Before the Ever Green (BTEG #1) ✔️

Chapter 1

It is a cool summers day, and though Mom told me I should stay in bed, being as I am sick, I get up, and walk to the small balcony over looking the gardens. Mom would kill me if she saw me up-literally. Mom has super human power, I guess, but she never lets me see them, not that I'd want to, who would? It'd be like asking her to kill me, I think.

I really don't need to know, and I don't want to know. Everyone in the town is scared of Mom, they think she'll kill everyone, so she moved out here, to the meadow. It's okay, except when I'm sick.

Sick.

This is a word I despise. I seem to get sick every month around the same week. Mom just makes me sit in bed, eat chicken soup, and read. The reading isn't so bad, in fact, I love reading, but I can't stand staying in bed. It's like someone is feeding me sugar pills, and expecting me not to move a centimeter... it's not going to happen.

So, here I am, and there the garden is, only about 8 feet down. My room is the attic, because the house only has one room, and it's barely fits a queen sized bed and a desk. Mom thought I should get the bigger room, because I do more than her. At least that's what she thinks.

I always have paints, books, and cloth scattered every where. It's just stuff I find in boxes, and throw around so she thinks I'm doing something. In reality, I am just grabbing a handful of books, and reading on this balcony eating fruit all day.

I eat a lot of fruit.

I go to school, too. On school days, I wake up at 5 a.m. and get ready to walk the 45 minutes to school. After school, I head to town to buy something crafty with the money Mom gives me for lunch each day. I stuff it in my bag, and show it to her every week, so she thinks I am a 'prize child', at least that's what Mom calls it. But, I'm not. I am that kid who takes my lunch money and buys stuff so my mom thinks she gave birth to something useful, and amazing. I just hope she never asks me to demonstrate, because if she does, I will die with books surrounding my cold body, so I can smell there loveliness.

Odd thing I do #1: I smell books

It's a problem...

I can hear Mom coming up the stairs to check on me, so with a sigh, I walk to bed, pull the covers up to my neck, and smile as she walks in, "Hi, Mom." I say, as she goes to close the balcony doors.

"How'd you sleep?" she asks, turning to me.

"Fine, I had a dream you bought me a new book, because I finished the 30 books you bought me last week," hint, hint, wink, wink.

She laughs a little, and walks over, sitting on the small stool by my bed, and brushing the hair from my face, "How do you do it?" She starts, "You read, sew, crochet, needle work, you paint, and you even write in a journal. Plus, your getting all A's," yeah, it's great, except Hey, mom... I don't!

I don't tell her that, I just smile, and she asks me what I want for dinner, "Your homemade mac n' cheese?" I ask. She looks like she's thinking it over in her mind, before responding, "Fine, but I'll need to go into town,"

"I'll be fine on my own for half an hour."

She sighs, "Mac n' cheese it is," She leaves my room, walking down the creaky stairs that drive me bonkers. Mom's tried to get people to fix it, but no one will ever come, because of her 'powers', which I have yet to see in action. I am guessing Mom is getting ready, fixing her hair, and putting on a nice dress. I hate dresses, but every time I go into town with her, she makes me wear one.

Mom must not want to walk today, because I can hear a carriage arriving at the house. Odd-Mom always walks. Then it hits me, Mom's never left me alone when I'm sick.

I can here he thanking the driver, and him responding with something I can't hear. If I had to guess, it's probably a nasty comment. They're never nice to Mom. Maybe I'd be scared of her, too, if I knew her power. Maybe that's why she doesn't tell me.

Maybe Mom's scared.

I wish I knew, even if she could kill people with a single touch, I'd still love her, she's never hurt anyone-as far as I know. But, I am certain she's never hurt me, and she never would, because she loves me.