Title: Forever With You
By: Susan Bones
Email: thechocolatefroggy@yahoo.com
Summary: After watching her grandmother die, Winnie decides that she won't ever be that woman dying in bed. Movie based.
Rating: PG
Category: Romance, Drama, Fantasy
Disclaimer: Not mine. Sorry.
Forever With You
Susan Bones
October 2002
Winnie returned home after that and discovered she had not been missed. Her father was in town and her mother had retreated to her bedroom.
And so it was that time passed. The days grew shorter and the wind grew wintry. No one dared leave the house without a coat, for influenza had popped up in Treegap that year. Winnie watched as her father became very sick with it and then her mother. She herself was untouched.
Winnie "turned" sixteen, and then seventeen, but she looked exactly the same as she had during that never-to-be-forgotten summer.
Mrs. Foster was uneasy. She thought it rather strange her seventeen-year-old daughter still looked fifteen. She did not take Winnie into the town as often, for she hated the stares her daughter attracted. She supposed the town's people talked. She so detested being the center of their gossip and one day turned to Mr. Foster.
"They are calling us witches, Father," she informed him heavily. Mr. Foster looked at her wearily. This was not the first time she had told him this, nor would it be the last. He was perfectly aware of this fact. He was not, by nature, a stupid man.
"Nonsense, Mother," he replied, though he did not believe his own words, "We are highly respected."
Mrs. Foster had been needlepointing and now she looked up.
"I am not so sure," she answered softly. Mr. Foster did not know how to reply and so the two of them lapsed into silence.
And indeed did the town's people talk, as most people tend to when something strange is happening. They never outright called the Fosters witches, but some came very close, especially when they were drunk. Mr. Foster would have been pleased to note that the name Foster still commanded a certain respect.
But even so, there were whispers about that Winnie, that girl who did not seem to be aging at all. Old Mrs. Waddles down at the Lady Day saloon said that it had something to do with those Tucks, the ones who had kidnapped her two years ago. Dot Freemantle said that was absolute nonsense. Those Tucks had just been a bad lot. Good riddance to bad rubbish, she said. Mr. Parris (who had only recently moved to Treegap from Salem, Massachusetts) warned them that if the Fosters were witches, then surely they would know they were being talked about. This hushed the Lady Day for a moment.
And then old Mrs. Waddles spoke.
"Oh posh! They ain't witches anymore than I am. Them Tucks mighta been and they probably taught the girl a thing or two, but to say Elizabeth Foster's a witch is—"
"Well then why don't we run the damned child out?" spoke up a new voice. The whole of the Lady Day whirled and looked into the north corner, where a grimy, sour looking fellow stood.
"Yes!" cried another, "Out with the witch child!"
"Oh honestly," Dot breathed, rolling her eyes at Mrs. Waddles.
The Lady Day became very noisy with various, shouted plans and during it all, one figure slipped away unnoticed.
**
Back at the touch-me-not cottage, Mrs. Foster had decided to approach her daughter on the subject of the Tucks.
"They didn't … teach you spells, child?" Mrs. Foster now asked.
"No, Mother," Winnie said, for what felt like the thousandth time in the ten minutes her mother had been questioning her.
"You're sure? None of them approached you in the middle of the night and asked you to sign a –"
"*No*, Mother!" Winnie cried out, springing to her feet. She hated the way her mother spoke of the Tucks, as they were the slimy goo you sometimes found on your shoe after a hard rain.
"Winnie," Mrs. Foster said alluringly, putting a hand out to her daughter. Winnie twisted away from it.
"Do not touch me!" she said harshly, "And don't you speak ill of the Tucks! I love them. They are my friends and they were good to me and I love them; Mae, and Tuck, and Miles. And Jesse. Jesse loves me, Mother! He loves me and he's coming back for me someday and we'll be married and live forever—"
"Not forever, dearest," Mrs. Foster said gently, cutting into her daughter's unladylike rant. She was rather startled by the revelation about this Jesse character. She would have the constable be on the lookout for him. Surely he was a shadowy fellow, this Jesse, for he was one of those dirty, poor kidnappers, "No one lives forever."
