"Are you sure there is a house in there?" Amy struggled to see anything past the dark shadows behind the huge, iron gates.
"...Of course... it's just hidden very well." Her mother didn't sound very convincing.
"Well, are you going to come in?" Everyone in the car jumped at the sudden loud voice that came out of nowhere.
Amy looked quickly for the intercom speaker from the back seat, but couldn't see one.
"What did I tell you...weird...right?" Amy's father shook his head from behind the steering wheel, then smiled sheepishly at the stare he got from her mother.
The gates creaked, seeming to open of their own accord. Amy thought she saw her father nervously gulp, as he hurriedly combed his fingers through his hair before driving down the dark driveway.
It wasn't even lunchtime and yet her father had to turn on the headlights.
Where had the sun gone?
The whole car seemed to be swallowed up by the enormous trees overhanging the long driveway.
And then they turned the corner, and Amy blinked as night turned back into day.
The car stopped suddenly.
Amy and her father got out slowly, wide eyed... mouths opened.
There was indeed a house. A very pretty, two-story, grey stone house, with a huge sloping roof and large round windows. It was nestled amongst the most beautiful, colourful garden, Amy had ever seen. But that was not what they were gawking at.
No. It was the enormous oval face with two large brown eyes peeking over the roof.
And it was looking straight at them.
"Penelope?" Amy's mother called out, slamming the car door in a hurry before moving towards the house.
And then the face disappeared.
"Impossible..." Amy's father whispered, looking at Amy.
"Don't be ridiculous, Daniel. Nothing is impossible." Aunt Penelope suddenly appeared from behind, startling both of them.
Her aunt was dressed in what Amy thought must be the strangest and most uncomfortable dress she had ever seen. She looked like a blue and white upside-down cupcake; it was so wide at the hips. Aunt Penelope's waist looked even smaller than Amy's and the white lace collar, almost swallowing her face, reminded her of a frilled neck lizard.
Amy's mother retracted her steps to hug her older sister. "Alison, my dear, it's so good to see you again."
Amy blinked twice, the strange face forgotten. She was so used to seeing her mother's youngest sister, Aunt Jessica - who was taller and had dark hair similar to her grandfather's - that she hadn't expected Aunt Penelope to look so much like her mother. In fact, they could be twins except for her aunt's wrinkled eyes, and the.... Amy couldn't tear her eyes away.
Her father was trying to describe the face he'd seen to Aunt Penelope, when she turned abruptly to look at Amy.
"Well... whatever it is, say it out-loud child! Why children these days think they should be seen and not heard, I'll never understand. " Aunt Penelope looked questionably at Amy.
"Your hair.... its orange!"
"Orange? Good heavens. I'm old, not crazy. No, darling, its tangerine!" Aunt Penelope beamed, proudly running her fingers through her shining, shoulder-length curls. Her dimples matched her mother's too.
YOU ARE READING
The Storyteller - ONC 2022
General FictionNine-year-old Amy Winter's holiday plans have gone from exciting to total disaster. How is she supposed to have any fun being packed up and sent to stay with a weird relative she can't even remember? And Aunt Penelope is as weird as they get. With...
