Post by Cupcake on Jul 29, 2017 22:09:04 GMT
OOC: This is a repost of a CD from the old boards.
It's relevant.
04/27/97
Dayton, Ohio
Fairhaven Church
Aurora was supposed to be sitting quietly in the pews with her parents, but she'd needed a drink of water. She hadn't been feeling all that well but her parents had made the decision to go to church anyway. Her father was thinking of running for Deacon and the cute little curly-headed girl he had was a good way to show himself as a real “family man” after all. She was wearing a little 'Sunday frock' with a pretty floral design in purple on white, with a matching ribbon to hold back her hair, her patent leather shoes shiny as all get out and she was now in the process of going back. She'd been told to come back directly and not goof around, but who can resist playing a little hopscotch on those black and white glossy marble tiles? Certainly not this little blonde six year old! She was watching her feet, because she didn't want to miss a jump and stumble. A little delay her parents would overlook, but a torn pair of stockings was really bad news. She studied the tiles and jumped with a giggle, hands up to cover her mouth so it wouldn't echo in the hallway with its higher ceiling. Then something caught her attention. A very soft, very shy whisper from the side hallway that led to the Baptismal Font.
“Uh … hi. You're … pretty. Are you … nice?”
Aurora turned her head to the sound of the voice but at first she couldn't see anything. She took a few hesitant steps toward the hallway, if that had been an adult she'd likely have run for her parents but this was obviously the voice of a little boy, about her own age. As she got closer, she saw him in the shadows of the hall. He was a blond too, with green eyes and she smiled at him right away.
Aurora: “Thanks you. I better be nice, 'cause we're in a church and if you're not nice then bad stuff happens to you. I mean, I guess? My name's Aurora and I'm six years old, and my daddy is a … he works in a office!! What's your name?”
He looked at her just a little startled, and then he smiled. He was missing his front right tooth, and she could see how his eyes just lit up with that smile.
“My name's Danny. I'm six too!”
Aurora stepped closer, and that's when she started to see that there was something … not quite right. Something that didn't seem to fit. There was a tiny puddle of water under his feet, his sneakers which looked brand-spanking-new were wet as well. In fact he looked mostly wet, and Aurora's eyes got really big.
Aurora: “Oh no, if they catch you playing in the special water they'll spank you! We … we can gets some paper towels though and maybe dry you off?”
His smile faded and he shook his head just a little.
“I can't, I tried already … but ...”
Aurora shivered suddenly, feeling goosebumps appear on her arms and the tiny little hairs on the back of her neck beneath that riot of curls start to stand up. She felt uneasy, and a little nauseous … but then, she hadn't felt well before church despite her energetic display of moments before.
Aurora: “Do … you wanna have me get your mommy and dad?”
The little boy sighed and shook his head.
“They … don't see me. Not anymore. I wish you would stay, Aurora. You talk to me. No one else does. Not anymore.”
The boy looked up suddenly as the brassy voice of Aurora's mother rang down the hallway.
“AURORA LYNN JANSEN! There you are, I TOLD YOU to come right back and why are you standing there staring down that hall?”
Aurora: “I was Mommy, I was comin' right back but see? There's a little boy and he's all alone. So I was gonna get his ...”
“There's no one here, Aurora.”
Aurora's brows drew down and she looked up at her mother, then back to the hallway where the boy had retreated further. Now, Aurora never sassed her mother because a sass meant a spanking. But she couldn't help herself.
Aurora: “Yes huh, Mommy. See? He's got blond hair like me and green eyes too!! But see he's all wet so we gotta get him some towels because he'll get in trouble for playing in the special water and ...”
Aurora's mother though, while she had been speaking had gone almost sheet white … but not with fear, with rage.
“Who told you.”
Aurora blinked.
Aurora: “Who told me what Mommy?”
Her mother's tone had started to make her feel scared too, she'd never hissed at Aurora like that; not even when she'd accidentally broken her porcelain tea pot just last week.
“I'm getting your father and we're going to sort this out. Whoever told you is just sick. Forget whatever they said, it's all a lie. And you best show me who told you. If it's that Reverend Michaels I'll have his damn job.”
Aurora's eyes got all big when she heard her mother curse, and she whimpered as her mother clamped her hand on her upper arm to drag her away. As she yanked her Aurora looked back with a pained expression but because she was so nice she gave a little half-wave toward the boy that she could barely see now.
Aurora: “Bye Danny. Hope your mommy finds you soon.”
The crack of the slap across her face echoed in the hallway and Aurora was too shocked to even cry as she looked up at her mother with wide eyes. Her mother's free hand was now at her lips and she looked like she was going to be sick herself.
“No one told you, did they. Jesus Christ. Listen to me right now, Aurora. I don't care what you saw don't you EVER, EVER tell anyone about this. I don't want a freak for a daughter. You understand me? I'm getting your father and we're going home. I hope you're happy you ruined church for us.”
To say her father was a little confused about what was going on would be an understatement as Kathleen Jansen refused to tell him other than that 'his daughter' had caused enough trouble for one day. He could clearly see the imprint of the slap on Aurora's pale skin and considering he was trying to get elected after all saw the wisdom in just leaving. A sick child was far easier to explain to a congregation than one with a mark.
That was the last time Aurora had been allowed to attend church with her family, spending her Sundays locked in the house by herself. She hadn't found out who that boy was until she was nearly sixteen, having accidentally found the newspaper clippings in her father's desk. That boy that she'd seen had drowned during his baptism during a febrile seizure, and he'd been her own older brother that she'd never known she had. It made her wonder, what other secrets her parents had kept from her, and made her even more determined to follow her own course of action in her life. She had a chance to follow her dreams, and you never knew when that could be taken from you.