Winnie looked at her mother, her dark blue eyes (eyes she had inherited from her mother, eyes Jesse Tuck had fallen in love with at first site, though this was not to Winnie's knowing, but a secret that you and I must keep from her for the time being) wide with surprise.
"But I will, Mother," she told her mother perplexedly.
Mrs. Foster blinked.
"W-What?"
"I will live forever. I drank the water when I was fifteen, back before Granny died, and I guess I'll stay fifteen until the end of the world," Winnie said. Now she was beginning to feel a little nervous. The look in her mother's eye was rather unsettling.
"You're a witch," Mrs. Foster declared flatly after a moment's silence, "You've sold your soul to the Devil for whatever reason. Was it for that no-good Jesse Tuck? Or for those *friends* of yours?"
Winnie gaped at her mother in alarm.
"No, Mother, it was the spring, only a spr—" Winnie began to protest, but she suddenly found herself on the floor.
"Witch!" Mrs. Foster shrieked, a dangerous and furious glint in her eyes, "Get out of here. Get out now and I'll not have the whole town upon you."
"Mother!" Winnie cried helplessly, but there was no help to be found.
"I am not your mother," Mrs. Foster answered coldly, "Now get out of here."
And what could poor Winnie do?
She ran.
Thanks to: My wonderful reviewers, Diagon Alley (yes, I did see TBF was up, I'll have to check that one out. It's one of my favorites, after all. J), Roger and Ebert (hey, thanks! Such compliments. You might make my head inflate. Just kidding), Heavenly Rose (glad you liked it!), SugarCub55 (yes, more is coming, don't worry. I'm going to use this ending every time I read the book, so I guess I'll have to finish it. Lol), Nicole Christensen (awww, thank you! I'm feeling so loved here!), Cheese Crackers (calm down, it's ok, more is coming, don't you worry), and Jessica (I'm so glad you liked this. And thanks for saying please. J) You guys are the best and I always look forwarding to reading your opinions. You have no idea how much your reviews are appreciated!!! Thanks again, guys!
By: Susan Bones
Email: thechocolatefroggy@yahoo.com
Summary: After watching her grandmother die, Winnie decides that she won't ever be that woman dying in bed. Movie based.
Rating: PG
Category: Romance, Drama, Fantasy
Disclaimer: Not mine. Sorry.
Forever With You
Susan Bones
October 2002
Winnie returned home after that and discovered she had not been missed. Her father was in town and her mother had retreated to her bedroom.
And so it was that time passed. The days grew shorter and the wind grew wintry. No one dared leave the house without a coat, for influenza had popped up in Treegap that year. Winnie watched as her father became very sick with it and then her mother. She herself was untouched.
Winnie "turned" sixteen, and then seventeen, but she looked exactly the same as she had during that never-to-be-forgotten summer.
Mrs. Foster was uneasy. She thought it rather strange her seventeen-year-old daughter still looked fifteen. She did not take Winnie into the town as often, for she hated the stares her daughter attracted. She supposed the town's people talked. She so detested being the center of their gossip and one day turned to Mr. Foster.
"They are calling us witches, Father," she informed him heavily. Mr. Foster looked at her wearily. This was not the first time she had told him this, nor would it be the last. He was perfectly aware of this fact. He was not, by nature, a stupid man.
"Nonsense, Mother," he replied, though he did not believe his own words, "We are highly respected."
Mrs. Foster had been needlepointing and now she looked up.
"I am not so sure," she answered softly. Mr. Foster did not know how to reply and so the two of them lapsed into silence.
And indeed did the town's people talk, as most people tend to when something strange is happening. They never outright called the Fosters witches, but some came very close, especially when they were drunk. Mr. Foster would have been pleased to note that the name Foster still commanded a certain respect.
But even so, there were whispers about that Winnie, that girl who did not seem to be aging at all. Old Mrs. Waddles down at the Lady Day saloon said that it had something to do with those Tucks, the ones who had kidnapped her two years ago. Dot Freemantle said that was absolute nonsense. Those Tucks had just been a bad lot. Good riddance to bad rubbish, she said. Mr. Parris (who had only recently moved to Treegap from Salem, Massachusetts) warned them that if the Fosters were witches, then surely they would know they were being talked about. This hushed the Lady Day for a moment.
