in any universe

my river runs to thee

"Mother!" cried out Emily, "Why must I go to the boring ball?"

"Do not pout, Emily, you don't look good when you do," her mother continued, "And you must go because there will be plenty of suitors there, and I'm sure one will eventually catch your eye!"

The pout did not leave Emily's face. She did not want to go to a boring ball full of boring people talking about boring things and dancing boring dance.

"Why can't I just stay single for the rest of my life, mother?" Emily complained, already knowing the answer.

"Because, dear, you need a husband to take care of you, I refuse to do it for you all your life!" her mother said, pushing her feet off the glass table in front of her luxurious couch.

Emily groaned as her mother lectured her on polite and proper lady etiquette and then commanded her to go upstairs into her room and change.

Trudging up the stairs was a painful experience knowing that every step brought her one step closer to having to go to a tremendously boring event.

"Emily! And my darling wife! I am home!" Edward Dickinson, father of Emily, informed the family. He planted a soft kiss on his wife's cheek before cheerfully setting down his briefcase, filled with papers and important contracts.

"Why the good mood, father?" questioned Emily.

"Well, Emily, I have just been informed that Josephine March will be attending tonight's event along with her three nieces," he responded, still cheerfully. Josephine March was an investor to most of Edward's conquests, one of the largest funders of his. With this party, he could get not only different investors, but for Josephine March to increase her investment in a formal, yet relaxing environment. By relaxing, it obviously means relax her in a not calm way and more in a loosen up way. No way would this party be relaxing, more like annoying.

—§|§|§|§|§|§|§|§|§|§|§|§|§|§—

"Amy!" Jo cried out for her younger sibling, "hurry up and get ready!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming, I'm coming!" Amy cried as she bounced down the stairs of their home. "Stop rushing me!" exclaimed Amy annoyedly.

Jo and Meg all waited for her at the bottom of the stairs, impatiently. This would be their first outing after Beth died, only brought along by Aunt March so that Amy would finally find a husband. Amy rejected Laurie because of his still lingering love for her very own sister, Jo and Fred Vaughn because he was not the one she loved.

A smile crept onto her face as she watched her sister talk amongst themselves, all excited for the party. She stepped off the final stair just as a knock rang throughout the house. Their carriage was here.

The midnight black horses stood patiently, connected to the black, gold engraved carriage. Explicit designs worked their way around the shiny carriage. Light bounced off the sides and the gold shone, the black wood was polished and cleaned enough that there wasn't a speck of dust. Th unique carriage had it's doors open, held by the driver. As the March sisters slowly stepped in and took a seat on the newly cleaned seats, the door shut lightly and the ride started.

The ride over felt long, like hours and hours when really, it was barely 20 minutes. The sisters were excited, they felt ecstatic about going out for the first time in a while. They didn't get any invites to parties after Beth died, perhaps the hosts felt as if it would be impolite of them to invite them over after their sibling had just died, or perhaps there just weren't any parties. Either way, this would be the first party in a while and the March sisters were excited, so when the coach stopped moving, the siblings practically flew out of the carriage.