New York - Church of the Second Salemers - 1918
"7, 8, 9, 10! Okay I'm gonna find you!" Credence said, letting a rare small smile flicker on his face as he heard his little sister Solara, giggling from upstairs. Of course he knew she wasn't really his sister, he had been there when Mary Lou adopted her into their patchwork…family.
He walked up the stairs and into the area that contained his bed and Solara's little bed on the opposite wall. By the muffled sound of giggles it seemed that Solara had her hand over her mouth to try and stifle the sound of her laughter.
"I wonder where Lara could be… found you!" he said as he crouched down and pulled the little girl out from under her bed, still giggling.
"You always find me!" the ten year old said and another fleeting smile passed over Credence's face.
"Because you always hide in the same place" he said, and then frowned slightly as something caught his eye. It must have rolled out when he pulled Solara out from under the bed. He crouched down and picked up the small wooden object.
The small wooden wand.
He looked from the wand to Solara who had stopped giggling and was now looking up at him anxiously with her sea green eyes.
"I-it's just a toy Creed! Really, just-just a toy I promise!"
"It's okay Lara. We-we just need to get rid of it before Ma-"
"Credence? What are you doing?"
Both Barebone kids jumped at the sound of their adopted mother's voice and span around to face her.
"N-nothing Ma" all the carefree happiness had dropped like a stone out of Credence's voice as he stared at the floor, holding his hands behind his back in an attempt to subtly hide the toy wand.
Mary Lou stood looking severely at the teenager and child in front of her.
"Credence" she said in a carefully measured tone "What is in your hands? Show it to me. Now."
His shoulder sagging in defeat Credence revealed the wand to his mother. Mary Lou's eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared before she slapped the wand, violently out of his hands, making him wince.
The wand rolled along the floor and disappeared through a crack in a loose floorboard.
"How. Dare. You. Bring something so blasphemous into the church, against everything we stand for!" she seethed as she advanced on Credence who backed away until his spine collided with the wall.
"It's not his! It was mine!" Solara called out and Mary Lou's head whipped round to look at Solara who gulped but stood her ground.
"Credence should have known better!" she snapped at the little girl before making a sinister promise "I will deal with you later Faith!"
Faith.
That was what Mary Lou had told Solara her name was now when she had adopted her.
"Solara" she had scoffed "Nasty, ungodly name. No, now you are called Faith."
She had said to the little girl. Only Credence called her by her real name, Solara, and only when they were out of earshot of Mary Lou.
Now, Mary Lou looked back at Credence, who was trembling slightly.
"Take it off and give it to me. Now."
Solara closed her eyes.
She knew Mary Lou wouldn't let her leave. She almost always made Solara stay when she beat Credence, as a way of inspiring fear in her youngest adoptee.
So she closed her eyes and tried to ignore the sound of Credence's belt unbuckling before he handed to the woman who called herself their mother.
When the first strike sounded something in the small, skinny little girl overwhelmed her fear of her 'mother'.
"Leave him alone!" she shouted running forwards and standing between Mary Lou and Credence, who was now crouched, cowering on the floor, his head in his hands.
"Leave him alone." She said again a little quieter, staring defiantly up at Mary Lou.
"Move out of the way Faith. NOW!" Mary Lou said shrilly, but Solara just shook her head. So Mary Lou, grabbed her by her upper arms (the metal of Credence belt buckle digging into her skin) shook her violently before throwing her to the floor to the right.
What happened next seemed to happen in slow motion for little Solara.
Mary Lou raised the belt high, aiming to bring it crashing down on Credence.
Credence bowed his head, seeming to accept his fate.
Solara picked herself up from the ground and yelled
"I SAID LEAVE HIM ALONE!"
And suddenly a pulse of… something…emanated from Solara making the ground shake, the glass in the windows rattle and sending Mary Lou flying off her feet.
And then just as quickly as it had started…
It ended.
Everything was still aside from Credence slowly getting to his feet, nursing his hands and Solara taking several deep breaths.
She blinked. Looking at the crumpled, unconscious form of Mary Lou and started to tremble.
What had just happened?
Had she just-
She didn't have time to think much more because, as Mary Lou let out a low moan and began to stir, Credence grabbed her winter coat in one arm and Solara's shaking left hand with his free one and began to pull her towards the stairs.
As he pulled her along Credence stammered
"C-c'mon. C'm-c'mon. Be-be-before she wakes up. You-you need t' run."
"Credence I'm scared! I-I don't know what happened!" but Credence didn't speak just continued to pull her forwards, pausing only to snatch a fistful of money from the church donation tin.
They had reached the back door of the church and Credence crouched down in front of the frightened and confused little girl.
"Y-you need to go. You cant stay here now. Go home, a-and find your mom. Take this." he put the money he had stolen from the donation tin into Solara's pocket. "Now go!"
He pushed her towards the door but Solara wouldn't let go of his hand.
"Come with me Creed! I don't wanna go by myself! Please come with me!"
The seventeen year old boy looked pained and ashamed as he ducked his head and said quietly
"I cant Lara. I-I-I just cant. You'll be okay. Find your Ma." he finished guiding her towards the door once again.
Solara had walked to the door and had her hand on the rough hewn wood. But then she turned, ran back to Credence, jumped and through her arms round his neck. She hugged herself to the older boy, arms locked round his neck, legs wrapped around his middle. It took less than a second for Credence to return the embrace.
"Go Lara."
"Love you Creed."
"I love you too. Now go." he said setting her back on the floor.
With one last look back at Credence, Solara hurried out the door.
Out into the cold New York City streets.
So I've always wanted to write a fantastic beasts story but I've always been to intimidated to do it but im gonn give it a go!
JK Rowling is and will always be my hero so I in no way want to ruin her work so please don't judge my crap to harshly in comparison to her genius.
Credence is a precious cinnamon roll.
Let me know what you think, what you like, what you want to see happen. I love hearing from people.
More soon.
Geronimo xx