As The Crow Flies 2
Quite a few of you were a bit shocked as to the violence in the first chapter so I went back and read it and realised that it's probably a side effect from reading Wuthering Heights… Oh well, as promised it won't be around for a while. Here's Chapter 2! It's a bit of a set up chapter so hang with me, it'll pick up soon.
Elphaba's eyes shot open only to close immediately against the glaring morning sun that was streaming through the ill-placed gap in the curtains across her lone window. There were no gun shots here, only the incessant banging of Frexspar's fist against the wood of the attic trapdoor.
"Get up you lazy girl!" He bellowed through the wood as he did every morning. Elphaba groaned into her pillow. It was just a dream. More a memory.
"Breakfast is not made and it's almost time for morning mass!"
Gritting her teeth to bite back a retort, Elphaba rose before going over to her window and drawing the curtains. From her attic room she could see over the trees surrounding the old church into the small town of Longstone. The bell tower of town hall stood high above the surrounding roof tops, and the clock on it read half-past five. Morning mass wouldn't begin until nine. Supposedly the reason Frexspar woke her so early was so she could join the righteous in their morning prayer, but Elphaba knew he did it simply to spite her.
"Are you up yet girl?"
"Yes, Father." Elphaba called, attempting to sound as chipper as possible. "Good. Now get down here and do your job!"
Elphaba rolled her eyes, pausing to take in the grey morning once more before turning back to her room to get ready for her duties.
Opening the small trunk at the foot of her bed, Elphaba retrieved the simple, full-length dress and hair covering that she was required to wear when seen by the public around the church grounds. The garments conveniently covered all but her hands and face, hiding the majority of her green from sight. The dress was scratchy and a size too small but at least it kept the chill of the early Autumn air at bay.
When she was dressed Elphaba climbed down the ladder from her attic room to the upper floor landing of the Churchman's Quarters. Heading downstairs to the kitchen to prepare breakfast, she had to pass by Frexspar's room where she could hear him droning his morning prayer-song, as he did everyday.
Arriving in the kitchen, Elphaba located her apron and set about making a simple porridge, adding a diced apple for flavour. After she had wolfed down her portion, she set the pot on the stove to simmer. Soon Biff, one of the two other inhabitants of the church, would be in to collect a bowl for himself and his uncle, while Frexspar would wander in when he felt the need and leave the pots and empty bowls for Elphaba to clean.
Biff was the nephew of an old bumbling caretaker, whom Elphaba knew only as Mr. Whistles. The two lived in the caretaker's shed in the corner of the gardens. Biff and his uncle looked after the gardens while Elphaba cooked the meals and cleaned indoors.
Nine years she'd been living in the church, and for nine years she had been lurking in the shadows, playing the part of the grateful orphan that had been taken iff and his uncle looked after the gardens while Elphaba cooked the meals and cleaned indoors.
Around half-past eight the old woman that played the organ during the services turned up to practice and warm her fingers. She had a face like crumpled parchment, watermarked and withered by the seasons, but she always smiled at Elphaba when she passed by while going about her morning duties. By ten minutes to nine, members of the congregation would file through the door and pass Frexspar on their way to their pews, each of them calling a merry, "Morning, Father!" as they passed.
When all were seated Frexspar would stand at his pulpit and begin his usual passionate plea for the people to repent and serve the Unnamed God.
During the service, Elphaba was blessedly excused to spend her morning preparing lunch for the church's few inhabitants and completing her chores, all of which were done swiftly so she could spend time reading whatever was at hand. Usually, Biff brought her new books from town when he ran errands for Frexspar, but he hadn't gone for a few weeks, so Elphaba had to re-read one of her favourites, Ozian Sorcery: A History. Frexspar disliked this particular book which was part of the reason Elphaba liked it so much. He was averse to such heathen topics as witchcraft, as they opposed his naturalistic world view.
Elphaba would have been content to sit in the gardens under her favourite tree reading for the remainder of the morning, but it was not to be. Mr. and Mrs. Humbton, a kindly, but rather particular, Goat couple, were sitting in their usual place at the far end of the exact middle pew in the congregation, when one of their Kids decided to test his butting skills and knocked down a large iron candelabra stand.
