Growing Up Fast Chapter 59 - The Worst Night, a worst witch fanfic

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Chapter Fifty-Nine

The Worst Night

Ethel was currently sat on the sofa in the flat she lived in and was crying gently to herself. She was reliving everything that had happened to her. Esmerelda sat next to her and put a sandwich on a plate in front of her, worried that she was not eating.

"Ethie, have some food" Esmerelda told her worried about her. Prue needed her mummy to have her strength up. Prudence made a giggling noise at that moment and Ethel jumped out of her skin.

"It is just Prudie don't worry" Julie said as she walked over to comfort the girl. "How sure are you it was him?" Julie asked not doubting Ethel but wanting to make sure she was absolutely sure it was the man in the photo because it could ruin an innocent man's life if it wasn't.

"I am positive, it was light at the time and that scar on his face is the same as the one...he had" Ethel told Julie as she became teary again.

"Ethel I know you are scared but you can't let this knock you down again" Julie told her hating to see all her effort to improve and overcome her ordeal go to waste.

"I know, but I can't help it" Ethel replied as tears fell down her face.

"We will have to report him" Josephine said from across the room

"No...I will have to testify" Ethel said rushing across the room and intro her bedroom, to scared to talk anymore.

Prudence still shared a room with Esmerelda and Ethel but she was sleeping much better through the night these days. Esmerelda and Ethel used to suffer bad nightmares but they had gotten much better recently. Esmerelda was asleep when she was suddenly startled awake by a noise.

At first Esmerelda thought it was Prue and was getting ready to go see to her when she realised it was not Prue but Ethel. She was clearly in the middle of a nightmare as she was thrashing around on her bed and sweating buckets.

"Ethie" Esmerelda said rushing over and starting to shake her awake.

"No please don't...no I beg you" Ethel said in her sleep as tears fell out of her eyes.

"Ethie wake up" Esmerelda said as she shook Ethel more knowing she was dreaming about the attack. She had to get her out of her living nightmare.

Ethel responded by screaming then but she wasn't saying words anymore she was just screaming and Esmerelda came to the horrifying conclusion she must be screaming like that because it was the moment he had raped her. She had never heard Ethel scream like that before, it was full of fear, pain and it was soul shattering. Esmerelda took a step back from Ethel and even though Prudence started to cry from the noise Ethel was making and Esmie was the only one who was there to see to her, Esmerelda physically couldn't listen to Ethel screaming anymore. It was breaking her heart with every second that passed. She ran out of the bedroom and only just made it to the bathroom to throw up in the toilet.

Of course the screaming eventually woke the rest of the household, and Julie, Mildred, and Sybil rushed to the bedroom. Julie picked up a screaming Prudence and told Sybil to try to calm her down as she tried to send Ethel out of her nightmare

"Come on love wake up" Julie said horrified by Ethel screaming but she didn't have time to think on it, if they were not careful the whole block of flats will be awake. She shook Ethel over and over until the girl stopped screaming and her eyes shot open in fear.

"Ethel?" Mildred said concerned as she looked at her foster sister.

"I couldn't stop it happening" Ethel said as she cried. Ethel looked around in a panic then, only remembering that was months ago.

"Prudie...they have taken Prudie" Ethel shouted as she looked at her daughters empty cot. Sybil rushed over with her and gave her to Ethel who took her and held her tightly and just cried.

"My baby!" Ethel cried as she hugged her. Prue seemed happy her mummy was holding her again even if she was upset so leaned her head on her chest relaxed.

"Where is Esmie?" Sybil asked as she saw her sister's bed empty. Julie looked confused. The room was tiny so she couldn't be hiding and why would she leave when her sister and niece were screaming?

"Stay with Ethel" Julie told Sybil and Mildred as she went on the hunt for Esmerelda. Seeing the light in the bathroom and the door opened she walked in and was met with a horrible sight.

The young blonde was lying on the hard tiled floor looking tramatised. Her eyes were wide and she didn't appear to be focused on anything.

