Disclaimer: I don't own The Worst Witch and the quote used comes from a line in the song 'Mother Stands For Comfort' (though the song has nothing to do with the content of this fic!) by Kate Bush.
A/N: Happy New Year!
What do you mean '...but it's nearly the end of February?! ' Tis' the thought that counts, ya know! ;)
*Hand out cookies/carrot sticks as way of an apology for being late.*
So.. it seems like my muse has finally decided to return to me *I hope* and without any explanation of where she has been lurking for the past four months! However, as long as she doesn't expect me to foot the legal bill, I shall let it slide. Though I am watching her very very carefully...
Anyway, her return has meant I've finally been able to finish this one-shot, which I have had half-started..okay I've had the first few lines... in my laptop files for the past few months. As you are probably aware I am a massive fan of Kate Bush and, like with most songs, I have a favourite line and my favourite line in this song was just begging to be used for creative purposes... ;)
I might do a continuing part for the staff scene in the corridor, but I haven't decided yet. Or written anything.
I'm off to the West-End for the weekend or- as I like to call it - 'Laaaandaaaan'; so any reviews/comments etc will be replied to at the start of next week.
Hope you enjoy!
S
x
"It breaks the cage, fear escapes and takes possession." - Kate Bush.
Breaks The Cage
"Do we know the name of our visitor?"
"Um...yes," Amelia replied before placing her cup on its saucer and reaching for the letter she'd received earlier that morning. "It's here somewhere...," she broke off as her eyes quickly scanned the letters content until they found what they were looking for. "...Mistress Heckitty Broomhead." With that she casually placed the letter back on the table, thinking nothing more of it.
'Mistress Heckitty Broomhead.'
Three words.
Just three little words.
And in particular those three little words, was all it took for time to come to a complete standstill. The world around her seemed to stop as the minutes past; minutes that to her felt like they lasted for an eternity, before it came crashing down; breaking into hundreds of tiny fragments at her feet. Everything in existence slowly faded away to nothing as she fell deep into the chasms of her own mind; the murky depths of the past and the horrific memories she had tried, and failed, to bury with it beginning to breach the surface one by one.
'Mistress Heckitty Broomhead.'
It was a name she'd never expected to hear again. It was a name associated with her nightmares; it was the name solely responsible for every ounce of misery she had encountered in her life thus far. It was a name she'd never wanted to hear again. Not ever and yet, here it was.
'Mistress Heckitty Broomhead.'
It had to be someone's idea of a cruel and twisted joke.
It couldn't be true.
It just couldn't...
Something resembling a small squeak echoed around the room and it was a few moments before she realised that it had in fact fallen from her own lips. It was as if someone had just punched her in the stomach; the wind instantly knocked out of her.
She didn't know what to say.
She didn't know what to think.
Her limbs felt heavier than normal and as her body finally caught up with the staggering revelation that had struck her mind and completely knocked her for six, she slowly sank into the vacant chair. With one single thought running through her mind.
Heckitty Broomhead was coming to Cackle's Academy...
...and she had nowhere to run.
After all this time her past had finally found her; whether it was by mere coincidence or not she did not know and if she were truly honest with herself, she did not want to know. She didn't even want to consider the mere notion that Heckitty Broomhead had in fact been spying on her the whole time. God, it made her skin crawl! To even think that all those years, all those years she had considered herself to have some element of freedom away from her former tutors iron-fist control, there was a possibility that her worst nightmare had actually been watching her like a hawk and waiting; biding her time and finally getting ready to strike.
It made her feel sick.
Beyond sick.
Her body shook as every single nerve ending trembled with a fear she hadn't felt in almost 20 years and her usually sharp mind collapsed into itself as the panic rose within her. All logic and coherence was lost; aside from that one name which chanted in her head.
'Mistress Heckitty Broomhead.'
Getting louder.
'Mistress Heckitty Broomhead.'
And louder.
'Mistress Heckitty Broomhead.'
It was like a private performance reserved especially for her own mind.
Nothing would drown it out.
Those three words screeched over and over again; like nails being scraped down a blackboard. She just wanted to make it stop. She had to make it stop. Somewhere in the haze of her spinning mind, as her state of inner emotional turmoil reached near-breaking point, she heard Davina's voice break through into her thoughts.
"What's the matter Constance?"
She opened her mouth to answer but the words never came out.
"Yes, what's the matter Constance?" the voice sneered, driving itself deeper into her mind as it continued to mock her. "Not scared are we?"
It was a question that didn't need answered, for both already knew the answer.
'Stop it...Please.'
"Oh, I've only started girl. Believe me! And you never ask anything; you do as you're told. Remember?!"
'Why...why are you doing this?'
"...Because I can."
An empty laugh; one completely devoid of any emotion, rang through her mind. It was a laugh that told her that Heckitty Broomhead was in control and there was nothing she could do to stop her.
Her eyes flitted wildly around the room; truly expecting to find Heckitty standing there.
Watching.
Criticising.
Judging.
Yet...there was nobody there.
Mind games were a Heckitty Broomhead specialty and she couldn't be certain whether the exchange of words had really taken place or not...
It had felt so real.
A shiver ran down her spine at the thought.
...she strongly hoped that it hadn't.
It was at that moment she realised that she was still sitting in the staffroom, with three sets of her eyes on her; all of whom were understandably slightly perturbed with her reaction to the news of the inspection or most specifically the identity of the inspector. Snapping back to reality she slowly raised her head to meet that of her colleagues and from somewhere found the strength to utter a single sentence; the delivery shaky and a far cry from her usually sharp and confident tones and her eyes, normally so self-assured, turned to the eyes of a frightened child; one who had just been cornered by the monster they feared the most.
"Ladies be afraid, be very afraid..."