The general nature of a personification is that it appears, rather than is born. A creature not born--and having no parents--must be instilled with survival means, and even a personification not following the usual creation process, who is born of two other personifications, will have abilities that humans lack. These advantages are no guarantee of success. They only serve as a starting point for a personification to move up from, where a human--if forced to survived solo as an infant--would, without a doubt, die.
Virginia Jones grasped details, but she could not clearly see the whole picture. It was too big for her (and what was she, if her father represented all the people that had come to this land?)
Children from the settlement had two parents, a man and a woman; Virginia had America, who was one person and a boy. America was her father but he made Virginia call him "Alfred," so people would think they were brother and sister; children of the settlers were never allowed to call their parents by first name. The settlers needed a group of people and several days to get projects done; America could do the work of three of them in a single day.
Many things did not make sense to her, but Virginia had no trouble understanding that no one was to ever know she was America's child, or terrible things would happen to them both.
***
In many ways, America felt more like an older brother than a father to Virginia. Maybe it was because she wasn't allowed to call him father, or because America looked so inexplicably young. He took care of her, he was the only guardian she'd ever known--but he didn't feel like a parent.
It had always been just the two of them. That was what Virginia was used to.
Netherlands disrupted the life Virginia and America had. Worse, he didn't even bother sticking around for America, when in the days and weeks afterward, something had clearly changed with him.
He got clingy. He made Virginia sleep in his bed, when she hadn't slept with him since she was three. He seemed to have lost the will to do much of anything these days and kept asking her what she wanted to do. She didn't get why he asked, when he just fell asleep no matter what they were doing, or withdrew early to go eat something. Virginia was seriously wondering if she was going to have to start looking after him, with how spacey America had become, when he asked her if she had ever wanted a little brother or sister.
Which explained the weight gain, but she wondered what America would have done if she'd said no, she didn't want a sibling.
***
Now that it was plain to see that the baby causing America's stomach to swell was also the reason for America's newfound weariness, Virginia felt a sense of obligation to help him. The baby was clearly a hindrance! But hopefully once it was born--and America was free from its obnoxious influence--America would be himself again. A baby brother or sister would be fine, added to their lives, once everything was back on track.
And it wasn't like Netherlands was going to come back to protect America and the baby.
Virginia's intentions were good, but in hindsight, she had to admit she started off too ambitiously; doing smaller things for America would have been more useful, because the rifle incident turned America into a nervous wreck and instead of just being exhausted and worried about the coming baby, he was exhausted and worrying over everything.
***
What happened was a bear wandered near the house one day.
America always told Virginia not to bother animals and they wouldn't bother her, but Virginia had seen America fire his rifle many times and he'd taught her how to skin and gut animals--what if she took down this bear? Imagine how much trouble she'd be saving him! It would be forever before he'd have to hunt anything again!
As soon as the rifle was in her hands, she got a guilty premonition that this was not something that would make America in any way happy. Still, she really wanted to use the firearm herself.
"Stay in the yard!" she hissed at the bear. It was looking in another direction. The animal was so close that Virginia could see the shagginess of its coat. Its patchy fur wasn't pretty like that of the smaller game America hunted.
All is Not As it Seems - 4a
Virginia Jones grasped details, but she could not clearly see the whole picture. It was too big for her (and what was she, if her father represented all the people that had come to this land?)
Children from the settlement had two parents, a man and a woman; Virginia had America, who was one person and a boy. America was her father but he made Virginia call him "Alfred," so people would think they were brother and sister; children of the settlers were never allowed to call their parents by first name. The settlers needed a group of people and several days to get projects done; America could do the work of three of them in a single day.
Many things did not make sense to her, but Virginia had no trouble understanding that no one was to ever know she was America's child, or terrible things would happen to them both.
***
In many ways, America felt more like an older brother than a father to Virginia. Maybe it was because she wasn't allowed to call him father, or because America looked so inexplicably young. He took care of her, he was the only guardian she'd ever known--but he didn't feel like a parent.
It had always been just the two of them. That was what Virginia was used to.
Netherlands disrupted the life Virginia and America had. Worse, he didn't even bother sticking around for America, when in the days and weeks afterward, something had clearly changed with him.
He got clingy. He made Virginia sleep in his bed, when she hadn't slept with him since she was three. He seemed to have lost the will to do much of anything these days and kept asking her what she wanted to do. She didn't get why he asked, when he just fell asleep no matter what they were doing, or withdrew early to go eat something. Virginia was seriously wondering if she was going to have to start looking after him, with how spacey America had become, when he asked her if she had ever wanted a little brother or sister.
Which explained the weight gain, but she wondered what America would have done if she'd said no, she didn't want a sibling.
***
Now that it was plain to see that the baby causing America's stomach to swell was also the reason for America's newfound weariness, Virginia felt a sense of obligation to help him. The baby was clearly a hindrance! But hopefully once it was born--and America was free from its obnoxious influence--America would be himself again. A baby brother or sister would be fine, added to their lives, once everything was back on track.
And it wasn't like Netherlands was going to come back to protect America and the baby.
Virginia's intentions were good, but in hindsight, she had to admit she started off too ambitiously; doing smaller things for America would have been more useful, because the rifle incident turned America into a nervous wreck and instead of just being exhausted and worried about the coming baby, he was exhausted and worrying over everything.
***
What happened was a bear wandered near the house one day.
America always told Virginia not to bother animals and they wouldn't bother her, but Virginia had seen America fire his rifle many times and he'd taught her how to skin and gut animals--what if she took down this bear? Imagine how much trouble she'd be saving him! It would be forever before he'd have to hunt anything again!
As soon as the rifle was in her hands, she got a guilty premonition that this was not something that would make America in any way happy. Still, she really wanted to use the firearm herself.
"Stay in the yard!" she hissed at the bear. It was looking in another direction. The animal was so close that Virginia could see the shagginess of its coat. Its patchy fur wasn't pretty like that of the smaller game America hunted.