There was crying in the Thénardier household. A dark cloud had settled over Monterfermeil and the sky turned a benign gray. Little Cosette was scared. She was afraid of thunderstorms. Just like Madame, they were big and mean and loud. They crashed and boomed with fury, screaming at the lightning. She couldn't help but weep. She knew Madame would yell at her, but all she could think was the storm and that frightened her more.

Cosette made sure to keep her tears quiet. But she could not for very long. She was supposed to be scrubbing the floors, but it was very hard for her to cry and to scrub at the same time. Madame's eldest daughter Éponine saw her and kicked her. "Get to work, brat," she said in a hateful voice. "Or I'll tell Mama."

"Please," she begged. "I'm sorry. Éponine, please don't tell Madame. She'd be very angry, you know. Please!"

The smaller version of Madame snarled. "I guess," Éponine stuck her nose up at Cosette. "Don't you dare ask for any more favors though. I'll tell Mama and then you bet you'll be sorry."

Cosette was relieved for only a second. At that moment, Madame boomed into the little room. She glared at the poor little girl then turned to her daughter. "Éponine, were you distracting our skivvy from her work?"

"No, Mama. I would never do anything like that, I swear. She wanted to talk to me."

Madame became infuriated. She picked Cosette up by her matted, uncombed hair. It crackled as the large woman pulled even more. She tried to scream but the pain silenced her. She felt the hairs of her head split and it numbed her skull. Madame screamed. "Cosette, you whore-child! You bastard brat! You little selfish brat! I'll teach you a lesson about slacking off your chores!" She slapped the girl across the face and continued onward to the kitchen.

The poor child screamed "No, no!" as Éponine watched. She and her little sister Azelma peered out into the kitchen. Cosette saw both  their eyes. Éponine's eyes were filled with a kind of sick gaiety. Azelma's eyes were filled with wonder. They saw as Madame beat the little girl until she bled. Madame hit her with pots, pans, anything she could find, until the child was unconscious. When the large woman realized this, she threw her over her shoulder and put her in the shed with the dogs.

"Cosette!" Fantine screamed as she woke up. The morning air breathed into her. She breathed hesitantly. Her cot was soaked with sweat. She sighed. "Thank God it was all a dream," she said to herself. "But it was so real."

Fantine got out of bed. It would be almost time for work. Her job at the factory was grueling but the thought of Cosette made everything better. But now she was worried. Why had the dream seemed so real? Like she had been there herself? Something was just wrong here. A deafening feeling came over her. But no, the Thénardiers were good people. They would never hurt Cosette. But the feeling lingered her. Finally, she felt so nauseated that she vomited on her bedsheets. Fantine thought that her landlord would not like that very much, so she tried to bleach the sheets. Still, the feeling as if the Thénardiers had done something wrong stayed in her body. Fantine, exhausted and ill, went back to bed. Hopefully, the nightmare would not come back.

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