Not Like Your Demons

Chapter 6

Alren-ish centric chapter and the origin of Allen. It's cute, and that in itself makes this heartbroken.

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Ally feels Lauren's grip on her hand tighten when a large man passes them by and she squeezes back comfortingly, watching Lauren's small, nervous form beside her. They're at the Lima Super Mall. She has decided to bring Lauren with her because their parents would be out for two days for their business meeting. Well, Michael's business meeting only, if she thinks about it. He's just dragged Clara along with him again.

The six-year-old's wary eyes are watching around fearfully, making Ally sigh internally. She thinks bringing Lauren to the mall would be good for her sister. She doesn't remember Lauren ever coming out of their house, aside from going to the adjacent hill with Ally every weekend. Michael never allows her to get out, and Ally doesn't bring her out much because it was her younger sister who got yelled at when she brought her to the park once.

That day was fun, and her sister's reaction when she let her play in the swing for the first time was refreshingly priceless. She heard Lauren's loud, unguarded laugh for the first time when she pushed the swing forward, and she wishes she could have had heard it always.

But Lauren's precious laughter is seldom heard, and she has their father to thank for that.

Allyson doesn't understand why Michael hates the youngest daughter too much. Ally doesn't think there's anything wrong with her. Lauren is a really behaved little girl, perhaps way more behaved than kids her age normally are, even. She's not a whiner, and while other little kids would throw tantrums for toys and other things, Lauren would stay quiet and keep things to herself.

But then again, she has her father to thank for that, too.

Michael likes to shout at Lauren. He's verbally cruel towards her. Nothing she ever does is right in his eyes, and he makes sure Lauren knows that. He curses in front of her like he's talking to an annoying colleague instead of an innocent child.

And she can see how that is affecting her sister. Lauren has very low self-esteem and is extremely shy. She doesn't talk much. Well, she was quiet even as a toddler but the way Michael's been treating her does nothing but make her creep further towards her metaphorical shell. She thinks she's been doing everything wrongly and deserves every bad word that comes out of their father's mouth.

It wasn't always like that - Ally remembers, when she was little, times when Michael truly loved Lauren. He'd treat her the same way he'd treat Ally. Maybe even better. He'd urge everyone to be quiet when Lauren's sleeping, he'd smile at her with pride all the while, he'd hold her like she's the most fragile thing there is (and maybe she is).

But something changed, when Lauren turned three, maybe. It was when Russel started being cold at her. Ally has no idea what gives, but it hurts her heart how badly things have changed.

She has called her father out on his actions once - when she caught him shaking Lauren's small body and calling her lots of derogatory things no child should ever hear - when she arrived home earlier because their last period teacher was sick. Lauren was crying quietly in terror, and Michael didn't seem to mind at all. Ally had been really angry then. For the first time she shouted back at her father - the one who for so long has engraved in her head how important respect is, but is devoid of one - and threatened him that should he not stop treating Lauren like crap, she'd be leaving home and bringing her sister with her. Although it resulted into a very long fight, Michael ended up apologizing (albeit glumly) first and promised to treat Lauren better.

The 'even if she doesn't deserve it,' he added was grumbled, but Ally and Lauren heard it all the same, and Ally, not wanting to lengthen the confrontation, just hugged a shaken Lauren comfortingly then.