What Once was Broken

Chapter One.... Visions and Performances

"Claire..... Claire......" A voice whispered to me from the darkness as I continued to walk down the darkened corridors of a run down building, following the voice to wherever it was from. I had been in that dark hallway many times, and I still continued the search for the mysterious voice. "Come to me, Claire..." "I'm trying," I had said in near perfect english, "but I just can't find you!" I remember feeling frantic as I hurried my search for the sweet voice that called my name. I opened a door with a violet colored glow casting from beneath it, and walked in. The strange light of the room had frightened me, and I had felt tense, but I continued to press forward, the light emitting from my heart guiding me all the way. "Claire...... My lovely Claire...... Come to me...... Claire." A thick haze formed around me as the voice grew louder. My heart pounded as I grew closer, and closer to the voice beckoning me to find him. I saw a sillohuet of someone my height, and my joy was visibly shown when I cried out, "I see you! I see you! I'm coming for you, and we'll leave together! Just you and I." I heard a loud bang, and my heart dropped into the pit of my stomach. I turned slowly to look behind me, and there, a tall, lanky man stood, his shadow looming over me. "Don't look back Claire! You're SO close!" The voice screamed, and I broke into a run for the outstretched hand of the sillohuet. The closer I thought it was, the farther the room seemed to have stretched... Farther, and farther, as if to tell me that my attempts were futile, and to surrender to the man. I remember tripping on a loose board, and falling flat on my stomach as the man, who had finally caught up with me, was now looming over me like prey. I struggled to get up, but an unknown force kept me tightly secured to the floor. "No...." I cried, reaching my hand to the sillohuet who kept fading out of my sight. "Claire..... Claire....?!" "I'm sorry! I'm REALLY sorry!" I cried, tears stinging my eyes as I grabbed the board I had tripped on for dear life to avoid being sucked up by the strange man's powerful vacuum, only to fail miserably. I screamed as the world around me became swirly, and I jolted upright in my bed, sweat dripping from my face. "Claire?" "Ah!" I screamed, bumping my head on a peice of low wood. "Owwwwwww!" I screeched, rubbing my head where I had hit the plank. "I-I'm sorry! Are you okay?" Someone asked, pulling me from a small loft in the wall. "Yes, Bree, I'm fine. Just had another vision again." "Was it the same one you've been having since your fourth birthday?" Bree asked, wiping my face with her pudgy thumb. Bree is my older sister, not by blood, of course. When I was three, my parents had passed away, and my adopted parents and sister found me in a crib, helpless and alone, which prompted them to nurse me as if I were theirs. Bree is a loving sister, always checking in on me to see how I was feeling, or playing with me although she always feared she would crush me by accident, which is more than what I assumed any sister would do for their younger siblings. I nodded my head, and replied, "Same voice, same man, different place." "Hmmm." Bree began, scratching her head, plucking out strands of her long, black hair that was fashioned into a crooked ponytail. "Do you suppose the sweet talking voice you heard could be your prince charming, calling out for his love to find him so that they could live happily ever after?" She asked, her eyes lighting up like a small child. "Oh, I wish it were that simple," I began, slapping my feet together, "I always wake up before he is revealed to me, or when that strange man sucks me into oblivion." "I bet he's worth the wait though, if you keep waking up before you see him. That MUST mean he's a good looking one. Wouldn't want anything less for my baby sister now." She gave a wink, and we shared a giggle before another figure entered, our mother. "Honestly now, what are the two of you going on about THIS time?" "We were talking about prince charmings momma! Like the one in Claire's dream!" Bree exclaimed, hopping around excitedly and making the room quake as she did. "Good Heavens, children! Haven't I told you time, and time again that you are too YOUNG to be thinking about men? Come outside your room for once, and talk to people my dears. Those maddening visions will be gone in NO time! And maybe I'll stop hearing this nonsense about "Prince Charmings", maybe even raise NORMAL children. But enough of my rambling. Hurry on up and put on your clothes for the evening! You've a performance Claire in two hours, and the Lady of the Maw would like for you to have tea in her quarters before then." She handed Bree a small, silky white dress with gold lace patterns on the skirt, and a silver bow around the waist, along with a pair of white stockings, and a pair of shiny black flats, the ones with buckles on the sides. Mother isn't as harsh as you may think, just..... A little hurt by the loss of our Father. When I was six years old, he came back from visiting an old friend in horrid condition. We