A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews, hope you liked this story. Look out for a new one soon.

Chapter Ten

Recovering

It was two months since Esmerelda was attacked and she was now back at home after she had recovered from her operation. Currently the girl was sat on her window ledge looking out at the world as she stroked her cat on the head gently.

Her parents had not been happy with her since she had turned them into snails. They had gone on and on about how she should not use magic like that and they were ashamed with her. Esmerelda though didn't care though. She was past caring about them anymore after they had told Ethel she should have been raped instead of her.

Esmerelda was physically healed now and because of this she would be starting school in a few days when the new term starts like everyone else though she was still struggling mentally. She had nightmares all the time and could not sleep properly anymore. She knew returning to school was going to be difficult, especially when everyone found out what had happened to her but she couldn't stay off forever, the busy school life might help her. She stood up and walked over to her bed to carry on with her packing when someone knocked.

"Who is it?" Esmerelda asked not wanting her father or one of the male servants in her room.

"Just me" Ethel replied and Esmerelda relaxed as she realised it was only her beloved sister.

"Come in" Esmerelda said and Ethel walked in closing the door behind her before turning to her sister and smiling weakly knowing she was still suffering, and honestly Ethel was too, she could not get the visions out of her mind of what her sister had done for her or of the evil man raping her.

"Have the police called or something?" Esmerelda asked. She had spoken to them about the attack but so far there was no luck. Ethel shook her head and sat on the bed next to her sister's suitcase.

"I got you something" Ethel explained as she sat down. Esmerelda was curious and sat next to her sister wondering what she could have gotten her.

"What is it?" Esmerelda asked. Ethel had been true to her word and was still being nice to her sister now she had learned a harsh lesson. Ethel flicked her fingers and something appeared in her hand.

Esmerelda could not tell what it was. It looked like some sort of colourful string and before she had time to ask Ethel opened her hand to reveal a colourful bracelet.

"I made it myself" Ethel told her sister proudly who took it and smiled at it, thinking the gesture was so sweet.

"Aww thank you Ethie" Esmerelda told her happily.

Esmerelda put the bracelet on and then felt a funny feeling in her wrist. It was tingling as if she had pins and needles in her wrist and she looked at Ethel confused.

"Ahh...what is happening?" Esmerelda asked scared.

"It is not just a normal bracelet, it has a special feature" Ethel told her sister with a smile. It is full of protective charms, if anyone touches you they will get an electric shock and you will produce a sort of shield, I know it is not practical for everyday use but I was reading something and apparently they used to wear these to stop nightmares. The protective charms are meant to alert your brain that it is not real and even in some cases it might stop them, they have been effective of course, I have one too, they seem to help quite a bit with the nightmares and nothing else has worked" Ethel explained to her sister why she had gotten her the gift she did.

Esmerelda trusted Ethel now but she was not sure she believed the benefits of this so called bracelet, she had tried loads of different tactics to help her sleep and none of them had worked, she still woke up in a cold sweat, but she would try it because Ethel had gone to so much trouble to research it and make it for her.

"Thanks Ethie" Esmerelda told her as she hugged her tightly.

"Do you think Sybil needs one?" Ethel asked her sister as she leaned into her chest.

"She wasn't there, I don't think her nightmares are that bad" Esmerelda explained to Ethel "If we feel the need for her to have one we can make her one though" Esmerelda told her sister as she leaned her chin on top of her head, hugging her gently.

Esmerelda could feel Ethel shaking as Esmerelda hinted to being there and she knew her sister was suffering. Some people might say Ethel had no right to act so upset, she wasn't the victim. but she had had to watch the whole thing, of course she was upset.

"I don't know how I am going to sleep at Cackles" Ethel admitted. She had been sharing with Esmerelda the last month, both thinking it helped their nightmares some but in Cackles they had to have their own room, the bracelets would help but it was falling asleep in the first place.

"We will both learn to cope with it, we have no choice Ethie" Esmerelda told her sister and for the first time since the attack Ethel burst into tears.

"Ethie shh it's okay" Esmerelda said rubbing her back.

Ethel took a breath trying to stop her sobbing. It wasn't fair to be crying like this because Esmerelda was the one who had being raped by a stranger but she just couldn't help it, seeing her sister being raped had destroyed her.

"I am sorry….just every time I close my eyes...I see it" Ethel said very sadly. "I see him hurting you and I can't do anything to stop it" Ethel admitted to her sister as she sobbed.

"Oh Ethie" Esmerelda said knowing it must be awful for her.

"It is my fault, I jinked our family" Ethel cried more and Esmerelda was in a way happy. She thought Ethel breaking down was long overdue.

"I am sorry you had to see it, I wish you had being asleep so you missed it" Esmerelda told her trying to imagine for herself what it would be like for someone to be raped in front of her, she couldn't imagine it. "Don't you dare! It is not your fault at all Ethel, it was that evil man's fault" Esmerelda replied not wanting Ethel blaming herself over this.

"But Esmie..." Ethel said crying more

"But nothing! You saved me, that guy would not have stopped until I was dead and then he would have hurt you too, your quick thinking saved us both" Esmerelda told her sister as she cuddled her.

"I am sorry" Ethel said not knowing why she was saying sorry to Esmie when she had done nothing this time. For her pain and suffering maybe?

"It is not your fault Ethie and I know it is horrible, both of us will take years to get over it but we will be alright, we have each other and Sybil don't we?" Esmerelda went on.

Ethel nodded in agreement knowing if they were together somehow they would get through it.

"Yes Esmie, if we stick together we will be just fine" Ethel replied cuddling her sister closely.