Pain of Today, Healing of Tomorrow
Chapter 6
Sirius and Helen arrived at the Brundlehurst home to discover no one was there. The house was dark and eerie. It was possibly the cold chill in the atmosphere, or perhaps it was the blue, gray, and sable tints that had settled over everything in the house. Spooky shadows were cast in places that were usually unscathed; a small shiver lingered on Helen's spine. She knew where her father was. Her emotions took a hold of her and didn't let go as she began to weep. Helen crumpled helplessly downward as Sirius dropped the book bag draped over his shoulder and held her up. She had almost fainted. Again.
"What is it?" he asked, quite concerned for her.
She held up her index finger for a brief moment, indicating that there was indeed something amiss and her complexion had become a slight shade of ghostly green. She bolted from the den to what Sirius could only guess was a downstairs bathroom. He heard the toilet lid slam open, and then the retching came. He sprinted down the dark hallway towards to dim bathroom light. Sirius was unsure of what to do so he brushed her hair back and held in hands, creating a makeshift ponytail holder.
Helen grabbed a face towel and ran it under the cool water after her digestive system had ceased working in reverse, and wiped her forehead and mouth respectively. She was apologizing sincerely and repeatedly to Sirius. She took hold of a tube of minty toothpaste and a teal colored toothbrush when suddenly, in her memory, she was thrust backwards to Hogwarts of last year.
"God damnit Helen! What the bloody hell is this?" there was a pause and he didn't like it. His hand made contact with her cheek. She hadn't answered quickly enough.
In her mind she screamed 'Bastard,' but the terror in her eyes was the very thing he lived on. He fiercely gripped her arm causing her agony, and creating new bruises on top of the older ones. She bit her lip to forget the excruciating pain. Helen's lip was crimson with blood. She thought to herself, 'Pain of today, healing of tomorrow.'
She wanted to run, to seek refuge in the girls' dormitory where he couldn't get her, but she would have to come down eventually, and when she did, the punishment would only be worse. She had tried to run before. To the same place. And it had been a big mistake.
She was terrified of him, and did her very best to pretend to be happy. She wore a pretty fake smile. Helen never said anything to anyone about the abuse because she was afraid of him. Not even her father knew. Everyone had suddenly believed that she was clumsy. Len, the boyfriend had forced her to put on a façade of unbalance. So she did. Helen used those excuses such as the common doorframe, or the fell-down-the-stairs act to explain bruises that a random acquaintance would ask about in the halls.
"This is a toothbrush." He said maliciously as though he were speaking to an impaired child. "And. It. Is. Pink!" He spat out.
She was motionless and no one was around to rescue her. Something had set him off moments earlier, he just preferred to take out his wrath on the innocent blonde.
Helen begged for forgiveness and pleaded for mercy, "Please! Please! Tell me what I did wrong! I'm so sorry! I won't do it again. I'll change everything! Please, I love you!" she began hysterically pathetic and finished frighteningly distressed and desperate.
Len cast her a disgusted glare, seething hatred. He snatched his cigarette that had been burning away in its ashtray on the Common Room table and grabbed her arm, exposing her wrists and barely healed burn markings. He lowered the flaming tobacco to her arm and made three swift jabs to her flesh as she screamed in a wounded demeanor.
There was a faraway scream and Helen was unaware that it was her own. Sirius was lost; all he could do was embrace her.
"What was it?" he asked confused.
There was still a flicker of terror in her blue eyes that no longer sparkled.
"Helen!" she snapped back to her bathroom floor. "Let's talk about it." Helen was scared, and he knew it. He just didn't know what of. "You can't keep whatever this is bottled up. I can help. Or I can try. I love you." Sirius told her meaningly.
Helen looked at him with sorrowful eyes and a won-over look.
"Okay." She said wearily.
A/N: Well Chevette ya go what happened!. #1 was that it would happen… she got burned. I'm sorry fellow writers and readers, but this story is a tragedy. I know that it's kind of horrible what she went through but…well… this is what…ya know… what happens. Well anywho I'll update soon. Xoxo Review me:-((