Maledictus

Ch.42 - Running

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"ONE OF WHO?"

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"Father wants you in the circus ring in five minutes" said James, shaking Alice until she opened her eyes.

"Thanks" she mumbled as she stretched, holding onto the wall as she got to her feet.

James smiled weakly before leavingThat told Alice a million things, but everything led to the same ending.
Pain.

Knowing she'd have to leave the room at some point, she staggered over to the door and opened it.

Alice assumed it was a meeting for tonight's show, but she was very wrong.

When she arrived, she wasn't faced with David.
She was faced with Lucius.

She took one look at him and ran.
She ran not knowing where she would go.

Alice knew David would find her with the bloody tracking shackles, but at that moment, she really didn't care.

It nearly eight in the morning so it was already very bright.

Her legs were aching and her head was pounding, but she ignored it, knowing this might be her chance.

But as usual, hope was ripped from her small heart once again.

As she turned a sharp corner, she bumped into a man whom she didn't recognise.

He reached down to help her up but she pushed him away.

"Get away!" she shouted, terrified.

"I'm not going to hurt you" he said softly, offering to help her up again but she didn't take the offer.

"How do I know you're not one of them?" she asked, looking at him closely.

"One of who?" he asked.

She didn't answer.
She wanted to keep running but she was too weak.
She needed help.

"What is your name?" he asked, kneeling down beside her.

"A-Alice" she stuttered not looking up.

A small sinister smile curled along his lips as he realised this was the girl everyone wanted.

He made an odd whistle and Alice looked up and noticed his grin.
She knew this couldn't be good.

She jumped up, forgetting pain and exhaustion.

"Where do you think you're going?" he sneered, pulling her back.

She squirmed around, kicking him and trying to shout for help.

"Shut it" he hissed.

Alice stopped since her attempts were obviously futile.
She slid down the moss-covered wall and huddled into a ball as she heard the footsteps of Lucius and David come nearer.

Soon enough she was picked up by the arms and they aparated back to the tent.

Alice had never gotten used to aparition and threw up as soon as she felt the floor under her cold feet.

David whacked her with his cane repeatedly until he was satisfied.

Alice felt something falling down her cheek, and she thought it was tears, but it was in fact, blood.

Lucius pulled her to her feet and looked into her eyes with a hard glare.

"You will pay for this" he muttered so only she could hear.
She was pushed to the ground and James was asked to bring her back to her room.

Once he closed the door, Alice burst into tears.

"Your going to be fine" James said softly.

"You can't let them take me!" she cried making his jumper wet with tears.

James didn't answer.
He didn't want her to go, he wanted her to be free, have a life any other eleven year old would have.

"Please, get these off!" she whispered, holding up her wrists.

James didn't look at her.
As much as he wanted to help, he knew that if he did, he probably wouldn't see the following week.

"I don't know how" he mumbled, looking up at her, his eyes filled with pity for the small girl.

Alice looked at the ground and played with the hem of her dress.
She didn't want to leave.
Every place she went got worse.

The place she wanted to be was Hogwarts.
Not the Circus.
Not Malfoy Manor.
Not anywhere.
Hogwarts.

"What will they do to me?" she asked, afraid of the answer.

"They're going to help you"

"We both know that's the last thing they're going to do" she mumbled realising her question was stupid.

"They will put your ability to good use, I promise" he said, trying to sound like this was what was going to happen.

"Good for them, horrible for me"

James sighed in annoyance.

"I am trying to make you feel better! This is the life you were given, so bloody deal with it!" he shouted.

Alice glared at him.

"You don't know what I've been through!" she shouted back.

"I do-"

"Mr. Baxter, I was sold to your family just after I heard my brother cry and shout in pain and sadness as he was taken away. He was my only family, the only one I had. You don't go through pain everyday, you don't know what it's like to have hope ripped out of your chest, you don't know anything"

Alice got up to leave.

She knew she would have to go with Lucius at some point, and might as well be now.

"I didn't mean it that way" he said.

"Then what did you mean? I thought you were going to help me, but you've just raised me up for slaughter just like everyone else"

The words hit James like a dagger through the heart.
She had a point.

"Where are you going?" he asked, noticing she was opening the door.

"To candyland" she answered sarcastically. "I'm bloody going to Mr. Malfoy"

"Don't"

"Why not?! You just said I should bloody deal with it!" she shouted.

When James didn't answer, she left and headed back to the circus ring.

James tried to warn her, but she didn't listen.
Now she was going to pay the price.