Coming Home
Jul. 13th, 2011 09:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dorksidefikerTitle: Coming Home
Author:dorksidefiker
Fandom: Original
Prompt: Table B/35. Coming Home
Character/Pairing: Rowena Mox-Xanathos
Rating: PG
Word Count: 715
Summary: It was the closest thing to a home she had when she was a child.
Authors Notes/Disclaimer: Mine!
Rowena let the gas can drop to the ground at her feet as she surveyed the burned out ruin of the orphanage she had called home as a child. Weeds had mostly overtaken what remained of the three walls still standing. The interior had collapsed completely, all the way down to the basement. She peered into the dark abyss, then spun on her heel and started walking to town, muttering curses under her breath with every step.
***
Rowena sat at the counter, drumming her nails on the formica. The soda jerk smiled at her, wiping his hands on his apron. “Be right with you, miss!” he said cheerfully. Rowena bit back a rueful, bitter laugh, forcing a hint of a smile instead. As a child, she’d never been allowed at the counter, those rare times when she’d been able to come in to the soda shop at all. The White’s Only sign still hung prominently above the soda machine, but years of academia had robbed her of enough of her tan that she could pass for white under a cursory inspection. “What can I get for you?”
“Peach milkshake?” she asked, remembering how much she’d craved them as a child. “And a pack of cigarettes.” She fished her wallet out of her purse, pulling out a couple of bills. “Maybe some information?”
The boy cocked an eyebrow as he began mixing the milkshake, but he nodded.
“There used to be an orphanage outside of town…?”
“That old place? Burned down before the war. One of the kids went crazy and set it on fire in the middle of the night.” He put the milkshake in front of her, next to a pack of cigarettes, and swept the money off the counter quickly. “Killed most of the staff, but the kids got out. A shame.”
“What about Eric Chanfler? He was the groundskeeper. Do you remember him?” Rowena asked. The boy just shrugged.
“I was real young when it happened, miss. I heard a rumor that the groundskeeper was found all chopped up,” he said, dropping his voice and leaning towards Rowena conspiratorially. “The girl who set the place on fire was found with his head.”
Rowena sipped thoughtfully at her milkshake. It was as thick and sweet as she remembered. “What happened to the girl?”
“Locked in the loony bin, where she belongs.”
***
Rowena walked through the halls, silent and invisible as a shadow. She ignored the mad pawings at the edge of her mind. She was in this madhouse for one reason, and one reason alone; Phyllis. She hadn’t through about her in years; she’d been just another girl there, a little younger than her. Not an enemy, but not a friend either. It had taken her almost a week to get the name of who had burned the orphanage down, and where she was.
But now she knew, and now she could finally close this chapter of her life. She stopped before a door, peering through the tiny window, down at the woman within. She was old well before her time, face mostly hidden by mousy hair turning grey.
“Phyllis?”
The woman looked up sharply, then jerked her face away from Rowena. Burn scars crept up from beneath the grey jumper she wore, licking up her cheek and almost to the hairline. “What do you want.”
Rowena lit a cigarette, using her powers to break the lock and push open the door. “I wanted to thank you. Or curse you for beating me to it.” Phyllis blinked in confusion, scooting in to the far corner. “You may not remember me… I’m Rowena.”
“Rowena? Can’t be. Rowena died.” She stood up, back to the wall as her fingers clenched and unclenched slowly. “We all saw it. The pipe went right through her.”
“Maybe I’m actually the good fairy come to take you away from all this.” Rowena extended her hand. “We both know you don’t belong here. Come with me.”
The woman hesitated, then extended her hand to Rowena.
Author:
dorksidefikerFandom: Original
Prompt: Table B/35. Coming Home
Character/Pairing: Rowena Mox-Xanathos
Rating: PG
Word Count: 715
Summary: It was the closest thing to a home she had when she was a child.
Authors Notes/Disclaimer: Mine!
Rowena let the gas can drop to the ground at her feet as she surveyed the burned out ruin of the orphanage she had called home as a child. Weeds had mostly overtaken what remained of the three walls still standing. The interior had collapsed completely, all the way down to the basement. She peered into the dark abyss, then spun on her heel and started walking to town, muttering curses under her breath with every step.
***
Rowena sat at the counter, drumming her nails on the formica. The soda jerk smiled at her, wiping his hands on his apron. “Be right with you, miss!” he said cheerfully. Rowena bit back a rueful, bitter laugh, forcing a hint of a smile instead. As a child, she’d never been allowed at the counter, those rare times when she’d been able to come in to the soda shop at all. The White’s Only sign still hung prominently above the soda machine, but years of academia had robbed her of enough of her tan that she could pass for white under a cursory inspection. “What can I get for you?”
“Peach milkshake?” she asked, remembering how much she’d craved them as a child. “And a pack of cigarettes.” She fished her wallet out of her purse, pulling out a couple of bills. “Maybe some information?”
The boy cocked an eyebrow as he began mixing the milkshake, but he nodded.
“There used to be an orphanage outside of town…?”
“That old place? Burned down before the war. One of the kids went crazy and set it on fire in the middle of the night.” He put the milkshake in front of her, next to a pack of cigarettes, and swept the money off the counter quickly. “Killed most of the staff, but the kids got out. A shame.”
“What about Eric Chanfler? He was the groundskeeper. Do you remember him?” Rowena asked. The boy just shrugged.
“I was real young when it happened, miss. I heard a rumor that the groundskeeper was found all chopped up,” he said, dropping his voice and leaning towards Rowena conspiratorially. “The girl who set the place on fire was found with his head.”
Rowena sipped thoughtfully at her milkshake. It was as thick and sweet as she remembered. “What happened to the girl?”
“Locked in the loony bin, where she belongs.”
***
Rowena walked through the halls, silent and invisible as a shadow. She ignored the mad pawings at the edge of her mind. She was in this madhouse for one reason, and one reason alone; Phyllis. She hadn’t through about her in years; she’d been just another girl there, a little younger than her. Not an enemy, but not a friend either. It had taken her almost a week to get the name of who had burned the orphanage down, and where she was.
But now she knew, and now she could finally close this chapter of her life. She stopped before a door, peering through the tiny window, down at the woman within. She was old well before her time, face mostly hidden by mousy hair turning grey.
“Phyllis?”
The woman looked up sharply, then jerked her face away from Rowena. Burn scars crept up from beneath the grey jumper she wore, licking up her cheek and almost to the hairline. “What do you want.”
Rowena lit a cigarette, using her powers to break the lock and push open the door. “I wanted to thank you. Or curse you for beating me to it.” Phyllis blinked in confusion, scooting in to the far corner. “You may not remember me… I’m Rowena.”
“Rowena? Can’t be. Rowena died.” She stood up, back to the wall as her fingers clenched and unclenched slowly. “We all saw it. The pipe went right through her.”
“Maybe I’m actually the good fairy come to take you away from all this.” Rowena extended her hand. “We both know you don’t belong here. Come with me.”
The woman hesitated, then extended her hand to Rowena.