Found in Time Chapter Two

So I've finally decided to release the full first seven chapters of my NaNoWriMo novel, Found in Time. I've written more than these chapters and will eventually finish, but since I do intend to have this novel published someday I don't think it would be a good idea to release the thing in its entirety.

Also, please keep in mind when you're reading that I wrote these chapters very fast. There is guaranteed to be a lot of mistakes or areas in desperate need of revision. There are many parts I don't like. It's kind of difficult to go ahead and put these chapters with them having so much wrong with them, but I still really want to do it. Please leave comments telling me what you like, or if there's anything confusing. Please also keep in mind that the first seven chapters are Part One of the story. Part Two will explain a good portion of background not comprehensively explained in Part One. This may be why it feels as if some things are not properly described. Still, speak up if something seems as if it's completely out there. You might be the one to catch something I've overlooked.

So, without further ado, here's the second chapter of Found in Time!

Ella’s eyes were closed as she concentrated. Her arm danced smoothly back and forth as she moved the bow against the strings of her violin. She had been working so hard on this song. She couldn’t mess up now. Normally her heart would be beating nervously, but now it peacefully kept time with her. Before she knew it, the last note arrived before leaving her fingers. The song faded into silence, and Ella let the silence sink in before opening her eyes and bringing her arms down.

Ella turned to look at the man sitting on the chair from her desk. He was holding a book of sheet music and reading it furiously. His crisp blue eyes darted back and forth between the notes, his hand occasionally moving as he recreated the song in his head. Ella waited patiently, hoping she would hear praise.

“You changed this last line as you played, did you not?” the man finally asked.

“Yes. I thought of a better way to arrange it before you arrived, but I did not have time to change what is written there.” Ella explained.

The man went quiet again. He was taking a lot longer looking over her work than he normally did. Ella began to feel nervous now. Her instructor, Julius Cunningham, whose white hair and chiseled face gave a stern impression, was actually very kind. However, if he felt she wasn’t working hard enough, his tougher side appeared. Since he was the only outsider with whom she had a real relationship with, Ella wanted to please him.

The drowning silence was only made worse by the steady ticking of her clock. Ella took the chance to glance at Jimmy who was pretending to be a toy on her nightstand. He gave her the slightest of nods. Ella flinched when Mr. Cunningham finally broke the silence.

“I am impressed. You had not even thought of this song last week, yet here before me is a seven minute piece that you not only wrote well, but performed flawlessly. You have surely been holding back all this time if you pulled this out of nowhere.” he said in awe, shaking the sheet music.

“I simply wrote it down as it came to me. I thought you were going to have to correct a lot of it.” Ella admitted in surprise.

“Obviously, you do not see the talent for composing you have.” Mr. Cunningham said as he stood up.

“I suppose not?” Ella wasn’t sure what to say.

“I must say that when your parents asked me three years ago to take you on as my student, I very nearly declined. I have taught many boys and men who have gone on to be wonderful musicians, but taking on a six-year-old girl? To be frank with you Ella, I only agreed at first because I was offered a larger pay than any I had had before.” Mr. Cunningham admitted.

“Really?” Ella said dejectedly. To hear that stung her a little.

“It is true. However, after only two weeks of being your teacher I told them to reduce my pay because I felt it was an unfair amount. You charmed this old grandfatherly heart with your enthusiasm and eager spirit. You learned faster than any other student I have had, but not only playing violin. If this is truly your first composition, then you have a bright future indeed.”

“So, what are you getting paid?” Ella asked curiously.

“I tell you all of this, and that is what you want to know?!” Mr. Cunningham spoke exasperatedly.

“Well, I have to know now.” Ella shrugged, and Mr. Cunningham sighed with a smile.

“It’s really none of your concern, but I will tell you that I am able to live just fine with what I am earning. Why don’t we get back to your song?”

“Haven’t we gone over the lesson time by quite a bit though?” Ella asked.

“Does my presence become bothersome that quickly?” Mr. Cunningham responded with sarcastic gloom.

“Never to me.” Ella answered with a smile.

Ella knew that Henry always hated it when Mr. Cunningham stayed too far past the allotted lesson time. Her great-grandfather had been very vocal about his unwillingness to let a normal man into the house even just once per week. Even though Ella and Mr. Cunningham had the lessons in Ella’s room, no one was allowed to use their powers while he was there. Ella understood it was a bit bothersome for her family, but they had long since gotten used to it. Henry, on the other hand, never stopped going on to Ella about how greatly she was inconveniencing the family. So despite the fact that she wanted to let her lessons go on for hours, Ella had to make sure Mr. Cunningham left on time.

“I suppose I do have other business I need to accomplish. I would like you to practice your song for you to play for me again next week, and if another song comes into that brilliant mind of yours, please take care to write it down.” he instructed, picking up his coat and hat from the bed.

“I will.” Ella promised.

She put her violin down and followed him to the first floor. George was waiting there to walk Mr. Cunningham down the path and through all the gates. Ella waved goodbye to her instructor, and then he was gone. It was always a bit sad to see him leave. However, this time she was startled when the door reopened. George waved a letter at her.

“Good, you’re still there. I forgot this letter had arrived for Peter. Will you give it to him?” George asked.

“Of course.” Ella responded, taking the letter.

George closed the front door for the second time. Ella checked the address to see whom it was from, but since Peter was only communicating with one person, it really wasn’t necessary. Heading back up the stairs, Ella knew Peter was in his room working. He didn’t answer when she knocked, so she quietly cracked the door open to peek inside.

Peter was hunched over at this desk, furiously scribbling away on a piece of paper. Even though there was no one in the room besides him, he seemed desperate to hide what he was writing. Ella was curious, but wasn’t about to ask.

“Peter.” she called to him.

He practically jumped out of his chair, and tripped over his own feet when he stood up. Ella was able to stop herself from laughing, but couldn’t help but to smile widely.

“W-what?!” he asked, his face flushed with embarrassment.

“Brooke has sent you another letter.” Ella told him.

Peter quickly crossed the room to take the letter. It was as if he feared that she had the ability to read the words through the envelope.

“Thanks.” he said while simultaneously prodding her out of his room.

“Writing another love letter to Brooke?” Ella guessed, only wanting to tease. She turned out to be right, as the shade on Peter’s face grew darker.

“They’re not love letters!” Peter defended poorly.

He managed to get Ella out of the room, and closed the door firmly. She would have felt some pity for him, but it wasn’t too often where she got the chance to mess with him a little.

“Something going on?” Jimmy asked as he came hopping over to her. Ella forgot she hadn’t brought him with her.

“Peter is just writing another gushy letter.” Ella explained, still smiling widely.

“Again? He only finished writing one.” Jimmy said in amazement.

“And Brooke sent him a second one before he could even get around the sending it.” Ella added.

