Title: Suffer the Little Children
Author: IntheOnionsCorner
Disclaimer: Though I really wished it were mine, neither Alec nor Jane belongs to me. All the credit goes to Stephenie Meyer.
Summary: The witch twins, Alec and Jane, have always been hated and despised by everyone ever since birth. Alone in the world, they do their best to cope with a world that has forsaken them.
Warning: There is a very slight gore at the end. Very slight. However, if it is not your thing, then you have been forwarded.
Evil has no easy explanation.
Everyone is evil and is good.
Sometimes we watch ourselves do something evil
Frozen in a scream that's never heard.
--Dimitri Shostakovich
"Please Father! Please!" cried the young girl, tears streaming down her heart shaped face. She made a pitiful sight, with her long brown her tangled and knotted. Her eyes, puffy and red, stared pleadingly up at their father.
"Don't beg for him, girl! He deserves what he gets!" snarled a large burly man, his hand lashing out and slapping the girl violently. She spun around and then crumpled, a thin trickle of blood coming out of her mouth. "Stay silent, you worthless bag of shit!"
"Jane!" screamed a young boy of around nine, identical in almost every way to the girl. His trembling reached out for the crumpled form, only to be slapped down by the man's hand.
"Be a man, boy! For God's sake, you're almost nine years of age! You're going to be a man soon! Stick up for yourself, you pathetic piece of trash! Punch back you weakling!" With each word, his burly fist struck the boy in the stomach.
The boy doubled over into a small ball, his twin forced to watch as their father abuse her brother. With blood dribbling down his chin, Alec moaned, "Jane…run…get away from this place."
Jane stared helplessly at her brother. "No, Alec. I can't leave you here. You're part of me, Alec. You are my second half! I am nothing without you."
The boy attempted to answer, but choked on his own blood. "Jane…." he croaked finally, as he stared into his sister's beautiful blue eyes. "Run…" A second later, he fell into unconsciousness. With a terrible gleam in his eye, the man hefted the unconscious boy across his back and walked towards his chambers. Behind him, Jane let out a howl of anguish, weeping where she had collapsed.
"We can't live like this, Alec," murmured Jane quietly, as not to wake their father. "One of these days, he's going to kill you." Her small, gentle hands wrapped the bandage around her brother's arm, eyes sharp and careful.
His own eyes hollow, Alec stared blankly at his sister. He seemed to feel nothing, despite the obvious amount of pain his body must have been feeling. "Where would we go Jane? Where? No one wants us. The witch twins of Lord Ellwood, the feared demons of hell. I sometimes wish that Father had gone through with his original plan, and just drowned the two of us. Damned since birth, damned since mother's death. We are alone in this world, dear sister."
Jane looked up, her fiery blue eyes meeting Alec's dull green ones. In those eyes, Alec felt Jane's hatred and anger, focused to fiery jaws. Like some caged predator, Alec could feel Jane's wrath pacing back and forth, waiting for its chance to strike.
"No one shall hurt you again, dearest brother, and I can promise you that. Should they try, they shall understand to their sorrow that those rumors were true." Jane's eyes were steely when she said this and her voice was a muted hiss.
"Jane..." he whispered, not knowing what to say.
"Hush, sweet brother. All shall be well in the morning."
Sighing, Alec closed his eyes, tiredness overwhelming him. His sister's arm hugged him tightly, providing a small degree of comfort. As he slept, Jane's eyes flashed a bloody red.
"Boy!" snarled Lord Ellwood. He grabbed Alec by the collar, and roughly cuffed in around the head. "I just had a talk with your tutor, and guess what? He told me that you've been sleeping in class! Do you know how embarrassed I was? You need to be taught a lesson!"
He drew back his fist, ready to strike. "Alec!" screamed a high, piercing voice. Seconds later, Jane came hurtling around the corner, eyes frantic. She had felt something in her gut the moment their father had pulled Alec aside.
"Stay back Jane. Your brother is getting his punishment." Lord Ellwood growled. Changing his mind, he dropped Alec onto the floor then kicked him viciously. Alec doubled over in pain, but not a sound escaped his lips.
"Father," Jane's voice was cold. She felt icy, so utterly calm and logical. The only thing she felt was the burning rage from deep within her chest. Despite being only nine, something in her voice that was very, very old. "Let go of Alec now."
Their sire looked at Jane, surprised. Jane normally hid or only silently watched as he beat up Alec. She never said a word and merely watched with her sad blue eyes. After a minute, Lord Ellwood recovered his wits and sneered down at his daughter. "And what do you plan to do? You're weak! Pathetic and whining, you don't deserve the name of Ellwood!"
