Twisted Fairytale

“What is this?”
He dangled the worn notebook in front of Charlotte and I knew she was trying hard to suppress her fear.
“Well? Let’s have a look shall we.” He sang out and he scanned the first few pages, his expression changing rapidly from put on cheerfulness to complete rage. He let the book slip from his hands, loose pages scattering, the notebook landing on the floor with a loud thud that seemed to resound through the bare room. The book was so faded it seemed to blend in with the grey floorboards. It looked so sad that I almost forgot that it held our secrets and our dreams. I gulped nervously and stared out the musty window, too scared to even look anymore.
The sky was suitable to the mood; dull grey, dark clouds loitering in the distance. I shivered and resisted the urge to look away from the dull scene, too afraid to face the inevitable, the scene that was unfolding right before my very eyes. The dé ja vú was stifling and I couldn’t bear it, not without shattering to a million pieces just like my heart had the first time.
“You…Wrote…This?” He thundered, his voice almost squeaky with anger. I jumped slightly, the floor nearly seeming to vibrate with the power of his voice. I couldn’t decide whether I was imagining it or not, I was beyond caring anyway. All I could think about was my terrified sister.
I could hear Charlotte gasp and take a step back from him, backing straight into the back wall.
“Charlotte. I asked you a question.” He barked, stamping his feet like a child throwing a tantrum.
She mumbled before answering clearer than I had ever heard her speak to him before.
“Yes. I did.”
This made me turn my head and I smiled weakly at her defiance. It was a step in the right direction but it was not the right time for confidence boosts. But when I made eye contact with her and pointed at myself and jerked my head at the book she just looked away making me frown. I couldn’t let her take all the blame. I wrote just as much as she did. She was putting herself in grave danger, yet again. I had told her that if anything came up that it was my fault, not hers. But she was so naïve. She didn’t seem to understand what she was putting me through when she did those foolish things.
“Charlotte, Charlotte. What will I do with you?” He purred, before cackling sadistically just like he always seemed to do. That smile infuriated me and I resisted just walking over and punching him right there and then. I was weak, defenceless and he was so strong. I couldn’t touch him. Besides his erratic and rather violent mood swings were not helping my confidence levels.
“I wrote all of it. And I wrote my dreams and what I wished in it. And it’s mine.” She whispered the last part, her confidence waning as his smile changed to a look of pure menace.
“Really now? Well maybe Charlotte you should get your bloody head out of the clouds! Life isn’t some damn fairytale. People are starving, people are dying and all you can think about is what you want. That’s selfish! You should be ashamed of yourself. I don’t know what your mother would think of you.” He bellowed. Charlotte shrank back, all thoughts of any degree of confidence disappearing in a cloud of smoke.
“Mom would be thankful that however bad you are to us that we still have some scrap of hope left!” She whispered and his eyes widened, looking as if they would pop out.
“How dare you! No one mentions her except me! You…You disgust me!” He roared and pushed her violently and she stumbled and fell to the ground, her eyes watering. He started to pace in front of her, mumbling things to himself as I stood stock still. Charlotte had tears trickling down her face but she remained silent. I wanted so much to go over there and comfort her but I couldn’t seem to move. I just turned back to the window and to the depressing scenery that seemed to be endless.
“Do you understand? No more writing this nonsense.” He boomed and I jerked my head back only to see him right in front of Charlotte, who was still on the ground, now visibly shaking with fear, the tears streaming down her face. She looked absolutely petrified and I felt my blood boil with rage. I had never been so angry in my life and it shocked me.
“Do…You…Under…Stand…Me?" He demanded menacingly, putting extra emphasis on every syllable. Charlotte trembled even more, trying desperately to say anything that could be considered an answer, but couldn’t form any coherent words. He seemed to become even angrier at this and he raised his hand slowly and Charlotte snapped her eyes shut from instinct, clenching her fists, preparing her body, and mind, for the forthcoming pain.

And this made me snap.

“No!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.
His hand shot down and he spun around, facing me, before launching across the room to where I was standing. He came right up to me and grabbed my face, holding it in place. I gulped audibly.
“Excuse me? Would you like to repeat that Elinor? He exploded, his face turning sheet white.
I took a deep breath and looked him straight into those eyes that were so similar to my own. And even though they would usually leave me in a quivering heap, I stood my ground. Charlotte was in danger and it had been pretty much all my fault. Besides, I was older; I should have been able to take more. That’s what I told myself then anyway.
“I wrote all those stories. Charlotte had nothing to do with it.” I rushed out, praying that it was enough to save her, if just for a little longer.
“So…You lied and let our darling baby sister take the blame. …Of course… You know what happens to backstabbers and liars?” He spat, letting me go but not losing eye contact.
I nodded weakly, not bothering to correct him, just telling myself that everything would be okay in the end and that I was doing the right thing and that I was doing this for Charlotte, the only person I had left in the world that cared. I could hear her distressed whimpering but I sent her a pleading look, knowing full well that if he heard he would hurt her as well.
“Charlotte dearest will you please leave. Your sister and I need to have a chat[/]i.” He commanded, not turning from me.
“But…” She protested.
“Charlotte! Do I need to repeat myself?” He hissed and I heard her whimper softly as she heaved herself up and shuffled to the door, closing it quietly behind her out of habit.
He smiled at the now closed door before turning back to me.
“So…”

And it began.

But I didn’t even think about what he did to me. Even when he called me every name under the sun, I wasn’t listening. Even when my body went numb with pain I never uttered a word of protest. I was escaping, to that magical place me and Charlotte had imagined for ourselves and for our stories.

The sky was a mixture of deep purples and soft pinks, white fluffy clouds like marshmallows making ripples in the sky, giving it extra texture and shape. Trees towered over me, like natural walls, protecting me from the evils that lurked out beyond the forest. And I lay there, on the springy forest floor, watching as the ancient sun completely disappeared behind the horizon just like it had for so many millennia, leaving me in almost complete darkness and silence, except for the steady sound of my heartbeat and that soft glimmer of hope in my heart.