Chapter 16 The confrontation.
The screen shows Carrie looking at some shops.
A lot of girls start to giggle and whisper with their friends.
"What is she doing?" Asks Henry Trennant as Billy Nolan slaps Henry on his head.
"Owwwww! What was that for!" Asks Henry Trennant.
"For being a idiot". Says Billy Nolan.
One shop is a dress shop.
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, now I get it" Says Henry Trennant. At the same time Vicky Hanscome jumps up and down on her chair.
"Vicky, calm down a bit!" Warns Mr Hanscome his daughter as Vicky pouts at her father.
"But dad, she is searching for a prom dress". Says Vicky Hanscome like it is the most important thing in the world and for it might just be. Vicky turns to Carrie.
"What kind of dress do you want, Carrie?" Asks Vicky Hanscome. Carrie looks at the floor.
"I don't know what kind of form I want my dress to be, but I would like a pink or red dress". Answers Carrie.
"Do you like pink?" Asks Vicky Hanscome.
"Yes, but I prefer red". Says Carrie shyly. Not that Momma ever let me wear clothes with the color other people in the room see an opportunity to get to know Carrie better.
"What other colors do you like?" Asks Cindy Young.
"I also like green tints ". Answers Carrie.
Green like envy and red like blood.
She walks inside and looks at the dress materials. She touches a soft pink material.
"Why are you standing by the material?" Asks Lizzy Wilson
"I thought you were going to buy a dress?" Adds Nicki Wilson.
"I know how to sew, so I am going to make my own prom dress". Answers Carrie. That and she probably wouldn't have the funds to buy a prom dress. They were quite expensive.
"You know how to make an prom dress?!" Says Jessica Upshaw.
"It's not that much of a surprise". Chuckles Elton Mott. "Her mother is one of my best seamstresses. She learned you how to sew, didn't she Carrie?" Carrie nods.
''You have to teach me after this'' Says Jessica Upshaw.
Carrie smiles at the other girl. She and Jessica had really hit it off in the small time the older girl had say next to her.
''Really? I…would love to". Says Carrie. Is this what having a friend feels like?
''Yes, the other girls are going to be so jealous!'' Says Jessica. From the other side Carrie saw Freddy rolling his eyes.
The Ultra's stand outside and see it all happen.
"Lizzy Wilson:"Crazy, right? ".
"Tommy Ross and Carrie White".
Yes it certainly was a weird thought. In this timeline it wouldn't come to pass, but it was interesting to see what would have have happend if it did. Thought Mr Holt. The man unlike most was having the time of his life. First telekineses and telepathy was proving right in front of his eyes and now they were going to see an alternate reality about what would have happened if they had never been summoned this morning. The father in him mourned for the abuse the young girl his son was talking to had suffered, but the scientist in him was wriggling in his chair with anticipation. He kept his notebook nearby, ready to make notices when needed for later.
The screen turns black. The next scene shows Carrie walking down a street. It is dark and it is raining. Carrie walks to her house. Before her house stands Margaret.
Carrie looks at the screen with horror, fear and surprise.
''She isn't supossed to be home this early'' Says Carrie without thinking, for an moment forgetting where she is. The other people in the room give Carrie sad looks.
"What day do you think this was meant to happen?" Asks Elton Mott.
"I think a Tuesday, seeing I had practice earlier". Answers Tommy Ross. Elton shares a look with the woman beside him.
"We were planning to close the shop earlier on Tuesday in a couple of weeks, to go to an conventation ". Answers Elton Mott.
"Bad timing, man". Says Chester Miller. The room silently agrees and curses Carrie's bad luck.
The next scene shows Margaret pushing Carrie inside the house.
"Hey don't touch her!'' Screams Norma Watson, surprising the people around her. Other girls start soon start too screaming and protesting at Margareth's rough treatment of her daughter.
Margaret: "Where have you been? I was worried sick. Come on, Come inside".
Carrie: "I'm sorry I'm late, Mama".
Margaret: "Just get inside. Your supper's cold, I'm going to have to heat it up".
"You know, she doesn't seem so bad right now". Says Mr Ullman as people from all across the room glare at him.
Carrie takes of her jacket. "I didn't know..."
Margareth looks at Carrie. "You're immodest".
"Never mind". Says Mr Ullman.
''If that is immodest I don't dare to think what is slutty'' Says Chris Hargenson.
