AN: I used a combination of bold, italic, underline, and italic-underline to differentiate between voices. In upcoming chapters I might also use bold-underline or bold-italic.
NaNoWriMo Support Group, Day 13, Prompt: hurt/comfort
Hella sat huddled in the corner between the potting workbench and the garden house wall. It was dim in here, the cracks around the door frame and covered windows leaked in little light. The empty planters on the workbench created shapes, faces, in the shadows.
"Hella?" Thorfinn's voice called out, mixing with the ones already speaking to her.
"Thorfinn?" she whispered. Quiet, weak. He'll never hear you. That's right, call for big brother; what can he do but smash things to bits? He's not helpful. You don't need him.
Hella pursed her lips before trying again, louder, "Thorfinn?"
The door to the garden house opened and the silhouette of her brother appeared, bulky and tall, hulking. "Hella, are you in here?"
Of course she's here. Where else would she be? She always hides here. "I'm here, Thorfinn," Hella said, standing. She was thin and narrow, everything opposite her brother. Opposite in size, shape, gender. Sanity.
"What happened, Hella?" he asked, reaching out to her. She complied easily, rushing to him and burying her face in his chest. He smelled of sweat and broom polish. "Why are you hiding?"
"The other children... they hurt me." Cry, go on, cry. That's all you know how to do. Tell him the boys touched you. That's a lie! It doesn't matter, no one would believe her anyway. Tell him the truth! You started it! You told them you were going to curse them, hex them! They didn't believe her. It doesn't matter. No one ever believes you.
"What did they do, Hella?" He smoothed her hair behind her ear, petting her in that gentle way he did. She was the only thing he touched with soft hands.
"The called me names and threw rocks at me," she answered, shifting in his hold to show off the purpling dark marks on her arms. She couldn't see them in the shadows.
"Don't listen to them," he murmured. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. Then he turned her to face him and bracketed her face with his large hands. He tapped on her temples. "Don't listen to them."
She nodded. "I don't like when you go away for school." One of the voices giggled in her head. "They taunt me more."
"I know, but you'll be off to Hogwarts next year."
"You won't be there." He'll never be there. He's never there.
"Yes, I'll have left Hogwarts by the time you go your first year but if anyone hurts you I'll come back and hurt them, understand? I'll protect you, Hella, I'll always protect you." He paused and waited for her acknowledgement. She blinked and nodded. "All right. Now let's get you inside. I've got some Bruise Paste that will help with these," he said, gesturing to the irregular purple shadows on her skin.
He turned and stepped out into the light and she squinted and flinched at the brightness as if in fear. She always did when she looked into the light. As he guided her into the house she listened.
He won't always be there. You'll never be safe. Next time lie... he'll kill those horrible children. He won't. He'll kill for her. He will. Yes, he will. He will.