“I can hear you!” Peter’s voice called from his room.

Ella laughed, picked Jimmy up, and headed back upstairs to put her violin away and continue the conversation in private.

“I swear, those two will be married before the year is out at this rate.” Jimmy predicted while Ella put her violin in its case.

“Not if great-grandfather has anything to say about it. He’s already upset that there’s so many of us children.” Ella pointed out.

“Then that prune should help out and go to the grave.” Jimmy said coldly.

“Jimmy! Don’t say that! You shouldn’t wish for someone’s death!” Ella reprimanded him.

“All he does is make everyone’s life more difficult.” Jimmy fought back.

“He does what is best for the family, even if it’s not the popular decision.”

“You can’t possibly tell me you think every decision he makes is what’s best. You wouldn’t have half of what you have now if he had his way all the time.”

“You don’t know that to be true.”

“This is interesting. I’ve never seen you actually defend the prune.” Jimmy pointed out, intrigued by Ella’s protection of the man who went out of his way to remind her how worthless he thought her.

“I just…..don’t say that he should hurry up and die. He’s grandfather’s father, and I know grandfather loves him. He told me once how great-grandfather’s own father was just as strict with him. He also lost his mother and the other children she tried to bear, not to mention his wife and great-uncle Thomas.” Ella explained.

“He shouldn’t have had to lose so many people close to him, but that gives him no excuse to bring everyone down.” Jimmy wouldn’t give up the argument. Ella sighed.

“This isn’t exactly something I want to talk about.”

“Alright then. What do you want to do?” Jimmy asked.

“I’m not sure. Everyone except mother, Peter, Alma, and Sadie are out taking care of the forest. Mother will only make me help with Sadie, Peter’s obviously busy, and Alma doesn’t like the games I like.”

“Have you already finished the books you bought from Gale?”

“Yes. I finished the last one yesterday.”

“We will have to become creative then. Let’s head downstairs, shall we?” Jimmy suggested.

  Ella nodded, and Jimmy moved to her shoulder. As they moved towards the first floor, Ella stopped briefly by Peter’s room. She wanted to tease him a little more, but when she tried to open the door her hand wasn’t able to touch the doorknob. Peter had placed a barrier around the door so no one could come in.

“That’s just mean.” Ella pouted, before continuing on her way.

However, even as Ella walked around the first floor trying to think of something to do, no ideas came to her. It was a frustratingly common experience. Charlie and everyone older were normally out in the forest making sure the ancient forces of Light and Shadow that lived there were still in balance. Ella understood that was why her family had been led to this forest in the first place, but she hated how it left her alone.

Leo and Alma typically didn’t go, although Leo had been allowed to help more recently. Ella’s relationship with her two younger siblings was cordial on only the best of days. The two of them just didn’t seem to like her, and often played tricks on her. It was why Ella didn’t want to play with Alma. She had the feeling something bad was going to come out of it.

Ella entered the kitchen, and suddenly sneezed. To her surprise, everything was covered in dust. The house was kept spotless all the time, but since her mother was the overseer of the housework, things must have fallen behind as she took care of Sadie. Unlike most children, Ella loved doing chores. It gave her the chance to feel as if she was contributing something.

“You can go do something else if you want. I’m going to do a bit of cleaning.” Ella told Jimmy.

“I think I will take a nice lie down by this warm sun streaming through the window over here.” Jimmy said lazily, moving to the kitchen window.

“But you can’t even feel temperature.” Ella reminded him.

“Why are you always so quick to ruin my dreams?” Jimmy complained.

“Sorry, just forget I said anything.” Ella apologized with a smile.

“With pleasure.” Jimmy agreed as he curled up in the sunlight.

Ella grabbed a cloth out of a drawer along with a box of soda crystals. She left those two things on the counter to fill a small pot with water before placing it on top of the range. Ella tossed a couple sticks into the fire to heat it up.

“Want me to heat the water for you? It will be much faster.” Jimmy offered.

“No, I’m alright. I can do this by myself.” Ella rejected him kindly.

To give herself something to do while the water heated up, Ella grabbed the broom and began to sweep. The floor was a lot dirtier than she had imagined. She wondered why no one had done anything about it earlier, or asked her to help out. The dust and soot was kicked up into the air, and Ella had to fight back a coughing fit. She found moving the broom in smaller sweeps helped.

Ella had to stop and pick up the mess with the dustpan twice. When she finally made her way through the entire kitchen, she found there was still a decent amount of sweeping left to do. Ella wasn’t discouraged, but determined. She could only see how much she accomplished, not how much she had left to do. Placing her hand over the water, Ella found it was at the right temperature.

She took it off the heat, and sprinkled soda crystals into the warm water. Wetting the cloth, Ella started to scrub down the counters. The only thing she hated about this type of cleaning was how the soda crystals dried her hands out. It was why the crystals generally weren’t used, but Ella wasn’t able to clean the same way the rest of her family could. As the grime came off and the counters shined again, Ella forgot about the inconvenience. She worked hard to wipe off the stains and reach ever corner. It was as she finished and was dumping out the dirty water when Hattie suddenly transported into the kitchen. She spotted Ella and looked at her curiously.

“What are you doing, dear?” Hattie asked.

“I walked in here and found that everything was dirty. I knew everyone else was busy so I decided to help with the cleaning.” Ella answered. To her disappointment, Hattie looked impatient rather than thankful.

“It takes you so long and requires so much effort out of you though, doesn’t it? You should have left it for one of us to do, and gone to play.” Hattie said.

“I don’t mind. I really wanted to help. I’ve already swept the floor once and cleaned off the counters.” Ella told her, pushing back her hurt feelings. Ella thought that even if her cleaning wasn’t the most efficient way, her aunt could at least be appreciative for the effort.

“Have you? I thought you were just about to start. Everything looks the same as it did before.” Hattie spoke in surprise.

Ella’s eyes widened as Hattie ran her finger along the top of the counter. It ended up covered in grime. She hurriedly did the same. Ella looked in horror down the length of the counters. All the mess that she had cleaned up had somehow reappeared instantaneously. Even the floor was covered in dirt again. Ella couldn’t understand what had happened. There had only been a few seconds between the point where she had turned her back to the kitchen and Hattie’s appearance. How could the mess have come back that quickly?

“No, I promise I had finished cleaning it! I checked it just like this, and nothing came off on my finger. It really was clean just before you came! Right, Jimmy?!” Ella explained profusely.

“I’m afraid I wasn’t watching what you were doing.” Jimmy said apologetically.

“It is alright, Ella. I understand it’s harder for you to do this sort of work. You don’t have to hide that you weren’t able to do it. I actually came here to do the cleaning and start dinner, so there’s no need to concern yourself with the work needed to be done. Why not go see if your mother needs help with anything?” Hattie said.

