Maddie Brown [ A Derren Brown RPF ]

The gentle breeze played with the hair that covered her face. The long, light brown hair with the full fringe and the single streak of purple that had once been found so amusing. It wasn’t amusing anymore; the hair that had once been silky and smooth was now knotted and fell in clumps mixed together with blood. She had to get away from it, it held too many memories, forced her to think of too many nights with the three of them together, she knew that three would be one less now. She may have been young, but she was clever, and she understood.

What seemed like mere moments ago there had been so much fear, so much pain and panic. The street was full of noise and everything she’d seen had been a blur except for certain elements which seemed crystal clear.

The first bang rung in her ears and her breathing had quickened as her mother’s grip had tightened around her and pulled her out of the way, threw her to the ground and the rest of the series of bangs rang in her ears, too loud for her liking. Her mother’s body was too heavy against hers and the young girl simply squeezed her eyes shut and curled up beneath her mother’s body, waiting for the mayhem to stop. When, at last, it did stop, the air was eerily quiet. A gentle ringing hummed in her ears and the sound of her own breathing was strangely echoing and magnified. The occasional whimper escaped her lips and a warm, sticky liquid was spreading across her with every second.

She was too hot, she needed to get out, claustrophobia was kicking in with every second and she didn’t care if there was danger she just wanted to get out. After a couple more minutes and her breathing increasing even more, the body was pulled off her and there was a policeman looking down at her. She blinked up at him in the sudden light and he knelt down and said something to her, she couldn’t hear what he was saying but she could tell he was speaking to her as she could see his mouth move. He reached down and pulled her up from where she was lying and she clung to him, she squeezed her eyes shut and found tears rolling down her cheeks that she hadn’t noticed before.

Hours passed and she sat in the back of the ambulance. Her hearing returned slowly to her and she could only watch as numerous corpses were put into large black sacks and wheeled away. She knew her mother’s lifeless body was in one of those bags and this only brought more tears to her eyes. After an hour or so more a familiar face arrived and she jumped up to run into the arms of her father. He was also crying and as he cradled her in his arms he held her tight.

“You’re alright…” he whispered gently into her ear. It was comforting to know that her father was there for her.

“Mummy’s gone to heaven, hasn’t she?” the little girl asked and her father sniffed a bit before answering with a wavering voice.

“Yes sweetie, yes she has.”

She buried her face in her father’s shoulder and he held her tighter, carrying the six year old to the taxi and strapping her in. he refused all help from the police, he just wanted to take care of his daughter on his own. She was curled up and drifting off to sleep on the car journey home, her father picked her up and scooped her out of the car when they arrived home. He changed her into her pyjamas and laid her in her bed before leaning down to kiss her forehead softly and then he stood up and made to walk from the room.

“Daddy?” A small voice came from the bed behind him and he turned to face his daughter.

“Maddie?” he said quietly and she was propped up on her elbows, looking at him wide eyes. Some of her mother’s blood was still in her hair.

“Will it be us two forever?” she asked quietly.

Her father sighed and walked back over to her, sitting down on the edge of her bed. “Miss Maddie Brown, sometimes people leave us, sometimes we can’t expect them to, and sometimes we know they’re going to leave us. But people do leave us. Your mummy has left us now, but you will always be protected, you will always be loved, because you’re a loveable little girl.”

“You love me? Don’t you daddy?”

“Of course I do sweetheart. But you must always remember that people leave us sometimes, we’re left alone in the world. You won’t always be alone in the world, but there will always be temporary moments when you will be alone.”

“Am I going to be alone now?”

“No. Not yet. You just need to know that it may come. Sooner than you think.”

“You’ll always be here though won’t you daddy?”

“Go to sleep little girl,” he said kissing her again and leaving the room, ignoring her question.