THE GATEWAY.
Terrible misfortune at the Rosewood home.
March 16, 1870. Today, the Rosewood family mourns the loss of their first son, Henry Rosewood, who sadly passed away yesterday at the age of 11 years old. His family reports that the boy had run away from his home to go in search of his lost pet, the older sister, who found the body of the young Rosewood alongside his injured dog, who seems to have survived the terrible accident. the boy drowned in the river near his house.
These are dark days, not only for the family, but also for the entire town. Hopefully the poor family can find peace again in the next few days.
We would also like to notify the community that Catherine, the local baker, beloved by all of us, is still looking for her eldest son: Belson Jr. who disappeared two days ago, any report you have of him do not hesitate to report it to the police station or at the family home.
The misfortunes seem to cruelly hit our small town, in these difficult times we can only pray and ask that things improve soon.
André Rosewood's latest journal entry.
March 16, 1870. I have committed the worst sin that a father can commit ... I have murdered my own son, blood of my blood. I have disappeared him from the family tree so I the family's reputation could continue, it's damn reputation now, stained in blood. Yet by doing what I did, I also committed the greatest act of love that can be done for someone: Killing him to save him from an even worse fate, killing him on my own than watching him fall by the gallows in prison.
Letter from André Rosewood to Henry Jekyll. (Not opened by the recipient)
My son, today was the day of your birth and now is also the day of your death ... I remember how everything happened two days ago; I remember getting out of the carriage exhausted from the long journey I had made. Yes, it was at that moment that my other daughter, your sister, came running towards me. Not with a happy face to see his father again, but with one of absolute terror that reflected the enormous atrocity that she had already observed.
She took my hand, I was about to hold her back for it, but stopped when she mentioned your name, my son.
We walked from the entrance to the garden and on the way, she explained to me between sobs how a thief had entered the house. Apparently, none of the servants saw him crossing the fence or any window, it was only you, Henry, who did notice him.
Your sister continued to explain to me how you tried to notify someone of what happened, but that despicable criminal took your puppy in his arms.
*- "It was at that moment when I appeared" - Your sister said - "I saw him take Albert and with his two hands he tried to strangle him! God Lord! How is it possible that such a beast can exist in the world? ...However, now I fear my own blood more than that of that stranger. " – She finally said.*
It was just at that moment when we reached our destination, and what I saw there will be something that will haunt me for the rest of my life, since you, my son, were covered in blood, even with the rock that you used to kill that thief still your hands. You were afraid, I noticed it in your gaze, frozen and muttering phrases that I couldn't understand. I wanted to try to comfort you, but the deformed face of the corpse lying in front of you prevented me from doing so.
Your sister's scream was what pulled me out of that horror paralysis:
- Monster! Devil! How could you do such a vile act? You killed him with your bare hands, not only did you throw the rock, but you hit him with it over and over and over again until he was motionless!
Almost as silent as the blowing of the wind, I managed to hear your pleas:
- "F-Father ... I-I don't know what I did, I-I don't know why I did it, I don't know if it was really me who-"
- "Shut up! You know well, you have no right to speak to my father! From this moment on I reject you, I reject any type of connection that I have had with you. I refuse to accept that I am your sister! - And with those last words." -Emilie ran from there.
And I, like the coward that I was, also followed her.
That night I could not fall asleep because I was afraid to see those horrible images in my dreams again, I was afraid of the consequences that would await us the next morning ... The boy's corpse would be easy to hide and pass off as one more missing person, however, that wasn't the biggest problem; no, those were the servants who had observed such a heinous act and who wanted to leave their jobs, along with loyalty to the family.
You were always a problem child, and I knew it, just as I knew about the disease that reached your mother and that I fear that one day you may have the same symptoms. You are my son by blood, and yet I feel like you never belonged to this world.
It is 12:06 pm, I hope God forgives this hour in which I have had to make a painful decision, because I have had no other choice but to put the family reputation above you.
Your sister was the one who spoke to me first and who came up with the daunting idea.
- "Kill him in the eyes of the public, a quick funeral without many witnesses that will eventually sever his ties to this family."
I'm sorry, I'm so sorry son, because I have chosen to protect the lives of your two siblings instead of yours ... And I know that the cross that from now on I will have to carry will be that of a watchman from afar.
Today you turned 11 and supposedly you should attend school here. Now, you will have to be sent to London to start those studies as if you were just another orphan, although, do not worry about the money because I will attend and I will take care of managing your first years there; as long as you keep the promise you made me today:
- "I will do it, father. I will follow in your footsteps to become a surgeon and help those in need. I will become a good man."
I trust that you will, son, I trust that, even far from here, you'll manage to do it.
I have sent Mrs. Pryor, the only one aware of your false death, to pack your bags for the train that leaves early tomorrow morning. I hate writing this, but both she and the other servants seem to be glad of your departure; they believe, that your little brother will be a better heir than you.
Tomorrow I will not be able to say goodbye personally, however, before you leave, I have packed in one of your suitcases a last birthday present, forged especially for you. Mrs. Pryor informed me of the visual decline that you have had in your right eye in recent months so I hope this gift will be of great help and the last memory of me that you will have.
To be honest, I never liked that eye, but now knowing that I will never return to it, I can't help but miss it.
Goodbye my son, I hope one day you will forgive me for this and that our paths cross again while we're still alive.
Atte. André Rosewood.
YOU ARE READING
Mirror Shards
Historical Fiction1857, the Rosewood family is the perfect role model for society. They are wealthy, cultured and with an excellent reputation. However, his second, Henry Rosewood, is not even the shadow of his parents. Rebellious, distracted and with a strange genet...