Her aunt was probably trying to make her feel better, but her words only made Ella hurt worse. She hadn’t failed the cleaning, she had done the cleaning. There was something strange that had occurred, but it was beyond Ella as to what it was. Knowing it was pointless to try to prove herself, Ella collected Jimmy and left the kitchen without another word.

“Why did all the dirt come back so quickly?” Ella mumbled to herself as she went to the second floor towards her parents’ room.

“It certainly is strange.” Jimmy added.

“You do believe me then?”

“I do, but unfortunately I have nothing to back you up with.”

“I understand.” Ella sighed.

They reached Edwin and Clara’s room. The door was half open so Ella walked right in. Clara was in the rocking chair, gently rocking as she patted Sadie on the back. Ella guessed her mother had just finished feeding her. It was clear her mother was exhausted, and she almost appeared asleep with her closed eyes. She only noticed Ella when she was close to the chair.

“I’m afraid I’m a little preoccupied to help with anything.” Clara said tiredly.

“I don’t need anything. I came to see if you needed help.” Ella corrected her. Clara exhaled lightly before shaking her head.

“No. I simply desire some quiet. Why don’t you go play with Alma?” she suggested.

“Alright.” Ella agreed quickly, although only to appease her mother. She had no intentions of going to play with her sister. However, in a case of bad timing, Alma walked past the open door.

“Alma, dear.” Clara called to her and Alma came inside, “Why don’t you and Ella go play outside till dinner is ready?”

“Yes mama.” Alma agreed.

Ella was able to pick up the subtle reluctance in her voice. Just as Ella did not desire Alma as a playmate, the same was true the other way. Neither sister was going to argue with their mother with the condition she was in though. Ella and Alma left the room, and did not say a single word to each other as they went to their rooms to change. In fact, it wasn’t until they had changed and met each other outside that Ella finally spoke.

“So, well, what do you want to do?” Ella asked.

“I don’t really want to play with you because you can’t play any of the good games.” Alma said. She rarely let her words run through a filter before speaking. Used to those types of statements, Ella trudged forward.

“Why don’t we go skate on the lake? You won’t have to worry about me then.” Ella proposed. About half a mile away from the house was a small lake that was a common site for family activities.

“Sure.” Alma agreed.

She disappeared into nothing, clearly not wanting to walk the way with Ella. It was fine by her. She knew they wouldn’t have had much of a conversation anyway. By the time Ella reached the lake, Alma was skating away. She was using small wind currents to stop herself from falling. It was to make up for her terrible balance.

Ella, on the other hand, felt right at home as soon as she stepped onto the ice. The surface was clear and smooth, perfect for fast gliding. Ella started out slow though. She wanted to make sure the ice was thick enough around the entire lake. Once she was confident there were no trouble spots, Ella moved without restraint.

Ella knew there was a lot she couldn’t do. There was nothing she could ever do to help her family; even doing the simplest of chores created an inconvenience for the others. Rarely did anyone try to meet her at her pace, or try to understand her feelings as she watched everyone around her use their powers. Ella wondered if the constant hollow feeling she had meant she had accepted this reality bitterly, or if she had created such a strong barrier around her heart that the worst of her feelings would remain trapped.

Whatever the truth was, Ella took as much joy as possible out of the things she could do. She could play the violin and entertain her family. She could help her team win a snowball fight, and she could fly so fast across the ice that all her worries disappeared. For just a moment, it was if she had something to contribute.

Ella forgot about Alma as she moved back and forth across the lake. If she had, she would have seen her sister’s face slowly grow more and more jealous. Alma could barely gain any speed even with the help of her powers, but Ella could do so much more without any assistance. As Ella lapped around, she ended up skating parallel to Alma. Feeling incredibly unburdened, she was about to give her sister a smile and wave. That was when she saw Alma’s angry face and a red glow around her hand.

Ella looked forward just in time to see a large hole in the ice appear out of nowhere. Having no chance to stop, Ella flew towards the ground as the ice under her feet ran out. Her mind panicked and ran blank as she prepared to be thrown into the deep, icy water. Just before she was about to hit the surface, the water turned back into ice. Jimmy had acted fast enough to stop the worst from happening.

It didn’t make Ella’s fall any less pleasant. She cried out in pain as her body collided forcefully against the ice. Her vision flashed black as her head was smacked, and her right arm bent uncomfortably as her full weight fell on top of it. When her body stopped sliding, Ella couldn’t move from the shock. She felt warm blood trickling down her face, her arm was throbbing, and tears were burning in her eyes. She lay there quietly as she couldn’t comprehend what just happened.

“ALMA!” Jimmy roared to the young girl, but before he could say anything else, Alma transported away.

“What on earth was that girl thinking!?” Jimmy said angrily, moving back to Ella.

Ella managed to push her shaking body up so she could sit. Blood mixed with free falling tears coated the side of her face. She tried to use her coat arm to put pressure on the cut, but it stung too much. Without a word, Jimmy hopped onto the top of her head. Ella sniffled, blinking back tears as a hot sensation ran down her face.

“I’ll be able to stop the bleeding, but you’ll still need this to be looked at properly.” Jimmy told her quietly.

Some of the pain subsided, and Ella calmed down enough to remember her handkerchief in her pocket. With it, she cleaned her face up as best she could.

“Anything else I should see?” Jimmy asked.

“My arm.” Ella mumbled weakly.

Pulling back her sleeve, they now saw the dark black and blue bruise that covered the length of Ella’s forearm.

“I’m afraid I can’t do much about that. Thankfully, it seems it did not break.” Jimmy spoke quietly, “Wait here. Let me got get someone to help you get back.”

“No, I can walk back just fine.” Ella protested.

“Don’t be ridiculous. With those inju―”

“My legs are working perfectly well. Besides, everyone is still in the forest. Mother would be too tired to help transport me, Hattie is busy, and Peter has the barrier around his room. There’s no one to help.” Ella interrupted.

She carefully stood herself up. Her arm throbbed with every slight movement, and a headache was beginning to pound. Ella wondered if it was possible for the fall to have injured something inside her head. Jimmy kept protesting, yet Ella ignored him and made her way off the lake. With great reluctance, Jimmy jumped onto Ella’s shoulder and stayed silent as she slowly lumbered back towards the house in the deep snow.

By the time Ella reached the house she was out of breath. The inside was quiet, and Alma was nowhere to be seen. The pounding of her headache had gotten worse. Needing to sit down, Ella fell into the closest couch. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine the pain away. The crackling fire nearby warmed her up and lifted her spirit. However, the chill voice that suddenly spoke to her caused her to stiffen.

“What are you lazing about here for? I see you’ve made such a mess as you’ve traipsed in here. Don’t you at least have the sense to clean up after yourself? Or were you simply expecting someone to do your work for you?” Henry criticized sharply from behind her.

