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Chapter Twenty-Five
Abused
Julie was worried about Esmerelda, now more so than ever as she knew she self-harmed. The Christmas holidays were almost over and she didn't have much time to sort things out before Esmerelda returned to school. She did not want her to return to school thinking it was okay to hurt herself.
Therefore after breakfast the next day Julie told the younger sisters and Mildred to go in their room as she had to speak to Esmerelda. She sat her down and just came right out with it.
"Esmie, Mildred has not being able to sleep because you keep wandering around, it needs to stop" Julie told the girl, not so much shouting at her but talking firmly.
"Of course Mildred ran to mummy, why am I such a bad person for checking on my pregnant sister?" Esmerelda asked instantly becoming defensive.
"You aren't but can you try do it quietly? Maybe you can share with Ethel, I can get someone to make a divider to make it into two separate rooms but for now you can just sleep in her bed with her, that way you can keep an eye on her all night" Julie told the girl giving her a solution to the problem which she deemed as good.
"But maybe I like annoying Mildred" Esmerelda replied smirking trying to wind up Julie.
"Now that is to far Esmerelda" Julie said growing sick and tired of the girl in all honestly and her horrible attitude.
"You are just jealous that I have powers and you don't" Esmerelda went on wanting Julie to react, she wanted Julie to show her true colours. Esmerelda stood up at this point and started to pace.
"I have never had powers love, I don't really care about my lack of powers" Julie told the girl not understanding where she was going.
"Don't lie, I have lived without them and it is awful" Esmerelda told Julie who sighed in response to that.
"Esmerelda I heard what happened and I am sorry you suffered but that is not mine or Mildred's fault" Julie told the girl but Esmerelda's anger was about to burst.
"It WAS Mildred's fault, she released Agatha from the cottage she was staying in because she flaming thinks she knows everything and thought it was Ada" Esmerelda told the woman her eyes blazing with sheer anger.
"That is enough, you can't blame Mildred all for what happened, there is more than one person to blame" Julie told Esmerelda not liking her purely blaming Mildred for what happened.
"Yes I can, I like keeping her up, I was up for a year because I couldn't sleep after what happened, it is nice to know she is suffering now, if I could only decide on what curse to use on her to shut her up" Esmerelda told Julie smirking and Julie was gobsmacked.
Mildred had told Julie Esmerelda was a really nice person, well Julie had yet to see it. She was worse of a bully than Ethel in that moment.
"How dare you!" Julie told her highly hurt by what she had just said to her.
"What are you going to do Julie? Throw me out? "Go ahead I don't care" Esmerelda replied to the woman ranting and ranging.
Julie had had enough of Esmerelda. She had been driving her insane the whole Christmas holidays, had being moody, rude, ungrateful and was now being a bully on top of everything else. Julie stood up from the sofa and stormed over to her, preparing to shout at her and tell her she would not put up with this crap from her anymore.
As Julie got closer to the girl she was horrified by the reaction the girl had. Esmerelda flinched and then turned her head away as if she thought Julie was going to hit her. Julie's anger dissolved then and she was more concerned than ever.
"Esmerelda…." Julie said quietly. Esmerelda had fallen quiet too, she wasn't angry anymore but clearly scared.
"Just hit me...get on with it!" Esmerelda replied leaving Julie even more horrified by her words.
"I wasn't going to" Julie said worried about the girl even more now. She had a horrible sick feeling in her stomach.
"Yeah right, adults always say that" Esmerelda responded not trusting Julie one tiny bit.
"Esmerelda look at me" Julie told the girl needing to reassure the girl she was safe.
When Esmerelda kept her head turned away and didn't respond, Julie gently reached her hand out to touch her cheek, Esmerelda flinched but gently stroked it gently turning her head to look at her. Esmerelda's eyes were full of fear and Julie felt so bad for her in that moment.
"I was not going to hit you, I would never hit you, or anyone in my care, even if I am very angry I would not hit you" Julie explained to the girl who looked like she was about to burst into tears.
"Was it your parents?" Julie asked the youngster needing to know exactly what had happened to her. Esmerelda started to cry gently then but didn't answer the question.
"Esmie?" Julie said again knowing she needed to get the truth out of the girl. It was not normal to suspect someone was going to hit you unless it had happened before. Julie just knew something had happpemd to the blonde.
"It was my parents" Esmerelda admitted looking at the floor.
The truth was out and what a disgusting truth it was. Esmerelda's behaviour around Julie made sense now, she didn't trust her because the adults who had been in charge of her had hit her around. Julie knew it was hard for Esmie but knew she needed to get more information out of her.
"How often did it happen?" Julie asked the girl moving her hand from her face and allowing the girl to cry and placing her hand on her arm instead.
"Whenever I was not perfect, when I got a bit older I started to fight my parents more and answer back, they used to lash out at me then" Esmerelda told Julie keeping her gaze on the floor.
"Of course you weren't perfect, no-one is" Julie replied hating Mr and Mrs Hallow for putting so much pressure on her to be perfect when it was an unachievable goal.
"I am the eldest, I have no choice but to be perfect, but sometimes I would slip up, like when I gave up my magic, they were not happy at all" Esmerelda sighed remembering how angry they had been at that.
"Being perfect is impossible, no-one is" Julie told the girl.
"Well I had to be" Esmerelda replied with a shrug, finally looking up. Julie noticed then something she had never noticed before.
"That scar…." the woman said. Esmerelda had a scar just above her right eyebrow, it was not normally very noticeable but with what she had just told Julie she thought she understood where it had come from.
"My mother, one of her rings caught me, that was one of the worst injuries, it bled for ages and I had no magic to fix it" Esmerelda explained to Julie who gasped.
"Where else did they hut you?" Julie wondered out loud.
"Anywhere they could reach, it got much worse once I lost my magic" Esmerelda told the woman who was sickened. They took advantage of the fact the girl could not defend herself. No wonder the girl was so desperate for her magic back, just so she could use magic to stop them.
"Did they touch Ethel and Sybil?" Julie asked Esmerelda thinking it was likely.
"Oh no" Esmerelda replied her eyes going wide "I made them swear on the code they wouldn't, if they had done they would have died, that is what happens when you break the code" Esmerelda explained.
Julie didn't know why but she wrapped her arms around Esmerelda pulling the youngster into a hug, the girl squeaked not use to affection like this.
"It is okay darling you are safe now" Julie told her not letting go of her and keeping her in the hug.
Esmerelda started to cry then and wrapped her arms around Julie holding her close not wanting to let her go. She had never had a mother hug her like this before.
"I am sorry" Esmerelda told the woman and Julie held her letting her cry on her. She had nothing to be sorry for.
"Julie….." Esmerelda said sobbing harder "he hurt Ethie" Esmerelda cried and it was clear she was talking about the rapist. Julie understood then she had being holding all this in for so long. What had happened to Ethel had obviously affected the girl more than she let on but Julie only hoped she would be okay. With her love and support she was sure she would be, they had made a huge step and Julie was going to look after her from now on.