The Haunted Memories (Forgotten Series, #4)

Chapter 19

I shifted in my chair as I watched Elissa-May and Madeline as they sat on the floor of her office. The healer had a concentrated look on her face that mirrored Madeline's. "Special." Elissa said it carefully as she held Madeline's hands.

Maddy's face pinched slightly in intense concentration. "Speshul." She looked at Elissa as she said it and the healer shook her head slightly.

"Special." She accentuated the one part that Madeline was having troubles with. "Remember we have to focus on the pronunciation, Maddy, draw it out." She gently squeezed the little girl's hands. "Speeeeciiiiaallll." She drew the word out and Madeline watched her intently.

"Ssssspeeeciiaaaallll." She drew it out just like Elissa-May had done and the healer let her hands go and gave a small clap with a bright smile.

"There we are!" At the praise Madeline beamed happily, wiggling in excitement. "Let's try it again. Special."

"Ssspeeeciiallll." Madeline once again drew the word out and Elissa nodded, that smile still firmly on her face.

"Okay, one more time." She held up one finger and Maddy nodded.

"Speeciaal." Despite the fact she still drew it out the pronunciation was accurate and Elissa-May gave an excited clap as she laughed.

"You are doing so well!" She chucked Maddy under the chin as she giggled and wiggled in her spot. "Remember if you need to, touch your mouth to feel what shape it is making. It will help you remember what shapes you need to make to get the sounds." Elissa-May took Maddy's hand and pressed her fingers gently to her mouth as she leaned forward. "Madeline is a special little Alpha." She let Maddy's hand go. "You feel that right?" Madeline nodded quickly and Elissa-May urged her to touch her own mouth. "Try saying it."

"Mad... Mad'line is a speeeeciall lit-little Al.. Al... Al..." She looked at me, giving me a distressed look as she tried to stammer through the correct pronunciation of the word and I gave her an encouraging smile, urging her to continue. "Al-Al...Alfa." Her eyes started to water as her mouth fumbled with the pronunciation and Elissa-May shushed her softly.

"Its okay, sweety. This will take a bit to get used to and remember you can sound the words out loooooong to help." There was no concern on her face, just that soft look of reassurance. "So can we go Maaaaaadeeeeeeliiiine is an Alllllllphhhhhaaa?" She once again gestured Madeline to touch her own mouth.

Maddy pressed her fingers to her mouth gently. "Maaaaaaaadeeeeeliiiine is an Allllllphhhaaaa." She looked at Elissa-May to make sure she was saying it properly.

"There we are!" The healer gave her a bright smile and Maddy smiled back happily. "We just have to make sure our brain remembers what we are doing and sometimes it takes a bit of time for it to remember how to make certain sounds. That is why we make the words longer, it helps our brain remember."

Madeline glanced between me and the healer. "Yah?"

Elissa-May nodded. "Yes and that's okay." She reached over and grasped Madeline's hands in her own. "When I was little I had something really similar but mine was a lot worse. My mouth was really lazy, I actually had to learn sign language to be able to 'speak' to others." There was a faint look of remembrance on her face as she looked at Madeline.

Madeline tilted her head. "Wat dat?"

Elissa-May shook her head as she squeezed Madeline's hands. "Try again, Madeline. Whhhhat is thhhhat."

"Whhhhaat is thhhhhhhha'?" Madeline concentrated hard as she spread the words out long. She glanced at the healer as if looking for if she did it correctly.