Silent Screams [Madison]

[Charlotte Adair Cashton]

Yesterday I died, tomorrow's bleeding
Fall into your sunlight
The future's open wide beyond believing
To know why hope dies
Losing what was found, a world so hollow
Suspended in a compromise
The silence of this sound is soon to follow
Somehow sundown

--------

[/color][/size]
Her time was up...

Sereda had known this had been coming for a long time now and there wasn't anything she could do to change it. Not from a lack of trying, that was for sure because Sereda had done everything she could to change her fate but in the end, the deal held firm. The elderly huntress walked down the steps of the home she had once inhabited with her husband and fellow hunter, Ray. How she had loved him when he had been alive. It seemed fitting really, that she die where she had lived most of her life. Where she had made her home and raised her son. Tucking back a strand of ivory hair, the old woman pulled back the gossamer curtains that hung in front of the windows. Night had fallen on her last day here on earth and she had mere hours and still, she had continued to play the part of a coward.

Having been raised from a young girl to take up the life of a hunter, Sereda had prided herself on never running from a fight and always knowing what to do. What had happened to her? Tears threatened to spill out as she turned from the sight of the sunset, it was beautifully depressing for her. This house was one that Charlotte had never seen before. Her darling granddaughter... Her only connection to her dead son. How could she leave the girl alone? It wasn't fair to Charlotte, she knew nothing of the deal her Gran had made with a crossroads demon nor did she know why she and Gran had been moving around so much. There was so much that Charlotte didn't know, couldn't know and yet Sereda knew the girl would find out eventually.

"You should have told her." A voice said from behind her. The old woman turned to see the Sissy standing there in front of her. Sissy. A little ghost girl, Sereda's younger sister who had died when they had both been mere children, she had drowned when Sereda had supposed to have been watching her. Of course there had been hard feelings but Sissy forgave her older sister but she never moved on. She chose to stay with Sereda and later on she bonded with Charlotte and attached herself to the girl by way of a necklace that Charlotte wore. A necklace that had once been her Gran's that held a locket of Sissy's hair within. "I know." Sereda said softly, looking down at the ground rather than the judgmental look on Sissy's face.

She didn't wish to leave, not yet. She had work to do but it seemed that Charlotte would eventually have to take that up when she got older...if she got older. No.. Charlotte was a fighter, she'd be all right. If only Sereda had made arrangements for Charlie, found a place for her to stay when she...

"Gran, what's wrong?" Sereda's heart lurched when she heard Charlie's telepathic voice in her mind. Quickly hiding her thoughts from her granddaughter, Sereda offered the young girl a tired smile and embraced the child. "Nothing my dear, I'm just tired." Charlotte had been enjoying herself all day, exploring the home she had never known about and listening to her Gran relive her glory days. It was something they had never really done before but considering the circumstances, it was the least that Sereda could do for Charlotte. Let her know of her family and what they did. Proud hunters, the lot of them. Of course that had ended with her father who had wished to live a normal life but he himself hadn't been normal. He had been a faith healer, a man who should have lived longer than what he did. He should have been there for Charlotte but he wasn't. It seemed that everyone in Charlie's life was abandoning her in some way shape or form and it wasn't fair to her.

Charlotte was worried for her Gran of course, it wasn't like her to act so quiet but Charlie couldn't really push if the woman wasn't willing to open up to her. Her excuse of being tired was normally code for 'I don't want to talk about it' and Charlie backed off. She was excited about the house her Gran showed her but she couldn't understand why they had spent so much time on the road when they could have just stayed there. Another thing that Gran wouldn't explain no matter how Charlotte asked. So in the end she simply accepted it for what it was and planned things that she and her Gran could do the next day when they were all settled in. The fact that they were in Georgia meant that she could possibly text Madison and see her again. The woman had been so nice to her and had told her that she could text her when she wanted.

"It's time for bed Charlie." Her Gran said, pulling the young girl from her thoughts. A look of confusion crossed her face. It was surely too early for bed. "But Gran, I'm not ti--" She stopped her telepathic arguing because the look her Gran was giving her. It was not so much a scolding look but rather a pleading look. It scared Charlotte. "Gran, you're scaring me..."

Her fear was understandable and to know that she was scaring her hurt Sereda but she could do nothing about it. "Just go honey, it'll be alright." It wouldn't but she had to lie to Charlie, she couldn't tell her the truth. Charlotte wouldn't understand. She was too young.

Sereda followed Charlotte up the stairs and tucked the girl into bed, kissing her on the forehead gently. "I love you Charlotte." Charlie smiled up at the old woman. "I love you too Gran."

