Animen

1. Lady Ethel

Alice looked out of her old, decaying attic window. The sky was grey and rumbled throughout the sea of fields that surrounded her large home. Loud and heavy raindrops bashed the rooftop right above Alice's head, creating a loud echo that filled the empty room.

White bits of dried up paint crumpled off the window ledge as she pulled her pale fingers away. Sighing, she jumped off of the mess she called a bed and looked around her room. It was dark, dusty and damp. The very off-white (and almost brown) wallpaper had began peeling off. The floorboards beneath her wobbly knees seemed as though they were about to give way at any moment.

But Alice loved her unsafe attic, it was filled with boxes of memories from her beloved late mother and father.

Alice's parents died not long after her fourth birthday, for nine years her wicked Aunt Ethel has been forced to take care of Alice. Treating Alice as her own personal Cinderella.

Whilst carefully opening up an old, large, wooden box, Alice's happiness of having peace and quiet was cut short by her Aunts scream for her servant.

"Aliccceee!"

Alice groaned. She was far more than used to her Aunts wretched behaviour, far more than any thirteen year old girl should be used to. Alice wasn't allowed to go to school unlike all the other rich and middle class boys and girls. But Alice didn't feel rich or lucky in any way, as she was nothing more than a servant.

Alice quickly slipped out of her night gown and dressed herself in the finest rags she could find. Her blonde hair tied loosely in a ponytail behind her bounced as she ran down the crooked spiral staircase.

As she reached her Aunt Ethel's sleeping quarters the heated air warmed up Alice's fingers. She took in a deep breath and tapped her knuckles on the wooden door. A croak of a voice could be heard from the other side of the room.

"Come in Alice..." Alice gulped. Ethel seemed unusually calm this morning, Monday's normally didn't agree with her.

She creaked open the bedroom door and took one step forward into the room. It was extremely dark. Aunt Ethel normally opens up the large draped curtains, but today, everything was shut out.

"You wanted me madam?" Alice took a glance at the growling beast of a dog on Ethel's lap. It was a small thing, it's bald patches made it look even skinnier than what any small dog should be. Alice loved any animal living in this world, but not this one.

"Tell me Alice..." Aunt Ethel's eyes glowed in the hallway light. "Why is it already nine o'clock and I still haven't got out of bed? Have you forgotten your duty as a servant? Or should I get the horses whip out to remind you!"

Alice's heart sank. God she hated the whip.

"No mam." She gulped back her fear and looked into the eyes of a monster.

"Then chop chop. I expect my curtains drawn, my breakfast on my lap, Prince's breakfast in the kitchen, and the horses fed in fifteen minutes!" Her voice was sharp and cold. It could pierce through any child's heart and put a chill on any humans soul.

"Yes mam."

It would take a miracle for that to be all done in fifteen minutes but Alice would not let herself be discouraged, she faced new tasks everyday. Today's new task was to get Ethel out of bed for her.

As Alice drew the large red drapes the morning light filled the room. She looked out the window once more to fantasise, without the gloomy sky and the chilling rain, it would've been a lovely day. Alice stopped in her tracks when she noticed a barn owl on top of the horses stable. She tried to look away but felt as though the owl was looking directly at her.

"That's strange... I thought owls hated rain." She muttered to herself, still eyeing up the owl.

"And I thought servants were supposed to do work!"

Jumping out of her skin, Alice left the bedroom with the skin and bones they called Prince to feed him in the kitchen. On the way, she opened up every curtain in the house, eliminating the darkness.

Alice fed Prince and gathered up Aunt Ethel's breakfast. She stirred the hot porridge and went outside in the rain to find two fresh eggs laid by the hens in their coop. She was soaked from the rain but kept going with her spirits high.

The horses cheerfully neighed as they caught sight of Alice approaching with their hay for the morning.

"I'm sorry it's a bit wet." She smiled at them. "At least you're getting something to eat."