Disclaimer: The usual yada-yada, I don't own Merry, Pip,
Pervinca, any of the Tooks, Brandybucks, and the assorted other hobbits,
cuz I'm not J.R.R. Tolkien. Wouldn't it be cool to be the guy though? I
mean, if you were still alive. Would kinda suck to be him and be dead.
Too bad he didn't get to see his books turned into live-action movies.
I think he would be pretty impressed. Do you think they have movie theatres
in Heaven?
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"Vinca, I'm scared!"
"Hush, Pip!"
"Vinca!"
"Pippin, be quiet, or he'll hear us."
"Okay, Vinca, I'm sorry."
In a small closet, two small hobbit children sat huddled together. Seven-year-old Peregrin Took, known as Pippin, and his older sister, Pervinca, who was twelve, had been hiding in the closet for almost an hour. They could hear their father calling for them through the house, but they dared not move, lest he find them. Pervinca held her brother tightly, her chin resting on his curly head. They were alone in the house, because their mother had gone to get their older sisters, Pearl and Pimpernel, from their school. The two older girls attended a sort of polishing school in Hobbiton. The school, for young hobbit lads and lasses who had reached their tween years. It instilled valuable virtues in them that they would need for their adult years, in addition to the normal school classes, like mathematics, writing, and history. It was a weekly school. The children stayed there from Monday to Friday. Their parents would retrieve them on Friday afternoon, and return them to school on Sunday night. Most of the well-to-do families sent their children there, and the Took family was most certainly well-to-do. Eglantine went every Friday to pick up Pimpernel, thirteen, and Pearl, sixteen, and took them back on Sunday. Usually, she brought Pervinca and Pippin, but the day before, the two young ones had drained themselves playing. They were quite tired, and so Eglantine let them sleep late, with a note on the dresser of Pervinca's room. The note instructed Pervinca to make something for herself and Pippin for lunch and afternoon tea, and that their mother would be back with their sisters in time for dinner. She also told them that if their father appeared before she returned, for them to leave the house and go as far as they could.
For three months it had been like this. Before, in what
Pippin referred to as "Happy Times," they were a happy family. Their father
was perhaps one of the most caring you could find, and he adored his children.
He paid equal attention to all four of his children, and evoked no discrimination
towards his daughters because they were girls. He loved them all dearly,
and he and his wife treasured their children more than all the jewels of
the world. And then the day came when he returned home in an inebriated
state. And from that day, those three long months ago, Paladin had seemed
to estrange himself from his wife and children. Half the time, he shut
himself in his study, even sleeping there. When he did come out, though,
he was in a rage. Pearl and Pimpernel, usually attending their school during
the week, did not receive what their father called, "punishment." Instead,
it was directed towards Pervinca and Pippin. Both of them were small for
their age, easy targets. The first time it happened, he told them, "You've
been very bad, both of you, and you have to be punished." After that, he
would beat them for no reason at all. Sometimes, there would be a reason,
but it was often a ridiculous reason. Sometimes, he would burst from his
study and hit them because they had been talking too loud, despite the
fact that they had only been whispering. They knew, to an extent, why their
father acted this way, and what they should and shouldn't do. They knew
never to talk loudly or make a commotion, but they were growing children,
and needed an outlet for their energy, so they began to spend more and
more time out of the house. But no matter how far they went, how long they
stayed away from home, they couldn't escape their father's rage. It was
just another excuse for their father to hurt them. Another excuse for him
to fall further away from what he had been. Another excuse for "Happy Times"
to become just another memories, slipping away like the .
That day had begun for Pervinca and Pippin quite like any other, except for their extremely late start. Pervinca awoke sometime after lunch. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, and spied the note. Her face fell significantly when she read it, so she decided that she and Pippin should get as quick a start as they could, before their father appeared. Pervinca had to literally drag her brother out of his bed and into the washroom, because he refused to get up. He slumped to the floor again, snoring, so Pervinca dashed some water into his face. That woke him up, and although he was a bit cranky, he allowed Pervinca to help him get dressed. Pippin could be very lazy sometimes, and when he was tired, especially in the mornings, he always had someone help him get dressed. After, he usually woke up enough to brush his own teeth, and while and his sister did this, he said, "Let's go visit Merry, Vinca."
"No, Pippin."
"Why not?"
"You know what Papa would think. Besides, I don't think Merry is very...very...proper."
"But he's my best friend! What's wrong with Merry?" Pippin asked.
"You know how Papa is about Brandybucks. Especially Merry's father forcing Auntie Esme to marry him." Pervinca said, taking her brother's hand, and walking with him into the kitchen.
"That's not what happened!" Pippin exclaimed, pulling his hand away, speaking so roughly it made Pervinca gasp. "That's not what happened!"
"Let's not talk about it, darling. Come, let's get luncheon. We can't--"
"Auntie Esme wanted to get married to Uncle Saradoc! That's how it happened, Merry told me."
"But, Pippin, love, Brandybucks, they lie. How can you be sure?"
"Auntie Esme said so! She said so, and I believe her!"
"You believe her over Papa? Papa used to say that she's been there so long, she lies like the rest of them!"
