Theramore Girl

[Vennie]

Maria sat in the corner beside the fireplace, her hands glazing over the warmth breath of the fire to subdue the frozen air particles surrounding her fragile, small hands. Underneath her arm she clutched Ted; a small, poorly stictched bear of straw with an eye missing from it's right socket.

Ryan crossed his legs and rocked swiftly on the carved oak chair. His round, thick spectacles concealing young, curious eyes as his attention remained captivated to the nearby military activity. Below him sat his brother Alan, who leaned against the chair as if recognising it as a safe haven - his body was turned toward it, and he sat in a manner of hiding. His brother noticed his sibling shuffling and without eye contact, gently placed his hand on the boy's head and halted his movements. Alan looked up at his brother with a somewhat yearning expression; possibly asking of a hug, or of some display of affection. But Marty ignored his brother's "childish" wishes and returned to admiring the army's practices.

Maeve sat on a stool in the corner of the room. Her fingers twitched with an urgency to do something. Green, smoldering eyes darted about the room searchingly, as if hunting for an object of amusement. With no such luck, she sighed heavily, almost as if asking for attention, before dramatically swinging her head to outside. No one took any notice, too busy with their own devices; Marty was thinking, Alan was whimpering whilst Maeve cuddled Ted lovingly - and just made Alan feel more distant from his brother.

Outside on the porch, Veneta sat and slowly sipped her garden tea before placing it back down beside her spotless, vividly coloured red plimsoles as she picked up a small picture book. Delicately flicking through each page as if it were a prized ornament, she would marvel at the lush forests, the captivating seas and the soothing sands. A warm smile pasted itself across her young, unblemished skin whilst she brushed a small crumb off of her lap. Veneta's eyes retracted from the book (this was a very rare occurrance) to the Theramore harbour before her person jumping at a smashing sound from within the cottage. She grumbled, picking up her book and placing it under her arm, turning swiftly, too swiftly, and consequently knocking the cup of tea over. She scrambled to the floor, attempting to pick up the broken pieces of china, whilst making grass stains on her white dress. Making her way into the cottage she resumed her grumbling, dreaming of the places within the pages she had so wished to jump into and explore.

Maeve stared down at the floor with a mischievous grin on her face. Marty had awoke from his military observations and bent down to comfort Maria, who had recently burst into tears whilst Ted laid in the centre of the cottage without a head. Like most children, after weeping comes rage. Maria being the littlest and quiestest of the five, suprised Ryan by leaping with full force at Maeve, who reflected the suprise of the action with a look of horror. Ryan was unable to grab Maria in time to prevent her from battering Maeve with a force to be reckoned with. After a few minutes of tussling and fist flying from both parties, Ryan single handedly managed to separate the two.

His tone was stern and infuriated.
"How dare you two do such a thing in this household! Your parents would be ashamed of you! My Daddy says anyone who fights is an idiot - so you're an idiot!"

Maria, although packing a punch, was a wimp when it came to verbal conflict, and a flood of tears ensued after Ryan's rant, leading to Maria withdrawing back to the fire and sobbing. Maeve, however, didn't take the words so lightly -

"Oh you think you're so cool don't you! Just because you're oldest and you sit on your high chair all day. Well I don't have to listen to you! Stop trying to be the parent because you never will replace my Daddy!"

Memories had seemed to flood Maeve's memory of her childhood with her parents which all became a bit too much for her. In the same way as Maria, except in a louder, far more dramatic way, she retreated to her own 'quarter' in the cottage and wailed.

Ryan had slumped into the chair with a loud sound of depression. Veneta stood in the doorway as she had for the past few minutes, observing the activities, arguments and attacks. Sitting up in his chair, he stared at Veneta, who returned the gesture, before he stood abruptly, subsequently making Veneta jump.

"What you looking at Bookface?! Go read another book about stupid seas and forests! You're nothing - your Daddy and Mam left you because you're worthless! They hated you just like we do. You're ugly and pathetic and stoooopid!"

With this lashing of words he grabbed Veneta's book and ripped it into shreds, tossing it into the fireplace. After this impulsive action, he turned his attention to all of her books, one by one decapitating and ruining each novel, picture book, fable and rhyming booklet. Veneta stood frozen in disbelief, as if unable to cry but unable to move in complete breakdown. Ryan grabbed her and threw her out of the cottage, the girl brutally landing on the stones face first, grazing her face horridly.

"Don't ever come back you hussy!" Ryan yelled at the top of his voice, scaring the other children into hiding.

Veneta lied on the ground as the door shut, and wept on Theramore's floors.