The Princess of the Roses (Under Severe Edit)

Chapter 3

"The Princess didn't know it yet, but the people who cared for her had evil intentions. The sweet old lady, the person to give her a new home, and the couple who were housing her, all of them were evil, and she was about to find out just how mean they were."

I rode in the same broken down car, Ms. Anna's car, on my way to my Aunt and Uncle's house. We had passed the "Now Leaving Fortville" sign a while ago. Anna had given me new clothes, and a red cloth bag to hold my things. The grey dress was itchy, and I had swept my long hair back in a braid. I slid my small feet in and out of the ash grey flats, sighing nervously. I couldn't wait to see my aunt and uncle, but I wasn't sure about leaving everything behind. Everything was gone anyway, so why did I bother?

I was very tired, but I couldn't bear to sleep. I wanted to see my friend's house before I left. Her name was Bonnie, and she was my best friend. She hadn't come to see me since the fire, and that was hurtful. She could have at least had said sorry. I stared out the window, and then her house came into view. A sharp pain went through my heart, and I sighed. I didn't want to see her, in that house, with her parents. She had everything I lost now. I leaned back in my chair, closed my eyes, and let sleep take me away.

"I don't want to do this Gerry." my mom cried. Dad was holding a match over a bucket of gasoline.

"We can't live like this!" he yelled. "Either we do this now, or we live in fear for our lives! Elva will live in fear with us! She could die!"

"How have we lived so far anyway?" Mom cried. "The monster under Elva's bed, how long Gerry?  How long did it take us to kill it? Where will she go?"

"An orphanage." Dad sighed. "She would have gone to her aunt and uncle's but they couldn't live with it."

"We're taking the same path they did!" Mom sobbed. "Will the curse really die with us? Did their branch die with them?"

"We have to try! We have to protect Elva. It will look like an accident, or at the most, arson." Without a word, mom picked up the gasoline and threw it onto the floor. Dad nodded, and lit the match. "I love you Carla." he frowned.

"I love you Gerry." Mom said, crying.

"We love you Elva!" they said at the same time. Dad threw the match onto the gasoline.

"The curse didn't die with them!" a demonic voice smiled. 

I sat up quickly, eyes wide form fear. That was a terrible nightmare. Mom and dad didn't kill themselves, and my aunt and uncle are alive. I was just scared, so I had a nightmare.

Sighing, I glanced out the window, and saw the car was parked. “Miss Annie?” I asked, looking in the front seat. She was gone! The door was unlocked, so I opened it.

I stepped out into the fallen autumn leaves, the crimson colored ones crinkled under my weight. The air was musty and gray, and I inhaled deeply. A gothic mansion stood out over the horizon, fog barely reaching the tall dark points on the roof. Dark green painted shutters hung, half on, to the broad paneled windows. Black panels stretched across the roof, most of them missing. The home was painted dark purple, with a rotted oak porch. A gravel path led up to the black iron gates, and continued to the start of the porch.

A young boy about my age stood at the entrance. “You’re late!” he scoffed. He had bright red hair reaching blue eyes, and he pushed it out of the way. “You’re late Elva!”

“I’m sorry, but what am I late to?” I asked, pulling my bag out of the car.

“You’re orientation!” he frowned, clutching a book to his chest. The green volume was titled in gold letters, “The Prince of the Grasses.” “Do you have your book?”

 I stuttered, “My book?”

“Oh! She’s slow too!” he cursed, waving his book in the air. “What Royal are you?”

“You mean this?” I asked, pulling “The Princess of the Roses” out of my bag.

“Oh, you’re Rose?” he asked, tossing his book in a leather satchel. “I’m Grass, but call me Blade.” He stuck out a pale hand.

“I’m sorry, but my name is Elva.” I said, defiantly.

“Listen, you’ll learn real fast to bend to he rules. Got is Rose?” Blade frowned, pulling his hand back.

“I guess,” I muttered, putting the book back.

“Your name is now Rose. You have to follow all the rules, or you’re dead. Don’t ask who makes the rules, don’t ask any questions. Got it?”

“Yeah, but-“I started, when he put his hand over my mouth.

“No questions. You ask your guide after orientation. With any luck, it won’t be me.” He scowled.

“Jerk,” I muttered under my breath as he led me into a hallway. It seemed the whole building was in as bad a shape as the outside.

What about my aunt and uncle? What was this place? Where am I? Who where they?

Blade led to a pair of giant oak doors, way bigger than us, and pushed them open.

(A/N: I worked a really llong time on this one, but I'm trying to update faster now!)