Written For:
The Only One Character Challenge: Round 5
Main Prompt: As this is the final round it will be tough. Below you will find three lists, you will claim one thing from each list as soon as possible. These will be your puzzle pieces for your fic; oh, and did I mention, your challenge will be to write, not a one-shot, not a two-shot, but a three-shot.
Restriction: You cannot use past tense
Title (main fic title or chapter title): Spiraling
Issue (does not have to be main story topic but clearly referenced): Your character dealing with a personal trauma.
Prompts: (word) knitting / (word) television / (random prompt) Your character must be injured in some way
xXx
Chapter 1: Discovery
Jane Granger sits in front of the television. She watches the news show, but Hermione isn't sure she's really paying attention. She's busy knitting something. Maybe a blanket. Hermione isn't sure.
Hermione doesn't understand how her mom can knit and watch television at the same time. Knitting should require more attention, right?
Hermione stares at her mom. "Isn't that hard?" she can't help but question out loud. She is a curious child and always wants the answers to everything.
Her mom shakes her head. "It isn't, at least not if you've been doing it for a long time."
Hermione looks down at her lap. She stares at her stubby little fingers that are clasping her navy dress. She would love to learn a new skill, but she has a feeling she wouldn't be very good at it.
She doesn't ask her mom to teach her, knowing her mom is a busy woman.
Her dad opens the front door and slams it with such force that Hermione jumps.
"Dan," her mom scolds, a glare fastened on her pretty face.
"Hermione, go to your room," her dad orders.
"But Dad—" Hermione tries to argue, but her dad makes a sharp gesture with his hand.
"Go!" he yells.
Hermione slowly gets up from her seat, looks first at her dad, then at her mom in confusion, and then she runs up the stairs.
She doesn't go into her room, though. She goes to her bedroom, opens the door, and while still standing in the hallway, she shuts it loud enough to be heard.
And then she sneaks back to the stairs, sits on the step that's second from the top, leans her head against the banister and listens.
"Can't you do something other than knit, Jane? Look at this house. It's a mess!"
Hermione gasps. The house isn't spotless, but it's nowhere close to a being a mess. She can't see her mom's face, but she can imagine 'the look.'
"A mess, you say? The only mess I see is your stuff cluttering the area. Even our nine-year-old daughter knows to put her things away when she's done with them. You could learn a thing or two from her."
"I work all day."
"And what do I do? Sit on my hands and stare into nothingness? We both work, so we should both work on keeping the house clean and clutter-free."
"It's the woman's job to clean."
Hermione gasps once again. She might be young, but she knows that's a bad thing to say. She has never heard her dad say such a mean thing before. It boggles her mind.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," her mom says with a frosty tone.
"Then I guess I'll have to say it louder. It's the woman's job to clean!"
The sound of knitting needles clattering to the floor is heard and Hermione quickly stands up and runs to her bedroom.
She has the presence of mind to open and shut the bedroom door quietly, but she can't stop the tears that are rolling down her cheeks.
This isn't her parents' first fight, but she knows it certainly won't be their last.
(Chapter WC: 528)