God... Why did it have to be this way? How could she leave Charlotte? Sereda nearly broke down right then and there, it was so hard. Looking down at her innocent smiling face and knowing the tears she would shed when she found her the next morning. To put such a burden on such a young soul was unfair and if the old woman could take it back, she would but she couldn't. "Sleep well baby." With that, Sereda left the room and then locked it from the outside so that Charlotte couldn't get out to see what happened. Sissy was there and would be able to unlock the door after it was all over. "I'll watch over her." Sissy said as Sereda headed back down the steps. A curt nod was all the little ghost girl got in return.

An hour passed by and with the stroke of the clock, Sereda could hear them. Her death, her damnation in the form of hell hounds. Setting aside the picture of her husband Ray, Sereda stood to greet her death, knowing she could do nothing about it now.

The piercing scream woke Charlotte from her sleep, nearly causing her to fall off the bed. Did Gran have the television too loud? No, she knew her Gran's voice when she heard it. What was going on?! "Gran!" She cried out telepathically as she ran to get out her door but it wouldn't budge. It was locked. Why was it locked?!

Another scream of pain was heard along with the sound of shredding flesh. Oh god, something was killing her! She had to get down there and help her. Taking a step back from the door, the girl focused as best she could but the door still didn't open. Grabbing the cell phone that lay at the side table, she started to dial 911 but given that she couldn't speak, that seemed rather moot. Thinking of Madison, as the woman said that Charlie could text her anytime, she chose to do so now. "Help! Please help! Something is attacking and I'm scared! Please Madison!" She then texted the address of the house before sending it.

Feeling helpless and trapped, Charlotte continued to strike at the door with her telekinesis, getting more and more desperate with each passing moment. Finally the door gave way and burst open, allowing Charlotte the chance to run down the steps.

What she found would remain with her always. Her Gran lay on the ground screaming as something invisible tore at her. Long streaks all over her, like claws of some crazed animal. What was doing that to her? "Stay back!" Her Gran screamed when she saw Charlotte, not that she could do anything since she was pinned on the ground. Charlotte stood frozen as her Gran was shredded right in front of her, blood all over the place. The attack seemed to last forever and then it was over. The unseen force was gone as was her Grandmother. Kneeling next to her Gran's body, the girl sobbed, begging the old woman to come back.

She was all alone...

Tags; Madison
Lyrics; Shattered – Trading Yesterday
Word Count; 1575
Outfit; Outfit
Comments; None

[madison]

Exhaustion washed over Madison. She had pulled a double at the clinic. The young doctor found herself doing that a lot these days. Her leg had mostly healed just fine. Whenever it was set to rain though she’d feel a dull ache in the bone. She supposed it was to be expected after the way it had been broken. The work kept her moving so the muscles didn’t tighten up on her. Besides that it kept her mind occupied.

So much had changed since the fight with Darian. Steven was dead, Justin was free. Those were two good things in Madison’s mind, though she still felt a little bit of guilt towards Steven’s death. It was irrational, she knew, but Madison wasn’t the type to wish death on anyone. Not even when her ex husband had been turned into a vampire.

Then there was Lily. Sastre’s daughter that she hadn’t been able to save. Darian had done a number on her in the beginning, and sometimes Madison wondered if she’d just been able to do a better job of patching her up then, Lily may have survived what came next.

Sastre was gone as well. That to Madison was the worst. Justin was off doing the hunting thing. She hadn’t expected him to stay with her. He was very outgoing and he had a life to live, just as she did. Except Madison hadn’t expected on living it alone for so long. Sure Justin stopped by from time to time, and she get a static filled called from Sastre every so often to let her know that he was alive, but while everyone else had seemingly moved on, Madison was stuck.

The young doctor worked as much as she could to avoid coming home to such a big empty house. A wayward hunter or two had crossed her path and she had become known as a doctor that helped those who fought the forces that went bump in the night. Madison understood their need for secrecy. They couldn’t always just walk into a hospital, and when they were in the area, she was the next best thing. Work, was the only thing she had to keep her mind occupied.

Madison had just left work and she was on her way home when she received the text message. She half expected it to be Justin giving her an update, also letting her know that he was alive. He was better at checking in these days then Sastre. She understood, she honestly did, but that didn’t make it any easier to be living alone after the ordeal they had all suffered under. Especially since Brennan had pulled herself away, devastated and distraught by Lily’s death.

However, the text message was not from anyone she had expected to hear from. Madison pulled off to the side of the road making sure she was reading it right. It was from her old phone, the one she had given Charlie when the girl and her grandmother wandered through. She was a sweet girl and didn’t have much. She was always traveling with her grandmother, who was a hunter as far as Madison could tell. Still the woman worried about the child’s safety.

They lived out of a car. Not an RV, but a car. It was often uncomfortable, so when Madison had met Charlie she took the girl to get some new clothes, enjoying the smiles and excited glances. She was more than glad she could bring a little bit of happiness to the child. In Madison’s eyes, the way she lived with her grandmother was no way for a child at all. Still she knew in hunter families it happened all to often.