"Esmerelda?" Julie said as she kneeled on the floor to look at her. She tried to help the girl up but she just flopped back down as if her muscles were not working. Julie was worried her body had gone into shock.

"Esmie?" Julie said wondering if she was having after affects from the drugs and really worried about her.

Tears fell down the girls face in that moment although she still did not move or make a sound. Julie lifted the girl as much as she could, which was not easy because she was skinny but a teenager. Julie managed to get the girl's head on her lap which took a weight of her chest. At least she wasn't worried about her bashing her head on that hard floor.

"Did you hear Ethel screaming?" Julie asked as she didn't see how she could not of heard it, it was loud enough to wake the whole street. Esmerelda finally made sound then and cried.

"She was screaming like that as she was dreaming about the attack, that was the moment he…." Esmerelda choked then on her sobs and Julie half held the girl on the floor. She knew the eldest had struggled with what had happened to Ethel but like all of them she was starting slowly to recover but Julie couldn't imagine how she felt now. Having to think about someone you love so much being hurt is one thing, but having to hear them scream in pain as they dream about it happening is another.

"Oh darling" Julie said stroking the girls blonde hair and allowing her to cry, at a loss as to how she could help. The eldest cried and cried and Julie felt her own heart breaking. Esmerelda was normally so strong so it was horrible seeing her so weak.

It took ages for Julie to get the girl of the floor. She was such a mess she was finding it hard to support herself. Julie managed to help her to the sofa and then lay her down, not wanting to move her to much.

"Ethie" Esmerelda said even in her state still more worried about her sister.

"Mildred and Sybil are with her, Prudie is fine too" Julie told her as she sat on the sofa next to her.

Julie didn't get back to sleep that night because Esmerelda couldn't go back to sleep and Ethel kept suffering from nightmares so she brought Prue into the front room so she could keep an eye on her as she sat with Esmerelda as Ethel was back asleep and Sybil and Mildred were in the room with Ethel.

Julie closed her eyes for a second to rest her tired eyes when she suddenly opened them as she felt something odd on her arm. She looked down then and for the third time that night gasped.

"ESMERELDA NO" Julie shouted as she realised what she was seeing. There was a blood stain on Esmerelda's sleeve, Julie rolled her sleeve up and realised there was an angry red gash on her arm. Esmerelda had not self-harmed in months, Julie never thought she would again but then she realised Ethel's screaming must have tortured her so much she wanted to hurt herself to get rid of the pain.

Julie looked at the gash and saw it was clean and not very deep meaning she didn't have to take the girl to hospital. Julie took the girls arm and started cleaning it and she hissed as she touched the sore wound there.

"Esmie I have to do this or it will get infected" Julie told her as her foster daughter fussed and Esmerelda cried.

"I am sorry…..I was just so upset" Esmerelda told Julie who sighed and shook her head as she cleaned the girl up. Now was not the time to scowl her though.

Esmerelda eventually fell asleep in the early hours and Julie kissed her forehead before she went to check on Ethel who was also asleep. For once in her life she wished she was a witch so she could stop any nightmares from plaguing them. She then checked on Sybil and Mildred, who had fallen asleep on Esmerelda's bed as they stayed with Ethel. Julie held Prue to her and kissed her head.

"Everyone is asleep little one" Julie told her as she walked in her bedroom relived and tired but still listening out for any distress. Prudence looked at Julie and the woman could swear she saw sadness in her eyes. She might be a few months old but she was smart and knew something was going on with her family.

"Don't worry baby, it will be okay" Julie told her telling herself first thing when she gets up she will call Josephine as she will be able to help her more but Julie had come to the conclusion no one could really start to settle down until they got justice.

Julie sighed though. The Great Wizard would never listen to a non-magical woman. Josephine would have to speak to him but it was going to be a long hard process as Julie had a feeling Mr and Mrs Hallow would not be on their side. She laid Prudence in the crib and lay down herself but sleep wouldn't come as she was listening out for distress she knew was sure to come before sunlight.