Jane glared defiantly back at her father, her blue eyes sparkling. Alec felt his twin's rage and hate, finally breaking free of years of suppression and channeling themselves into fiery spears. To Alec, ghostly animals formed a blazing aura around his sister. With a quick pounce, they all converged upon their father and coiled tightly around him. Using whatever ghostly limbs they had, the animals struck Ellwood over and over. Ellwood let out a high pitched squeak, abrupt pain marring his features.
Frozen, Ellwood stared at Jane as if hypnotized. Not a single muscle twitched. Slowly, he began to tremble, face pale and drawn. His lips parted, as if to protest, but no sound came out. With all of his considerable might, Ellwood tried to yank free of Jane's ghostly animals, but found he could not. His left temple began to throb with a fierce intensity, the vein pulsing with effort. A drop of blood oozed out of the man's left eye.
"Jane," Alec whispered, raising himself with effort off the ground. "Jane. I think that's enough. He's not going to hurt me now."
He knew that she hadn't heard. She didn't budge from her position, eyes still locked on their father, a cruel smile curling her lip. "Jane!" he called again, this time putting a little more force in his voice. There was still no response.
He inched over to Jane, laying a gentle hand on her. The second he touched her, he felt her pure, potent rage, almost melting his hand. He never knew that she had hated that much, never knew the sheer force of her flame.
"Calm down, Jane. It's okay. It's going to be okay. It's okay…" he kept repeating, rubbing smoothing circles on her back. Almost unknowingly, he pulled out strands of his own emptiness, and let its frostiness engulf Jane's blistering anger. His breath came in and out in a cool grey mist that settled around his sister's head.
Slowly, he eased into Jane, sending a fog of emptiness into her. Gradually, oh so gradually, he felt Jane withering under his cooling touch. After what seemed like hours, Jane finally looked away from their father, neck twisting slowly and painfully after being locked in the same position for so long.
"Jane," Alec whispered. "What did you do? What did you do?" He shook her lightly, his hands trembling with fear. Jane couldn't answer. Instead, she dropped limply into his arms, legs sagging and head rolling. In front of them, their father stumbled then fell. He looked at the twins with horror and hastily backtracked.
"Witch! Witches!" he gasped, fear coloring his tone. He couldn't even bear to look at them. Staggering backwards, he turned and ran away.
Alec let out a long breath before returning his attention on Jane. She smiled weakly up at him. "See? I told you that no one would ever hurt you ever again. I promised you that, little brother and I keep my promises."
Alec sighed, his lip trembling. "Jane…I don't know what you did or I for that matter, but thank you. I don't know what Father will do now though…We truly are witches aren't we, Jane?"
Jane grinned weakly. "We're not witches, Alec. We're just special. As for father, we'll burn that bridge when it comes, figuratively and literally. For now, be grateful we're safe, lovely brother."
Alec gave a weak smile. "Yes, dearest sister. We shall be glad."
From then on, their father had avoided Alec and Jane like a plague. When he saw Jane, he would shrink back and make the sign of the cross, muttering prayers under his breath. She merely laughed at him, eyes glowing with triumph. He merely ignored Alec.
With their father fearful and incapable of controlling them, the twins could now wander off his estate whenever they wished, a level of power and freedom the siblings reveled in.
Hand in hand, they wandered for the first time into the village that surrounded their manor. At first, the villagers treated them with scorn and suspicion, staring at the two witch twins that had turned their father into a haunted man. However, they soon learned better.
Where the girl past, strange and peculiar things occurred. Fires burned brightly where she passed and more than one house fire was started. Furniture broke, animals became sick, food spoiled under the girl's burning gaze. More than once, people became rash and impulsive near Jane, their actions driven by a primal urge to cause pain.
Her brother caused much more problems than his sister, although the villagers knew it not at first. Where he tread, plants did not grow, forcing the villagers to wait for the next season. Cows stopped producing milk and the meat was often very fat and near inedible. Where the boy walked, people were dazed and confused, going blind or deaf. Work slowed for days as villagers experienced a sudden onslaught of apathy and indifference.
The villagers learned to be careful around the two. They would smile and hand the children whatever they desired and then turn and warn their own younglings to stay away from those two. Alec and Jane didn't mind though. They had each other for company, and to them, that was all that mattered.
The visitors came one long night, long cloaks sweeping the floor silently. They requested hospitality at the manor and although he usually turned away visitors, Lord Ellwood felt…compelled…to see this strange family that had come so late.
"It's rare to hear of two so young that have inspired such...interesting…rumors," said the man gravely, sipping at a cup of blood red liquid. "In fact, those rumors reached us even from Volterra. My wife insisted to see what the entire ruckus was about. Personally, I just needed an excuse for a chance to…meet…a few new minds." He smiled as if he had just told a great joke, red eyes gleaming in the candlelight.