Madison had given Charlie her phone, and gotten a new one in the morning, immediately texting the girl with the number. This way if Charlie was ever in trouble or just needed to talk, Madison could be there for her. She knew it wasn’t much, but it was all she could offer.

At Charlie’s urgent message, Madison replied for the girl to stay put and that she was on her way. Luckily they weren’t too far out. Turning the car around, Madison didn’t worry about abiding by the speed limits. She wasn’t worried about getting stop by a police officer. Now that Steven was dead the ones she knew were mostly sympathetic towards her, having known what was going on but in no position to do anything about it.

Charlie was in trouble. That was all Madison knew. The minutes seemed to pass like hours, slow, like molasses in winter. It was agonizing, her chest tight wondering what sort of trouble this little girl was in. Madison was half tempted to call her brother. Really what could she do? Madison was a healer, not a hunter.

Pulling out her phone she dialed Justin’s number. “Justin? Listen, there’s a situation.” She explained to him about the text from Charlie. He knew he was back in town as they’d just had dinner together the night before. Justin wasn’t a seasoned hunter, but Madison knew they stood a better chance with him at their side.

He promised to meet her there and she hung up, a lead foot still on the accelerator.

When Madison finally arrived at her destination she jumped out of the car, barely having put it in park. Her worry for Charlie overcast everything else.

“Charlie!” She knew the girl could here just fine. Madison also realized that she could be making herself a potential target.

Good.

If something was after the girl, Madison would much rather them come after her instead.

“Charlie, it’s Madison, where are you?”

[Charlotte Adair Cashton]

Yesterday I died, tomorrow's bleeding
Fall into your sunlight
The future's open wide beyond believing
To know why hope dies
Losing what was found, a world so hollow
Suspended in a compromise
The silence of this sound is soon to follow
Somehow sundown

--------

[/color][/size]
How could this have happened? Tears continued to fall as Charlotte knelt next to the lifeless body of her Gran, the woman's eyes open in terror and pain. So hollow, so empty. It was horrible. Almost as horrible as the sounds of her screams that had first alerted Charlotte to what was happening. Charlie was in complete shock. She had never before seen someone die aside from her mother and father and she barely remembered that event. Besides, that had been a car accident, something completely natural, this was anything but natural. The child's heart was racing as she stared down at her dead Gran, what was she going to do now? She had no one now. She had sent a text to Madison but there was no telling whether or not Madison would get it or if she'd be able to come to the house.

As she sat there, blood staining her hands and her clothes, the young girl couldn't help but wonder why the door to her room had been locked. Why would her Gran wish to keep her in the room? Charlie could have helped her if she had been given the chance or at least tried! Of course she knew that it was for her protection but how did Gran know that it was going to happen and why hadn't she told Charlotte? Charlie had noticed that something was wrong with her grandmother but she couldn't tell what and her Gran had shielded her thoughts for her granddaughter but still, why hadn't she given Charlotte more warning than this? She had left her all alone now with no way of taking care of herself. Was it right for Charlie to feel angry at the deceased woman? Perhaps it was not but Charlotte couldn't help it.

In the young girl's grief and confusion, she didn't hear the the car pull up the drive or the door shut. She barely heard the front door open but when Madison's voice was heard, Charlotte jumped to her feet. Was it a trick by whatever had attacked her Gran? Madison getting there as quickly as she had. Was it possible? God Charlie hoped so because she needed someone there with her. "Madison!" She cried out telepathically as she out of the living room, her clothes and hands still stained with her grandmother's blood and her cheeks streaked with tears. She surely must have looked quite a sight but she didn't care. All that mattered was help had arrived or she hoped it was help. She knew very little about the supernatural other than they could hurt her and something evil had attacked and killed her grandmother and left her there.

Upon seeing the familiar face, Charlotte completely lost it as she ran over to Madison, flinging herself at the concerned looking woman. It was a good thing that she didn't need to use her mouth to speak because she was too busy crying to hardly draw breath much less speak. Her telepathic voice was frantic but Madison would be able to understand. "She's dead!" That's all Charlotte could think as she clung to Madison, not thinking that she would get blood on the other woman. "It killed her! Tore her to shreds. I couldn't stop it." She didn't even know what 'it' was nor did she know if the thing was still around somewhere. There was no way of knowing either. "I couldn't see anything, nothing was there but it was tearing at her. It's all my fault!" She cried, feeling so horribly guilty at not being able to help her Gran. She had power but at the time when it would have actually come in handy, she couldn't do anything at all.

