Monster Like You - One Shot
tw: murder, death, weapon mentions
Madeline Whitman was a bit of a spitfire. It was one of the traits she passed down to her only daughter, Rose. Her brothers were hunters and eventually her husband was as well. She ran in the most exclusive circles of the Huntsclan. She never expected to actually fall in love with someone so closely tied to the organization she was tied to from birth. But she did. Victor Whitman was charming and strong, and oddly sweet. Soon after their wedding, Madeline found out she was pregnant. It was like a horror story with the fear she felt in the pit of her stomach along with the butterflies. She knew what came of the children of the Huntsclan. But she never considered her child would be one of them. She praised whatever gods were out there when she found out she was having a girl; a girl would be safe, a girl would be protected by the Huntsclan. She was wrong.
Victor had taken to training their Rose when she was small, no more than seven. Madeline brushed it off. It was how they bonded, play fighting. Rose had a spunky energy about her and she loved it. Madeline loved hearing her daughter’s giggle as she ran around and punched at the air. Then the fights got more intense. Her father showed her how to hold a knife… and then a gun, and swords, and bows. It seemed like her daughter didn’t want to play anymore when she came to her in tears. It wasn’t playing anymore, it was an induction. Madeline steeled herself and fought for her only child.
“She’s just a little girl, Vic! Little girls don’t play with knives!”
“I don’t care if she’s our only child, I am not letting you offer her up like she’s a pawn in some sick fucking game. She’s our baby!”
“I’m taking Rose. Don’t touch me! I’m taking my daughter and you can’t stop me. I can’t believe you’re so okay with turning our daughter into a monster like you.”
Rose doesn’t remember hearing her parents argue like this in the middle of the night. She doesn’t remember her mother coming in and hurriedly packing her things for her, telling her to be quiet. What she does remember, though, were the best parts of Madeline. How her smile could light up a room, her blonde bouncy curls, and how incredibly brave she was. Her mom wasn’t a huntress like her uncles or dad, but she showed immense bravery in her last moments. Or that’s what they told Rose. The story of her death was fabricated for the sake of the young girl that mirrored her face exactly.
It was after midnight in Central Park when Madeline was coming home from a Clan meeting. That was the story. She was targeted by a pack of werewolves that were seeking revenge for one of their own. That was the story. They attacked her and left her to turn, a true disgrace for someone associated with the Clan. That was the story. Madeline, being the devoted member and brave woman she was, let herself drift away that night rather than seek help and turn on the people she loved. That was the story.
But that’s all it was. A story.
The night Madeline tried to take Rose was the night she signed her own death warrant. No one escapes the Huntsclan. It’s not something that happens. Accidents happen. Madeline’s death wasn’t an accident. It was murder, plain and simple. Rose’s mother plotted to steal her away from an organization that would make her a killer. She gave her all to protect her only child and in the end she was unsuccessful. Only one part of the lie Rose’s father told her about her mother’s death was true. Madeline was brave. It’s a shame that her daughter will never know just how brave she truly was.