BEWITCHED (Thorn x Fem Reader)

🥀Ch 4 - Story of my Life🥀

"We're so sorry, Ben! We didn't know we would be intervening on your family time!" Velma profusely apologized.

"You have nothing to apologize for. It's my fault for having her travel here on her own as well as surprising her with the addition of you all out of the blue." Ben waved it off, face grim with guilt.

"Maybe you should go check on her?" Daphne suggested.

"No ... it's best to leave her alone for a while. Let her calm down and collect herself." He sounded very experienced in this regard.

"We know it's none of our business but ... uh ... " Fred trailed off, unsure about asking such personal topics.

But the horror writer deduced from the awkward, obvious signs. "My niece sees me as the only family she has left to turn to and understand her in this world. Her home life was ... well, a not so pleasant one. And her parents didn't make things any easier. That's why she can get overprotective of me and quite jealous when she feels left out or unimportant. Hence, her out of nowhere explosion from earlier."

He continued, now smiling quite proudly, "Like you Velma, she is well versed about witches and Wiccans, fascinated by its mysteries and wonders of the like. It's the very foundation of our bond. And every time I look at her, I can't help but see traces of Sarah laced within."

"I see." Velma smiled, thoughtfully.

"I was honestly surprised when she emailed me one day to just talk about various things. That one day turned to several then to weeks then months until it finally reached the point where she felt she could confide to me about anything. That's how I found out about her home life. After she graduated, she asked if she could live with me. After sensing the desperation in her last message to me about getting away from it all, my pity and compassion compelled me to take her under my wing." Ben explained.

"Mentoring her on the novel writing business?" Daphne asked.

"Something like that. However, work tends to have me travel a lot but she doesn't mind. She's had quite a sheltered home life for years, so it has helped to open her eyes to new horizons and possibilities on what life could provide for her going forward. Unfortunately, she understands that my work takes priority. My trip to the museum for research on my latest novel, for instance. She wasn't feeling well for the trip so I paid well enough to have her driven up here, promising I'd meet with her as soon as I was done." Ben further explained.

"You mentioned something about a crutch." Velma timidly asked.

Ben sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "For over the past year, my niece's health has been struggling. After she started living with me, I noticed right away so I had her medically tested ... results came back as a chronic illness." A chorus of soft shocked gasps wafted through the room. "It makes it difficult for her to be physically active without tiring her limbs to the point of complete swollen immobilization."

"That's terrible." Fred frowned.

"I agree. Unfortunately, modern medicinal science has not yet procured an actual cure for it. It's a rare condition, after all. And it will only get more difficult as time passes. I've done my best to provide her with the best relief treatments there are ... but it's only delaying the inevitable. First her limbs ... then the possibility of it affecting vital organs ... like her lungs."

"How horrible." Daphne whimpered, Fred wrapping his arm around her for support.

"My niece is as stubborn as she is strong ... though I worry how long that will last ... but that's another reason why I want to find Sarah's journal. I believe there could be an herbal remedy in there that could help cure my niece."