Lord Ellwood looked nervously the man who sat in front of him, his skin pallid and sweaty. "I'm not sure…I mean…they are so very odd…" He pulled out his handkerchief and dabbed at his forehead. Something about his visitors made him uneasy, almost as uneasy as he was near his own children.
"But, Lord Ellwood! I am simply dying to see these two darling children I heard so much about! Would you really refuse this little request of mine? To satisfy my curiosity?" The person who spoke this time was a woman, her full lips forming a small pout on her royal features.
Ellwood looked back at the woman, the flickering light accenting her shapely curves, her heart shaped face. Those glittering eyes, like burning rubies, promised pleasure beyond imagination. As if she read his find, the woman smiled, white teeth flashing. She flipped her lustrous hair over her shoulder, her pale white neck bared out in the warm candlelight. For a second, she looked like Ellwood's long dead wife, perfect and unattainable.
He couldn't think clearly. There was a warm, suffocating pressure in the air, rubbing against him and stroking his skin. The woman was leering at him now, her formal dress seemingly growing tighter, accenting her beauty. "I…I…I…Of course not, my lady." He cleared his throat, and wet his suddenly dry lips. "Irene! Fetch Jane and Alec at once please!"
The maid gave a quick courtesy, leaving the room before while giving the man a quick smile. They did not wait long before Irene came back in, a sleepy Jane and Alec following.
"You called, father?" asked Alec softly. Jane glared with sleepy eyes at her father, but remained silent.
Lord Ellwood gulped, bile rising in his throat at the sight of his children. "Hello children. I just wanted, um, wanted you to meet our new guests, who are staying temporarily. This is Lord Demetrius Ordway and his wife, Lady Adalheid Ordway."
The woman smiled warmly at the two children, her eyes twinkling. "Really, Lord Ellwood, I honestly prefer Heidi! You two must be Jane and Alec! I've heard many things about the two of you, and I'm absolutely beyond myself finally meeting you."
The twins blinked. Never had they met such a bouncy, cheerful woman that didn't flinch away from them. The woman positively radiated warmth and comfort, something that the twins had always wanted so badly, but had never received.
Jane reacted first, going into a small clumsy curtsy and nudging Alec with her foot. He started and bowed low to the lady, his eyes never leaving the woman's face, eyes filled with a terrible kind of longing.
"What charming youths you have, Lord Ellwood! Please may I please hug them? They seem like such charming young children."
Lord Ellwood blinked, breaking his stare. He knew that it was rude to stare, but Adalheid seemed so similar to his dead wife… "O-of course, Lady Ordway. Do what your heart desires."
Her lips twitched, and she leaned forward in her seat as the twins walked towards her. As they sank into her icy embrace, Heidi's lips whispered into their ears, "We'll be back, young ones. You both hold great promise for us." She then released them, but not before giving each a small kiss on the forehead.
The rest of the night went much the same, Lord Demetrius engaging the other man in random topics and Heidi watching the twins, a smirk gracing her pouty lips.
The two figures left the manor at the next day, at the crack of dawn. Once out of sight of the manor, Demetrius looked over at Heidi. "Did you manage to enchant the children?"
"Always, Demetrius," she laughed. "When have I ever failed?"
As she laughed, her face morphed, the angles adjusting just a little, until she looked almost unbearably beautiful, even among their kind. Demetrius glanced away, knowing full well that Heidi's gift would render him absolutely powerless and open to her. She merely laughed at him, and her face was once more a mere beautiful.
"Have you accomplished your goal then, dear one?" asked Heidi, her tone teasing and slightly mocking.
"Yes. We will be able to find them." He answered voice curt.
"Oh good! We can finally go back to Aro. I tire of this dull this dull place." With that, she slapped her horse and it started, galloping away and throwing dust into Demetrius's face.
"Heidi! Get back here you little…!" sputtered the man indignantly and he galloped after her, eyes furious.
When Alec and Jane were twelve, they came back to the mansion after a day in the village only to find the enormous doors locked. Every window had been bolted shut, with heavy curtains covering them. They knocked on the doors, kicked at it, even yelled, but no one came out.
The first sign of trouble came as a distant roar. They turned to look, and in the direction of the village they had just left, they saw a mass of black dots, bright glowing torches held high above their heads. Even from where they stood, they could hear the muted cries of, "Burn the witches! Kill the demon spawn! Send the witch twins back to Hell where they belong!"
Jane huddled against Alec, her normal surety and strength gone. "Brother, they're coming for us. Father has forsaken us in his castle," at this, her eyes flashed. "What can we do, brother? I'm scared." Jane snuggled into Alec's thin arms, small frightened tears beginning to roll down her face.
