A/N:
Written as an assignment for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments)
Task: Write about an evil mother
Prompts: (Plot Line) Someone having an imaginary friend, (Word) Danger
1000 Word Challenge: Shake
Chocolate Frog: Silver – Alice Longbottom – Challenge – Write about Alice Longbottom
Gringotts: OC Name: First Name (Female) – Hestia; Charmed: Season 1 Episode 13 – (Title) From Fear to Eternity, (Fear) Being buried in an earthquake; Compound Words – Hallway, Bookcase; Noun – Work, Fear, Household, Dread, Balance, Haven, Exit, Lounge, Punishment, Distress, Infant, Arms, Feet, Bookcase, Head, Hair, Friend, Pain, Body, Face, Space, Tyranny, Inch; Adjective – Budding, Done, Worst, Clean, Distressed, Safe, Own, Furious, Stronger, Better, Imaginary, Ridiculous, Stupid, Terrible, Chubby, Free; Verb – Stop, Happen, Shake, Prepare, Topple, Show, Comfort, Allow, Imagine, Control, Take, Soothe, Rip, Sneer, Pass
Word Count: 1192
From Fear to Eternity
Alice jumped as she heard a loud crack come from the hallway, and she looked towards the grandfather clock that was situated on the west wall of the room. It told her that it was only five thirty, and that meant her mother had returned home from work early
The budding witch was suddenly filled with fear and dread of what was to come, especially since there was still so much that needed to be done.
She hadn't even begun to prepare her mother's tea, the house wasn't clean, and worst of all Alice's baby brother wasn't in bed yet and he had just begun to cry.
"Oh no, this cannot be happening," she mumbled to herself as she scurried into the lounge to comfort baby Zach.
It was a well known fact amongst the household that Alice's mother hated returning home to a crying baby, and that to allow that to happen was more than her life was worth.
"Shh Zach," she cooed, scooping the two year old into her arms. "Please stop crying. Please."
Alice felt the ground beneath her begin to shake, and she fought to keep her balance as she became paralysed with fear. She was in danger and there was nothing she could do about it.
It was common practise in the house for Mrs Selwyn to show her wrath through preying on her nearest and dearest's greatest fears. Her mother called it 'character building' but Alice couldn't see how she could say that. How could tormenting your own child to the brink of insanity be 'character building?'
Books began to topple off the shelves as the distressed cries of her brother grew louder. She willed her feet to move so that she could take the few steps towards the exit from the room and get her brother to a safe haven, but no matter how hard she tried she could move.
This was her punishment for not being prepared for her mother's early arrival. She was going to be buried beneath all these objects, with no one around to help, and be an inch from death before being pulled from it by her furious mother.
She squeezed her eyes tightly and tried to imagine that she was elsewhere, that this wasn't happening, and that her mother was the loving, caring and considerate like mums were supposed to be.
"Alice," a voice hissed at her quietly. "Alice come on, come quickly. Follow me."
Her eyes flew open, and before her she saw the figure of the kind-hearted, comforting woman who had always seemed to appear whenever she was in distress, which in her very early years had been every day, sometimes several times.
She was beckoning her to move towards her. Her eyes flickered between the sobbing infant in her arms, the person she had always considered her closest friend and finally at her feet.
"Alice, don't let your fear control you. You are better and stronger than it," her voice called, as the bookcase fell, missing her and Zach by centimetres.
The young witch pulled her brother closer to her in a protective manner and stoked the hair on his head.
"I can't move. Can't you come to me and take Zach?" Alice pleaded, kissing him on the head.
"You know that's not how this works Ali, you know that I can't," her friend told her. "Only you can do this. Now come on. Please!"
The earnest look on her friend's face and the need to get her baby brother to safety was enough to set her feet in motion.
She carefully darted around the fallen objects, narrowly avoiding being hit by the falling crystal chandelier.
As soon as they were out of the shaking room, Alice and her friend walked down the corridor towards Zach's bedroom, his shrieking cries ringing louder in Alice's ears now that they were away from the sounds of objects smashing and crashing on the floor.
Alice jostled her brother in her arms in a futile attempt to soothe him as they climbed the stairs to the second floor where her brother's bedroom was located. She considered herself lucky to have not yet encountered her mother who no doubt thought she was paralysed with fear in the lounge.
"Thank you, Hestia," Alice said as she pushed open the door to Zach's bedroom. "I really couldn't have done this without you."
"Oh you're not talking to your pathetic imaginary friend again of yours again, are you Alice?" the voice of her mother barked.
Alice's head snapped towards her mother, and then back to the place where her friend had been stood only moments ago only to find that the spot was empty.
"No mother, imaginary friends are ridiculous," she said bowing her head. "Only a stupid baby would have one."
"Well at least I haven't raised a completely incompetent child," she muttered. "Pass me Zach."
Her mother held her arms out and Alice hesitantly closed the space between her and her mother, and reluctantly handed him over to her.
Almost as soon as she had handed Zach over to her mother she felt a terrible pain rip through her body.
She began to thrash around on the floor in agony. Out of the corner of her eye she could just about make out her mother watching on with a sinister sneer on her face, and the chubby face of her brother as he covered his eyes with his equally chubby, small hands.
"Mum stop," she cried out, arching her back off the floor as another wave of pain overcame her.
"What's that sweetheart, you want more?" her mother cackled, halting her torture briefly, giving Alice some much needed relief. "You think you haven't quite learnt your lesson yet? For once, I happen to agree with you. Crucio!"
Once again Alice writhed around on the floor. The only thought that passed through her mind as she fought to contain the screams that she longed to let loose, was for her brother and the fact that he had to be present whilst their mother inflicted such pain on her.
The excruciating pain suddenly stopped, and Alice felt a blessed relief before bracing herself for more.
"I think you've had enough for now. Maybe next time you'll be better prepared for my arrival home," she hissed. "Now clean up this mess you've made Alice. It is not becoming of a young witch to wet herself."
Her mother smirked at her before stepping around her daughter's crumpled form, deliberately stepping on Alice's outstretched hand as she walked towards the door.
Just before she exited the bedroom, her mother turned to her and said, "Oh and Alice, when you've finished in here, I believe the lounge is quite a sorry state. You'd better get to work."
Her mother laughed sinisterly and audibly as she closed the door behind her, leaving her embarrassed, ten year old daughter choking back her tears as she pushed herself up from the ground.
For Alice Selwyn, September could not come soon enough, when she would finally be free of her mother's tyranny, even if it would only be for a short time.
A/N:
Let me know your thoughts in a review
All feedback is appreciated
xoxo