NO NOTE
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FANDOM
MCU
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GENRE
ANGST
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WARNINGS
ABANDONMENT, SUICIDE
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RELATIONSHIP
ELLA BARNES & DOLLEY BARNES
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NOTES
this is from Ella's POV. I may rewrite it from Dolley's as well
also this is short and ignore the title font I'm using my granny's phone
~⮔~
Ella remembered vividly the day her mother died.
It was a normal morning. Ella and Dolley had stayed in a hotel that night, courtesy of the man Dolley had slept with the day before.
Ella opened her eyes when she felt her mother climb out of bed. She watched her as she dressed. Eventually, she stood and started to pull on her dress.
Dolley turned. "What're you doing, Ella Bella?" she asked softly.
"We're goin' lookin', ain't we, Mama?" Ella asked, in the process of buttoning her dress in the front.
Her mother chuckled, stooping to help her with the buttons. "I'm going by myself, sweetie. I'm gonna go talk to someone, and I don't want you to get hurt."
Ella pouted. She had to stay behind again? She leaned on Dolley's shoulder as the woman picked her up.
"How about this," Dolley suggested. "When I get back, I'll take you into town and we'll get you the biggest ice cream sundae you've ever seen?"
That perked Ella right up. "Okay!" she agreed quickly.
Dolley set Ella on the bed. She kissed her forehead. "I'll be right back," she said. "I promise. I love you, Ella Bella." And with that, she left.
Ella waited on the bed. A little while later, she got out her crayons and paper. When she got bored of that, she played with her stuffed dog, Bucket. Then she watched Perry Mason. Then Leave it to Beaver. Then Micky Mouse Club.
Hours passed, and Dolley didn't come back.
Ella didn't worry. She assumed Dolley had met a man and went off with him. That would mean she'd have more money for ice cream.
Time went on. Ella waited patiently. Finally, there was a knock at the door. She opened it.
Standing there was a police officer. He crouched down in front of her. "Are you Eleanor Barnes?" he asked gently. He had a thick accent.
Ella nodded, hugging Bucket close. "Mhm. Everyone calls me Ella."
The man nodded. "Nice to meet you, Miss Ella," he said. "My name is Officer Hank. I came to talk to you about your mommy."
Ella blinked. "Mama? Why?"
"We..." Officer Hank took a breath. "We think your mama passed away, sweetheart."
Ella knew what that meant. Everyone said that's what happened to Uncle Bucky and Steve and Georgie and Ellie and Dad. But, Mama couldn't have...
"What happened?" Ella asked in a small voice.
Officer Hank shook his head. "I'll tell you more at the station, okay? Let's get you out of this stinky hotel." He held out a hand to her.
Ella gently took it. She left everything-- her clothes, her drawings, her dolls-- behind. Everything, that is, but Bucket.
Ella would later learn that her mother's things had been found on a cliff. The police said she'd likely jumped. Ella didn't believe it.
Dolley wouldn't have left her.
Dolley wouldn't have abandoned her.
So that day, Ella decided she would look for Dolley. She had to be alive.
She had to be.
