Oct. 11 - Antagonist's Story

Sunday, Oct. 11

CONTEST ROUND: Write a background story about your antagonist. Make your reader empathize with the motivations of the antagonist. If your antagonist is a situation rather than a person, write a background story about that.





The door of the bedroom next to hers gave an ominous creak, and Emma burrowed her tiny frame deeper into the feather bed.  She squeezed her eyes tight, stayed very still and wished for him to pass by her door.

But a shaft of light appeared as her door swung open in slow motion and silhouetted her uncle’s hulking frame.  “Where’s my little girl…” he whispered as he crept in. 

Emma thought about calling out—but her throat had constricted and no sound would come.  Her heart began tattooing inside her little chest as he moved closer. Then the tall form of her father came into view.  An arm reached out, clamped down on Uncle John’s shoulder and yanked him back.  The door shut tight and it was dark again.  Still she didn’t allow herself to fall asleep.  She concentrated hard, listening for anything to know what was happening, but heard nothing.

She got up when her mother called to her, and sat on the edge of her bed, pulling on her stocking before Mama came in to comb her hair and help her dress.  She studied her mother’s face but saw no signs of distress.  Even though Uncle John was Mama’s brother, she would be unhappy about what he’d done.  She and Papa wouldn’t allow that man to stay—or even visit again.  He had done horrible things to her and he needed to be punished.  Her four-year-old mind wrapped itself around the logic of this. 

But when Mama entered Emma's room she seemed quite content and kept up happy chatter as she combed and rebraided her hair and fastened the back of her dress and pinafore.  In fact, she seemed very pleased about something.

She followed her mother down the narrow stairs, perking up as the smells of baking bread and frying bacon.  But she stopped dead in her tracks when she entered the dining room.  Uncle John and her father were both sitting there, sipping coffee and in the midst of some business discussion.

No!  This wasn’t how things should be.  Her horrible uncle should have been flung from the house and told to never darken their door again.  Papa knew what he’d been doing.  He had seen him—dragged him back from her room.  How is this possible?!

Uncle John was still a welcomed—even honored guest—in the house.  Emma knew that he was Mama’s brother.  So, her young mind worked out, it must be her mother’s doing.  Papa was only allowing him in the house because of her.

And then, adding insult to injury, her mother announced that she was going to have a baby in a few months.  Emma pulled into her self for those months.  She became quiet and spent hours just staring out a window.