Post by aelizia amity thornwood on Jul 2, 2019 1:16:49 GMT -5
august 3rd, 2015. the joyce manor.
aelizia shielded her face from the water pouring down from the storm clouds brewing
above the otherwise peaceful neighborhood. she had apparated just a few feet outside
the community, intending to take joy in the memories encompassing practically every
inch of the path toward her former residence. the tree she had fallen from after playing
pretend, the trail leading toward a park just down the road; blissful memories
overwhelmed the bad associated with the place she used to call home.
though her and her father had lunch or dinner quite frequently, it wasn’t often he
implored her to join him at home. and with such a formal invitation- aelizia could
only assume there was some sort of news to be shared. perhaps he had received the
promotion he so sought after for months on end now. perhaps he had finally found
someone to occupy to space her mother used to fill. whatever the reason, admittedly,
intrigue was the primary motivator driving her to visit the place littered with echoes
of her childhood.
“dad?” aelizia shook her head at the woman offering to take her coat, instead taking
it off herself and gently resting it on a coat rack adjacent to the door. “it’s aelizia! i’m
here- where are you?”
soon enough her father emerged from the hall to her left, hair slicked back and white
dress shirt rolled up just a few inches. ever since she was younger, he always dressed
the same; black dress pants and a white dress shirt, never rolled up more than two or
three inches. “lizia! darling. how good to see you.”
***
bright smiles and much conversation in the future, aelizia found herself sitting across
the table from him with quite the spread of a dinner placed before them. “not that i’m
not enjoying our conversation, but dad- there has to be something beyond this. the invite,
dinner at home- is something the matter?” aelizia inquired, her head tilting so slightly
as she folded her hands before her.
“no, no. nothing is the matter. quite the opposite actually.” kieran paused simply to
bring the glass of crimson red to his lips, taking a slow sip much to the agony of his
daughter. when he set it down his wiry lips curled into an affectionate smile, his hand
reaching out to gently grasp hers. “you always had your mother’s eyes, my lizia. her
passion, too. i hope you can put it to good use- further yourself in this world.”
though aelizia’s hand gently grasped his, her face flickered with confusion.
“i think its high time you join an alliance. with someone of your skill, i’m sure you
would thrive darling. and they could provide you the protection that is needed in this
world.”
the female's face lit up at the suggestion, though rather unexpected. “i was thinking of
it. if they would have me, the or-”
“no.” kieran’s face hardened with a determination and flicker lying in his eyes aelizia had
yet to see. “that group is full of dimwits who wish to be included in a world where they
don’t belong. this world is for those like us, aelizia. pure in blood, pure in magic. we
could start a revolution. return the wizarding world to the way it was meant to be.”
slowly, aelizia felt the happy warmth growing in her chest morph into a hold that
suffocated. the beat rising in her ears you would think would drown out the words, but
instead, it simply drilled them further into her mind. though her fingers slowly let go of
his, kieran’s grasp stayed firm. “we?” the recent graduate whispered, words laced with
an almost hopeful doubt.
“yes, we.” his free hand pushed up the dress shirt, revealing a mark emblazoned into
his skin. the haunting image of a snake curled around a harshly cut skull, one any wizard
or witch would be able to recognize. its black ink staining her father’s skin, tainting her
image of him with every moment of this living nightmare as he continued audaciously,
“i joined when i was just a few years older than you, my lizia. they’ve pushed us down,
but we will rise again. think of the possibilities! we can restore the world back to what it
was meant to be. your mother never approved my love, but you are your father’s
daughter. all it takes-”
with shaking limbs aelizia pulled her hand from his, her look of admiration now replaced
with one of a heartbroken disgust. quickly she moved to stand, stumbling recklessly up
from the seat and ignoring the glass that toppled over in her wake. “i can’t believe this-
you-”
“lizia.” a firm, restrictive hold latched around her wrist as her father too stood, shooting
fear through her body along with it. desperate eyes flickered to the door, to the kitchen;
but the house once bubbling with servants had gone hauntingly silent. “don’t act so rash.
think of what you can accomplish, of what you could accomplish with us.” the horror kept
her transfixed on her father’s gaze, once loving, that had turned into a demanding
intimidation. she felt paralyzed, and though every fibre of her trembling body was willing
her to move, her feet stayed glued to the dining room floor. “don’t you trust your father?”
the revelation about to leave her lips tore aelizia apart, the memories of before long
pushed back at the sight before her. now, every image she saw upon her arrival, now
overcome with a fiery symbol associated with a man she adored. a man, as a child, she
once wanted to become.
“not anymore.” with a sudden energy the younger joyce ripped her wrist from his grasp,
nearly sprinting toward the door with vision beginning to blur.
“don’t make this mistake-aelizia!”
she barreled forward without looking back, tearing through the house that had now
become foreign to her. walls, pictures, rooms that she would never see again.
“AELIZIA!”
kieran's enraged beckons only lit a fire beneath her feet, escalating the hurried walk
into a run. sprinting, step after step through the manor until she burst outside into
downpour. her wand nearly slipped from her fingers as she fumbled for it, the normally
steady hold now a spastic quiver. tears streaming down her face she pointed it to the
door, though if a spell ever left its tip, surely, it wouldn’t have met its target. instead,
a weak whimper escaped her lips before, stumbling back, the witch apparated from the
scene.
