Freaks

3] A Cold Welcome

⚠️- detailed dehumanization, mentions of house fire, mentions of death, slight mention of a hallucination, reference to physical ab*se

    3rd Person POV

    Charlotte hopped out of the taxi at the gate. The car immediately turned around and sped off. She turned around and saw a big dark mansion peeking out of the fog. She made her way across the lawn and up to the big mansion garden. An old woman stood grooming the hedges. She paused what she was doing and looked up at Charlotte.

"You must be Miss Addams, correct?" She stepped over the water hose and shook Charlotte's hand. "Miles told me you would be visiting for a project right?"

Charlotte nodded.

"Well I'm Mrs. Grose, don't be afraid to ask me or Kate if you need anything." She pointed to the door then resumed her gardening.

Charlotte made her way up to the big door and knocked loudly. She faintly heard shuffling inside, then the door opened. Another woman with short blonde hair looked down at the skinny girl on the steps.

"Hello?"

"Kate right?"

The woman's eyes widened. "How did yo-"

"I'm Charlotte, I'm here to work on a project with Miles."

She looked around Kate trying to locate Miles in the house. Kate stepped aside and let Charlotte in. She was kind of creeped out by the girl. She had dark almost black-brown hair that was pulled up into a ponytail. She had on a purple cable knit sweater that contrasted with her almost sickly pale skin over her school uniform. Her eye bags were prominent, like she hadn't slept in weeks. This girl looked like she had just crawled out of a grave. Charlotte walked over and stood in front of a stray mirror that sat propped up against a wall.

"Did your mom drop you off?" Kate asked, trying to make small talk.

"No my parents are dead, House fire."

Kate's mouth dropped slightly at the blunt answer. "I'm very sorry to hear that."

Charlotte looked over at Kate and rolled up her sleeve. A big scar ran down the back of her arm and some old healing bruises. She looked up and creepily smiled at Kate.

"Karma."

She looked back at the mirror. Pausing for a moment, then waving at the mirror slightly with the same creepy smile on her face. The smile quickly turned onto a frown and Charlotte mumbled something that sounded like a, "rude ." Kate freaked out.

"You see him too don't you?!"

Charlotte's eyes widened. She seemed to be searching for an answer.

A lie.

"See who?"

Just then a little girl came running into the room. She stopped and looked up at Charlotte.

"Uh, who are you?"

She clutched her doll. "Flora, manners." Kate said, clearly trying to sound calmer than she actually was. Charlotte smiled down at the little girl who smiled back.

"I'm Charlotte I-"

"You're Charlotte?! You're so pretty! Miles said you were but I-"

"Flora!" The girls looked up as Miles walked into the room.

"I made tea!" Mrs. Grose appeared in the room. Did she teleport?

Charlotte's POV
"Does Mrs. Grose have powers? I swear she just appeared out of thin air."

Flora laughed at my comment.

"Wizard!" She made a jazz hand motion.

I noticed a while ago that Kate seemed to be watching me. Every move I made, her eyes were on me. Almost like she was waiting for something to happen. Like maybe my fingertips would sprout talons. Or my skin would turn green and start falling off into scales. Or I'd turn and take a large bite out of one of them. That maybe I'd give her a reason to tell me to leave and never come back.

"Charlotte?" I snapped back into reality. "I'm good Flora."

The little girl nodded and continued to play with her doll. We all sat in the living room with our tea. Mrs. Grose had run off to do some other chore.

"So who did bring you here then?" Kate really seemed to be stuck on that topic.

I sighed and took a sip of my tea.

"I live on campus the majority of the time." I answered. "But there are the inevitable holidays that they send us home. I stay at a girls home during that time. Since we don't really have cars or anything, I take taxis everywhere."

Kate didn't really seemed satisfied with my answer but sunk back into her seat.

"I thought you stayed on campus during Christmas?" Miles leaned forward.

"I stay when I can, sometimes they force me to leave though. Believe it or not, I don't enjoy being in the girls home. No one really talks to me there anyways."

"Didn't you stay at school for Christmas this year too Miles?" Flora asked, not looking up from her doll. She moved its legs to "walk" across the table. Miles' eyes widened.

"Yes, but for a totally different reason." He sunk back into the couch and took a sip of his tea. I smiled at him.

"I didn't know you stayed. You should've come and hung out with me. We wouldn't have had to spend it alone."

I could have sworn his face turned pink. He mumbled something into his cup. Kate cleared her throat.

"Flora we'd better start your lesson." Flora groaned, whined, and protested. I watched as Kate kind of dragged her into the other room.

"We can work on the project in my room if you want." Miles sat his cup down and stood up. I nodded and followed him upstairs.