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Pain, without love
Pain, I can't get enough
Pain, I like it rough
'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all
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Fourteen
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FoWard
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"It is not fair!" She attempted to protest, her sickeningly childish voice mingling with that of the old woman and her teenage son. "I have not done what you accuse me of. Why do you say this? What have I done to you?"
Shortly after the night with the cat and the child, Benito had hurt Alec. Not in the normal, cliché level of abuse he normally did. He broke his ribs and tortured him, pouring wax on his body, and made him go for days without food. One day, when Madiline was out and Harold was in school (the school teacher wanted nothing to do with the twins, and so she refused to give them an education), Benito had come home from work early.
Jane had been trying to help Alec, because he was bleeding, and Jane was scared and did not know what to do.
Benito sauntered in, as if he owned the place, which he truly did not, and smiled greasily at Jane. "Jane," he nodded. "Come here."
Jane picked up a candle holder, tucked it behind her back, and limped over to her father. "Yes, father?" She asked sweetly.
"What is that," asked Benito, trying to grab Jane's arm. "What do you have there?"
When Jane did not respond, he slapped her, and Jane pulled the candle holder from behind her. It was heavy, and she wasn't sure what it was made of, but it could work.
He was going to kill Alec.
He was going to kill her.
He has ruined everything.
He was going to kill Alec.
Jane slammed the candle holder onto the side of his head, surprising him, and she did it again before he could respone. He tried to fight back, but miraculously, Jane had knocked him unconscious. She struggled to drag his body to the river, but she managed. When she arrived there, she continued to pound his body with the candle holder, until he was dead and she crying and scared.
"Do not lie to me," said the woman sternly, "I say you do it, little girl."
Her son snickered.
She could not believe what she had done.
What had come over her?
She pushed his body into the water, and it swept him away. She sat on a rock and cried, scared for her impending execution, wondering what had ever come over her.
It grew darker and she knew that Madiline and Harold both were home. They would be wondering where Benito was. Thinking of this had made her cry harder. Jane was out for a long while until she heard gasping and cursing, and turned to see Alec attempted to make it down the incline.
"Alec," she had cried, running up to him and swiping at her tears. She helped him down.
"Madiline wants to know where you are," he spoke, breath labored from the broken ribs and long walk. "I am worried. I heard something." Alec traced one finger down her cheek and left arm, where thick, bloody scratches were. "Aside from these, you are okay. Tell me, Janie, what happened?"
"What would I want to steal your stupid cloth for anyway, you nasty wench?" Jane hollowed. "I want nothing to do with the peasant cloth. I am above it! I am above all of you!"
"I killed Benito," she had whispered, taking one of Alec's hands. "I didn't mean to, though. He was just… and I… I'm scared."
Alec had smiled kindly at his sister and kissed her nose. "His body is gone, he is dead, there are no witnesses. No worries, little sister."
Jane smiled and Alec grinned back. "You promise?"
"Nothing will ever hurt you again," he had vowed, kissing her nose once more. "I shall make sure of it."
Jane and Alec were ten now. Neither were blamed for their father, as there was no proof, but everyone believed they did. Harold stayed away, only making snide comments. Madiline removed even the smallest bits of warmth she had left for them. The village left them alone. They had the feeling like they were being followed, but it felt comfortable, like the followers cared.
Just as Alec promised, no one had yet hurt Jane. They spent their days playing in the woods, and would steal food when they could. Little time was spent at home. Beezle had been killed when they were nine, by some girl with a broom.
"She is a witch, not us," Alec had whispered in Jane's ear, smirking. "Cat, check. Broom, check. I can just imagine her lifeless body, pale and covered in her blood. Can you, Janie?"
Jane had been walking through the middle of the town when it happened. Some woman she did not know jumped up and accused her of stealing some worthless cloth of hers. Jane did not, and the two were currently arguing.
"Search her," suggested the boy, smiling. "Let us see the little girl naked."
So the woman did. She pulled Jane behind her display cart, and with the little girl kicking and screaming, retched the old and rotting dress of the girl, leaving her completely bare. She had scars over the back of her from the beatings she used to receive, and all those in the square could see them, and all of her.
"She does not have it, after all." Admitted the woman, throwing Jane's dress back at her. Jane shoved it on and ran home.
Later that night, unbeknown to either twin, a fire killed the woman and her family.
;;;
What is probable is that it is not possible, and we both shall die, and that will be the end of it. Admittedly, I do hope that is not the case. But, from the way things are going, I would not expect otherwise.