Out in the garden Elphaba heard the resounding clang and crying from inside and knew her day would not be as restful as she had hoped. Running to the church doors, she saw Frexspar quickly dismissing everyone over the ruckus the accident had caused. Thankfully no one was seriously injured, if at all. The stand had caused a rather loud bang that made the little Kid cry; the only damage done was the spilling of several ounces of wax onto the hardwood floor and the splashing onto the boot of a nearby parish-man.
As the congregation left to talk on the church lawn, Frexspar nodded at Elphaba, then to the mess, clearly ordering that she was to scrape the wax from the grain and restore order. Sighing, Elphaba went back to the kitchen in search of her apron and a knife to pry the chunks of cooled wax from the cracks. As she returned, she found one of the church's most devout patrons, Miss Nessarose, conversing with Frexspar. From what Elphaba had absorbed of Frexspar's incessant praise of the girl was that she was, not only the daughter of the Governor of Muchkinland, but the most tragically beautiful young girl in the entire country.
Elphaba could clearly see the tragedy of her existence; her legs rested uselessly against the footrest of her wheelchair. As for her beauty? Elphaba thought her too pale to be beautiful, but she was definitely pretty, even if she looked a little too much like a doll.
"The Unnamed God smiles upon you, my daughter," Frex was saying, smiling to himself at the devotion of his favourite disciple.
"Thank you, Father," replied Nessarose, bowing her head modestly, "I live only to serve him."
Over where she was attempting to lift the heavy candelabra back to its rightful position, Elphaba rolled her eyes.
The two continued to talk as Elphaba righted the ironwork and knelt to scratch wax from the woodwork. She worked diligently for a few minutes before being interrupted by Frexspar, "Ah, Elphaba, could you fetch my hymnal from my bedside table? I'd like to show Miss Nessarose a verse from my favourite hymn."
Puffing a loose strand of hair from her eyes and panting from exertion, Elphaba gave an exasperated look up from the candelabra, "Can't you get it yourself?"
Elphaba could see his eye quiver as he struggled to maintain his 'perfect priest' guise in front of his favourite disciple.
"I could, but as you can clearly see I am otherwise engaged at the moment," Frexspar barely managed not to growl.
"Doing what?" snorted Elphaba, shaving wax from a chunk that refused to come away in one piece, "Idly chatting to your lemming?"
"Elphaba," growled Frex, his upper lip now beginning to twitch, "That is no way to talk about the church's patrons!"
"Yes. Sorry, Father."
Elphaba stood and brushed wax flakes from her apron before heading for the door that joined the church to the living quarters, "I'll go fetch it right away."
"No, no. It's fine, I'll get it." Frex said, before storming out, leaving Elphaba standing awkwardly halfway to the door.
Elphaba returned to her work after a few moments of bemusement, resuming her scratching at the floor while Nessarose folded her hands in her lap, unsure of whether she should break the awkward silence.
"Nice to see you this morning, Miss Elphaba."
"Likewise."
Neither girl sounded particularly excited about making acquaintance.
"I think your holy name counteracts the curse of your skin."
Elphaba pursed her lips and frowned, unsure of how to properly respond to such a statement.
"It's not quite spelt the same way as Saint Aelphaba's name was. There's no, 'a' at the beginning."
"Oh," said Nessarose simply, "That's interesting." Her lack of interest was painfully apparent.
The two fell back into an awkward silence until Frexspar returned carrying the hymnal. He smiled when he entered, ignoring Elphaba and addressing Nessarose directly, "Let us talk outside in the sun, instead of in this dull room."
"Yes, that sounds lovely, Father" Nessarose promptly agreed, eagerly wheeling herself out the large church doors. Frex lingered behind momentarily, turning to Elphaba who was still cleaning the floor.
"Elphaba?" Frex warned in a low voice.
"What?" Elphaba looked up from her work again, annoyed.
Frex paused for a moment, eying the green girl carefully, "Polish the rest of the floor as well."
The large church doors slammed behind him as he left.
HUGE shout out to my beta Fae the Queen! She is by far the best beta I have ever had.