“Alice marry Winterdale!!! How dare you disobey me!” I listen to my aunt yell once more for what seemed like the 100th time today “Why must you use my full name auntie….” I walked out my room and to the railing, looking down at the angered woman in the sitting room. “Don’t you dare question me, your uncle and I made it clear to you that you were to tend to the horses beofre you went to your room for the night!” I sigh knowing fully well what’s about o play out “I have… 3 time today in fact the last time was an hour ago-“ I stare down at my aunt and when I see that wicked grin of her I know she’s about to tell me something that I really don’t want to hear, “Is that so? Well my dear I’m sorry to say but Dlora just went riding and came back 10 minutes ago…”, I don’t even stand there and wait for her to finish talking beofre I walk down the steps, She watches me the whole time even when I go to the back door and put on my boots and jacket, up until I close the door and I can’t even see her myself.

I walk down the path twords the stables the cold air hitting me in a rush, I never noticed before but things always seem better at night, I opend the stables doors once I get there and walk in and i immediately know what horse my cousin had ridden on because she didn’t even have the decency to take the saddle off the poor creature. I opend the gate and take the saddle off the horse, He was beautiful black stallion and had one of the most calmest natures, I call him Bolt because he was rather fast probably why Dlora always chose to ride him. I put the saddle up and turned around to find Bolt only inches away from me, I laugh and pet his head, “Did she mistreat you?…. I’m so sorry boy..” l kiss him on the head beofre checking his hooves and taking a brush to his coat, I enjoyed caring for the horses but I don’t enjoy when they mistreat the horses to make me care for them more… I finish brushing him and give him a shoulder pat beofre closing his gate and walking out the stables closing those doors behind me as well, When I turn to walk back to the house I stop, my eyes flicker up at the sky and I stare at the moon, for as long as I could remember on nights of the a full moon I’ve always been drawn to go outside, sounds stupid I know but I just feel like there’s… I don’t more energy or somthing stupid liek that in the air, I force my self to continue to walk to the house and as I reach the door… it’s locked-, of corse it’s locked they wouldn’t miss this opportunity to lock me out the house again, I sit down on the porch and lean back on the wall starring up at the sky once again, just one more week and I can leave this shit hole with the money my parents left me… In one more week I’ll be 18 and they can never force me to do anything again. I sigh standing up and walking on the side of the house to a large tree, I climb it almost slipping a few times beofre reaching g my window and opening it, Good thing I left it unlocked. I climb in through my window and walk to my bed and just fall into it, I don’t even want to show anymore I’m too tired.

“Absolutely not!!” I jolt awake hearing the angered yell of my uncle downstairs, I get out of bed and creep down the steps to see who he could possibly be yelling at this early in the morning. “What? What do you mean? She’s HER daughter, and it’s my job to see if she has any attributes!” I looked over at the woman in a white floral sun dress she had blond hair and green eyes, blond… huh I always felt weird about it blond hair it reminded me of the sun unlike my black hair that seems to bother my cousin so much, “She doesn’t! If she did we would have seen some time of signs by now!” My eyes flicker to my aunt who seems to be in a panic? “You don’t know that! Signs only truly start to appear after the 18th birthday, you know this” I look back at the blond woman.. 18th? Are they talking about me maybe? I mean Dlora is already 19 so maybe? “Even so, there not once since we have gotten her after my sister and her husband died has she ever shown even a possibility of-“

The blond woman cut off my uncle putter her hand up and glaring at him, “You know the rules, no matter what we have to see Alice” huh- wait were they actually talking about me? But their conversation doesn’t even make sense? Attributes? After my 18th birthday? I watch as my auntie shakes her head and speaks in a panicked tone “well she’s not here!” I frown, I am here and the fact she’s even trying to speak for me right now is crazy, there’s no way I’m not about to fined out what they are talking about.

I walk out and into the living room staring at my aunt as she looks at me in panic and annoyance beofre glancing at the blond woman “Hello there, im Olivia, You are?” I smile at Olivia as she spoke “Alice.. I’m Alice” I watch as Olivia’s face brightened up and she walked over to me “ it’s a pleasure to meet you Alice I’m an old friend of your mothers” I nod at Olivia, old friend of my mothers? That’s rather surprising.. “Ah? Really? It’s nice to meet you too I’ve never met someone who- knew my mother” I glanced over eat my aunt T seeing the clear displeasure in her face beofre looking back at Olivia as she spoke “I came here today to ask if you’d like be to visit The house of Vita? It’s an old family home your mother often visited during family birthdays, I know we just met but I’d hope to show you your famies history” I stare at Olivia not sure what to make of her suddenly invitation but when I hear the slight gasp from my aunts lips I smile and nod at her “ I’d love to, especially if it’s a place my mother used to visit often” I say with a cheery tone, I don’t know why my uncle and aunt didn’t want me to meet this woman but I’m definitely going to fined out, “Perfect! Do you mind if we leave today? See the fights were rather pricy at other times so..” I shake my head as at Olivia “no that’s perfectly fine just give me about an hour to pack” I take a step backwards beofre turning around and heading up the steps and immediately to my room, I start packing bring out my suitcase and filling it with my favorite outfits but I freez when I see the old, small, black box I keep my mother necklace in, I’m finally going to meet others who knew my mother, I grab the box and put it in the suitcase and zip it up, I packed quick but… I’m filthy, I walk into my bother and take a quick shower beofre getting out and dressing myself, “White crop top, Blue jeans, My boots annd a brown cover up! Perfect outfit to visit a special place” I say to myself smiling like a little kid, I walk out the bathroom and grab my suitcase beofre walking out my room and going down the stairs just to be met with angered and annoyed glares, “This is only a quick trip! Don’t go thinking your all high and mighty when you come back!” My aunt says scowling at me and just as Olivia walks out the living room and to the steps looking at my aunt as if she was trash and man I look at her like that myself sometimes “Are you ready?” I look at Olivia and nod while brushing past my aunt and following Olivia out the house and into ther car, I look backck at the house for a second as we drive away, I’ve never though I’d ever get away from them even if it was only for a week, But now I’m about to figure out just what it means to be turning 18 and being invited to a place my mother used to go to and just why the other don’t want me meeting Olivia and going with her.