did everything we could to cure his illness, but it just wasn't going away. A few days before my seventh birthday, he passed away, taking a heavy toll on the three of us. My favorite memories with him were when I would sneak into his library, and he would immediately start reading his books aloud while I listened from the top of his writing desk. My favorite story he read to me was the one about the maid, who fell in love with a beast. She had loved the beast SO much, that he turned back into a man, and the maid became a queen. Turns out, the man had an evil spell cast on him, by a wicked witch, and was very lonely in his castle until the maid came. I often wonder if my visions were a direct result of listening to that story. After Mother left, Bree put me back into my loft, and placed the clothing beside me. "What an honor, meeting the Lady!" The Lady was the owner of the Maw, a submarine like structure shaped almost like an iceberg, and home to many residents! Although I was different from the others, they all cherished me, and loved me, even the Lady adored the beauty of my sand blonde curls, and rosy cheeks on my pale skin. Another reason they adored me was because of my heart of gold, and my natural talent of singing. Yes, the performance I had, was actually a career of mine, made from what I enjoyed the most. I kicked off my slippers, and pulled off my gown before walking into a tiny compartment area, which was my bathroom, complete with a small glass dish that I called a bathtub, a small cockle shell I call a sink, and an old doll house toilet, fashioned to be used like an actual toilet! I pulled a string over the dish, and a bucket of water poured into the dish, filling it up to where my head was above the surface. I stepped in, and began to wash up with tiny bottles filled with vanilla and strawberry soap, and a small peice of sponge I called a bath pouf. After I had rinsed and dried, I walked over to my sink, and quickly brushed my teeth and toungue. I swooshed water into my mouth to rinse, and spat it in the sink, where it quickly drained away. I threw on the clothes that Mother had given me, slipped on my shoes, and began to brush my thick, curly hair and bangs. My hair was in the natural flow of ringlet curls that smoothly centered my lower back. I walked back into my room, my sister, waiting patiently for me outside my loft. "Come on Claire! Grab your cloak, and we'll be off!" I ran over to my mini coat rack, and carefully plucked my white cloak with satin lining the inside, along with pure lace on the surface, and tied it around my neck with a white satin ribbon. I hopped into my Sister's hand, and we left for the Lady's quarters. The Maw as a whole is absolutely MASSIVE, with TONS of buttons, levers, and elevators leading to COUNTLESS floors and wired to DOZENS of mechanical machinary at work! Once at the Lady's quarters, my sister knocked on the door, and a tall woman, whose face was covered by a white mask opened up. I couldn't see it, but I knew that she held a welcoming, gracious smile that could take anyone's breath away. "Claire La Bouvier," she began in a tone smoother than freshly brewed coffee, "I wouldn't expect any less from our precious song bird, making it to her appointments on time." I stood up in my sister's hand, brushed off my dress, and bowed gracefully to her. "C'est un honneur d'être en votre présence mademoiselle." Now, before you get confused, here's why my transition was so sudden. There is a difference between the way monsters like my sister speaks, and how humans like the Lady speaks. I have mastered both arts of understanding the grunting and squealing of monsters, while also studying my native toungue, which is French. "Ah, yes. I keep forgetting that your English is not as inclined as my own. Mes excuses mon enfant." The Lady replied, bowing back to me. My sister brought her mouth to my ear, and whispered "Have fun! I'm rooting for you!" and she placed me on the floor. After my sister was back in the elevator, the Lady stepped aside, and gestured for me to come inside. Once inside, she shut the door behind us both, and locked it tight. I was used to this, seeing as how I've been in the Lady's quarters MANY times with NO problems found, and I climbed my way up a chair, and onto a neatly decorated table. "Y a-t-il quelque chose que je peux vous offrir? Thé? L'eau? Du jus peut-être?" The Lady asked, digging through a bar area filled with vanilla beans, coffee grounds, and fresh picked tea leaves from all over the world. "Thé à la citronelle et agripaume s'il vous plaît." I responded, looking down at my knees. "Ah, oui. Bon pour le cœur et facile pour l'âme. Avez-vous de nouveau une vision?" I sighed as I slapped my feet together, and fiddled with my dress. After I wake from a vision, I'm usually a nervous wreck. I've seen so many places in my visions that I never remember where I am most of the time, and that, indeed, is a very scary feeling to have. "Voudriez-vous m'en parler, mon chérie?" the Lady asked, handing me a cup of Lemongrass tea, brewed with Motherwort. "J'essaye de venir à la voix, vraiment! Mais je