Ella turned to look at him, her vision blurred as she opened her eyes. Her great-grandfather stared disgustingly at her with his arms folded.

“But then it seems as if you can’t even walk properly. What foolish activity have you done this time?” he continued in the same manner.

“Ella’s condition is Alma’s fault. That blasted girl melted the ice out from under her. She could have drowned in the cold water had I not managed to recreate the ice in time.” Jimmy explained. Ella could hear his voice shaking as he kept back his rage.

“Absolute nonsense. That child would never do such a thing. Even if she really did melt the ice, I know it would only be because she is young and can’t fully control her powers yet. I can tell that you’re trying to push the blame on her since you are ashamed of your own clumsy feet.” Henry rejected the idea, shaking his head.

“It’s the truth!” Ella attempted to say convincingly, but her voice was quiet and shaking. She wondered if it was because of the pain from her injuries, or if her great-grandfather had that much sway over her.

“I will not tolerate you arguing back with me. Now clean up the mess you have made before I forbid you from dinner.” he said, even harsher than before.

“Ella’s hurt. I’ll clean it up.” Jimmy spoke up.

“Silence yourself toad. I told her to do it, so do it she will.” Henry’s tone allowed no argument.

Ella took Jimmy off her shoulder, and patted his head when she placed him on the couch. It was her way of telling him to be quiet. Ella moved nervously past her great-grandfather as she went to the nearby closet for a towel. Her vision had at least cleared up, but she felt unsteady on her feet. She felt Henry’s eyes drilling into her back as she bent down to mop up the snow she had tracked in.

“I don’t see how that was so difficult. Now go take care of that disaster on your face before anyone else sees you.” Henry said when she finished.

“Yes sir.” Ella mumbled.

She picked Jimmy up quickly, and got out of Henry’s sight as quickly as she could. The first flight of stairs was a mountain for her to conquer. Ella forgot the pain in her arm as the headache increased. She knew wouldn’t be able to make it to her room. When Peter unexpectedly stepped out of his room, Ella wanted to cry with relief. He spotted her, standing against the wall clearly in pain, and rushed over to her with concern.

“What happened?!” he asked, supporting her as he brought her into his room. He helped her get situated against the pillows on his bed.

“I tripped on the ice as I skated.”

“Liar! Alma tried to make her fall into the water, but Ella ended up like this as I recreated the ice to stop that from happening.” Jimmy explained again.

Peter said nothing, but his face turned grim. With a flick of his wrist, the water in his basin floated over to him and sunk into his own handkerchief he took out. He cleaned the rest of the blood and tear stains off of Ella’s face. Then he wiped around the cut and inspected it.

“Did you seal part of this up?” Peter asked Jimmy.

“Yes.”

“How does your head feel, Ella?”

“I have a bad headache.”

“Hmm. Well, this cut looks pretty painful, and maybe there’s damage somewhere else we can’t see, but I don’t know anything about these types of injuries. We’ll need Uncle Kenneth to look at it. He should be back soon with the others. For now, I’ll bind it up. Wait here.” Peter said.

He left the room to get the bandages. Ella let her head sink into the pillows. As long as she kept her eyes closed and didn’t move, her injuries were tolerable. Ella raised her arm to feel the cut. However, a sharp sting from her arm reminded her it was hurt as well. She quickly placed it back down. Jimmy was being quiet to let her rest, and Ella’s consciousness started to slip away. She was warm, tired, and desired greatly to fall asleep. The strangely long time that Peter was gone did not register to her.

It was only when Peter finally transported into the room with Kenneth that her eyes fluttered open.

“Sorry for the wait. I decided it would be best to have him look at it right away.” Peter explained. Ella shrugged noncommittally.

“Let’s see how bad the damage is.” Kenneth said, sitting down next to Ella on the bed.

He ran his fingers around the cut before carefully checking for cracks in her skull. The process wasn’t pleasant, but Ella made no complaints. Kenneth placed his palm over the cut when he was finished. An odd sensation of both heat and coldness dug into it. The feeling wasn’t painful, but instead there was a lot of pressure.

“Luckily, there is no internal damage or cracking. I’ll be able to heal most of the cut, and the headache should go away soon.” Kenneth told her cheerfully.

“You need to take a look at her arm as well.” Jimmy said.

“You didn’t tell me she had hurt her arm.” Kenneth turned towards Peter.

“She didn’t tell me.” Peter explained.

“I forgot about it because my head hurt so much.” Ella told them quietly.

She pulled back her sleeve to reveal the bruise. Kenneth tenderly grasped her arm and bended it in different directions.

“How did this all happen again?” he asked, shaking his head.

“It’s beyond me. Ella says she tripped by herself, and Jimmy says Alma tripped her on purpose.” Peter answered.

“Ella doesn’t want to create conflict. It’s the truth that Alma did this with intent.” Jimmy confirmed.

“I know that child doesn’t think her actions through sometimes, but I can’t imagine she would go this far.” Kenneth said, unsure.

“She did!” Jimmy wasn’t going to give up, “Then she transported back here to get away from dealing with her actions. I don’t know where she’s at now.”

“I saw her with mother as I passed mother’s room.” Peter said.

“We’ll have to talk to her to get to the bottom of this.” Kenneth ended the conversation. He had now begun to heal the bruise. The color was lightening and the pain subsiding.

“Say something, will you!” Jimmy spoke forcefully to Ella. However, she kept her mouth firmly closed. Jimmy sighed with irritation.

“That’s as much of it as I can heal.” Kenneth said. He took his hand away to reveal a much less alarming bruise. “I left a steady chill on it though. It will make the ache more bearable.”

“Thank you.” Ella said, managing a small smile.

“Is there anything else I need to attend to?” Kenneth asked, and she shook her head.

Peter opened his mouth to say something, but Hattie’s call that it was dinnertime interrupted him. Ella’s stomach started to growl at the thought of food. Now able to think without panic or intense pain, she realized how much she had been moving around earlier. Her body now wanted food more than it wanted sleep.

“Why don’t we go eat, and give this whole matter some time?” Kenneth suggested.

“Yes.” Ella agreed.

She stood up at a sensible pace, and was pleased that she had no trouble doing so. Ella followed Kenneth and Peter downstairs. Jimmy didn’t come with them. Ella saw that he was upset with her for not sticking up for herself. Ella wanted everyone to know the truth and for Alma to be punished, but that was not the way things ever went for her.

Everyone, save for Henry, liked Jimmy. However, they rarely thought him a legitimate witness for the tricks played on Ella. They were all convinced he would side with Ella even if she was lying. Henry was already upset with her, and if she continued to try to argue Alma’s guilt, he would only punish her again for lying. It had never mattered if she had solid proof of her innocence or not. To Henry, she was always wrong. It was for her own benefit that she kept her mouth shut and let Alma’s terrible action slide.