And then old Mrs. Waddles spoke.
"Oh posh! They ain't witches anymore than I am. Them Tucks mighta been and they probably taught the girl a thing or two, but to say Elizabeth Foster's a witch is—"
"Well then why don't we run the damned child out?" spoke up a new voice. The whole of the Lady Day whirled and looked into the north corner, where a grimy, sour looking fellow stood.
"Yes!" cried another, "Out with the witch child!"
"Oh honestly," Dot breathed, rolling her eyes at Mrs. Waddles.
The Lady Day became very noisy with various, shouted plans and during it all, one figure slipped away unnoticed.
**
Back at the touch-me-not cottage, Mrs. Foster had decided to approach her daughter on the subject of the Tucks.
"They didn't … teach you spells, child?" Mrs. Foster now asked.
"No, Mother," Winnie said, for what felt like the thousandth time in the ten minutes her mother had been questioning her.
"You're sure? None of them approached you in the middle of the night and asked you to sign a –"
"*No*, Mother!" Winnie cried out, springing to her feet. She hated the way her mother spoke of the Tucks, as they were the slimy goo you sometimes found on your shoe after a hard rain.
"Winnie," Mrs. Foster said alluringly, putting a hand out to her daughter. Winnie twisted away from it.
"Do not touch me!" she said harshly, "And don't you speak ill of the Tucks! I love them. They are my friends and they were good to me and I love them; Mae, and Tuck, and Miles. And Jesse. Jesse loves me, Mother! He loves me and he's coming back for me someday and we'll be married and live forever—"
"Not forever, dearest," Mrs. Foster said gently, cutting into her daughter's unladylike rant. She was rather startled by the revelation about this Jesse character. She would have the constable be on the lookout for him. Surely he was a shadowy fellow, this Jesse, for he was one of those dirty, poor kidnappers, "No one lives forever."
Winnie looked at her mother, her dark blue eyes (eyes she had inherited from her mother, eyes Jesse Tuck had fallen in love with at first site, though this was not to Winnie's knowing, but a secret that you and I must keep from her for the time being) wide with surprise.
"But I will, Mother," she told her mother perplexedly.
Mrs. Foster blinked.
"W-What?"
"I will live forever. I drank the water when I was fifteen, back before Granny died, and I guess I'll stay fifteen until the end of the world," Winnie said. Now she was beginning to feel a little nervous. The look in her mother's eye was rather unsettling.
"You're a witch," Mrs. Foster declared flatly after a moment's silence, "You've sold your soul to the Devil for whatever reason. Was it for that no-good Jesse Tuck? Or for those *friends* of yours?"
Winnie gaped at her mother in alarm.
"No, Mother, it was the spring, only a spr—" Winnie began to protest, but she suddenly found herself on the floor.
"Witch!" Mrs. Foster shrieked, a dangerous and furious glint in her eyes, "Get out of here. Get out now and I'll not have the whole town upon you."
"Mother!" Winnie cried helplessly, but there was no help to be found.
"I am not your mother," Mrs. Foster answered coldly, "Now get out of here."
And what could poor Winnie do?
She ran.
Thanks to: My wonderful reviewers, Diagon Alley (yes, I did see TBF was up, I'll have to check that one out. It's one of my favorites, after all. J), Roger and Ebert (hey, thanks! Such compliments. You might make my head inflate. Just kidding), Heavenly Rose (glad you liked it!), SugarCub55 (yes, more is coming, don't worry. I'm going to use this ending every time I read the book, so I guess I'll have to finish it. Lol), Nicole Christensen (awww, thank you! I'm feeling so loved here!), Cheese Crackers (calm down, it's ok, more is coming, don't you worry), and Jessica (I'm so glad you liked this. And thanks for saying please. J) You guys are the best and I always look forwarding to reading your opinions. You have no idea how much your reviews are appreciated!!! Thanks again, guys!