Alec held her tightly. He had no response for her, and could only hug his sister ever the more tightly. "I love you, Jane. My second piece, the other half of my soul. Do not cry."
There they huddled, in front of their father's cold home, hugging even as the mob grew closer and closer. When the first hands reached for them, Alec kicked and hit them away with all his strength, but there were too many. They tore him and Jane apart from each other, even as they clutched at each other so tightly that they left little half moon gouges in each other's arms.
The villagers carried them to the center of the village square, cheering and singing the whole time to cover the scared screams of two children. A burly man tied Jane to one pole, Alec to another and kindle wood was stacked high underneath them.
A priest stood before them, his hand gripping his little black book tightly, face contemptuous as he looked at the children. He waved imperiously at the crowd, and they fell silent, horribly eager and tense, bloodlust burning in their veins.
The priest began to speak, his crisp voice carrying easily over the hushed silence. "We stand gathered here today to see to the trial of one Jane Ellwood and Alec Ellwood, for the use of witchcraft and dealing with the devil. We have several witnesses to this act, several testimonies for their crime. Goodwife Magdrid, will you please speak to what you saw these two commit…"
The twins watched helplessly as one by one, villagers that had given them candy and smiled at them now testified against them, telling stories of their misdeeds. Alec eventually tuned them out, knowing it was useless to continue listening to this mockery of a trial. Instead, he looked at Jane, keeping his emotions and face blank, using years of icy apathy built of from his abuse to remain calm. If he broke down now, Jane would too. She could barely hold on right now, scared as she was.
The priest had concluded his speech and interrogation. "….hath the good jury you come to a decision? All in favor of execution?"
The juries, a bunch of shuffling men, all raised their hands. The priest looked pleased. "Excellent! A unanimous decision! Now-"
He did not finish his sentence. Jane had shot him an absolutely venomous, deadly look, made of pure fiery hate. The priest let out a cry of horror as his leg suddenly gave out, his bible falling to the floor. He clutched at his knee in agony, eyes full of terror. "Witches! They have commenced to use their sorcery upon me! Oh help me, oh Lord! Burn them now!"
The crowd was shouting and screaming, shoving every which way, but a man leapt up, a torch in hand. Quickly, he dashed forward and lit both piles of wood the children stood on. They immediately caught flame, burning and cackling through wood with glee.
Jane didn't feel the fire at first. Everyone's eyes were all them, a horrendous smile painted on each man and woman. She hated them; she hated them all so badly. She wanted so badly to make them pay, to make them scream with agony as she stood smiling over them. The fire licked her feet, and she shuffled, trying to avoid that terrible heat. It didn't work. The flames began to climb on her body, burning her toes and climbing steadily over her legs. The pain was unbearable. Unable to help it, she began to scream, a high keening wail as her dress alighted.
Alec kept silent, even as he felt his twin go over the edge. She was gone, just like that, her mind engulfed with pain and fear. God, he could feel her hate pouring in tidal waves over the assembled crowd. He could see some of them flinch or wince as her anger drove little arrows of pain into their body. He smiled. Good. They deserved it.
The pain in his legs and waist was excruciating but Alec continued to look over the crowd, smiling his terrible empty smile. He was surrounded now, in a sea of unfeeling and numbness, just like how he dealt with his father's blows. He simply stopped feeling, first the fire, then losing his own emotions in a deep void. All that was left was his sight, watching as they burned to death.
Alec thought he was dreaming at first, when he saw the blurs that suddenly appeared in the crowd. No one could move that fast….And then the screams started. Adults and children alike turned to face their assailants, only to be swept off their feet with blinding speed. Behind the blurry shapes were rows of bodies, some appearing whole while others were ripped to pieces.
With a cool efficiency, a man was dismembered with blinding, dazzling flashes. Nearby, a child's head violently flew off her shoulder, landing on her screaming mother. The mother didn't last long either. Alec saw all of this, even as his body shut down. He could barely keep his eyes open…
Just before he shut his eyes, one of the blurs came to a screeching halt before him. Covered with blood, yet still smiling a sweet horrible smile, Lady Adalheid Ordway stood before them. Her eyes narrowed as she watched him, and before he knew what happened, he was falling into her strong, ice cold arms.
"Jane," He whispered up to the woman who carried him. "Save her. Save her…"
She looked down at him, her gaze remorseful. "She's being taken care of. Close your eyes, Alec. Close your eyes. Enjoy your last mortal seconds…"
And then Alec screamed as Heidi pressed her mouth softly against his throat.
…And welcome to immortality!