrewards once allotted to me  \n  \n  \n  \nSo writers beware, and artists have care  \n  \nlest careless transactions are made  \n  \nI curse yet the day, I first met Renee  \n  \nsurrendering thus to her stead.  \n  \nWhere words are my trade, commissions my bed,  \n  \nthe strangest I ever did see  \n  \nwas that I would bear to Ms De la Frere:  \n  \nThat firstborn she swindled from me  \n  \n\n"}