Celestial Souls

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

After a few hours of listening to music, reading and hopelessly trying to start a conversation with the newly mute Richard I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I know I’m being shaken awake and informed that we just crossed into the town boundary. I couldn’t wait to stretch my legs, we’d only stopped once and that was for lunch.

Sitting up, I wiped my face tiredly, trying to erase all evidence of sleepiness.

You are now entering Blackwood Falls, a polished sign read on the side of the road.

Sounded like a pleasant enough town… I think.

After a few minutes of driving through a seemingly average town, we pulled into a driveway of a modestly sized house. It was normal, fairly large and immaculate.

Richard got out and opened my door. Climbing out, I breathed in the fresh air and looked around at my new home. The back of the house was surrounded by forest – I’d have to go search it to find a perfect spot for me and Ignis.

“Well this is it then, Miss.” Richard said, placing my suitcase on the ground in front of me, not quite meeting my eyes.

“Thank you.” I said softly.

He just nodded slightly and got back into the car without a word, driving off.

Sighing and not wanting to stall the inevitable I dragged my suitcase behind me to the front door and ignoring the doorbell, knocked three times.

I could hear shouting from inside and the pounding of feet running down stairs. Finally after a few minutes the door was yanked open from the inside.

A woman with the same blonde hair as my mother and beautiful features stood in the threshold. Except that her face was twisted into a scowl and a few grey streaks threaded through her hair.

Lucia Peterson was my Mom’s older sister and after my Mother was crowned Queen they grew apart and eventually Lucia grew to resent her. That resentment eventually grew to include me. Rumour had it that she was completely in love with my Father when she was in high school and the seeds of hatred were sewn when she find out her own sister was her crush’s soulmate.

It sounded like a bad movie to be honest.

“Oh it’s you,” she said, disdain dripping from her voice, “You’re late.”

“There was a lot of traffic.” I explained quietly.

“Well hurry up and get inside, you’re letting a draft in.”

I quickly obliged and shut the door behind me. The floor was a carpeted, cream colour which matched with the beige walls. It was a homey place, filled with warmth – something that seemed so foreign to Lucia.

“Shoes off in the house. Your room is upstairs second to the right and dinner will be at 6:30 and not a minute later.” She snapped from somewhere in the house.

After taking off my shoes, I followed her instructions and tugged my suitcase behind me, up the stairs. Trying to make my footsteps as light as possible, I walked down the hallway coming to a stop at the door leading to my new room. Turning the door knob, I slowly released a deep breath and pushed it open.

It was nothing special. Smaller than what I was used to but I really didn’t mind. It had a queen sized bed pushed against the middle of the far wall, covered in a soft green comforter. Next to it was a small, wooden bedside table, which was clean and clear of dust. Opposite the bed was a chest of drawers and a wardrobe made out of the same wood as the floor and bedside table. The chest of drawers had a snazzy little TV sitting on top of it which would be perfect to use when I couldn’t get to sleep. Straight across from the door were two huge, open windows which overlooked the forest which was currently sparkling in the sunlight. Seeing that there was another door to the left of the bed, I assumed it was a bathroom. There was a clock hanging above the bed on the wall (the only thing decorating the walls aside from a pale purple colour) and the time read 4:43. Just under 2 hours until dinner.