ne peux jamais vraiment l'atteindre, et cela me dérange." I began, taking a sip of my tea, and letting out a defeated sigh before continuing on, "Maman dit que je devrais m'en débarrasser et l'ignorer, tandis que ma sœur le prend comme une sorte de signe. Je ne sais pas quoi faire madame! Que penses-tu que je devrais faire?" the Lady placed a finger to her lip in thought, making the room silent for an uncomfortable amount of time. "Eh bien, qu'en penzes-vous? Sentez-vous l'hostilité dans vos visions?" She finally asked, breaking the thickening scilence after a while. I shook my head, and replied with great sincerity, "Non madame, pas du tout! Si quoi que ce soit, ils sont plutôt doux." "Alors je dis que vous devries les embrasser! La seule chose qui vous retient, c'est votre doute, mon enfant. Écoutez vos visions, comme vous le feriez de vos amis et de votre famille. Fais ce que ton cœur trouve bon, et ne regarde jamais en arrière ma fille." The Lady took a sip of her russian black tea, making the room silent again. I ran her advice to embrace my visions in my mind like a broken record playing one verse over, and over again, and I thought about my momma and Bree. They've suffered a loss already, how would they feel if I persued the voice in my vision? I sipped on my tea, debating the situation in my mind like politics, only uncertain about the future ahead of me. A clock on the wall struck eight, and the Lady set her tea cup down on the platter. "Une heure à gauche," she began, standing up from her seat that she had taken across from me, "vous devriez vous dépêcher de retourner dans la salle à manger et vous préparer pour ce soir. Ne voudrait pas que les invités s'impatientent maintenant, n'est-ce pas?" With the snap of her fingers, a step ladder appeared, and I carefully climbed down to the floor of the Maw once more. The Lady kneeled to the ground, and gave me a few pats on the head before sending me off to the uppermost areas of the Maw by my lonesome. I never minded being in the elevators by myself, but on this particular night I wished I had asked the Janitor, whose name is Roger, to come with me, and keep me company for the ride. The elevator stopped abruptly at the guest area, just a couple more floors beneath the dining area, which baffled me because generally on a night like this everyone is in the dining hall waiting for me. I watched as the elevator doors opened, revealing the most awful monster I could've EVER met! "Well, Well!" she began in a snobby tone, and two more disgusting monsters appeared behind her. "Why it's the little billy goat of the Maw." The boy monster sneered, and all three let out a roar of laughter. "Carlotta, can't you just bug someone else for once? Please?" I begged in annoyance, pressing the button furiously so that I could continue my elevator ride in peace. I'll say it again, I SHOULD'VE brought Roger! "Where's the fun in that flea child?" Carlotta asked, pushing her way into the elevator. "Yeah, let's escort the ratty pest to her tiny nest where she belongs!" The monster girl behind her boomed, pushing herself into the elevator as well. After the boy monster had crammed himself into the elevator with us, the door closed, and we acended upward, with me trapped between gross, smelly feet, and ragged clothing. One of their feet began to rise, and it placed itself right over me, and I gulped. "Let's dance Booveeeair!" The boy laughed wickedly, and stomped his foot down, barely missing me by an inch! It wasn't long until the bullies were all stomping around the elevator, kicking me, squishing me, and at some point playing keep away with my small, fragile frame. I was used to this type of behavior from them, after all, I differ a lot from the monsters I was raised around! "Itty bitty ratty rat, where has your cleverness gone? If you're not as swift as the garden snails, then you are surely done!" They chanted, continuing to stomp the ground, and throwing me through the air to one another. I wasn't sure if it would ever end until a familiar voice shouted, "Leave her alone Carlotta!" The three stopped, and looked out of the wide open doors of the elevator, still as statues. Sure enough, it was my sister Bree, and she was NOT happy about my situation to say the least. "Oh yeah porky?" Carlotta asked, holding me up in the air by the back of my dress, "What're YOU gonna do?" "I don't know who you're calling "Porky" Shamoo, but you best let go of Claire or I'll report you to the mistress of the Maw myself!" Bree huffed, crossing her arms with that strong attitude she possesses. The three monsters alternated looks, and, growing visibly angry with my sister, Carlotta threw me to her. Bree was, thankfully, a great catcher by natural right, which is a lot more than I could possess in a life time. "Enjoy your rat." Carlotta growled, and the trio turned, shoved themselves back into the elevator, and wasn't seen again. I sighed deeply, and met eye to eye with Bree, who was smoothening my frazzled hair, and dusting of my dress from any dirt that may have gotten caught in the fabric. "Are you alright C?" She asked, continuing to smooth out