𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙚 | ✓

004

𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘢 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦

After the children had left the table, Winona was left caring for her husband while he sat on the couch and watch television. She wasn't sure what he was watching, but it seemed to be some sort of war-like type thing. Ever since the war several years ago he's been...different. This wasn't the man she had married, far from it. The Jack she used to know was so sweet and kind, caring for her like nobody else had. She missed when it was just the two of them dancing the day away. They had been inseparable as teenagers, stupid and in love.

Sometimes Winona found herself crying over those very memories as she got her husband a beer or was forced to clean something because he "dropped" it and wanted to see her bend to pick it up. After the war it was like something...clicked in his head. He was scary now, sometimes causing Winona to sleep in her car because she was afraid to sleep next to him. She'd always managed to escape his terrifying arms, usually running as far away from the house as she could before she always stopped and found herself going back, remembering her children would be in deep danger if she left them there. She couldn't do that, not to her children.

She hated herself for wanting to leave this place and never come back. What kind of mother would she be if she did that? She couldn't leave her children here, especially Vienna. If Winona was to leave, there was no doubt her disgusting husband would cause the same pain towards her daughter.  Not to mention Atticus would get himself killed, always putting himself before his little sister. So, for her children, she stayed. She couldn't afford to move away with them so staying with them was her only option.

She made her way up the stairs and scanned the area for her children. They had been awfully quiet which was definitely something new. Usually she'd have to come upstairs and tell them to be quiet because their father was in a drunken slumber. Atticus had always been so brave, standing up to him. However, she always feared that some day he was going to get himself killed over it.

She reached Vienna's door and knocked before entering, her eyes scanning around the room to see if she could find her daughter. Though she was not in sight, she noticed two witch cloaks spread across the floor. She slowly approached them, being careful not to make the floor squeak loudly. She picked up what she assumed was Atticus' to find a note buried inside the cloak:

Hey mom,
If you're reading this it means we already left. I brought Vienna with me and yes I'll keep her safe. Don't worry about us. We'll be home soon.
xx Atticus

A tear had fallen on the paper, the ink smearing the words. They had gone over the wall, hadn't they? Atticus had always dreamed about it, desperate to bring the civilizations back together again. It was this very bravery that was going to get him and his sister killed.

Her only job in this world was to care for her husband and keep her children safe. Actually, her only job was to keep her children safe. She had to go after them, search for them to bring her children home. Home? This wasn't home. She couldn't bring her children back here because if anything this was more dangerous than being hunted by the royals.

She slowly glanced over at Vienna's bed, coming to a stance and slowly making her way over. She had told her children to keep guns under their pillows, a safety precaution against their father. It was something such children shouldn't have to fear, waking up in the middle of the night to see their father standing over them. She lifted the pillow and grabbed the gun, with it in her hands she cocked it.

He would never touch her or her children ever again.

This was the only way to protect them.

◦•●◉✿ ✿◉●•◦

Winona was covered in blood, her shirt soaked with the thick red liquid. She had made many mistakes in her life, but she felt this one wasn't a mistake. It was simply an act to protect her children and herself. Of course, she stupidly left the gun at the crime scene. Where would they find her though? It's not like any of the other witches are brave enough to climb over the wall. Well, Winona wasn't brave enough either. The only motivation to climb that wall was to get her children back. She wasn't sure where she'd take them, but she'd take them far away from those woods where they would be safe.

She reached the wall and crouched down on her knees to see Atticus must had dropped his necklace. It was a stainless steel chain with a rusted guitar pick hanging off of it as a charm. Winona remembered the day Atticus had fallen in love with music. He often played acoustic guitar, the sweet melodies still engraved in Winona's mind.

She slipped the necklace over her head and slowly glanced up at the wall.

She then started to climb.

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A/n: I wrote this chapter because Winona becomes important later on the story. You'll see what I mean later^^ but we love a bad bitch mom. Also now that we're really getting into the story the chapters will get longer <3