Tags; Madison
Lyrics; Shattered – Trading Yesterday
Word Count; 655
Outfit; Outfit
Comments; None

[madison]

Madison ran towards the house, giving no thought to her own safety. Charlie was in trouble. That was all she knew. She was just a girl. A sweet kid, who deserved better than the life she had. Madison knew there wasn't much she could do other than be there for Charlie. It's why she'd given the girl the phone in the first place.

When Madison reached the front door, she steeled herself for what she might find. What if she had been too late? What if Charlie was hurt or worse? Madison realized she left her medkit in the car and quietly cursed herself. It didn't matter now though. She couldn't afford to waste the time to go back.

Madison eased the door open. "Charlie?" Her voice was filled with worry as she looked around the house.

Charlie's voice rang through her head and before Madison knew what was happening the little girl was running through the dark and into her arms. Madison didn't remember kneeling. All she remembered was the rush of relief, when she saw Charlie alive.

The poor girl was sobbing hysterically. The words that flowed into Madison's head were quick, frantic, and frightened. She wrapped her arms around Charlie, holding the girl close, not caring about the blood.

"Shh," She soothed, rubbing Charlie's back. "Shh, I'm here, I've got you."

When Charlie explained what had happened, Madison was at a loss. She pulled back a bit, smoothing Charlie's hair out of her face. "Whatever happened, it's not your fault. I promise you that, Charlie. It's not your fault."

Madison looked at the young girl. "Are you hurt, Charlie? Is any of this blood yours?" She immediately started checking the girl over. A quick sweep to make sure there were no life threatening wounds on her.

Once she was sure that Charlie was all right, she pulled her close hugging her again. Madison stood up, picking Charlie up in her arms. She looked farther into the room to see the body of Charlie's grandmother. It was a horrifying sight. One Madison knew Charlie would probably have nightmares about.

She wished Justin would get here soon. Madison didn't know what had done this, but she sure as hell wasn't going to stick around and wait to find out. Holding Charlie tightly, Madison quickly walked out of the house and back to her car.

Unsure what this was, Madison slid Charlie into the passenger seat. "Stay here, baby. I'll be right back." Seeing the fear slide across Charlie's eyes, Madison gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm just going to take some precautions until my brother gets here all right?"

Madison kissed Charlie's cheek and then moved to the trunk. She pulled out salt and holy water. She circled the car with the salt, glad that it wasn't a windy night and slid inside the drivers seat.

Reaching over, Madison pulled the girl into her lap, wrapping her arms around her, rocking her softly.

"Shh, Charlie. I've got you. Nothing's going to happen to you. I promise." She kissed the girls cheek, smoothed her hair away from her face and murmured comforting words. "This wasn't your fault."

Madison had no idea what had happened, but she was one hundred percent sure, that whatever it was, Charlie wasn't responsible for it.

[Charlotte Adair Cashton]

Yesterday I died, tomorrow's bleeding
Fall into your sunlight
The future's open wide beyond believing
To know why hope dies
Losing what was found, a world so hollow
Suspended in a compromise
The silence of this sound is soon to follow
Somehow sundown

--------

[/color][/size]
The loss, the pain. She had been through it all before and she was unsure if she could cope a second time. Despite her every effort to stop herself, the young girl's mind went back to the scene of a devastating car wreck. Even after all this time she could still remember their arguing, such angry words. Her mother's scream was not unlike that of her Gran's, overwhelming fear followed by the terrible sound of the car striking the guardrail that sent them down the snowy hill. She couldn't remember how long she had been out after the car landed but she had been the only one to wake up. She could remember the snow falling all around her small cold frame as she crawled out of the wrecked car, blood slipping down from her forehead. Seeing both her parents dead remained with her always, not so much her mother but the look on her father's face, his dead eyes wide open...

Everyone she had ever loved in her life was gone now... Would she be next? The fear that this was not over brought shivers down her spine as she looked around the seemingly empty room. She knew that her Gran had been a hunter, going after dangerous and evil creatures that wanted to hurt other people, so it was understandable that evil things would want to hurt her Gran as well. Didn't make it any less difficult to accept. What had her Gran gotten Charlotte into now?

Thankfully the call for help had been answered promptly and Charlotte was no longer alone in the house. She had been suspicious at first of Madison's quick response but if whatever had killed her Gran had wanted to kill her, surely it would have done so already. The young girl's first reaction was not to explain what she had seen but rather to cry and fall into the arms of her rescuer, who just happened to be Madison. Her attempt at telling her what happened was rather pathetic, broken and frantic words spat out into Madison's mind that her Gran was dead and she had been shredded. That was obvious when Madison chose to inspect the old woman's mangled corpse, it was as though a wild animal had gone crazy on her and in a way that was exactly what had happened. Had Charlotte known where her Gran dwelt now, she would have cried harder.

