Work Text:
This story begins in the mid-19th century, in the city of Bordeshale, a place not greatly affected by the destructive path of industrialization that has swept the globe, but not far from the busy, overcrowded and filthy heart of modern society. In this still quite picturesque town lived a not particularly notable couple. To most, their importance was as that of any other well-to-do bastard who spent his free time playing the role of Lord in their own little worlds. To me, for us, his contributions went far beyond the miracles of industrialization and money.
Truthfully, I have had considerable difficulty in investigating their history, for every record of Mr. Gerard Bennett and his wife, Mrs. Lorna Bennett, seems to begin when, by undetermined - though not strongly questioned - means, Mr. Bennett gains ownership of some businesses that were growing rapidly. Growing at a rate that, in just a few months, would give the couple a small fortune, much larger than something that could be spent in a place like Bordeshale. As such, it was only natural that while in such high spirits, they would choose to add to their family and perpetuate their legacy, with the birth of their daughter, little Ethel Bennett.
As expected, the enormous amount of money accumulated in such a short time quickly went to the couple's heads and changed their thoughts and habits. With their newfound fortune, the couple turned in disgust to the rest of the Bordeshale population, who at this point seemed nothing more than vermin in the face of Bennett Wealth. They sought to distance themselves, and perhaps more importantly, the child who would be their future, from the dirty, starving population they believed to have risen above. To achieve this end, the couple acquired a spacious property located on the outskirts of the city, where they remained in relative isolation, with the exception, of course, of the staff who were immediately hired to maintain the house and land.
It was a pleasant 2 years, enjoying the luxuries of their lives. They were without worries, their time taken only by each other and, uh... the most pleasant parts of raising a baby. However, tragedy strikes for everyone and, on her second attempt to expand the family, Lorna suffered a miscarriage that would change the dynamics of the Bennett family much more profoundly than anyone could have imagined. To recover from this unexpected trauma, Gerard suggested that his wife accompany him on a business trip and leave Ethel in the hands of nannies. More than a month later, when they returned, the previous joy of having a child had disappeared and so-called “work trips” became a regular occurrence for the years that followed.
It was surprisingly easy for Mr. and Mrs. Bennett to be separated from their daughter. The ever-increasing periods between visits seemed to make it all too easy to leave the restless, tear-stained child in the hands of their expansive staff. Ethel was happily raised by the many hands responsible for maintaining the estate throughout the remainder of her early childhood, the appeal and newness of a child being able to overshadow any ill will held towards the Bennetts.
Little Ethel Bennett spent the first few years of her life being spoiled, as everyone seemed fascinated by the already expressive and lively child. Because of the staff's fascination with Ethel, her first memories were marked by happy games and distractions, her every whim and every desire fulfilled to the best of the staff’s ability. As the child grew older, however, the novelty diminished and the girl's desires became greater. Her need for play and company only deepened when little Ethel began to notice her parents' absence.
It seemed that her pretend games became more complex with each day that passed, as the girl's imagination grew along with her. When Ethel was 8 years old, the team's willingness to indulge in their fantasies was practically non-existent, from what I could observe, however, these elaborate games never stopped. I came across several written or transcribed accounts of exhaustion and disgust at the girl's antics, but most alarming of all was the ever-present confusion about why they couldn't say no to her myriad requests.
There still seemed to be some kindness left for the girl, until some of the staff became ill or injured due to the strangest and most macabre types of pranks the girl would perform. Accounts mention lacerations, falls, and some graver injuries on top of isolated instances of hysteria and fainting. The fear that spread among the staff led to the staff distancing themselves from the girl and leading her to have to fend for herself in relative isolation. Instead of spending time with the staff she had to settle for the simplicity of the numerous toys she had been given. Ethel finally grew tired of her own home and ventured into the boundaries of the property where the carefully arranged garden became the chaotic and unexplored forest that surrounded the property. The days were wasted as she meandered through the trees, playing tag or pretend with the wildlife nearby. The staff seemed relieved by her absence, in the end she said she would be back soon, and not to worry, right?
As the weeks went by, the girl was seen darting into the forest every day. Each time she disappeared, all kinds of objects disappeared with her. Some of the recorded items made sense for a child disappearing for a day in the woods like the bag of food and pitcher of water that Ethel grabbed every day. Other items the girl disappeared with were more mysterious like the dolls, books, and blankets that Ethel disappeared off with but hardly ever brought back home. There is an account of her even taking some of her father’s clothing to the woods but the staff member that had written the account had assumed that the girl had missed her father and taken the clothing for comfort despite the clothes never returning. There is another account that claimed that Ethel had taken a pack of matches and a knife out into the woods and had not returned with either item. The staff noticed all of these missing items but could not come to a conclusion about what they were used for or where in the woods the girl had hidden the items. Despite being concerned about the whereabouts of the missing items, none of the staff dared to follow Ethel into the woods to try and retrieve the items.
Months later, Ethel came bouncing back from the edge of the forest for a significant reason: her parents had finally returned from their latest trip to some far off corner of the world, just in time to see her newest find. She returned home from the forest hand in hand with something that limped and staggered behind her. The body was distorted, its limbs twitching and spasming as they walked towards home. You could say that it was a boy with rotten, loose skin that looked irritated and raw where it met the clean, scalped skin of an animal beneath a poorly done seam. Black button’s where his eyes should be. Clothes made of rags joined together and sewn into the boy's own flesh. Feathers and blades of grass escaped from its various unclosed indentations.
With a huge smile on her face, the little girl introduces her parents to Jonas, the brother she raised for herself, stating that they can now be a family like they never had the chance to be. After that, the Bennetts no longer spend most of the year traveling under the guise of business, and would instead spend time with their children. The previously gloomy and deathly silent mansion would be filled with the song and laughter of a restored family, with a domesticity so idyllic it would keep them isolated and content for the rest of their lives. As time passed all the employees resigned one by one and the house slowly rotted from the outside in until nothing was left but the foundation and stories of what it once was.