"You believe Papa? After what he's done to us? Look, Vinca! Look at us! Remember, it's Papa who does all this. And you say that Auntie Esme and Merry are the ones who lie? I'm going to go to Brandy Hall today. I'm not afraid of Papa. I'm--" Suddenly, Pippin froze. He stopped talking and grabbed his sister's hand, clinging to it. The sound of unsteady footsteps was clear against the stone path.
"I thought you weren't afraid?"
"I am afraid, Vinca. I'm sorry, Vinca."
"Don't apologise, Pippin. Come, we have to find another place."
"The closet in Pearl's room, Vinca. We haven't gone there."
"Yes, Pippin! Come on, now, hurry! He's coming."
They spoke no more, but used all their energy and speed
to get to the small closet in Pearl's room. The door locked from the outside,
so they couldn't lock themselves in. And this was how he found them.
Pervinca was the first to hear the front door creak open.
She squeezed Pippin's arm. "Be quiet, now, Pip!" Pippin clutched his sister's
arm tightly, both of them shaking. From the front room, they heard their
father's voice:
"Vinca, Pippin, where are you? Come on out, now. Here,
I've got mushrooms, you like mushrooms, don't you, Pippin, yes, come on
out with Papa."
Pippin started to get up. He couldn't refuse mushrooms. But Pervinca grabbed him and pulled him back. When Pippin's bottom hit the ground, there was a loud thump as it hit the wooden floor. Both children froze, and the sound of their father's footsteps halted. They didn't hear them for a few minutes more. There was nothing. Pippin buried his head in Pervinca's dress. He shut his eyes, and shivered. Pervinca wrapped her arms protectively around her brother. There was no place to go. They dared not move. Pervinca felt a wetness on her dress, and realised her brother was crying. She pulled him into her lap and gathered him up in her arms, holding him close. She heard the footsteps and Pippin began to tremble harder. Then, there was a deathly silence. Pippin stopped moving, and Pervinca could no longer hear the footsteps. She started to breathe a silent relief, when suddenly the door to the closet flew open. Two screams rang out from the tiny closet. Paladin Took stood, angry, intoxicated, and in a bad mood. He gazed at his two small children, huddling together, terrified, and laughed. He laughed and laughed for several seconds. It was a crude, horrid sound, sounding boorish and uncivilized. Paladin's glazed eyes shut and he leaned his head back to laugh his horrid laugh. He didn't know what was happening, then, when Pippin crawled under his legs, Pervinca following close behind. He stood there for a moment, confused in his drunken stupor. Then, he saw the two small figures get to their feet and set out for a run. He was after them in seconds. Being much older, and in a better condition than his son and daughter, albeit being drunk, he was still faster. It was Pervinca he caught first, grabbing her by the hair, dragging her into the front room. Pippin dodged his snatching hand. For the moment, Paladin focused his abuse on his daughter. Still keeping a firm hand to her hair, he sneered at her, breathing his foul breath in her face. Pervinca squirmed, trying to get loose, but couldn't.
"RUN! Pippin, go to Merry, run!" She screamed. Paladin let go of his daughter roughly, throwing her to the floor. She lay there in a crumpled heap, not moving. Pippin, who had crawled into a corner, gasped.
"Vinca, wake up, hurry please!" He called to her. She stirred slightly, but not enough. Paladin advanced on his small son. Pippin darted from the corner, pulling on Pervinca's hand. His father snatched him up roughly. Pippin fought back, and bit his father on the hand. Paladin dropped the boy in surprise. Paladin regained his composure and with one hand, grabbed Pippin's leg. With his foot, he slammed it down forcefully on the boy's ribs. Pippin cried out, and there was a sickening crunch. Pippin was sure his rib was broken. Pervinca managed to crawl to her brother, grabbing her father's leg from under him. There was a loud thump as Paladin hit the floor.
"Go to Merry's house, Pip. Hurry, run. I'll be all right. Go to Merry's. Go, Pip!" Pervinca cried. With all her strength, she shoved him towards the front door. Pippin stumbled, and Paladin's confusion left him. He came towards Pippin, eyes blazing. Pippin screamed with terror, and bolted for the door. Paladin leapt, and grabbed Pippin's ankle, causing the boy to fall. Pervinca managed to use her leg, and lashed out at her father, kicking him roughly with her hand. Enraged, Paladin let go of Pippin's leg and grabbed Pervinca's arm, twisting it. With his chance, Pippin leapt up and yanked open the door. He was prepared to run from the house, when he saw, standing in the threshhold, his mother and sisters. With a great shuddering gasp, Pippin flung himself at his mother. Eglantine Took gathered up the scene. In the silence that followed, Eglantine managed to pry her son from her dress and hand him over to Pearl. Eglantine strode over to her daughter and helped Pervinca to her feet. Paladin stood, said nothing.
"Go and get in the carriage, girls. Take Pippin with you. I'll be out in a while." Eglantine told her children. Obidently, they filed out, Pearl holding a crying Pippin, and Pimpernel supporting her limping sister. Pimpernel closed the door and the four children climbed in the carriage. Waiting...