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Chapter Twenty-Four
Christmas and Worries
Julie was going to talk to Esmerelda but she wanted to get Christmas out of the way first. She didn't want her and the eldest blonde fighting and spoiling the day. Luckily Christmas was only days upon them so she didn't have long to wait.
Christmas morning the four girls woke up and walked into the flat still all in their pyjamas. Presents were under the tree but the Hallow sisters were not very excited.
"You all look like Christmas has being cancelled, where are the smiles?" Julie asked the blondes as she smiled at Mildred who was happy it was Christmas.
"Presents time" Julie told the girls as she walked to the tree and started to hand them out to each girl. She had spent all night wrapping but the girls did not need to know that so she pretended she wasn't tired.
Esmerelda had gotten herself and her sisters matching bracelets which had a little 'H' charm on them. The younger two loved the bracelets and hugged their elder sister.
Esmerelda had not forgotten about her little nephew or niece either. She didn't know the sex of the baby yet but that just meant she had to pick clothes in white. She had gotten the baby a little one piece outfit that said 'Baby Hallow' on it. Ethel burst into tears at the sight of it.
"Don't cry Ethie, I am sorry" Esmerelda said biting her lip sorry she had just upset her sister but Ethel shook her head.
"I just can't believe it, I haven't brought anything yet, I love it Esmie" Ethel told her sister as she rubbed her bump and hugged the girl.
Ethel had brought Esmerelda a framed photograph of her and her sisters, Esmie had one but it was outdated and this one was taken before the rape but it was still recent, Esmie was thrilled and hugged her tight. She had brought Sybil a doll, she knew she was nearly a teenager but the girl had no toys and she thought she would like it. Sybil loved it and hugged her sister for ages.
Sybil had brought her sisters some books. She had not known what else to get them but each girl was thrilled with them. They had ran out of books to read so they were both grateful.
Mildred had not known what to get the sisters but had decided on getting them a photo album for all their pictures of each other and for the new baby. Each girl smile gratefully at her, even Esmerelda who she was not getting on too well with. The sisters had gotten Mildred a new bunch of art stuff, paints, pencils, a drawing pad. Mildred was thrilled as she needed new stuff.
Lastly it was their presents from Julie. Julie had not known what to get the sisters but had gotten Ethel some clothes for the baby, having the same idea as Esmerelda and then she had given each girl a teddy bear. Esmie looked at hers and scoffed.
"I am not five years old Julie" she told the woman wondering why she had gotten her something like that.
"Doesn't mean you can't have a bear Esmie, I know you have never had one" Julie replied. Esmerelda was embarrassed not wanting her sisters and Mildred to think of her as a little child but she realised she didn't care and copied her sisters, hugging the bear tightly. Julie was happy to see the girl smile for once and enjoying the day. She saw how happy she was in her eyes by the teddy bear.
Christmas dinner was amazing. A juicy turkey, potatos, vegetables and then chocolate cake for afterwards. There was crackers and jokes told and everyone had a good day. It was the Christmas the Hallows had never had and they all loved it.
"It is strange to think next Christmas the baby will be here" Ethel said laying back in her chair and touching her stomach, stuffed full.
"The baby will be spoiled rotten" Julie told the girl who smiled.
Christmas was amazing and magical like it should be and Julie felt like she had made some progress with Esmerelda. If only she had known the next day she will realise she had not.
Julie had just kissed Ethel, Sybil and Mildred good night and stepped out the bedroom. Esmie that much older had a later bedtime and normally spend the time reading in a corner or ignoring Julie. Today Julie didn't see her and figured she was in the kitchen so didn't think much of it until she heard a scream. Julie ran in there and was stopped in her tracks by the sight that met her.
Esmerelda was holding a pair of hot hair curlers and was putting them against the skin on her arm, causing an angry looking red burn to form. Julie was concerned but angry as well and found herself shouting before she could stop herself.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" she shouted to the girl who turned to look at Julie in shock, wearing a worried expression.
"Oh why do you care? Leave me alone" Esmerelda rudely replied to her as she unplugged the hair curlers and tried to step past Julie.
"DON'T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT TRYING TO ESCAPE" Julie told the girl who stopped in the doorway.
"What do you want?" Esmerelda asked and Julie moved her eyes to look at the fresh burn on her arm. She took a hold of the girls arm gently to look and Esmie fussed with her as she saw older burns on her arms and realised this was something she did a lot. She let go of the girl's arm as she was trying to pull away and spoke, but this time gently.
"Esmerelda why are you doing this to yourself?" Julie asked her with a sigh wondering why she would do something like this.
"It helps me cope with things, it is no big deal" Esmerelda replied with a shrug and Julie could not believe she did not realise how serious this was.
"How long has this being going on? I want the truth" Julie told the girl who moaned annoyed but she did reply.
"Last year, I started when I had no magic, it made me feel better about myself and the pressures put on me, I have to be perfect at everything, that is what is expected of me" Esmerelda told Julie not even sure why she was talking to her at all.
"I am sure no-one expects you to be perfect" Julie told the blonde sympathetically.
"Yes they do, I need to be for when I inherit my family's possessions and money" Esmerelda quoted as if she had being quoted that by her mother and father before.
"You are going to inherit everything? What about Ethel and Sybil?" Julie asked shocked. She didn't know much about the code in all honestly.
"You don't understand, that is how the code works, have you never wondered why most magical families only have the one child?" Esmie asked her and Julie honestly had never stopped to think about that before but now she did think it was odd. In the normal world it was weird to be the person with one single child, most parents had two or three children but the only siblings Julie had heard about in the magical world were the Cackles twins and the Hallow sisters.
"No...but that is strange" Julie told the girl now curious as to why that was.
"It is because of the code, the eldest child inherits everything and is given all heirlooms, younger siblings don't get anything like that, most parents only have one child so they don't have to treat their kids differently" Esmerelda told Julie who was shocked. It made perfect sense but she had never really thought about it before.
"Unless they have twins most parents have the one child, I have siblings as I begged my parents for a sister to play with, that is why I do what I do Julie" Esmerelda told her not making any sense.
"You do it because your sisters are treated different?" Julie asked not quite understanding her.
"No, I do it because it is my fault" Esmerelda said with a sigh.
"What is?" Julie asked Esmie not understanding at all.
"That they will never get anything I have, that they are miserable, that Ethel was raped, I was the one who brought them into this world and let them suffer, that is why I do it" Esmerelda said and Julie looked at her shocked before replying.
"No, Esmie you can't think like that, it isn't your fault" Julie told her feeling awful the girl actually felt like that.
"Yes it is" Esmerelda said turning away as she felt her eyes growing wet.
"Esmie" Julie said walking closer to her. Esmie turned away before speaking.
"I am tired, I am going to bed, goodnight" Esmerelda told Julie not wanting to talk anymore. She was closing herself off again.
"Wait Esmie" Julie said but Esmerelda turned and rushed through the door.
Julie was sick with worry. The girl was self-harming and she could read there was a lot going on in the girls mind she knew nothing about. She knew there might be other things that were going on she didn't know about but Julie was not going to give up, she had to get close to Esmerelda, she had to help the girl before things got worse. She had to talk to her sooner rather than later.