It's relevant.
04/27/97
Dayton, Ohio
Fairhaven Church
Aurora was supposed to be sitting quietly in the pews with her parents, but she'd needed a drink of water. She hadn't been feeling all that well but her parents had made the decision to go to church anyway. Her father was thinking of running for Deacon and the cute little curly-headed girl he had was a good way to show himself as a real “family man” after all. She was wearing a little 'Sunday frock' with a pretty floral design in purple on white, with a matching ribbon to hold back her hair, her patent leather shoes shiny as all get out and she was now in the process of going back. She'd been told to come back directly and not goof around, but who can resist playing a little hopscotch on those black and white glossy marble tiles? Certainly not this little blonde six year old! She was watching her feet, because she didn't want to miss a jump and stumble. A little delay her parents would overlook, but a torn pair of stockings was really bad news. She studied the tiles and jumped with a giggle, hands up to cover her mouth so it wouldn't echo in the hallway with its higher ceiling. Then something caught her attention. A very soft, very shy whisper from the side hallway that led to the Baptismal Font.
“Uh … hi. You're … pretty. Are you … nice?”
Aurora turned her head to the sound of the voice but at first she couldn't see anything. She took a few hesitant steps toward the hallway, if that had been an adult she'd likely have run for her parents but this was obviously the voice of a little boy, about her own age. As she got closer, she saw him in the shadows of the hall. He was a blond too, with green eyes and she smiled at him right away.
Aurora: “Thanks you. I better be nice, 'cause we're in a church and if you're not nice then bad stuff happens to you. I mean, I guess? My name's Aurora and I'm six years old, and my daddy is a … he works in a office!! What's your name?”
He looked at her just a little startled, and then he smiled. He was missing his front right tooth, and she could see how his eyes just lit up with that smile.
“My name's Danny. I'm six too!”
Aurora stepped closer, and that's when she started to see that there was something … not quite right. Something that didn't seem to fit. There was a tiny puddle of water under his feet, his sneakers which looked brand-spanking-new were wet as well. In fact he looked mostly wet, and Aurora's eyes got really big.
Aurora: “Oh no, if they catch you playing in the special water they'll spank you! We … we can gets some paper towels though and maybe dry you off?”
His smile faded and he shook his head just a little.
“I can't, I tried already … but ...”
Aurora shivered suddenly, feeling goosebumps appear on her arms and the tiny little hairs on the back of her neck beneath that riot of curls start to stand up. She felt uneasy, and a little nauseous … but then, she hadn't felt well before church despite her energetic display of moments before.
Aurora: “Do … you wanna have me get your mommy and dad?”
The little boy sighed and shook his head.
“They … don't see me. Not anymore. I wish you would stay, Aurora. You talk to me. No one else does. Not anymore.”
The boy looked up suddenly as the brassy voice of Aurora's mother rang down the hallway.
“AURORA LYNN JANSEN! There you are, I TOLD YOU to come right back and why are you standing there staring down that hall?”
Aurora: “I was Mommy, I was comin' right back but see? There's a little boy and he's all alone. So I was gonna get his ...”
“There's no one here, Aurora.”
Aurora's brows drew down and she looked up at her mother, then back to the hallway where the boy had retreated further. Now, Aurora never sassed her mother because a sass meant a spanking. But she couldn't help herself.
Aurora: “Yes huh, Mommy. See? He's got blond hair like me and green eyes too!! But see he's all wet so we gotta get him some towels because he'll get in trouble for playing in the special water and ...”
Aurora's mother though, while she had been speaking had gone almost sheet white … but not with fear, with rage.
“Who told you.”
Aurora blinked.
Aurora: “Who told me what Mommy?”
Her mother's tone had started to make her feel scared too, she'd never hissed at Aurora like that; not even when she'd accidentally broken her porcelain tea pot just last week.
“I'm getting your father and we're going to sort this out. Whoever told you is just sick. Forget whatever they said, it's all a lie. And you best show me who told you. If it's that Reverend Michaels I'll have his damn job.”
Aurora's eyes got all big when she heard her mother curse, and she whimpered as her mother clamped her hand on her upper arm to drag her away. As she yanked her Aurora looked back with a pained expression but because she was so nice she gave a little half-wave toward the boy that she could barely see now.
Aurora: “Bye Danny. Hope your mommy finds you soon.”
The crack of the slap across her face echoed in the hallway and Aurora was too shocked to even cry as she looked up at her mother with wide eyes. Her mother's free hand was now at her lips and she looked like she was going to be sick herself.
“No one told you, did they. Jesus Christ. Listen to me right now, Aurora. I don't care what you saw don't you EVER, EVER tell anyone about this. I don't want a freak for a daughter. You understand me? I'm getting your father and we're going home. I hope you're happy you ruined church for us.”
To say her father was a little confused about what was going on would be an understatement as Kathleen Jansen refused to tell him other than that 'his daughter' had caused enough trouble for one day. He could clearly see the imprint of the slap on Aurora's pale skin and considering he was trying to get elected after all saw the wisdom in just leaving. A sick child was far easier to explain to a congregation than one with a mark.
That was the last time Aurora had been allowed to attend church with her family, spending her Sundays locked in the house by herself. She hadn't found out who that boy was until she was nearly sixteen, having accidentally found the newspaper clippings in her father's desk. That boy that she'd seen had drowned during his baptism during a febrile seizure, and he'd been her own older brother that she'd never known she had. It made her wonder, what other secrets her parents had kept from her, and made her even more determined to follow her own course of action in her life. She had a chance to follow her dreams, and you never knew when that could be taken from you.