The rest of the family had come back from the forest, so the three of them were the last to arrive. Ella spotted Alma as she helped Hazel set the table. Alma felt her gaze. She met it for a brief second before turning away. Ella fought the desire to say something by taking the chance to put her coat away in the front closet. She then quietly took her seat at the table.

“Did something happen, Ella?” Edwin asked her with concern.

The cut on the side of her head was nothing compared to how it had been minutes ago, but the bright red line was clearly visible.

“I accidentally fell while skating.”

“She fell by herself!”

Alma’s voice was so loud that Ella’s words were drowned out. Alma then went speechless as she stared at Ella in amazement. Ella knew she expected her to place the rightful blame on her, and had thus intended to proclaim her own innocence by covering up whatever Ella said.

“Thank you for your need to contribute, but that tone is not welcome at this table. I was speaking to Ella, not to you.” Edwin reprimanded her. Ella smiled lightly. At least she was able to get some sort of small victory.

“Anyway, I fell. Uncle Kenneth healed me right up though, so I’ll be fine.” Ella continued on calmly.

“You need to be more careful next time.” Henry said with a fake concern that fooled everyone except Ella.

“I will great-grandfather.” Ella agreed.

His expression showed pride in himself. Ella cringed inwardly. It really was true he had that much sway over her if she would so easily lie to everyone about such a thing. However frustrating it was to retreat, he would leave her alone for a while. The less he spoke to her, the better off she was.

The attention was taken off of her as Hattie and Jane brought the food out. Ella even forgot about the whole incident as her stomach restarted its demand for food with a fervor. She was content to let everyone else talk while she filled up her stomach with warm food. Ella hadn’t noticed till this point that her clothes were still wet and cold. Thankfully, the dining area was kept well heated.

The minutes passed by easily, and her sleepiness was returning. She wanted to share her violin song with her family, but perhaps that could wait for another night. Heading to bed early was a more appealing idea to her. However, Ella caught some words from the conversation she had been ignoring. She looked up at Peter in shock, hoping she hadn’t just heard what she thought he said.

“What was that?” she asked in confusion.

“I’ll ignore your absent-mindedness on account of your fall.” Peter teased, “I said, the letter Brooke sent me is a request for father, mother, and myself to join her and her parents for a trip down to South Carolina. We would leave on the third of March, and return home on the seventeenth. Of course, we would have to bring Sadie along as well.”

“And are you going to go?” Ella asked, afraid of the answer. Peter looked over to Edwin and Clara for their answer.

“I don’t see why not. It’s been a long time since I’ve traveled that far.” Edwin said excitedly.

“Why not? What about my birthday on the sixth?!” Ella asked in disbelief. Had they really forgotten?

“That is true…” Clara said.

“But Ella, this is an opportunity we’ll only have once. Brooke’s parents will be busy again after this. Besides, you’ll have plenty of other birthdays.” Peter tried to convince her.

“I can’t believe you would brush it aside so quickly! It’s not just only my birthday, it’s my tenth birthday! I need all of you to be here!” Ella protested.

For the Bentley family, birthdays had always been much more important than they were to the average citizen. The birthdays that marked decades were considered the special ones, and since it was Ella’s first, it was supposed to be of increased significance.

“We can celebrate before we leave, or when we come back.” Clara proposed.

“No! That won’t work at all!” Ella argued, her voice growing louder in frustration.

“Ella, I understand why this is upsetting, but sometimes you have to realize there are things more important than your own desires. Sacrificing those desires can be hard, but I know you care about Peter to see how essential this trip is in regards to his future with Brooke.” Edwin rationalized to her.

Ella was almost shaking because she was that distraught. Her father was calling on her to sacrifice, but could none of them see how much she had already sacrificed today? She had worked so hard in the kitchen to have her efforts not only mysteriously undone, but completely unappreciated. Despite the fact that Alma had seriously hurt her, Ella covered for her for the sake of peace. She had buried away so many of her feelings that made her want to scream. Now they wanted her to withdraw even more of herself?

“NO!” Ella protested loudly.

The sudden stress had brought back her headache, and she couldn’t think of anything else to fight back with. Her family was surprised at her outburst, and Ella cringed at the angry faces the adults then made. It was Peter’s words that stung the most.

“I never realized how selfish you were, Ella. After all I just did to help you when you were hurt, and you won’t even consider me for a second.” Peter’s every syllable pierced into her.

“It’s not that I don’t want you to go, but I―” Ella started.

“Exactly, but you…” Henry interrupted. Ella froze as he stood up and glared down at her menacingly.

“You have broken my patience. As if the trouble you gave me earlier wasn’t enough, we can’t even have a peaceful dinner without you causing problems because of your self-absorbed attitude. Your birthday is insignificant in the scheme of things. The world will continue on if you have to wait for sweets and presents to be showered on your lap. I will not put up with your insufferable nonsense. You will go to your room for the night, or else I will think of a worse punishment.”

Henry words chilled Ella to the core. She gripped the seat of her chair to stop her shaking, and she felt the color drain out of her face.

“NOW.” Henry barked at her.

Ella stood up immediately, and walked to the stairs in absolute silence. Despite how terrified Henry made her, Ella’s quivering also came from rage. Her fingernails dug into her palms as she fought to control herself. She wanted so badly to turn around and yell at everyone, that holding her words back was causing her stomach to churn with nausea. Ella couldn’t make it up the stairs fast enough.

She was unaware of when she started crying, but by the time she slammed her door closed and buried herself against her bed her face was soaked. Jimmy, who had been staring out the window, moved quickly next to her.

“What happened?!” he asked with worry.

Ella couldn’t answer. It was hard enough to breathe through her sobs. Jimmy nuzzled softly next to her arm, and waited patiently until she was ready to talk.

“Jimmy?” Ella managed to squeak out.

“What?” he asked quietly.

“I know you were angry with me for not saying anything about Alma,” Ella started, her voice cracking with every word, “but this is what happens when I attempt to fight. Everything is fine until I try to stand up for myself, but once I do I get beaten back down with none of them willing to help or listen.”

Ella paused. What everyone had said to her was still digesting. She thought of all the angry looks and harsh words. An overwhelming weight pushed on her chest.

“Jimmy, is it wrong for me to want them to put me first for a change?” she asked so softly Jimmy strained to hear her.

“Of course not.” he replied.

“Isn’t it alright to be selfish once in a while?” Ella continued.

“You have to be sometimes.” Jimmy agreed.

“Then how come I’m the only one who can’t ever be selfish, even a tiny bit?” Ella’s heart threatened to break as she asked the question. Jimmy met her eyes sadly.