Madison did well to comfort the young girl though she couldn't stop her crying. She was still in a great deal of shock and she just felt so horribly guilty as well. If only her Gran had trusted her, maybe Charlotte could have helped her, saved her. Madison was truly a good person, she had put herself at risk by answer the call for help and yet it seemed that she hadn't even hesitated in doing so for her. The girl clung to Madison tightly, afraid to let go. It was her fault, she was convinced even as she pulled back, shaking her head. "I should have been able to help. I was locked in my room. Why didn't she let me help her?" Of course Madison wouldn't have the answers, she couldn't possibly know why this had happened or even what had happened so putting such questions on her wasn't fair but Charlotte couldn't help it.

Blood? Looking down, Charlotte finally noticed all the blood that she had been stained with. No, none of it had been her own, she hadn't been hurt. She simply shook her head but allowed Madison to do a quick search just in case. She realized now that she must have looked quite a sight, she had been too focused on what had happened to her Gran to even notice her own appearance or care about it either. Her hands were stained with her Gran's blood... How frightening.

Because of her small stature, it wasn't all that hard for Madison to pick her up in her arms and really, it was a comfort to have someone there for her. She hugged her arms tightly around Madison and took in the woman's strength and kindness. Charlie tried so hard not to look over at her dead Gran, the sight of the woman's corpse was something that just made her want to break down yet again. Noticing that Madison was heading out the door with her, Charlotte whined softly as she peered back at the home she had only just learned to love, her Gran's house where she had once lived and where she had died. It was almost poetic in a dreary sort of way. Something Edgar Allen Poe might have written. Charlotte almost wanted to argue, ask to remain because she felt as though she was somehow abandoning her Gran by leaving but surely it was the other way round, Charlie had been the one abandoned by her. Whether it was by choice or not, she was still gone and had left nothing for Charlie.

Unable to really argue, she allowed herself to be put in the passenger seat of the cat. Sniffling, she looked up at Madison, panic filling her eyes when Madison mentioned that she'd be right back. Where was she going?! She scrambled forward as though to stop her, shaking her head. "Don't go.." She couldn't handle if Madison got killed by whatever had killed her Gran just cause she came to help Charlotte. She couldn't handle that. The girl still trembled even as Madison assured her that she wasn't leaving her. Madison thought of her brother who she had called on her way there, he apparently knew how to handle this sort of stuff unlike Madison though she was doing a good job of it still.

Sitting up so that she could make sure that Madison was in her sights the whole time, she perked a brow as she did something that her Gran did every night before they had gone to sleep when they had been sleeping in the car. Her Gran had explained that it kept the bad things away. Charlotte wasn't able to relax until Madison was back in the car with her, not that she could really relax that much at all. Too exhausted from the trauma of all that had happened that night, she couldn't fight being pulled into Madison's lap even if she had wanted to, she was just too tired. Her tears continued to fall but her sobs had quieted to mere whimpers. "I should have saved her somehow. I let her down."

It was horrible, every little sound that the girl heard caused her to jump and her heart to race, she was terrified of it all and all she could see in her mind's eye was her Gran being torn to shreds by something invisible with claws. "I'm scared Madison." She whined telepathically, clinging still to the woman. "I don't wanna be alone."

Tags; Madison
Lyrics; Shattered – Trading Yesterday
Word Count; 1180
Outfit; Outfit
Comments; None

[madison]

Madison kept her arms around Charlie, hugging her tight. This poor little girl had been through entirely too much and it broke Madison’s heart. She loved children. Thanks to her ex-husband though, she could no longer have children of her own. Her own daughter had died less than twenty four hours from being born to soon. Part of that was Madison’s fault and she would always carry that guilt with her.

When she had met Charlie, Madison was instantly worried for her. She didn’t have much and the only family she had was a grandmother who took her on constant drives across the country. Madison had taken Charlie shopping while they were visiting. Her grandmother had something to take care of, so Madison took Charlie to lunch, got her some clothes and games that could keep her occupied in the car. She was glad to put a smile on the little girls face.

Now though, there was no smile. She was shivering and sobbing uncontrollably. Madison couldn’t blame her. She had actually seen her grandmother mauled to death in front of her. That would be horrifying to see as an adult, let alone a child.

Madison rubbed her hand soothingly along Charlie’s back. She rocked her, whispered comforting words. Not that they were doing any good. The thought of giving Charlie a light sedative to calm her down, crossed Madison’s mind. It wasn’t something she would do all the time, but these were extreme circumstances and Charlie was practically choking on her own sobs.

“Baby you couldn’t have done anything.” She kissed Charlie’s forehead. “This isn’t your fault. There’s nothing you could have done to stop it.”

