Page 41 of Alec

Someone had hurt him badly. Someone like Mae, maybe even worse.

Olivia rolled over and glanced down at Alec’s ticking. She suspected he would sleep even with it jammed into such a small space. Slowly she climbed off the bed and lay on the ticking. He’d left his woodsy scent on the wool blanket and pillow he used, and closing her eyes to relish it had made her too drowsy. She struggled to stay awake, but the next thing she knew she was standing on a short step ladder by the sink in Mae’s cottage.

She’d come back to that terrible summer day again. Would she ever stop having this nightmare?

Hurry. She’ll be home soon. Hurry.

It seemed much worse this time. Her eight-year-old self kept frantically scrubbing at the plates, washing them over and over with the dishcloth. If she left even a speck of food on anything her aunt would punish her again. The long-sleeved, ankle-length green dress she wore was uncomfortable, like all of her clothes, but Mae always insisted she wear them even on the hottest days. At least her work was nearly done; she had already scrubbed the counters and mopped the kitchen floor. After she finished the dishes she planned to write a book report on the discourse essays her aunt had given her to study. She didn’t glance at the padlocked cabinets or fridge as she placed the last plate in the drying rack, for she wouldn’t be able to eat again until after her aunt came home. The hollowness in her stomach wasn’t too bad today; if it got worse she would drink some water out of the bathroom tap until it filled her belly.

Run away. Hide in the bedroom.

No matter what she thought to herself, the little girl kept working. Mae might come home unexpectedly on her lunch break to check on her—she did that on random days to try and catch her being idle—and that would mean as harsh a punishment as she might get for not finishing her work. Little Olivia jumped when she heard something rapping on glass, and someone calling to her from outside.

Don’t do anything, she thought to her younger self. Don’t be afraid. He can’t get inside to hurt you.

Ooooh-leeeev-eeee-aaaah.

Through the kitchen window she could see the pasty, sweaty face of a man who lived at the other end of the block. Large and plump, he wore horn-rimmed glasses and had such a terrible case of dandruff that flaking skin speckled his thick brown eyebrows. It was the third time this month he had come to the house while her aunt was at work, and she didn’t understand why. As she ran from the kitchen to her room, her chest grew tight and she began to shake. Mae sometimes skipped her lunch break so she could leave work early. If she saw that man outside the cottage–

Olivia. I know you’re in there. Open the back door.

She climbed into her bed and pulled the blanket over herself as she curled up into a ball. Even when she pressed her palms over her ears she could still hear him. He always said the same things.

You need someone to look out for you.

I’ll be like a father to you, little girl.

I’ll love you in a very special way.

After what seemed like forever the man stopped calling to her, and she got out of bed to go back to the kitchen and dry the dishes. As soon as she opened the door, the man jumped in front of her with his pudgy hands outstretched.

Got you!

As she screamed a boy suddenly appeared between them, shielding her with his terribly thin body while he hit the man with a long, hooked stick. Olivia’s eyes widened as she saw the man’s bleeding face change and grow black while his nose and mouth merged together and grew out into a dark beak. Black feathers sprouted from his skin as he began to shrink in on himself, until he turned into a large, fat crow. The bird screeched at her before it flew off, leaving her alone with the boy.

Thank you for saving me. She nearly shrieked as he turned, his beautiful face only too familiar despite a swollen nose and one black eye. Alec?

’Tis me. He took hold of her hands, his own grimy and covered with bruises. We’re dreaming together in my chamber, but we must awaken.

I can’t. You don’t understand. She pulled free and hurried back into the kitchen, where all the dishes she had washed now lay piled in the sink, still dirty. I have to finish these before my aunt comes home, or she’ll punish me.

She began washing the plates, but for each one she scrubbed clean two more appeared in the sink. The pile grew so high it began teetering, and then fell onto the floor, exploding into shards of ice that pelted her hands, arms and face. As her knees gave out Alec grabbed her and pulled her against his chest, his hand cradling the back of her head.

Dreams in the spell trap seem as real as when you’re awake, he told her. ’Tis part of the curse on us. You can become trapped here if you dinnae rouse yourself.

Who are you, boy? Mae came into the kitchen, her face so mottled with rage she looked as if someone had painted her face reddish-purple. What have you done with this little tramp?

Alec stared at her, aghast. You’re the one who starved Olivia.

The brat is my responsibility, one I’ve never shirked. I gave up my life so she could live. Her aunt’s expression grew cunning. Now she has to earn her way, just like everyone else in the world.

He made a disgusted sound. She’s only a bairn.

Did you touch her? Mae strode up to him. Did you do that nasty thing with her?

He protected me. Now it was Olivia’s turn to step in front of Alec and shield him, and when her aunt lifted a fist she didn’t even flinch. You never did. You left me here alone, where anyone could have broken into the house and hurt me. Like that man tried to do that day.

You tempted him to come to you, Mae shrieked. You used your evil wiles to lure that man to my home. You got that from your devil father. Now I find you with this filthy little beast. What have the two of you been doing behind my back?