All right, well... Here is Part One of little Alice's tragic tale. This is the sad part. The part where nothing good happens. If you would like to skip this and wait for Part Two: Alice's Discovery, you may. I wanted desperately to get all of the fluffy nice stuff out of the way first, but it's been months and it never came. So I thought that this would be better than nothing. Look for Part Two, which will be shorter, but much more positive than this. At least I hope so. lol
WARNING: THIS OUTTAKE CONTAINS MATURE THEMES SUCH AS HARSH LANGUAGE, ABUSE, NEGLECT, AND NON-CONSENSUAL SEX. (Though I could never do that to a baby, even in writing. She is safe on that count. Promise.)
If any of these things are offensive to you, please skip this update and do not tell me how angry you are that I put this out into the world. I didn't invent the shit these people do, I just wrote about it.
Oh, and I still don't own anything you might recognize.
It was past midnight on a weeknight. That only meant one thing: Frank was out drinking again. Time flew quickly as Mary Ann prepared for his arrival. Sharp objects needed to be hidden. Any light, solid objects had to be secured. Frantically, she shoved an umbrella, a small lamp, and everything around the fireplace into the lockable hall coat closet. He would have his belt on, and that would be enough.
"Shit!" She cursed, checking the time.
It was almost two thirty; he would be home any minute.
"Mary," she whispered sweetly. "Mary, it's time to get up."
"Mommy?" Mary whispered sleepily, rubbing her eyes vigorously with tiny fists. She had seen Mickey do it on a cartoon once and thought that it was what one was supposed to do when waking. Mary was very smart for a just-turned-three-year-old and liked to learn through imitation. Thus far, she had not been impressed with eye rubbing. It hurt.
"Mary, Daddy wants to play a game. He wants to play Hide and Seek. Do you remember how to play that game? You were so good at it the last time." Mary Ann longed for the days when she could just put the baby in the closet and lock the door. Things were getting complicated, and she didn't know how long she'd be able to keep this up. As if the Devil had heard her prayers, Mary chose that night to disobey.
"No, Mommy," Mary pouted. Mary's daddy was always wanting to play games. She had spent so much time in dark spaces, playing Hide and Seek, she couldn't even remember who she was supposed to be hiding from. Mary wanted to see her daddy, and Mary wanted to sleep. She did not know which she wanted more, but she knew one thing: "Don' wanna pay wif Daddy no more!"
"Yes you do, sweetie," Mary Ann cooed. "Just for a little while. Super secret spy, okay? Don't let Daddy find you." She picked her daughter up gently, but Mary really did not want to play.
"No, Mommy! No!" She cried, kicking and screaming. "NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!"
It was 2:35 and Mary Ann was out of time. She threw Mary into the crawl space and slammed the door shut. "You will do what you are told, Mary Alice Brandon!" she yelled through choking sobs. "You… You've been a very bad girl, and you must be punished!"
"No!" Mary yelled, pummeling the door with her tiny fists. The door barely rattled, but it was enough.
"YOU FUCKING STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!"
"Mommy…" Mary whispered. Her mother had said the word. The very worst word in the whole wide world. Bad things happened when people said that word. Mommy said so.
"You have been so bad, Mary!" She continued to lie. It made her want to vomit, but what choice did she have? "You made me say the word, Mary. Now they're coming to get you!"
"It… It was a…a," Mary tried valiantly to summon the word, but it was an impossibly large one for such a small child. Luckily for her, Mary's mother knew it too.
"It may have been an accident, Mary, but you made me do it! Mommy can protect you, but only if you're hiding, understand? When Daddy comes home, he will want to play, but he doesn't know the bad man is coming. You have to stay quiet, Mary. Absolutely silent. Do not answer your Daddy when he calls for you! Do not talk to the bad man! Do not even breathe louder than a mouse! Do you understand me?" Shit, that was Frank's car in the driveway. It was imperative that her daughter stay unfound. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"
"Yes, Mommy," Mary sniffled.
"Take the key, Mary," Mary Ann whispered as the front door shook. He wasn't even bothering with the handle tonight.
Mary looked down to see that a key had been slipped under the door and was resting at her feet.
"When I ask you to give it back, you slide it under like I did, okay? Only me. Starting now, you don't say anything. Not until this door is open, or else the bad man will get you. Okay, Mary?"
As instructed, Mary did not answer, and Mary Ann sent up a prayer: Thank you, God for a smart and obedient child.
The thought had only just completed, when a large crash resounded through the house. Frank couldn't get through the door, so he had broken a window instead. It made perfect sense to him.
