Travel Through Time // a MPHFPC fanfiction

A heartbroken boy

James didn't understand a thing. Miss Caronell had resigned earlier this day. As she was going she murmured something of cat-human and going mad. And no matter where he searched, James just couldn't find his sister. Ethel had promised him to build a snowman with him. But it was already 4 pm and getting dark and Ethel was nowhere in sight.

Despite being only ten years old, James was worried.

He may not understand anything, but he knew that something was wrong.

James had told the domestic workers about his worries, but they didn't believe him. "She is a young woman." "She is probably out." They said. But Ethel always told him when she was going out. And she always kept her promises.

No, something was very wrong, James knew it.

But it was not until one week later that his parents told James the truth about his sister's whereabouts. They didn't know. She went missing. At first James didn't know what to do with that information. It was new and he couldn't fully understand it.

To James Ethel was perhaps hiding because she feared their parents reaction to the letter Miss Caronell had written to them. That had already happened once. Ethel had been running away, but she did come back after a few hours.

But now...

Ethel couldn't just be... gone.

Time went on years passed and James did understand what that information ment. It took him long enough: sleepless nights when he looked out of his window and waited. He waited persistently for his sister's return. But Ethel never returned. He never saw her again.

Two years. After about two years Ethel was buried. That means Ethel's coffin was buried. Their parents -his parents, as he painfully noticed- had declared her death.

It was March by now and the snow was melting. Awful weather in James's opinion, but Ethel would have loved it that way. She would have been reading in the library and listening to the sound and music of the rain.

It was an awful weather, perfect for a funeral. A funeral where James didn't participate.

He had been arguing a lot with his parents lately. Mostly about Ethel. "She isn't dead." He had told them. Ethel wasn't dead. Yes, she was missing, but that doesn't mean that she was dead. Not after two years only.

He told his parents that. No. He didn't tell them. He accused them. But they wouldn't listened.

Now as James was in his room and watched as his parents went to Ethel's "funeral", he still heard his father's words. Painful words.

"What a disappointment you are. Your sister is dead, she died because she ran away and got herself killed. She had potential, so much potential. But she decided to be a shame to our family name. And now you are just following into her footsteps. We hoped that you would come out a better way. You can't even represent our family for a single funeral. You are weak. And if you don't watch out you will be as dead to us as your sister."

It hurt. But it helped. Because now James had nothing left to lose. It helped him to finally make his decision.

"Oh, Ethel. I'm sorry, this isn't what you would want for me. But I'm not happy, I could never be. We will meet again. I promise. I promise, I will find you wherever you are and whatever it takes. I love you."

James thought.

The snow was gone, it had melted away, as Mr and Mrs Barrinson came from their daughters funeral. Now Ethel Clarisse Barrinson was officially dead.

The married couple wanted to speak with their son, they wanted to apologise.

But James was long gone.

He had grown up. And he had left.

On that day the Barrinson family didn't only bury their daughter, but their son as well. Because now Marietta and Clarke Barrinson were childless.

They had cared so much about the family name that they didn't notice that there wasn't a family anymore.

Hey everyone,
I hope you liked the chapter.
Feel free to leave constructive feedback and have a nice day!
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