''Probably something that you wear'' Answers Carrie quickly. Some people nearby hear them and burst in to laughter that takes a while to stop. Chris Hargenson opens her mouth and then closes it. No sound comes out of her mouth. She doesn't know if she should say something, not knowing if Carrie is serious or fucking with her.
Margareth takes Carrie's jacket and walks towards the kitchen.
"I didn't know where you were". She said as Carrie follows Margaret.
"I didn't know".
"She is almost sixteen years old! When I was 12 my parents didn't know were I was most of the time". Brags Romy Wilson.
"Yeah, but Romy maybe you aren't the best example of how we want Carrie to turn out". Whispers Mrs Snell as Mrs Spies bursts into a fit of laughter.
Carrie: "No, Mama. I took a bus to Main Street and I bought cloth for a dress".
Margaret places Carrie's jacket on a chair in the kitchen.
Margaret: "You are not to go anywhere but to school and back; you know that."
Billy Nolan looks at Carrie.
"You don't listen to all the crap she says right?". Asks Billy Nolan.
"Mr Nolan!". Says Mrs Martina as Carrie hestitates.
"I would go insane if I was only allowed to go to school and then back home". Moans Tina Blake as Carrie shrugs.
"It isn't all bad. I read a lot, paint or sew''. Says Carrie.
The room was quiet.
''And you never go somewhere behind her back?'' Asks Billy Nolan.
''Fom time to time I go out if I know momma won't be home for a while'' Answers Carrie as Billy Nolan whistles.
''Impressive, and she has never caught you?'' Asks Billy Nolan.
''Mr Nolan''. Warns agent Maggie McGregor.
"Relax Maggie, I am actually proud of her". Says Billy Nolan as The people in the room look pleasently surprised.
"You are?". Asks Carrie White and Chris Hargenson. The latter looks surprised at her boyfriend. Compassion wasn't one of Billy's strongests points.
"Of course, it takes guts to do that". Says Billy Nolan as Carrie looks baffled.
''Were you not scared that she would find out?'' Asks Cindy Yang as Carrie thinks.
''Sometimes, but it was worth the risk''. Says Carrie. Cindy nods her head, satisfied with the answer.
Margaret puts Carrie's supper in the oven.
Carrie: "Mama, before you say anything else, I've been asked to prom".
"What?!" Scream several people.
"Why do you tell her that , Carrie?". Asks Heather Shrys. Carrie turns to Heather.
"I can't keep something like that secret. It is better if I tell it her myself, than that she founds it out through one of the other mothers or some other way". Answers Carrie as Heather signs.
Carrie was right, something like this wouldn't be kept secret for long in their small town and from the guilty looks around her she wasn't the only one that had come to that conclusion.
Carrie: "Mama, I've been asked to prom". Margaret looks above her.
Margaret:"Oh, God, why?"
"It's just prom". Says Sue Snell.
''Not with that woman''. Snorts Ruth Gogan.
Carrie: "It's next Saturday and he's a very nice boy, And he'll come and meet you before and he promised to have me home by 10:30". Margaret shakes her head.
Margaret: "No, no, no".
Norma Watson begins to shake. The image of the furious Margaret White is enough to make her want to hide under her bed. How can Carrie just stand there?
Carrie:"I already accepted. I know this scares you. It scares me, too. The other kids, They think I'm weird, But I don't want to be. I have to try to be a whole person…before it's too late."
Margaret takes Carrie's face in her hands.
The entire room is quite after Carrie's speech. What could they say what hadn't already been said?
''Oh honey'' Says Rita Desjardin sadly. "There is nothing wrong with you, you reacted exactly like a girl in your situation would''.
''As a nurse,I should have seen the signs and I can't apologize enough for that''. Says Nurse Lopez. Around her the people agree silently. Carrie was quiet, which was not so strange. It probably would take a long time before the girl would not blame herself. The room was silent and continued watching, waiting to see how Margaret would react.
Margaret:"He'll hurt you".
The people in the room signed. It was probably to much to ask that Margaret did an 180 and allowed her daughter to go to prom.
"My Tommy? He wouldn't hurt a fly!" Says Mrs Ross as She turns to Carrie.
"If my son says or does something to hurt such a sweet girl, I will set him straight". Says Mrs Ross. Her husbands nods his head in agreement as Carrie blushes.
"You don't have to. I don't think Tommy would do something to hurt me on purpose". Says Carrie. "You raised a kind boy." The whole Ross family blushes.
Carrie pulls away from her mother.
