[You lift the covers. There’s a white orb resting on the pillow. It responds to your presence and floats towards you, lightly touching your chest. When it does, images filter into your mind…]
[“Here, take a look at this.” “Wh…what’s that? That’s not one of Grandmother’s books, is it?!” “No…no, this is mine!”
You’re speaking to Nell, your cousin. You have a big book under your arms. The two of you are hidden away in a corner of your own room.
“Where did you get it?” “I don’t know. I found it.” You shrug your shoulders…that’s a lie. But you don’t want to tell Nell where you actually got it. It’s not that you don’t trust her, but. She’s very scared of Grandmother. Everybody is. Including you, much as you’re trying to not make it obvious. “Do you wanna see it or not?” Nell looks towards the door, then ducks down a little more. “Y…yes.” She nods. You smile. You both get on your knees and you open it up. You’re not sure how much time passes. You excitedly point out the words that you know and get her to sound them out as well. After a while, she has a big smile on her face when she can get through most of a sentence on her own. Eventually, you both jump up when you hear the door open. You turn your head and see a white-haired woman fixing the two of you with a look.
“What are you two doing?” She asks. “Nothing, mother,” you say. “I was just showing Nell-“ “Mmn.” She holds up a finger, cutting you off. “Run along, Nell. Your mother is looking for you.” “O-okay.” Nell stands up and takes a second to smooth her skirt over with her hands. “And Nell?” Your mother holds a finger to her mouth. “This is a secret, understood?” “Y…yes, Aunt Lyra.” Nell ducks her head. Your mother smiles and leans down, giving her a kiss on the forehead. “Good girl. Run along.” Nell looks back at you. She gives you a smile and leaves. Once she’s gone, your mother picks you up and sits you down on the bed.
“█████,” she says. “You know to keep that book between us.” “I know,” you say quietly. “But you were teaching me to read…so. I wanted to teach Nell. She was getting it, too! She read some words and we—“ She raises a finger to her mouth and you quiet down. “You’re so bright,” she says. “I understand. You want to show your cousin what you know. But sometimes…we have to keep our knowledge to ourselves.” She reaches an arm out and hugs you. Her other hand flips the book closed…and slides it under the bed. “I promise. Once we do what we discussed, you’ll be able to show people how bright you are.” You lean into your mother. She strokes your head a couple of times.
“…when we do what we said and Leave grandmother…can we bring Nell?” You ask in a very quiet voice. “Maybe, my dear,” she says. The noncommittal way she says it…you don’t want to admit it, but somewhere deep in your heart, you know she doesn’t care.]
[….both Hex and Nell are a lot younger in this memory. More striking, however, is that they’re the same age in this one. But the Nell of right now seems a lot younger than Hex, almost a decade.]
Re: THE WITCH'S CASTLE
[“Here, take a look at this.”
“Wh…what’s that? That’s not one of Grandmother’s books, is it?!”
“No…no, this is mine!”
You’re speaking to Nell, your cousin. You have a big book under your arms. The two of you are hidden away in a corner of your own room.
“Where did you get it?”
“I don’t know. I found it.” You shrug your shoulders…that’s a lie. But you don’t want to tell Nell where you actually got it. It’s not that you don’t trust her, but. She’s very scared of Grandmother. Everybody is. Including you, much as you’re trying to not make it obvious. “Do you wanna see it or not?” Nell looks towards the door, then ducks down a little more.
“Y…yes.” She nods. You smile. You both get on your knees and you open it up. You’re not sure how much time passes. You excitedly point out the words that you know and get her to sound them out as well. After a while, she has a big smile on her face when she can get through most of a sentence on her own. Eventually, you both jump up when you hear the door open. You turn your head and see a white-haired woman fixing the two of you with a look.
“What are you two doing?” She asks.
“Nothing, mother,” you say. “I was just showing Nell-“
“Mmn.” She holds up a finger, cutting you off. “Run along, Nell. Your mother is looking for you.”
“O-okay.” Nell stands up and takes a second to smooth her skirt over with her hands.
“And Nell?” Your mother holds a finger to her mouth. “This is a secret, understood?”
“Y…yes, Aunt Lyra.” Nell ducks her head. Your mother smiles and leans down, giving her a kiss on the forehead.
“Good girl. Run along.” Nell looks back at you. She gives you a smile and leaves. Once she’s gone, your mother picks you up and sits you down on the bed.
“█████,” she says. “You know to keep that book between us.”
“I know,” you say quietly. “But you were teaching me to read…so. I wanted to teach Nell. She was getting it, too! She read some words and we—“ She raises a finger to her mouth and you quiet down.
“You’re so bright,” she says. “I understand. You want to show your cousin what you know. But sometimes…we have to keep our knowledge to ourselves.” She reaches an arm out and hugs you. Her other hand flips the book closed…and slides it under the bed. “I promise. Once we do what we discussed, you’ll be able to show people how bright you are.” You lean into your mother. She strokes your head a couple of times.
“…when we do what we said and Leave grandmother…can we bring Nell?” You ask in a very quiet voice.
“Maybe, my dear,” she says. The noncommittal way she says it…you don’t want to admit it, but somewhere deep in your heart, you know she doesn’t care.]
[….both Hex and Nell are a lot younger in this memory. More striking, however, is that they’re the same age in this one. But the Nell of right now seems a lot younger than Hex, almost a decade.]