Not for the first time, Madison wished that Sastre was here. He would know what had done this to Charlie’s grandmother. He knew more about the supernatural world than anyone Madison knew. Her heart ached from missing him, and her heart ached for Charlie.

“Shhh,” She rocked Charlie softly, keeping protective arms around her. Even as she did her gaze watched the car around them, making sure nothing was coming for them. It seemed oddly calm. Madison didn’t know whether to be grateful or if something worse was coming. “It’s okay baby, you’re not alone. I’m here I’ve got you. I’m not going anywhere.”

“I need you to calm down, Charlie.” Her words here gentle, light. There was no way Madison was going to walk away from this little girl. Even if the mouth of hell opened up and threatened to swallow her, she would gladly take that step for Charlie. “This wasn’t your fault. You didn’t let anyone down. You’re safe, baby. Your grandmother would want you to be safe.”

Madison heard the gravel crunch as tires moved over it. She looked out the window relieved to see Justin’s car. He tapped on the window, eyes searching. Madison quickly explained the situation. She was worried that whatever had come after grandmother might be coming after Charlie next, but she said that to Justin silently, with a look and prayed that Charlie didn’t pick up on the thought.

One glance at the small child in Madison’s lap was all it took for Justin to understand. “You two get out of here. Get to the house, make sure all the defenses are up. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Madison was worried about leaving her brother to do this alone, but she couldn’t keep Charlie here. “Be careful Justin.”

With that she slid Charlie off her lap, but kept her close to her side. “It’s going to be okay, baby.” Madison prayed it was anyways. The first step was getting Charlie safe. Everything else could wait. Keeping an arm around Charlie, Madison peeled out of the drive and started for the house. “You’re not alone. I’m here.”

[Charlotte Adair Cashton]

Yesterday I died, tomorrow's bleeding
Fall into your sunlight
The future's open wide beyond believing
To know why hope dies
Losing what was found, a world so hollow
Suspended in a compromise
The silence of this sound is soon to follow
Somehow sundown

--------

[/color][/size]
This had definitely not been part of Charlotte’s plans for her time spent in that house. She had figured that she would explore the house and discover treasures that belonged to her Gran and hopefully her father as well. It was supposed to have been a way for Charlie to connect with her roots because for the longest time, since the accident, she had no roots. She had loved seeing different pictures of her dad when he had been a little boy and some of her grandfather who she had never met. Her Gran had really been beautiful when she had been young and it seemed that being a hunter had been a family past time, ending with Charlie’s father. So many questions Charlotte felt she could ask since they were there and yet she had not been able to ask any such questions. It had all been dashed to pieces. Her world was collapsing but at least she wasn’t as alone now as she thought. Madison was there for her and the little girl needed that so much but in the back of her mind she couldn’t help but wander just how long she would be there.

Would she be sent off to an orphanage? Just the thought of such a thing caused her to shudder. Her Gran had saved her from the life of an orphan but now… What other choice did she have? She couldn’t expect anyone who didn’t know her to take her in; no one had any obligations towards her. She had no living relatives. Charlotte had no one in the long run and that terrified her. What would she do after this?

She couldn’t calm down, couldn’t stop her sobbing as she lay there in Madison’s lap. Every little thing scared her and she felt as though she was in a nightmare where she couldn’t wake up from. Why was this happening to her? Why again? Why couldn’t whoever was in charge of those big ol cosmos just leave her in peace? Who had she killed in a past life? Not that she believed in reincarnation but still, she really did have some seriously bad luck for a kid. It wasn’t fair. None of this was. Charlie would have nightmares about this for a long time, possibly for the rest of her life considering how brutal it had been. Even now she could hear it in her head and see it when she closed her eyes, her Gran’s mangled body, her staring eyes. It was horrible. All she could do at that moment was cling to Madison and hope that nothing came at them while they were in the car.

Madison was a very soothing presence for the distraught child. While it wasn’t possible for Charlotte to fully calm down right now, she was able to relax in her arms and trust that Madison wouldn’t let her get hurt if she could help it. Of course Madison was trying to assure that Charlotte wasn’t to blame and in Madison’s mind, she wasn’t but Charlie didn’t agree. She hadn’t been there for her Gran. She should have pushed harder to see what was going on, should have asked more questions, should have… So many ‘what ifs’ but they would do her no good. “What good is having these powers if I couldn’t save Gran with them?” She answered in response, her telepathic voice still so broken, echoing her inner sorrow.