I stare up at the large castle like house with vines hugging around it as if it’s keeping it together itself and the sunset behind the house gives it an almost… magical? Feeling… jeez I feel stupid, I almost let go of my suitcase beofre snapping out of it and looking at Olivia, “So…. This is the family house you were talking about?”

I ask holding in the surprise of my tone, Olivia smiles brightly at me as she takes off her sunglasses, “well of course it is! This is the house of magia “ Olivia said as she began walking towards the front doors. I follow her reluctantly, did I make the right choice? I mean I followed a complete stranger from what? Italy? And with nothing to even remotely protect myself with. Once Olivia gets the front doors she didn’t even knock beofre a girl with blindly bright red hair opened the door hugging her, “Madam Olivia! Your back!” I keep a good distance from the two and just stand there awkwardly, great, I’ll be the always new kid in the building now won’t I? Olivia hugged her back before letting her go and looking at me, “Yes I’m back, let me introduce you, this is Jess, and Jess this is Alice… she’s-…. Teressa’s daughter”

I give a slight wave to.. Jess? I wonder What was that short for, Jess waved back at me holding onto Olivia’s sleeve, “Oh- well welcome Alice! I’m sure you’ll love it here! I’ll start preparing dinner alright you two?” Jess walked back in the house and Olivia walked in herself right after, I follow her inside, I really rather not be outside just standing there like and idiot.

When I walk in the enter anterior was a color pallet of white, tan, and dark browns. They sure know how to keep it simple huh. Olivia takes her time showing me around and thank god she did because this place is seriously freaking big, Olivia stoops at a door on the second floor and smiled at me, “This will be your room, I’ll give you time to settle in while I go finish some business” I nod at Olivia before opening the door and wow, okay I live in a rather big house but I swear the room they just gave me is the same size of my living room back at home, I walk inside closing the door behind me and putting my suitcase next to the bed, beofre sitting down on the bed myself…. Well this is it, if I die at least I die away from my shitty uncle and his family, I stand up off the bed and start unpacking.

I hear knocking on the door before Jess opened the door and smiled “Dinners finished, come down when you ready” Jess said before closing the door, I sigh getting off the bed and walking out the room and down the steps and I almost make a wrong turn when I hear Jess laughing, I make my way to the sound and find Olivia, Jess, an older woman, and 3 kids? I walk into the dinning room and Oliva smiles and gestures to the seat next to her and I sit down, “Everyone this is Alice, Alice the lovely lady there Iris the kids are Ricky, Diana,and Eric” they all smile at me and I smile back giving them a small wave, this is so…no this is to much socializing, Jeezus brings out the food, looks like she made lasagna and cherry pie… that honestly looks really good, I make myself a small plate and everyone’s talking and eating at the same time, they are obviously close, I wonder how long they have lived together. The whole time everyone was very welcoming at dinner but to be honest I couldn’t wait to get to my room and be alone for the night.

After dinner I walked to my room closing the door behind me, I head to the bathroom in the room and and take a quick shower, before getting out and walking to my bed holding towel to my soaked hair, I sit down and sigh, sometimes I feel like there is something wrong with me socially, I stand up and walk to the window door of the porch of the room leaning on it as I still dry my hair, but I freez staring outside, under the moonlight I can almost see a full silhouette of a man out there next to that huge willow tree, I push off the window and open the glass doors the cold night air hitting rushing at me as I walked to the railings and stare down, oh my fucking god, there is a man down there, I lean over the rail just a little to see if I can get a better look, though I already know what I’m doing is pointless, there is suddenly a flicker of light, Hed using a lighter? And just for a second when he uses the lighter I can see a bit of his face and just from here I can tell that fuckers handsome, the lighter gose out and all I see is a small little light, so he’s smoking? Maybe he’s another person who lives here, I jolt and turn around when I hear my name from behind me “Alice? What are you doing out there is cold” Jess says as she stands in my room, I look away from her and back at where I saw the man but he’s no longer there, I sigh and walk back into my room closing the window door behind me, “Jess, did you need something?” I asked her as she suddenly hands me a pillow, “thought maybe you’d like a soft pillows the other ones we mainly use for decoration” I take the pillow and slightly smile at her “thank you” Jess smiles back and makes her wya out the room “Good night” she says “Night” I replied back, I walk back to the glass doors looking around to see if I capfuls see that man again but he wasn’t there, he was clearly long gone. I walk back to my bed after turning the lights of and getting under the covers laying on the pillow Jess gave me, I wonder how life is going to be like here…. I wonder, who was that outside.