“I’m sorry.” he apologized.

Ella nodded. She recognized that he didn’t know what to say to answer her question or to cheer her up. Although he knew many things, he did not know all. Ella cupped him in her hands and placed him next to her face.

He lay comfortingly against her as Ella closed her eyes and sniffled quietly while she fought for some understanding.

Ella shivered under her covers. She was wearing her thickest nightclothes, but the chill persisted as it swept over her body. No matter how tightly she curled herself into a ball, there was no change. Despite how tired she still was, Ella forced herself to open her eyes and sit up. She found Jimmy where she expected to― perched on the windowsill staring intently at the forest.

“Any change?” Ella asked as she stood up. She quickly pulled on her slippers and robe.

“I warmed the fire up as hot as I dared while you slept, but I see it did not help much.” Jimmy apologized.

“It is alright. I was able to sleep enough.” Ella shrugged.

She looked out the window. The scene from last night had barely changed. It was a bright morning, but a black fog consumed the forest. It crept over the field towards the house, but an unseen barrier set up by the adults kept it at bay. The chill from the fog still managed to reach the house though.

“It is unbelievable how much Shadow has been acting up these past two days. I know the prune, George, Kenneth, Hattie, and Hazel have been out there all night trying to restore the balance, yet look at how strong it remains. I am beginning to worry greatly.” Jimmy said intensely.

“Is this that bad? Both Light and Shadow become like this occasionally, but balance is found before too long, right?” Ella asked curiously.

“It might surprise you to know, but when George brought me to life, I remembered everything from when I was a simple toy. It has been slow, but both forces have been growing stronger. You family has kept them contained here and prevented them from causing chaos for generations, but if they keep gaining strength, then a horrible event is sure to come along one day.” Jimmy explained.

“But why do they keep gaining strength. Shouldn’t they remain the same as they always have?” Ella pondered.

“You’re guess for that is as good as mine. There are still many mysteries about this forest left for us to unravel.” Jimmy said cryptically.

“This is a wonderful way to start my birthday.” Ella said sarcastically.

“We’ll make it a good one, even with those ridiculous parents and brother of yours deciding to leave and miss out on this amazing once in a lifetime event.”

“Indeed.” Ella agreed with a smile, but then sighed.

“What are we going to do though? Those who aren’t out in the forest are making sure the barrier stays up. I can’t even go outside.” Ella reminded him.

“It is quite the predicament. Why don’t we start with getting you dressed and getting some breakfast?” Jimmy suggested.

Ella agreed and went to change. She put on her favorite outfit even though it made her colder. It was her birthday, and she was going to look nice no matter what. Ella hoped it would be warmer downstairs though. She fixed up her hair, took Jimmy, and headed down to the dining area. When they arrived, Hazel was covering a plate of hotcakes with a small towel.

“I’m sorry. You’ll have to eat alone. I need to go get some rest.” Hazel’s words slurred with exhaustion. Bags under her eyes and a pale face made her appearance ghostly.

Ella nodded to let her go on her way as quickly as possible. As she took a plate from the stack Hazel had left, Ella spotted Leo and Alma through the arch leading to the next room. They sat on opposite sides of the room in front of the floor length windows. Their arms were raised up, and swirls of white light danced up and down their entire bodies. The two of them were on duty to keep the barrier up. Charlie had to be somewhere doing the same thing, and Jane had probably relieved Hazel.

It was times like this where Ella felt most like a burden. There was absolutely nothing she could do to help, and she could only get in the way. She even felt guilty as she prepared to eat her hotcakes. Leo and Alma most likely hadn’t had the chance to eat yet. Ella had been looking forward to this day all year, but she didn’t dare mention the word birthday if she wanted to avoid a situation like what had happened about two weeks ago.

She ate in silence so she didn’t disturb her siblings. Jimmy kept busy hopping around to the different windows. A smile crept on her lips as she watched him. At heart, Jimmy loved adventure. Ella knew he wanted to charge into the forest and set everything straight. However, his purpose was to protect Ella, and so he stayed put. His childlike enthusiasm was endearing though, and made the mood a little lighter.

Ella let him keep an eye on the windows as she brought her plate and utensils into the kitchen and washed them. He was in the same spot when she returned.

“Things will never change if you keep staring at the window. It’s like a how a watched pot boils slower.” Ella joked.

“I just want to make sure everything stays under control. Thankfully, Shadow hasn’t gotten past the inside fence, but I just can’t help but to be worried.” Jimmy answered.

“So you’ve said.” Ella pointed out, “Anyway, I think to properly stay out of everyone’s way I should stay off the first floor. You don’t have to come, but I’m going back to my room.”

“To work on that new song you started?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll come along.”

“You love my music that much?” Ella asked.

“The view is better on the third floor.” Jimmy teased. Ella laughed.

The two of them went back to Ella’s room. As she pulled out the sheet music, Ella hoped Shadow would calm down so that she could celebrate her birthday even just a little bit.

Ella sighed with boredom. Lunch had come and gone, and now it was mid-afternoon. There had been nothing else to do but work on her music. It kept her entertained enough, and a lot was accomplished, but Ella could only take so much of it At least Mr. Cunningham would be happy during the next lesson. Ella looked out the window again. However, nothing had changed from the last time she looked a minute ago.

Her family had managed to get most of the forest back under control though. Wisps of fog was still scattered here and there, but they stuck by the forest as Shadow was afraid to evoke the wrath of the tired Bentleys. Ella was allowed to go outside now. The idea scared her though. Even though Jimmy would be with her, she knew Shadow would be watching her. It had been unnerving enough feeling the unnatural chill earlier.

“What now?” Ella asked unenthusiastically.

“I’m starting to hate that question.” Jimmy complained.

“Then think of something to do.” Ella said as she flopped over on her bed.

“It’s your turn.”

Ella groaned. Right now she wanted her family to be playing birthday games, the kitchen to be full of sweets, and most importantly, for her parents and Peter to be there having a good time. She and Jimmy had really tried to think of fun things they could do, but Ella’s birthday seemed doomed to pass by uneventfully. That is, until Ella finally thought of something.

“Let’s make a cake!” Ella announced loudly, sitting up quickly.

“A cake?” Jimmy asked.

“Everyone is already asleep and in no mood to celebrate. But I know how to cook, so I at least want to be able to have a cake for my birthday.” she explained.

“That sounds like a good idea. Actually, doing anything besides staying in this room sounds like a good idea.” Jimmy agreed.

“Alright then. Let’s get it started.” Ella said cheerfully.

Ella rushed down to the kitchen. She wished she had thought of the idea earlier. Ella asked Jimmy to find the recipe for her while she took out the tools she needed. It wasn’t often that Ella got to do any sort of cooking, but she delighted in every chance she got. Just as Jimmy found the recipe for the cake and frosting and Ella grabbed some ingredients, Jane walked past.