Crickets could be heard all around the car, it was nothing too surprising but it just sounded eerie to her. Was something watching and waiting or was the thing gone? The growls, they had sounded almost dog-like but there had been nothing there. Perhaps it had been her young mind playing tricks on her or something. Whatever it was, it hadn’t gone after her, so apparently it had only wanted her Gran. Charlie felt so scared and uncertain, there was no way of knowing if she was safe or not, no way of knowing that she wouldn’t be next. Sure, Madison wanted to protect her but could she? Her Gran had been a hunter for years and still had fallen and from what Charlotte remembered, Madison wasn’t a hunter, she was a doctor. The doctor had the best of intentions on her mind as she rocked Charlotte gently; Charlie knew cause of her telepathic power. It wasn’t nice to peek but given what had just happened, Charlotte had to be certain.

“I need you to calm down, Charlie.” Easier said than done as far as Charlie was concerned but she understood why the woman said it. Charlotte would make herself sick from all the sobbing she was doing and Madison was just trying to calm her down. Yes, her Gran did want her to be safe, which was why she had locked the girl in her room. She had known she was going to die… “What am I going to do Madison?” She usually called the woman ‘Miss Madison’ as it was more respectful but she was so upset that it didn’t come to mind, literally. “What if it comes for me next? I’m scared. It’s going to get me like it did her!” Just the thought of sharing a similar fate caused the girl to hyperventilate, clinging to Madison as though she were an anchor. “Don’t let them get me, please.” She sounded so weak.

She couldn’t help but scream telepathically when Justin tapped on the window. What if he was a bad man? Madison seemed to know him so she calmed down slightly but it wasn’t enough to trust him or even look at him. She hid her face against Madison’s side as she explained the situation to Justin. What would he find? What were they going to do with her Gran’s body? Have a funeral? She didn’t want to go to another funeral for a family member. It hurt so much.

Leaving? They were leaving now? She had been to Madison’s house before. She liked it there. Still, there was a sense of guilt at leaving her Gran behind as the car pulled away. Charlotte sat up in the seat and looked back at the house where her Gran had lived and died. Would Madison’s brother be all right? Resting her head back against the seat, Charlotte stared wide-eyed out the window silently. She whimpered every so often but other than that she was completely silent.

“What’s going to happen to me?” She finally said after a while of silence. Perhaps it was better to wait a while to ask such a question since it was a rather heavy question for Madison but Charlotte was scared about that. Could she handle being in an orphanage? She didn’t think she could.

Tags; Madison
Lyrics; Shattered – Trading Yesterday
Word Count; 1168
Outfit; Outfit
Comments; None

[madison]

Even in her head Madison could hear the pain in Charlie's voice. It made her chest ache for the little girl. Tears began to fill in her eyes. Madison blinked them back. She was driving and she didn't need to be hysterical while doing that. Swallowing thickly she wrapped her arm tighter around Charlie.

"Shhh," She lifted her hand, brushing Charlie's tear matted hair from her face. "This wasn't your fault. Whatever happened, if you had done anything it may have killed you too. Your grandmother wouldn't want that. I don't want that either, Charlie." Madison kissed the girls forehead lightly before returning her gaze to the road.

Part of Madison's worry was for Justin. She had no one else to call though. Sastre was still gone. She didn't know where he was. When she woke up in the hospital Justin had been there. Sastre and Lily were gone. Then the letter came....then that was it. Madison had no way to get in touch with him. Even if she did, well Madison doubted he was in Georgia.

"Nothing is going to get you, Charlie. I promise. Not while I'm here." She tried to give the girl a reassuring, if weak smile. "And I promise you baby, I'm not going anywhere."

Madison pulled up to her large home and slid out of the car, taking Charlie's hand so she could follow after. "We're home. It's safe. Warded and protected against...well everything I think."

The doctor easily lifted Charlie into her arms. She stood their hugging her for a long moment, just keeping protective arms around the little girl who had already lost so much. Madison just stood there, was there for her, wrapping her in love and warmth.

"I've got you baby. It's going to be okay. You're safe." She kissed Charlie's cheek and then quickly moved inside.

[Charlotte Adair Cashton]

Yesterday I died, tomorrow's bleeding
Fall into your sunlight
The future's open wide beyond believing
To know why hope dies
Losing what was found, a world so hollow
Suspended in a compromise
The silence of this sound is soon to follow
Somehow sundown

--------

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It was easy for the child to think only about her own pain and what had happened to her and not think about Madison or how seeing Charlotte like this was affecting her. Had it not been for the utter shock she had gone through, she might have picked up on the tears that Madison blinked away or the way she seemed unsure what to say. What could one really say to a child whose world had literally been shredded in pieces in front of her? It couldn’t be easy on Madison and really, despite her willingness to want to help Charlotte; it wasn’t really fair to Madison to involve her in all this. She could be putting the kind doctor in danger and that wasn’t what she wanted at all. But it couldn’t be helped, she would have had to call out for help somehow, even if it hadn’t been while her Gran had been dying, she still would have called out for help.

