A Rude Awakening

[Alex Corvus]

"Daddy!" Keanu squeeled from the other room. It was half past six in the morning and little Keanu was already up and roaming the house above the pub. Alex and Liberty were trying to make the most of the remaining hours of sleep they could have before getting up. It was a tuesday, and Keanu would not be going to his playgroup until just after eight. The pub opened at the earlier time of nine, these days, as they now served food. The girls were still fast asleep in their shared bedroom, their soft breathing echoing through the extendable ears trailing between Alex and Liberty's room and that of the girls. Liberty preferred the girls stay at home, feeling them to be too young for playgroup just yet. Keanu needed the social skills, though, he would be starting big boy school in September.

Alex groaned. A long, grumpy groan. He forced himself out of bed, noting Liberty's attempt at feigning sleep so she did not have to move. "I'll get up then, shall I?" he grumbled, stumbling into his slippers and padding out to the small corridor. "Heeeey, little guy," Alex cooed, trying to be cheery for Keanu's sake, though not really feeling it, "Why are you up so early?"

 

[Keanu Corvus]

"Daddy," Keanu chimed again, looking up at his father with wide-eyed exclamation, "there's a lady in the pub!" He clung to his father's legs, before running back to the front door leading down to the pub, and gesturing wildly at it. Nobody was supposed to be in the pub, and definitely not at half past six in the morning. The sound of glass downstairs, and the sudden rattling of bottles further alarmed the small boy, who looked to his father for help.

 

[Alex Corvus]

How Keanu had managed to open the front door when he was so little, was somewhat a mystery to Alex, but not particularly important right at this moment in time. What was important was the fact that there was a woman standing in the pub. Alex snatched up his cricket bat. "Go to your room, Keanu, go and play with Mr. Dinosaur. I'll join you in a minute." The small boy seemed to accept this and skipped off back to his bedroom. Alex opened the front door, easing his way down the stairwell and trying to remain quiet. He had no idea what he was dealing with, here, but this woman could be dangerous. However, once he reached the door at the other end of the stairwell and silently opened it, he could see no-one in the room.

Alex took a step forward, then another, still wielding the bat in his hands, poised to attack, to defend his family. But there was nobody there. Maybe they had just heard noise from outside? Maybe he'd imagined it? But no; a woman emerged from the shadows, her blonde hair flat against her pale head, blue eyes staring. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Alex demanded, not lowering the bat for even a moment in case she decided to strike. "Why are you in our pub?" He noted the glass in her hand was topped up with orange juice. She looked familiar. Very familiar. A lot like the woman he had had the misfortune of meeting several years back. But she was different, now, even skinnier, taller, and paler. Her cheeks were gaunt, and her eyes were heavy with stress. ".. You're that woman- Larissa! You're the one who stormed in on our wedding day! The one who.. Liberty.." His voice trailed off. "Stay here." He commanded, hurrying back upstairs to fetch his wife. "Libs!" he hissed, "She's here- Larissa is here."

 

[Liberty Kaelen]

Liberty did not want to wake up. Not particularly. It was a pain to do so. She was comfy and the pillow smelt nice from being freshly washed. And also because it was half six in the morning and no mortal should be up at that hour. It was only when Alex hissed in her ear as to just whom had caused the early morning disturbance, that Liberty's eyes flew open. "She's what?" She breathed back, rolling out of bed and pulling on her dressing gown. She hurried to the stairs, flanked by Alex, and together they made their way down, stopping in front of the perpetrator. "Larissa? What are you doing here?" A side of her aggressive approach seemed to soften at the sight of Larissa, a skeletal fracture of the girl she'd once been. "Why are you in France?"

 

[Larissa Sedgwick]

She was not remotely startled by the sudden appearance of a small boy after her break-in, nor the one of a man, following that. At last, her old school friend arrived, face-to-face with the past. "You never gave me a key," Larissa gestured to one of the windows, flicking her wand at it and repairing it, "just thought I'd drop by to say 'hello'". She sipped the orange juice in her hand, watching the looks of shock on Liberty's and Alex's faces. Larissa had to remain calm, cool, and ready for anything. She didn't know how Liberty was living, these days, and she did not wish to offend her if she was to stand any chance of staying for a while longer.