“Dinner won’t be for some time still, so what are you doing, child?” she asked. Ella had never seen her grandmother look so frail. Ella wondered why she wasn’t in bed yet.

“I’m not working on dinner. We’re going to make a cake.” Ella explained. Jane still looked puzzled.

“Why a cake?” she questioned, and then she remembered, “Oh, that’s right! It’s your tenth birthday today, isn’t it? I’m afraid we’ve all forgotten!”

“You’ve all been busy.” Ella told her with a smile.

If they had forgotten for any simple reason, Ella would have been very upset by now. However, with all the trouble that Shadow gave, she was in no position to place any blame any her family for forgetting her birthday.

“We should do something for you though.” Jane said guiltily.

“Then go and rest for me. I don’t need anything extravagant. I just want to make this cake.” Ella said to convince her she was fine.

“If it’s really alright with you, then I suppose I can go rest with worry.”

“It’s the truth. Go rest.”

“Don’t hesitate to ask if you need help.” Jane told her.

“I’ve got Jimmy to keep things under control, but I’ll remember that.” Ella said with a smile.

Jane didn’t look fully convinced, but she hugged Ella quickly before leaving for her room. Ella took another at the cake recipe and went back to collecting ingredients. She got started by heating up the fire in the range. The recipe needed a moderate oven temperature, and the range had been neglected all day. It was amazing there was any fire left in it at all.

“This recipe seems complicated. Shouldn’t you do an easier one?” Jimmy asked.

“It only looks complicated because you’ve never cooked before. Plus, this is my favorite cake and I have it every year.” Ella answered.

She measured a cup of water, and left it on the range to boil. It would take a while to heat up since the range was so cool, but since Ella needed to mix the ingredients for fifteen minutes anyway, the timing was perfect. Next, Ella cracked the six eggs and dropped the yolks into the large bowl. She would use three of the eggs white in the cake, and three in the frosting. Ella beat the yolks slightly as instructed before adding in the two cups of sugar.

Here was when the recipe called for her to mix the two for fifteen minutes. Ella didn’t understand why it had to be so long, but she did it. After ten minutes, she gave in and let Jimmy do the last five minutes of stirring using his powers. He enjoyed doing it, and she would need both of her arms working if she wanted to continue.

“Now we add three eggs whites and the water.” Ella said, examining the recipe again to make sure.

It was very particular about the timing of adding the boiling water. Ella checked how the water was doing. It was bubbling away merrily. Jimmy took charge of moving the scalding water into the bowl while Ella added the egg whites. There was more mixing, and then finally Ella added the two and a half cups of flour and lemon flavoring.

Her arms were tired from all the stirring. Ella felt proud of herself though as she poured the batter into four separate pans. The range would be just big enough to fit all the layers. Jimmy helped her out when pushing the first two pans into the back. Sticking her arm so far in scared Ella. The second two pans barely fit, but Ella closed the range door successfully.

“Now we make the frosting while those cook.” Ella clapped her hands together determinedly.

“What’s the frosting recipe like?” Jimmy asked.

“It’s not bad at all. We’ll be done with it long before the cake is finished.” Ella answered.

Ella knew this recipe by heart. She grabbed the saucepan, placed it on the stove, and added sugar, water, and cream of tartar. Jimmy hopped onto her shoulder and watched her stir gently as the ingredients dissolved together. When the mixture began to bubble slightly, Ella took it off the heat and moved to the second part of the recipe.

“I’ll need your help for this Jimmy. I have to mix the eggs whites together with the vanilla. You need to gradually pour in the sugar mixture.” Ella explained.

“Got it!” Jimmy said readily.

Ella whipped the eggs whites and vanilla, and when soft peaks began to form she had Jimmy start adding the sugar mixture. Within ten minutes, the frosting was done. Ella set the bowl off to the side and covered it with a towel.

“Now we have to find something to do while we wait for the cakes to cook and cool.” Jimmy said unenthusiastically. He believed their predicament from before had returned. Ella laughed.

“You’re forgetting something Jimmy. We have to wash all the dishes we used.” Ella reminded him.

“Oh, right.” he said sheepishly, “I suppose we cannot leave them for someone else to do.”

“Exactly.” Ella agreed.

The two of them got back to work. Ella washed the dishes, and Jimmy dried and put them away. It took very little time to accomplish. While doing it, Ella thought back to two weeks ago when she had tried to cleaning. She still hadn’t figured out why or how all the dirt had come back. She probably never would, but it was a constant annoyance in the back of her mind.

“They’re starting to get firm.” Jimmy announced, checking the cakes.

“Good. It will still be some time before they’re done though.” Ella said.

“And we’re back to ‘what now?’ Don’t you dare tell me we’re going to go back upstairs. I don’t think I can take it.” Jimmy warned. Ella laughed again.

“No, I’ve thought of something else. Let’s go outside and make some snowmen. It’s been warmer today so the snow should be good for packing.” Ella said.

“Can we make a snow frog?” Jimmy asked eagerly.

“I don’t think I know how to do that.” Ella admitted.

“Leave it to me then.”

“I will.” Ella smiled.

Ella rushed to the front closet, and put on her coat and gloves. She and Jimmy left through the back door. In her excitement, Ella had forgotten about Shadow. The wisps of fog moved more vigorously when Ella ran outdoors. She froze, but the fog calmed down and stayed back.

“Ignore that pesky Shadow. It’s too weak to bother us. Besides, I can feel that Light is angry at it for stealing its sunlight. It won’t let Shadow do any more harm today.” Jimmy heartened her.

“If you say so.” Ella said unbelievingly.

However, as she rolled the bottom of the snowman, she ended up forgetting about Light and Shadow. Ella hummed to herself as she rounded out the base. She and Jimmy started joking around with each other. For the first time, the day became truly enjoyable. Ella made the torso and head for the snowman. She and Jimmy decided it was going to be her. They made some hair and attempted to sculpt out her features on the face.

It ended up looking nothing like Ella. The only indication that it was her was the frog sitting on the shoulder and the rocks Jimmy had turned blue-gray to be her eyes. Ella laughed at the result.

“This is the weirdest looking snowman I have ever seen.” she chuckled.

“The frog is quite appealing though.” Jimmy said proudly.

“It’s beautiful.” Ella agreed, “Well, this had taken up plenty of time. We should go see how the cakes are coming along.”

Ella was careful not to make a mess this time as she walked into the house. She quickly took her coat off when she entered the kitchen because the heat after coming in from the cold was overwhelming. Ella carefully opened the range door. She smiled.

“I might have made the fire a little too hot, but look Jimmy, the cakes are done. We can take them out to cool.”

“Would you like me to do it?” Jimmy offered.