Even knowing all of that, Charlie couldn’t help but snuggle closer to Madison and sigh softly. So many uncertainties. Where would she end up? Could she handle going through the whole process of becoming an official orphan with no family to speak of? The judgmental gazes would be hard to take, she knew that already and she wasn’t even at that point yet.

Madison sought to assure the child that everything was ok and she was doing a good job of it as well. Not that Charlie believed her of course. She blamed herself for her Gran’s death and would for a while. What her Gran wanted was irrelevant at this point anyway; she was dead and gone and would never come back. Finding nothing to say, she simply nodded and sniffled as she looked out the window. She was scared for so many reasons and it was all so hard to process. Maybe it wasn’t real. Maybe she was having an intense nightmare and would wake up to her Gran rushing into the room to see what was wrong. She liked Madison but that was how she wanted it to be, nothing but a nightmare. So far she got all the nightmare bits of it but none of the ‘waking up’ bits. She was stuck…

It was strange, Charlotte waited for the numbness to take effect, numbing the pain she felt. She didn’t want to hurt, she wanted it all to go away but it wasn’t happening. It hurt so bad. She didn’t want to feel anything at all but there was nothing she could do to numb the pain. So many different scenarios played out in Charlotte’s mind of what could have happened and what should have happened. Not that it would change anything, she knew that but she couldn’t help it as they drove towards Madison’s house. The headlights cutting through the dark was all she could really see at that moment. Her mind was so scattered that she could hardly concentrate on what Madison was saying to her. It was sweet of Madison to make such promises but could she really keep them? Could she really protect the child from what had happened? From what had caused the elder huntress’ gruesome death? Charlie didn’t even realize that she was still shaking as she sat there in the front seat, with Madison’s arm around her.

Pulling up to the Mclain residence, Charlotte peered out the window but made no motion to open her door. She was scared to move, scared to go out in the darkness despite there being wards and protections. Home? She wasn’t home. Madison was home. Charlotte had no home. Nothing. She had nothing. Looking up at Madison, she sniffled as the woman gathered the child in her arms and just hugged her tightly. It was nice to be hugged and protected in such a way yet still she trembled against her, peering around nervously as she wrapped her arms around the woman’s neck tightly.

It was there. The scene flashing in her mind over and over again. She couldn’t shake it no matter how she tried. “Thank you Miss Madison.” She said softly as they headed inside. Madison was doing her best to make the child feel safe and help her and it was commendable but Charlie couldn’t help but feel that it might not be enough. Her Gran had been a hunter for years and years but she had succumbed to whatever it had been. Once inside the house, Charlotte felt a bit better but only a bit. She was tired and her hands and clothes had dried blood on them, her Gran’s blood. It was unnerving to say the least. Yawning, Charlotte looked around the house and frowned. “Could I have a bath.” She said somewhat pathetically, showing her bloody hands.

Tags; Madison
Lyrics; Shattered – Trading Yesterday
Word Count; 833
Outfit; [url=http://www.contactmusic.com/pics/ld/melanie_segal_gifting_day_2_060810/isabelle_fuhrman_2953347.jpgOutfit[/url]
Comments; None[/color][/size]

[madison]

Madison was way ahead of Charlie. Taking the girl gently by the arm she lead Charlie to the bathroom and began drawing a bath. After making sure that the water wasn't too warm, Madison sat on the toilet and put the little girl over to her.

"We'll get you cleaned up. We'll get you into some clean clothes." Even as she spoke she was gently helping Charlie out of her clothes. The little girl seemed to calm down somewhat, which was good for now. Though Madison was still worried of the trauma that she had underwent.

Charlie would no doubt have nightmares from this ordeal. It made Madison's heart clench. She was a firm believer that children should be able to be just that, children. Charlie's grandmother had taken that lifestyle away from her. She made Charlie see the evil things in the dark while protecting her from it. Madison could understand, but at the same point it angered her that people believed children should have to grow up so fast.

After adding some lavender bath salts, Madison helped Charlie into the bath. Lavender was a soothing set and she hoped it would help relax Charlie. Taking the washcloth she gently washed the blood from Charlie's hands and then gave it to the girl so she could wash herself.

"Can you tell me what happened, Charlie?" Madison sat next to the tub, legs tucked underneath her and kept her eyes on Charlie's saddened face. She honestly hated to ask, but if Madison was going to keep her safe, she'd need information on what they were dealing with.

"I know it's scary, but I'm not going to let anything hurt you. I promise." Maybe Madison wasn't a hunter. Everyone knew that. The need that Sastre and the others felt to protect was sometimes overwhelming. Looking down at Charlie though, she felt that same need. She would do absolutely anything to keep this little girl safe.

Grabbing the shampoo, Madison put some in her hand and then gently started washing Charlie's hair to get the muck and the blood out of it. Then she waited patiently to see what the little girl would say.