Carrie:"No, Mama…No, Mama, there are bad people, but not Tommy. He's good, You'll like him. He's a very nice boy".
"Boys, boys…After the blood, comes the boys sniffing, slobbering like dogs".
"What?!".
''Oh god'' Whispers Mrs Snell.
Carrie:"Stop it, Mama". Carrie walks away from the kitchen, but her mother follows her.
Margaret:"He's going to paw at you until he finds where that blood smell comes from. He's going to take you, Carrie, in his car out to the wilderness, out where it's cold and the roadhouses are and the whiskey".
People look at shock and disgust at the screen.
"That crazy bi... woman think that...". Says Mr Hanscome.
"OMG". Says Tina Blake. Around her the Ultra's and some classmates start whispering. Carrie looks ashamed at Tommy. Tommy notices the look Carrie sends him.
"Carrie, I would never do that. I am not that type of guy and I have a girlfriend". Says Tommy Ross as Carrie nods.
"I know". Says Carrie, shaking her head. "I am sorry you had to hear that''.
''Hey, don't apologise for things you mother says, okay''. Says Tommy Ross.
Tommy shake shis head. He felt angry not at Carrie, but at her mother.
Who tells their daughter stuff like that?
Beside him Sue had noticed his change in demeaner and took his hand in her smaller one.
Carrie:"Stop being so crazy".
Margaret:"You tell that boy you're not going".
Carrie:"No".
"Yeah Carrie, don't let her talk you out of this ". Says Ruth Gogan. Around her other people start cheering her on.
''CARRIE, CARRIE!'' Carrie starts blushing and tries to hide herself in between her long hair. Beside her Jessica and Freddy start laughing and follow Ruth's lead in screaming Carrie. The adults look, but decide not to interfere, a warm feeling consumes most while looking at their kids cheer on their classmate.
Margaret:"We'll move from here. We're never going to stop moving. You're going to go to your closet and you're going to pray. You're going to get in there and you're going to pray for forgiveness".
"No". Whimpers Carrie.
She can't do that.
The rest of the room feel their blood freeze.
"No!". Screams Carrie.
I refuse to let that happen, I refuse to let her stuff me in the box she has stuffed me my entire life!
All the locker doors jump upon. The people in the room turn around and look at the now open lockers.
"Carrie, it's alright sweetie. She can't hurt you here". Says Rita Desjardin. The lockers close and open again, it causes a loud disturbance. People hold their hands over their ears and try to reach out to Carrie to make her stop.
''Take a deep breath''. Carrie start taking small breaths, till she feels herself calming down and the lockers stop moving.
''Holy Shit'' Whispers Freddy DeLois while staring at the damaged lockers. Behind him other people stare and whisper.
''Are you okay, Miss White'' Asks Principal Morton. Carrie silently nods, she is clearly still shaken. While the people around her comfort Carrie as best as they can, someone else watches her in silence.
From the other side of the room agent Geraldine watches and thinks
why where we sent this movie again?
Watching Carrie White lose control of her emotions, lose control of her powers had shaken her badly, though she hadn't let it show. What she had seen... it reminded her of some things she had seen in the field. Badly abused or bullied children and adults who did awful things when pushed to the edge. She silently prayed that her hunch was false and that their was another reason beside Carrie White snapping that made them continue watching the movie.
Carrie:"No, never again, Mama!" All the furniture in the room and Margaret are levitated for a few seconds.
Carrie: "Mama, stand up". Carrie levitates her mother from the floor.
The people in the room watch with eyes that almost bulge out of their socks. People point to the screen where Margaret is lifted from the floor all by Carrie Unlike earlier, there was no chair or furniture involved.
"You can levitate people". Says Freddy Holt, flabbergasted. Around him people laugh nervously. Freddy notices the looks that people are giving Carrie.
''Okay, guess I better treat you well during Prom or I might end up locked up in the girls bathroom, floating with my head in the girl's toilet.
"Freddy!". Scolds Mrs Holt her son.
"Sorry". Says Freddie Holt. Around him people start laughing with some jocks pointing to him, but he doesn't mind. His distraction worked, people aren't looking at Carrie anymore with fear in their eyes.
Mission accomplised, at least for now.
Carrie: "Mama, I'm going".
Margaret:"Witch".
Carrie:"I'm not a witch, Mama. There are no witches.
Margaret: "The devil's got her now, Like he did before".
Carrie closes her eyes. Images of flying bottles and stones flash in her mind.
