Black Rose

Not like them. Not like anyone.

As they eat dinner, Matthew watches Alice. Her long black hair obscuring her face from view as she moves food around the plate, barely taking a bite. When Jane notices his stare on Alice, she raises an eyebrow in silent questioning. Later he mouthed to her. Jane nods in understanding and clears her throat. "So. I heard some commotion coming from the den. What was that all about?" she looks at each one of her children. Micheal opens his mouth to speak," Mom. We were trying to play with Alice but she got all butthurt about it. Dad doesn't believe us."

"Hmm. That's weird. Cause I distinctly heard Alice yelling for her to be let go. What happened there?" Jane responds. This time, Alex answers," We were tickling her. I guess she didn't like that either." Jane looks from Alex to Micheal and then to Chelsea. "It's not nice to pick on your little sister you know. You three are grounded for the week." a chorus of Mom goes around the three. "Uh-uh. Not buts. You shouldn't have picked on your little sister. Now eat your dinner." they all go back to eating, Alice still pushing her food around before eventually pushing the plate away and sitting silently.

----

When dinner is over, Alex, Chealsea, and Micheal all stay behind to clean up the mess while Jane helps out, signaling for Matthew to dole out Alice's punishment. As she tries to head up the stairs to go to sleep, Matthew stops her. Alice, would you go to room and wait for me there? Don't sleep yet." he says in a hard voice. Alice frowns at him in confusion but nods and heads to her room. Sitting on her bed, she takes a book out and starts reading, getting immersed in the story. Five minutes pass and Matthew enters the room. Alice looks up and sets the nook down on her bedside table as he closes the door and makes his way over to her. Matthew sits down on her bed beside her and sighs," You know you have to be punished for what you did earlier, right?" he says lowly. "But I didn't do anything. They were the one's who were being mean." Alice replies, refering to the scene in the den. Matthew shakes his head," No I meant when you stayed out longer than you were supposed to and you turned off all communications with us. That's not good. What if something had happened to you?" Alice nods and looks down before shrugging. Matthew sighs again and takes off his belt. "You know I'm only doing this cause I love you right?" he says as he folds the belt in half. Alice's eyes narrow at the object in question before she nods. Matthew nods back and pick her up before laying her on her stomach over his lap, Alice letting out a soft hey as she's moved. He then starts to spank her.

----

Downstairs, as Jane, Chelsea, Alex, and Macheal are washing the dishes and cleaning up the tables, they hear an ear peircing scream of ow. "Don't say anything. Finish your chores." Jane says strictly as the children start to laugh. Chelsea smirks and looks to Alex,"Guess the little freak finally got what she deserved." they smile and high five each other, getting a smack on the back of the head from their mother. It takes a few more minutes but they finish cleaning up.

The kids rush up the stairs and go down some halls until they get to Alice's room door. They stand there on the outside and try to open the door to peak in, only to have Jane smack all three of them in the back of the head. "It's time for bed. Bye. Goodnight children." the kids all groan and move to leave, getting a kiss on the top of the head by their mother. Once they're gone down the hall and into their own rooms, Jane walks in quietly into Alice's room. Alice is curled up crying and sobbing, cradled against Matthew's chest as he walks around the room, bouncing her in his arms and rubbing her back. Jane looks on the sight with a sad like fond look. You got her? Jane mouths to him.

Matthew nods his head and Jane leaves quietly. Matthew goes back to soothing Alice's cries,"Shh. It's okay now, you've done well. You took your punishment, you aren't in trouble anymore. It's alright now. Sshh." he says in her ear. If anything, that only makes the cries increase in size and she starts squirming in his hold. Matthew adjusts his hold on her so that her head is on his shoulder. Then he walks over to a little music box and opens it. A soft melody starts playing and the rain outside adds to the beauty of the music. Matthew the goes back to walking around the room while patting and rubbing Alice's back. Slowly, very slowly, her cries subside, the redness in her face dissipating to a light pink. After she stops her cries subside, silent tears still roll down her cheeks yet they come slower and her eyes get heavier. As the music coupled with the rain and the soothing touches of Matthew role on, she falls into slumber. Matthew smiles as her breathing deepens and then lays her on her on her bed, tucking her in before leaving, turning off the light and closing the door on his way.

After that he goes to make an appointment for Alice with the doctor's office and then goes to bed. All within the house are silently sleeping and the house is peaceful.

----

The next morning, Jane wakes up the children one by one in order of age. Macheal, then Alex, then Chelsea and Alice. The three older siblings grumble as they dress and eat and Jane is about ready to dish out breakfast when she notices Alice's isn't out yet. Frowning, she walks back to the room, only to see that Alice has fell asleep curled on top the pillow; her body so small that you could mistake her as the pillow its self. Jane smiles and walks to her, picking her up,"Alice. Honey, you need to wake up. It's time for school. Luckily today is Friday and you can sleep when you get back home. Okay?"

Alice wakes in the most cutest of ways. She pouts her red little lips and scrunches her eyebrows before blinking her eyes open, only to close them again as she rubs thr sleep from her eyes the way only a baby could do, before fully opening her eyes to stare up at whatever catches her eyes first. Jane smiles at this and helps Alice dress in her school uniform, that consist of a beige skiry, a white collared shirt and a dark blue vest to complete it. After that they move down to the dinning room to eat breakfast and then move out the door to school/work, Matthew having already left an hour prior.

As Alice walks to her class, she ignores the whispers and pointing that gets directed her way ever since she started going to Blazes Forest Academy. Then she makes it into her classroom and sits in her seat by the window. Taking out a sketch pad and a pencil, Alice starts doodling as she waits for school to officially start. She doesn't pay mind to the people who float in until someone rudely snatches her sketch pad away. "Hey." she says in an expressionless voice and turns to face the culprit. "What's tbe little freak drawing today? Hm?" a girl way taller than Alice says. A boy from tge girl's group leans over her shoulder to look at the picture. "Ew. What the hell is that? It's ugly." they say as they a warped version of Alice in Wonderland, smelling the roses. The picture is dark, with Alice smelling the roses that are splattered with red. The blonds hair dark with read and black. "I think she tried to copy off the real Alice in Wonderland."

"I'm not trying to copy off anything. I just think its funny that a cartoon character has the same name as me and I decided to draw another version to her insanity ridden mind." Alice replies smoothly and snatches the sketch back, tucking it into her backpack. "What does that even mean. You're so stupid. Everyone knows that Alice wasn't insane. She actually did go through a travel. Duh." the snobbish girl sneers at Alice while her friends laugh. "Well, Jazmine, you have your way of seeing it, and I have mine. Leave me alone.Same with you Trevor." the ones dubbed Trevor and Jazmine huff and walks away with their groupies. Alice stares after them and after a second if consideration, she takes back out the drawing. At the top of the page, she puts in her shy elegant writting.

I'm not like other girls. To stop and pick the pretty roses for a proper flower crown, I'd rather pick the ones for a proper noose around your neck.

With that writing, she smiles and puts the picture away and sits quietly as the class begins to start.

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The music that's playing in the music box is at the top. In case anyone skipped it or wanted to hear it...or is curious about it.