"Mary Ann! Open the GOD! DAMN! DOOR!"
Mary Ann raced to obey. In the back of her mind, she knew that she should be moving in the opposite direction, but if only he would get sober again, this would never be a problem. He had never hit her before they were married. Not once. It was only after their nuptials, after she'd had Mary. He had gone off with that friend of his one night – Royce something or other – to "celebrate". Since then, he'd gone out every morning as Frank Brandon, the man she loved, and come back this… monster… drunk and ever eager to cause pain.
From her spot on the floor, Mary heard a lot of things. She heard crashes and bangs and lots and lots of screaming. Mary's mommy was crying so loud, it hurt Mary's head to listen to it. She cried and cried for her mommy, wishing she hadn't said the word, wishing she hadn't made her. It was all Mary's fault that this was happening; she knew it. Mommy was protecting her from that bad man, Frank, and he was hurting her. He was making her cry, and it was all Mary's fault.
But she did as Mommy had told her to do. She stayed hidden. She stayed quiet. She pretended to be a super secret spy, like on TV. She pretended to be a bug on a rug, a flower, a statue, any number of things she knew that stayed still and quiet.
Mary heard a scream so loud, she had to move to cover ears. She hoped the bad man wouldn't notice. When Mommy was finished screaming, it was completely silent. Mommy was gone, Mary thought. Mommy was hurt by the bad man, and she was never coming back, and it was all Mary's fault.
Mary began to cry, but was careful not to breathe too much. The bad man was still out there. Where was her daddy? Mary thought. Why wasn't he here to save them? Daddies fixed things, Mary knew because she'd seen it in the movies. Daddies loved their Mommies and their daughters, and protected them fiercely. When Daddy came home, he would chase away the bad man, save Mommy, and find Mary in her hidey-hole, and then they would all live happily ever after. Everybody had to fight a bad man or a wicked witch at some time or another, but they always lived happily ever after. Mommy said so.
"Get up!" The bad man screamed. "I said get the fuck up, bitch! Ah… who needs ya? I got another lil toy 'round 'ere someplace."
Mary heard the bad man walk past her and into the bedroom, crashing and banging into things as he went. Doors and drawers were slammed as she listened, waiting to see what the bad man wanted – although she knew. There was only one reason for him to still be there, the reason he had come in the first place.
"Mary," he called. "Where are you, you little shit?"
Mary did not answer. Even if she'd wanted to, she probably couldn't. There were no words in the grown-up world for the amount of fear that she was feeling, and so the toddler truly had no hope of expressing herself. But then, the voice changed.
"Mary, it's your daddy. Please come out and play?"
The relief of hearing her father's voice almost proved too much. Mary almost answered. But then she remembered the bad man. He was still out there. Why hadn't her daddy seen him?
"You have until I count to three to come out, or I will beat the ever-loving shit out of you! Do you hear me, Mary?" It was the bad man. He had almost tricked her. He had almost made her believe that he was her daddy come to play. She was even more terrified than ever knowing that he had the power to do that.
"She's… she's not here." That had been her mommy, Mary was sure of it.
"What d'ya mean, she's not fucking here?" Frank rounded on Mary Ann. He had thought he'd knocked her unconscious. He would have to do better next time. "Where would she go? She's a baby for chrissakes, and you ain't got no fuckin' family."
"I gave her up," said Mary Ann. "At the fire station."
The look on Frank's face said that he wasn't buying it, so she embellished. She only prayed that God – and Mary – would someday forgive her.
"She was gettin' in the way, baby. Everything was fine until that brat came along. I miss you, baby. I miss being your woman. I miss thinking of you and only you." Mary Ann sobbed angrily, trying to sell it as hatred of her own daughter, which only fueled her hatred of herself.
"It was good, wasn't it?" Frank's alcohol-tainted mind had moved on from anger and was now piecing together memories of their pre-child life. He'd never have to worry if he was making enough then. He had never had to work late. He'd never come home to a quiet house and no dinner before the little shit was born.
Reading his expression, Mary Ann pushed him farther down that track – the track that led away from hurting Mary. "Remember how I used to be waiting for you right here?" She tried to sit up, but her leg was broken. She knew Frank wouldn't care though, and for now, neither would she. "I used to stand here in nothing but my lingerie so that I could greet you properly when you got home from work, remember? And when we were done, dinner was ready, and I would serve you… naked."
Frank's eyes had become hooded as he licked his lips. Yeah, he remembered.
