Sarah sat on a chair in Tenur's home, alone. That was because Miss Daryl was washing up to get rid of the odour left by cooking dinner. She was in deep thought when the several knocks on the door interrupted her.
Perking a brow up, she knew who to expect as she trudged towards the 'only' entrance.
"You can't do this dad! That's just unfair!" Andrew's voice came from behind the door.
"Yes I can, you little critter," Tenur snorted as Sarah pulled the door open.
"Welcome home—"
What she saw wasn't exactly expected, but it was still in the range of 'okay, that's a probable scene'. Laura was holding Tenur in one arm while the kids were sitting on her other, and fatigue was colouring Laura's face quickly.
"Dang, you should put him onto his bed first," Sarah spoke with slight surprise.
"But I can move by myself," Tenur lifted one arm, then the other, but when he tried lifting his back or either of his legs, there was a slight crunching sound accompanied by a yelp from him.
"You should definitely let her—"
"Mom! Dad grounded me because he couldn't take a joke," Andrew pointed blamingly at Tenur. "Beat some sense into him!" He imitated how a boxer would guard and then did an uppercut, punching the air.
"Oh, is breaking my back a joke?" Tenur asked rhetorically, then retorted. "Then grounding you as a joke should be pretty sensible as well."
"But—" Sarah glared at her son.
"No but's mister. To your corner," Sarah pointed behind the door, where there was a gap just large enough to fit a teenager—crouching—as a punishment. When she saw Andrew wasn't moving immediately but still sulking, she added. "Now." He moved immediately while muttering 'that's not fair' with his eyes down.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Laura raised an eyebrow at that, questioning whether punishing a kid like that might be too harsh, but shrugged after she received a glare from Sarah. Not my problem, she thought to herself.
"Ahaha, look how I've turned the tables, you pieces of shits," Tenur looked at the other four children who were creeping backwards slowly. "Don't you dare run from me."
When he saw the kids beginning to run away, he started yelling. "How dare you run! I'm your father—" but was silenced by a sudden pain from his ear being pulled.
"And you, Tenur. Stop being such a dick to your children," Sarah was berating him while tugging at his ear. "If I ever see—or know—about you commiting adultery or doing nonsensical things," She took a piece of her skirt and torn it before his eyes, which elicited a gulp from him. "I'll tear you apart. By. My. Self."
Laura was looking away the whole time, trying not to make eye contact or get involved personally with her, but still managed to get caught up in her torrent of anger. "You troll, don't you dare corrupt my husband's pure, innocent mind," Laura had a poker face on, considering how Sarah had just described Tenur as 'pure and innocent'. Sarah caught on to Laura's questionably-looking poker face and, in her anger, unconsciously summoned her contracted marionette to further intimidate the troll. "Understood!?"
Intimidated, Laura nodded quickly and forcefully, hoping to escape the maniacal girl's obsession with keeping her husband safe from others.
"Go, before I slice you apart," Sarah said through gritted teeth. The marionette was looking more sinister than ever the more anger Sarah was holding on to.
"Aye!" Laura—with Tenur on her arm— rushed to Tenur's room and got in as fast as she could before something else happened.
With nothing else to throw her anger at, Sarah forced herself to calm down by taking deep breaths. The marionette was looking unpleasantly at Sarah as she cooled off.
"Why did you s-s-summon me, if not to terrorize-s or manipulate your victims-s-s?" The marionette hissed at her, feeling her energy getting sapped away along with its mistress's negative feelings.
"It was on a whim. You can go back now," Sarah sat back onto the chair she had rose from previously. "That is, if you want to."
The marionette narrowed its eyes at her, eyeing her with suspicion. "Are you not going to send me back to the ethereal realm?"
"Only if you want to," Sarah felt lethargic. The anger had taken a toll on her stamina. "Bring me a cup of tea before you go." She leaned into her chair, her limbs numb.
"As-s you wis-sh," the marionette hissed before making tea and placing the tea cup—along with the saucer— onto its mistress's lap. "I'll be leaving now." The marionette faded into thin air after that.
For the first time ever, Sarah was wondering if being slightly obsessed with Tenur was a good thing. She shook her head to clear the thought away, and fell asleep on her chair even as her son continued crouching behind the door.