Flora. {Credence Barebone}

Chapter Eighteen.

The street was dark as Credence silently made his way through the crowd of night-owls, out late night dining and travelling to the theatre. Traffic roared past as he tried to hand out leaflets, but he was only met with indifference and disgust. The same disgust the Henry Shaw Jr had displayed earlier that day. Try as he might Credence could not forget what the Senator had said to him, and he also could not forget how Flora had agreed to attend an event with him straight after.

In front of him loomed the Woolworth Building; seeing it made a sense of longing boil up inside. Mr Graves had told him that that was where he worked, that's where most of the wizards of New York City worked. It was some sort of wizard congress.

Looking at the building, Credence thought of how much closer he would be to Flora, the day he would step through those glass doors. All he needed to do was complete Graves' request, but that was proving difficult.

Credence's eyes trailed down the side of the building to see the figure of Graves, watching him intently. Credence felt the feeling of hope inside surge as he moved across the street towards Graves, barely looking where he was going, not hearing the cars screech as they narrowly missed him.

Following Graves into a dimly lit alleyway, Credence looked towards the ground. Seeing the mighty wizard before him made Credence think back on the Senator's hurtful words.

"You're upset," Graves whispered, moving towards him. "It's your mother again. Somebody's said something - what did they say? Tell me."

Credence began to quiver as he asked a question that had been playing on his mind all day.

"Do you think I'm a freak?"

Graves shook his head.

"No - I think you're a very special young man or I wouldn't have asked you to help me now, would I?"

Graves rested a hand on Credence's arm, startling the boy. Yet still, the human contact was what Credence craved after his trying day.

"Have you any news?" Graves asked, getting to the point of why he had came for Credence.

Credence shook his head before answering.

"I'm still looking. Mr Graves, if I knew whether it was a girl or boy-"

"My vision showed only the child's immense power," Graves interrupted. "He or she is no older than ten, and I saw this child in close proximity to your mother - she I saw so plainly."

Credence flinched at the mention of his mother before looking towards Graves with a solemn tone.

"That could be any one of hundreds."

Realising he was beginning to press the unstable boy too harshly, Graves tactically softened his tone, and began to become beguiling and comforting.

"There is something else. Something I haven't told you," he whispered to Credence, peaking the boy's interest. "I saw you beside me in New York. You're the one that gains this child's trust. You are the key - I saw this."

Graves was almost purring to Credence as he tried harder to entice him.

"You want to join the wizarding world. I want those things too, Credence. I want them for you, for you and Flora. So find the child. Find the child and we'll all be free."

*

After Graves left, Credence followed not long after. He stood out onto the streets of the cold city, beginning to make his way back to his even colder home.

Credence hadn't walked for very long when he stopped, frozen in place right in front of City Hall.

Unable to move, Credence watched the scenes unfold in front of him, despite his breaking heart.

Henry Shaw Jr stepped out of a large black car, rushing to the opposite side to open the other door. He reached his arm inside, and retracted it seconds later with a familiar, petite hand perched delicately on the fabric of his coat.

Credence took a step shaky backwards as he watched Flora emerge from the vehicle, her blonde hair bouncing on her head as she smiled dazzlingly to both Henry and the array of cameras that flashed towards the couple.

Heart breaking into a million pieces, Credence turned and ran after watching the Senator place a confident hand on her back and lean towards her soft lips which had so often comfortingly grazed Credence's cheeks.

As he ran, trying to fight the feelings inside, Credence couldn't believe that he had ever thought that he would be worthy of Flora. Not even when he found the child for Graves, not even when he honed his powers and became just like her; Flora would never be capable of loving a freak like him. She would only ever love powerful, ordinary men like Shaw.

*

Entering the Second Salem Church, Credence could sense that his mother was waiting for him, and as he reached the stairs, he realised that his feeling was right.

Mary Lou sat in semi-darkness on the stairs, awaiting Credence, who was extremely late home again.

"Credence - where have you been?" She demanded, standing up.

"I was ... looking for a place for tomorrow's meeting," Credence lied, using an excuse he had used many times before. "There's a corner on Thirty-second that could-"

Moving round to the bottom of the stairs, Credence fell silent at the severe expression on Mary Lou's face.

"I'm sorry, Ma. I didn't realise it was so late."

Without being told, Credence began removing his belt. And without saying a word, Mary Lou outstretched her hand and took it. In silence, she turned and walked up the stairs, Credence following obediently.

Moving out of the darkness, Modesty went to the bottom of the stairs after viewing the entire exchange. She watched them go with a look of fear and upset on her face. But whatever she was feeling was not even equal to half of what Credence was feeling. Except, Credence wasn't thinking about the beating he was about to get, he was thinking about Flora, surrounded by the crowds of City Hall, and the Senator.