The Owl House: Tesoro

Chapter 7: Side Story: Maintenance

TRIGGER WARNING:
THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SCENES OF CHILD ABUSE,
SUICIDAL THOUGHTS AND COPING WITH MENTAL ILLNESSES.

Blight Manor
2013:

Most seven-year-olds spend their afternoons playing in the slayground, enjoying an eye scream cone, or visiting a friend's house. If you were to tell such a thing to young Amity Blight, however, she'd just furrow her brow in utter confusion. Afternoons were for studying, advanced homework or extracurricular activities, or so her mom kept telling her.

One afternoon, Amity was staring at her worksheets, trying to solve the problems as best she could. The more she looked at them, however, the more the words on the pages lost their meaning. No matter how hard she tried to focus, all she could see were random markings on a sheet of paper. She then felt a sense of paralysis come over her, her mind a prisoner in her own body. Panic set in as she tried her best but failed to move. She felt an unbearable strain in the back of her eyes as her vision blurred.

"Amity!"

And just like that, her trance was broken, as if she were held underwater and finally managed to surface. Looking at the doorway to her room, she saw her mother standing there expectantly, holding her cup of tea and saucer in her usual posh fashion. "Amity, dear, have you finished your assignments yet?"

Amity hung her head in shame. "No, Mom, sorry. I seem to be struggling with this subject."

"Algecadabra?" Odalia examined the textbook on her daughter's desk. "This subject is only three grades above your current level. How can you be struggling with something so simple?"

"I... I...." Amity started to tear up when she tried to explain. "...I don't know. My body just... froze. I wanted to move, but I couldn't... it was so scary. Am I under some kind of curse or something?"

Odalia just laughed at the question. "No, dear, you aren't cursed, your mind is clearly overwhelmed with these assignments."

"Really? Does that mean I can stop now?" Amity's question was met with an even heartier laugh from her mother.

"Oh, goodness, Mittens, that sharp wit of yours will be the death of me. Of course you can't stop. If you do, you'll never adapt to the rigors of these exercises. Now I was coming up here to tell you that it's time for dinner--"

"IT IS?!" she was astonished that so much time had passed since she was struggling with that one page.

"Dinner time!" Amity could hear Edric shouting from outside her room as Emira poked her head through the doorway.

"You coming, Mittens?"

"No, you two, Amity will not be joining us for dinner. She still has an assignment to finish." Odalia answered the twins.

Edric poked his head through the doorway as well. "Is she stuck on a question again? I can help her with the tough ones."

"Yes, you could..." their mother emphasized. "...but then, that would defeat the purpose of these exercises. I'll not have you hinder her growth with your constant hand holding."

"Can't she at least have dinner?" Emira beseeched her mother.

Odalia snapped back at her. "What did I just tell you?"