"We would go all night without a care in the world. No one was there to hear us, or stop us. There were no distractions. Mary was a distraction. I got rid of her. Now we can go back to how it was, to how it's supposed to be."
He moved so that he was standing over her, rubbing his dick through his jeans. The sight disgusted Mary Ann. She knew then that she would leave him. She would suck him off or let him fuck her, whatever he wanted, then, as soon as he was asleep, she would grab Mary and make a run for it.
"Tell me you're sorry," he commanded. "Beg for my forgiveness."
"I'm so sorry, baby," Mary Anne started. "I never meant to neglect you. I-"
"Show me, baby," he breathed, palming his erection. "Make me believe it. Let me know that I'm the only one you care about."
oOoOo
Mary listened while her mommy said the most horrible things; it seemed to go on for hours. Her mommy didn't love her. Her mommy never wanted her. Her mommy wished she was never born. And when she was done, the bad man would tell her to say it all again. When Mommy wasn't talking, she was crying, and whenever she would cry, the bad man would hit her.
Mary heard so much slapping and screaming, but sometimes, she thought, her mommy would fight back. The man would make such horrible sounds: gurgles and moans like he was getting sick and couldn't breathe. Finally, the bad man screamed. Mary hoped he was dying. She hoped he died and went away and never came back. She hoped he fell in a hole like the Evil Queen or that her daddy would come and slay him like a dragon.
But when he was done screaming, the bad man started talking. "Fuck, that was good, baby," he said. He always used the bad words. "But ya know what would make it better?"
"What, baby, what?" Mommy said. "Anything to make it better."
There was a loud crash, but no scream. Mary was scared.
"This'll be so much better without all your fucking whimpering," the bad man said, and then he started getting sick again. Mommy didn't talk this time. Mommy had left her alone.
Mary eventually fell asleep, dreaming horrible dreams about her daddy coming to find her, but she was stuck on the top of a tower. Then the bad man came and threw up on her, and her mommy said she was too dirty now and she didn't want her anymore. Then her mommy died.
When she woke up again, the house was quiet. She wanted to call out for her mommy, but she didn't think that she was there. And where was the bad man? No, she should stay quiet and still until Mommy came back for her.
oOoOo
Mary's tummy started to rumble. She hoped he wouldn't hear it. Mommy was gone a long time. She wanted her daddy to save her. Where was he?
oOoOo
There were lots of loud noises. Sirens and people yelling.
"I've got a pulse!" said a man.
"She's fading fast!" said another.
"They have a baby!" screamed a woman. Mary thought it sounded like Mrs. Nathan from next door. She always gave good candy. Mary wanted to call out to her, to tell her she wanted to be saved, but she remembered what her Mommy said. Super secret spy.
"Mary!" Mrs. Nathan called. "Mary!"
"Ma'am, you have to wait outside. There's no sign of a baby."
"She's two," Mrs. Nathan insisted. "Mary! You have to come out. These men are here to help, Mary."
"You can't be here, ma'am. Please step outside. Marcus! Neighbor says there's a two-year-old child. Clear the building before you leave."
The sirens went away, but one man remained. He called out for Mary. He said he was her friend. He said he wanted to play with her. Mary had heard all this before. When he rattled her door, Mary nearly screamed. No one but Mommy knew the super secret hideout.
"What's this little door here?" he called out.
"The crawl space," Mrs. Nathan answered. "Three by three cube with a dirt floor. Mary could never get in there; they always keep it locked."
"Looks like she's not here. Lucky thing, too. Poor kid." There was a crackle, and the man spoke in a louder, scarier voice. "Twenty-One to dispatch. House is clear. Toddler MIA. Checking with the neighbors."
There was another crackle and another voice answered. "Copy, Twenty-One. Stand-by for update."
"Copy."
"You're sure?" Mrs. Nathan asked.
"Ma'am, there's no one here. You did a good thing here today. I'll make sure you're notified when she's found."
After that there was no noise. No Mommy. No bad man. No nothing.
Mary listened. Mary slept. Mary wished she could be eating.
One time, Mary fell asleep and didn't wake back up.
You already know she gets a happy ending, right? So please, please don't kill me. The next part will be Mary/Alice's rescue and introduction to the Cullens. So... not exactly bright and shiny, but at least good things will happen. If you have a sad that won't go away, re-read the beginning of the one-shot. See that adorable little fae-ling? Yeah, it's gonna be okay.
Obviously, no beta was used in the making of this outtake. But let me know what you think, eh?
Talk at ya soon!
~Lex