my curls, and dust off my lace cloak. "I'm fine Bree." I said, looking down at my toes as I sat in the palm of her hand. "Those meanies," she began, giving my head a couple pats, "picking on someone smaller than them. They're just jealous because they're not as cute and frilly as you." She carried me through a grand looking door, and into the dining area of the Maw. The eating area of the Maw was large, and long tables were packed with guests gorging themselves on different types of raw looking meat. There were sausages and steaks that littered the tables, and cuts of raw roasts and fish were crudely decorating the ornate silver platters. Sometimes I wondered just how they attained all that meat, but I never really looked so deep into it before, so I didn't worry about it as much as I needed to. A nearby guest spotted Bree holding me in her palm, and blurted, "Hey look! It's the Angel of the Maw!" The whole crowd paused mid bite and chew, just to turn their attention to my small figure. I always grew quite uncomfortable when the crowd's noise had died down, mostly due to the feeling of not fitting in. One time, this old man was talking to my momma, casually laughing about how hard it was to raise children, and how difficult it was to be old when my sister and I needed her to reach a box of art supplies from the top shelf of our room. As soon as the man saw me, his joyous attitude and wrinkly smiled turned into a souless, blank faced stare, aimed directly toward my sister and I. Feeling the elephant in the room, my sister had asked if there was anything wrong, to which he screamed, very angrily to my mother may I add, "Children shouldn't be playing with meddling pests! How could you subject your own child to diseased, heinous creatures like THAT!" I remember feeling frightened as the man rushed over to where my sister was, and tried to rip me away from her grip. Needless to say my momma made sure that man never existed in the first place, because once she told the Lady, she immediately reassured my mother that he would be dealt with, and sure enough that was the last we've heard of him. Since that day, each time a monster went silent, I would assume that it was because they were judging, and I would grow depressed. This was a different silence though, one that I had grown used to. Immediately the crowd burst into loud eruptions of cheers and excitement, and I smiled as my sister walked through the crowd, stopping every so often for someone to shake my hand, or get a closer look at me in person. "Claire!" Someone called, and I looked up to find a boy monster waving furiously to gain my attention. "Hi Jordy!" I yelled back, jumping up and down as I waved so he could see me. Jordy was one of my friends that I had made on the Maw when I was five years old! He was super sweet to me, and accepted me like I was his sister, mostly because he sort of WAS a brother to me. He was in love with Bree, although he had never admitted it to her personally, but I knew it was there from the way he would tense up around her, and sweat when she was near. Bree caught sight of Jordy, and waved at him, smiling her famous "Bree smile" as I called it. Jordy stopped waving, and looked down at the table in front of him akwardly. Bree's smile fell, and she shrugged it off as a sign that he didn't want to talk to her right now. She's friends with Jordy, don't get me wrong, she just hasn't been told his true feelings for her yet, which is understandable. Love is a commitment, and some people just have no idea on how that feeling is expressed, so they just keep to themselves and wait for a time that's right. We reached the stage after thirty minutes of meeting the fans, and Bree set me down. My stage was basically a round table, covered with a clean, white cloth, unlike the other tables, whose white cloths were stained and dirty. My spotlight was a flash light shining down from the balcony above me, and from my stage I had a clear view of the Lady's balcony, where she watches me perform from when I'm not paying attention. You may be asking if I had a microphone to sing from, and my answer is quite simple to say the least. Take it as you will, but when I was in my toddler years, I discovered that I held a VERY special power. My chest would begin to glow, and the tone of my soft, nasally voice would amplify up to twice it's octive, meaning there was no need of a microphone at all! That's not all it can do though... My chest would begin to glow when I was nearing the end of a goal I was trying to reach, or locate what had been lost. But strangest of all would be after I had a vision, or woke up from a vision, though the glow would be so faint that only I could notice it! The lights around me dimmed, and the flashlight turned on, allowing me to see everyone in the audience. Bree was sitting with Jordy, watching, and giving me a thumbs up, while my mother sat at another table, bragging over me like I was a prize. I took a deep breath, and readied myself for singing. As my chest glowed, I sung out a song that I sang after my father had passed all those years ago that I called "Daddy's Little Girl":