Carrie:"It's not the devil, Mama. There are other people out there like me who can do what I can do".
Margaret:"You poor child. Don't you know he's working through you?"
Carrie:"Mama, it's inherited. It was passed down from Grandma and it skipped you. You know that".
The room absorbes this new information. Mr Holt writes everything in his notebook that he has always with him, hoping to discuss this with Mrs White.
''What do you know about the rest of your family Mrs White''. Asks Mr Holt gently. From what he had seen so far there didn't seem to be any people around except daughter and mother.
''Not much. I know my grandfather is dead, mom... Margaret sometimes talks about him but I don't know anything about my grandmother or other female members''.
Beside her Mrs Desjardin nods encouraging Carrie to continue talking.
''I know that momma was an only child though''. Says Carrie as Mr Holt nods.
''And the side of your father''. Asks Mr Holt. Carrie laughs, but it sounds bitter.
''Even less, if my mom or did have living family members they never tried to contact me''. Says Carrie. The room is quiet after that.
''Thank you for sharing Mrs White'' Says Mr Holt quitly. Everyone turns back to the screen.
Margaret shakes her head.
Carrie: "Maybe it came from Daddy".
The mention of her father makes Carrie perk up. Maybe mo.. Margareth would let something slip about him.
Margaret:"He gave me a cancer, I thought you were cancer."
The room is deathly quiet. People are too shocked to say anything. It is one thing thinking your child was cancer, but saying it to her? Billy Nolan watches while the girl's face becomes blank, a fortress so no one can see what she thinks while the people around her turn pale and try to comfort her. An flush of anger goes through him. Maybe once this was done and before the cops arrest that bitch, he should pay her an visit. Show her that that precious God of hers didn't like it when people abused their children, made her bleed a little. The thought made him smile.
Carrie flinches and levitates Margaret more.
Carrie:"That's awful, Don't say that".
Margaret:"She's lost to me".
Carrie:"Pray all you want, Mama, but I'm going, And nothing's going to stop me…And I don't want to talk about it anymore". Carrie releases Margaret, who falls to the floor and cries.
Carrie watches her future self releasing their mother. For a moment she is scared that Margareth wil stand up and attack her, but nothing happens.
Margareth stays where she is too afraid to confront her again after a display of her true power.
A mixture of joy, righteousness and sadness goes through her.
The joy and righteous she had always felt in her daydreams about confronting momma ,but the shame and sadness were bigger then she had expected.
Why? She had thought she had gone through most of her love for Margareth. Wasn't it enough to see her try to kill her twice?
Why did she care for Margareth's opinion after all the woman had put her through?
And did she actually have to use her power to win from momma? Too make momma let her have small things every ones in a while? Too actually listen to her?
She knew the answer but that didn't mean her heart was ready to accept it. With every fight and with every memory she recalled her love for her mother became less and less, but that didn't mean it wasn't still there.
If my classmates can change maybe so can Momma.
The thought made her pause. Could it be possible? Maybe if she showed momma the movie after this momma would see just how awfull the other girls treated her because of the rules momma made her obey. Maybe momma would see the appearance of the movie as a sighn of Godly interverence.
If her classmates could change, why could't momma?
None of your classmates have tried to kill you before this.
Carrie shakes her head, pushing the awfull thought away.
Yes, that was true, but it had been more then 10 years since momma had tried to kill her.
It showed that momma had already changed for the better and that she truly loved her.
Her mind made up, Carrie looked up and smiled. Yes that was the reason for everything that had happend so far. God had finally heard her prayers and she would show him she was worthy of such a gift.
And done! Just one more chapter and then after years this story will have completely new chapters and we will advance to the Black Prom arc. I will try to post at least once a month and I think I might be able to pull it of, but the coming chapters might take more time. I already have some ideas about what I want to happen in the coming chapters, but now the real work is going to begin. I hope I can get you all the heartbreaking reactions you all hoped for when you first saw this fanfic and clicked on it. Between now and the beginning of September I am really busy with work and A Holiday I planned so I expect that the next chapter will be posted the end of September. Till then!
Ohh and some background information about the last reaction, aka Carrie. After future Carrie stood up to her mother people were impressed and happy for her, especially the people who are sitting next to her, but because they where scared to upset her they kinda kept their distance. They noticed she was in termonial about something, but have no idea what Carrie is thinking andI think they would be absolutely horrified if they knew.
Bye!