“If you would be so kind.” Ella accepted.

Now that the fire was even hotter, Ella really didn’t want to stick her arm in there to pull out pans that would burn her badly if she moved wrongly in the slightest way. Jimmy easily levitated the pans out. Ella put down a cooling rack, and Jimmy flipped the cakes onto it. Her heart swelling with glee, Ella inhaled deeply. They smelled so good!

“Should I cool them down right away?” Jimmy offered next.

“No. They’ll taste better if we let them cool naturally.” Ella declined, and then asked, “Could you cool down the fire to where it should be though? I don’t want it to get out of control.”

“No problem.” Jimmy said.

Ella watched with fascination as Jimmy blew onto the fire. Large snow crystals formed. Ella thought they would melt right away, but they went straight onto the fire. In a matter of seconds, only a couple small flames licked at the wood and the temperature subsided. Now they wouldn’t have to worry about anything going wrong.

“While the cakes cool, I actually want to make another snowman. We could even make everyone here a snowman of themselves since we have the time.”

“Can we make the prune a prune?” Jimmy joked.

“I fear I would get in trouble if I did that.” Ella smiled.

“Such a shame.” Jimmy shook his head.

Ella grabbed her coat and headed outside again. The day was finally going to the way she wanted. It still hurt that her parents and Peter had gone with Brooke and her family. After their argument the first night, Ella had barely spoken to them. She had done her best to get them to understand her feelings. No matter what she did, they continued to call her selfish. It really had stung the most coming from Peter. He usually always understood her, but apparently he had narrow vision when Brooke was involved.

It was frustrating that he was that way about a girl he had only met once before, and with whom he communicated by letters with. Ella doubted her really knew her that well, and yet he was so obsessed. Honestly, she hated it when Peter mentioned her name. It was just that Peter was so special to him, she felt like she was losing him. He was changing slowly. He was becoming like the others. More and more he forgot about her, and was getting quicker in blaming her or refusing to listen. Ella wanted to talk to him about it, but their relationship had already deteriorated enough that she knew he would only get angry.

She thought about this as she made his snowman next to her. Ella’s was her height, but it was impossible to make Peter’s as tall as he was.  She gave it her best effort though. Ella hoped the snowmen would last until he arrived home, and then they could remake his together. Peter’s snowmen ended up resembling him as much as Ella’s resembled hers.

Her hands were cold, but Ella had become efficient as she started the next snowman. She was going to make Alma on her snowman’s left side. So far, hers was the easiest to make. Jimmy was going around finding more stones to use for eyes. He created blue ones for Peter, and brown ones for Alma. Ella stood back to inspect their work. However ridiculous the snowmen looked, it warmed Ella to think that her family could all be together today in snowmen form even if they couldn’t be together for real.

Knowing Leo and Alma had to be together, Ella and Jimmy started work on a Leo snowman next. They had forgotten all about the cakes. It wasn’t until the snowman was half-way done that Ella remembered. A whiff of burning wood had passed by on the wind. Ella wondered how she could smell one of the fires inside where she was, but it reminded her of the range, and thus her cakes. Ella took Jimmy and went to the back door.

It was then that she saw the source of the smoky smell. Ella eyes widened as she watched smoke billow out from the kitchen and crawl along the ceiling. She threw the door open and ran to the kitchen door. A large fire was leaping from the range. It had burned the wooden counters and cabinets near it. George, Jane, Hazel, and Leo were already there. They pulled water from out of the air and tossed it on the fire. They brought it under control before vanquishing it completely.

Hazel opened the window and began to blow the smoke out. Now that she could properly see the range, Ella’s mouth dropped in surprise. Both her cakes and the cooling rack was nowhere to be found. George, Jane, and Hazel faced her. Their expressions were serious, and to Ella, utterly terrifying.

“You said you would be alright by yourself. Look what you’ve done.” Jane said quietly, but in that quiet voice was a silent anger so strong Ella wished she would scream instead.

“I-I don’t understand why this happened! The cakes were done and I put them on the cooling rack. Jimmy even cooled the fire down so there wouldn’t be any problems! There is no way a fire could have started from how we left everything!” Ella testified vehemently.

George opened the range, and pulled out the oven rack. Ella looked on in horror as the four cakes, now reduced to ashes, appeared. They were even back in their pans.

“Why would you even try to lie to us? Do you really think we’re that foolish?” George said in the manner as his wife.

“I’m not lying!” Ella protested, even though she saw that she was digging herself into a deeper hole. She couldn’t explain how or why the cakes had been moved back into the range, or how the fire had gotten so out of control.

“She’s really telling the truth!” Jimmy added, “We took the cakes out, and I calmed the fire to where it was just barely burning! There’s something strange going on, so you can’t just blame Ella right away!”

“Why on earth would someone put the cakes back in the range, and then bring the fire up to such a dangerous temperature? I saw you, Ella. You were outside making snowmen. There’s no deeper secret going on here. You forgot to keep an eye on things, and this is the consequence.” Hazel refuted.

Ella inhaled to speak, but she had no words. It was obvious how the situation looked to the others, and no matter how much she and Jimmy proclaimed innocence, there was once again no evidence on their side. Absolute confusion took a hold of her. Then she looked at Leo’s face.

He had been so quiet that Ella had almost forgotten he was there. The hidden smug expression on his face told her this was all his fault. For whatever reason, he had replaced the cakes and strengthened the fire. He might not have meant for it to get so out of hand, but when he met her gaze there was no mistaking it. Leo was mocking her on the inside.

Ella began to cry. She hated crying― she felt as if she was always doing it. But how could she not in this situation? All she wanted was for her family to be there for her birthday. Ella didn’t even care about a party. They just needed to be there. She hadn’t said a word of complaint all day, and was content making a cake that she would have ended up eating alone. For his own amusement, Leo had come and destroyed it. Now, she was being blamed for the trouble he caused.

Ella thought back even further. Maybe he had played another trick on her, and had been the one to bring the dirt back in the kitchen. But then, he had been in the forest. It must have been Alma. Why had it taken so long for this realization to come to her? Ella searched desperately in her memories for anything she had done to make them want to do such horrible things to her all the time. There was nothing she could think of. Her younger siblings hated her for no reason.

“Tears will not gain you any of our sympathy. Thankfully, we’ll be able to restore the damage easily. I can only imagine how awful this would have been if we were simply normal. Ella, head to your room. We are going to have a long discussion with you later. Be grateful that is all of your punishment. I’m only giving you this much mercy because it is still your birthday. I’m sure your mother and father will have more to say to you though when they return.” George told her sternly.

Even if she had words in her head to say, there was no chance Ella would have been able to speak them. She walked slowly out of the kitchen, and somberly up the stairs.

“What can I do to help?” Leo’s voice echoed up to her.