***
still drenched from the storm’s onslaught, aelizia’s wand dropped to the floor as an iron
weight in her shoes pulled her down her apartment wall, quiet sobs filling the otherwise
vacant space. her father’s voice still pounded in her ears, and would for the hours to
follow; reminding her again of the life she used to know. the life that, before an hour
ago, had remained seamlessly intact.
now, with it shattered at her feet and unsure of where to turn, aelizia joyce slowly
collapsed into herself in a confused mess of devastated tears.
aelizia shielded her face from the water pouring down from the storm clouds brewing
above the otherwise peaceful neighborhood. she had apparated just a few feet outside
the community, intending to take joy in the memories encompassing practically every
inch of the path toward her former residence. the tree she had fallen from after playing
pretend, the trail leading toward a park just down the road; blissful memories
overwhelmed the bad associated with the place she used to call home.
though her and her father had lunch or dinner quite frequently, it wasn’t often he
implored her to join him at home. and with such a formal invitation- aelizia could
only assume there was some sort of news to be shared. perhaps he had received the
promotion he so sought after for months on end now. perhaps he had finally found
someone to occupy to space her mother used to fill. whatever the reason, admittedly,
intrigue was the primary motivator driving her to visit the place littered with echoes
of her childhood.
“dad?” aelizia shook her head at the woman offering to take her coat, instead taking
it off herself and gently resting it on a coat rack adjacent to the door. “it’s aelizia! i’m
here- where are you?”
soon enough her father emerged from the hall to her left, hair slicked back and white
dress shirt rolled up just a few inches. ever since she was younger, he always dressed
the same; black dress pants and a white dress shirt, never rolled up more than two or
three inches. “lizia! darling. how good to see you.”
***
bright smiles and much conversation in the future, aelizia found herself sitting across
the table from him with quite the spread of a dinner placed before them. “not that i’m
not enjoying our conversation, but dad- there has to be something beyond this. the invite,
dinner at home- is something the matter?” aelizia inquired, her head tilting so slightly
as she folded her hands before her.
“no, no. nothing is the matter. quite the opposite actually.” kieran paused simply to
bring the glass of crimson red to his lips, taking a slow sip much to the agony of his
daughter. when he set it down his wiry lips curled into an affectionate smile, his hand
reaching out to gently grasp hers. “you always had your mother’s eyes, my lizia. her
passion, too. i hope you can put it to good use- further yourself in this world.”
though aelizia’s hand gently grasped his, her face flickered with confusion.
“i think its high time you join an alliance. with someone of your skill, i’m sure you
would thrive darling. and they could provide you the protection that is needed in this
world.”
the female's face lit up at the suggestion, though rather unexpected. “i was thinking of
it. if they would have me, the or-”
“no.” kieran’s face hardened with a determination and flicker lying in his eyes aelizia had
yet to see. “that group is full of dimwits who wish to be included in a world where they
don’t belong. this world is for those like us, aelizia. pure in blood, pure in magic. we
could start a revolution. return the wizarding world to the way it was meant to be.”
slowly, aelizia felt the happy warmth growing in her chest morph into a hold that
suffocated. the beat rising in her ears you would think would drown out the words, but
instead, it simply drilled them further into her mind. though her fingers slowly let go of
his, kieran’s grasp stayed firm. “we?” the recent graduate whispered, words laced with
an almost hopeful doubt.
“yes, we.” his free hand pushed up the dress shirt, revealing a mark emblazoned into
his skin. the haunting image of a snake curled around a harshly cut skull, one any wizard
or witch would be able to recognize. its black ink staining her father’s skin, tainting her
image of him with every moment of this living nightmare as he continued audaciously,
“i joined when i was just a few years older than you, my lizia. they’ve pushed us down,
but we will rise again. think of the possibilities! we can restore the world back to what it
was meant to be. your mother never approved my love, but you are your father’s
daughter. all it takes-”
with shaking limbs aelizia pulled her hand from his, her look of admiration now replaced
with one of a heartbroken disgust. quickly she moved to stand, stumbling recklessly up
from the seat and ignoring the glass that toppled over in her wake. “i can’t believe this-
you-”
“lizia.” a firm, restrictive hold latched around her wrist as her father too stood, shooting
fear through her body along with it. desperate eyes flickered to the door, to the kitchen;
but the house once bubbling with servants had gone hauntingly silent. “don’t act so rash.
think of what you can accomplish, of what you could accomplish with us.” the horror kept
her transfixed on her father’s gaze, once loving, that had turned into a demanding
intimidation. she felt paralyzed, and though every fibre of her trembling body was willing
her to move, her feet stayed glued to the dining room floor. “don’t you trust your father?”
the revelation about to leave her lips tore aelizia apart, the memories of before long
pushed back at the sight before her. now, every image she saw upon her arrival, now
overcome with a fiery symbol associated with a man she adored. a man, as a child, she
once wanted to become.
“not anymore.” with a sudden energy the younger joyce ripped her wrist from his grasp,
nearly sprinting toward the door with vision beginning to blur.
“don’t make this mistake-aelizia!”
she barreled forward without looking back, tearing through the house that had now
become foreign to her. walls, pictures, rooms that she would never see again.
“AELIZIA!”
kieran's enraged beckons only lit a fire beneath her feet, escalating the hurried walk
into a run. sprinting, step after step through the manor until she burst outside into
downpour. her wand nearly slipped from her fingers as she fumbled for it, the normally
steady hold now a spastic quiver. tears streaming down her face she pointed it to the
door, though if a spell ever left its tip, surely, it wouldn’t have met its target. instead,
a weak whimper escaped her lips before, stumbling back, the witch apparated from the
scene.
***
still drenched from the storm’s onslaught, aelizia’s wand dropped to the floor as an iron
weight in her shoes pulled her down her apartment wall, quiet sobs filling the otherwise
vacant space. her father’s voice still pounded in her ears, and would for the hours to
follow; reminding her again of the life she used to know. the life that, before an hour
ago, had remained seamlessly intact.
now, with it shattered at her feet and unsure of where to turn, aelizia joyce slowly
collapsed into herself in a confused mess of devastated tears.