Faded

Chapter 5

By the time I got home, the sun had set and I knew my mother was nothing less than worried. I leaned against it, momentarily taking in the new information that I received. I didn't seem to notice Preston approach me as I walked into the great hall. I didn't want to believe it but it was true; my sister was a compulsive liar; a thief. My sister had joined our school's track and field team only three years ago, at the tender age of twelve. Now, for all I knew, those last three years could all been a lie.

"You're mother has been waiting for you, ma'am" he exclaims. Preston Farrar was a french man in his late 40's with peppered hair and a few lines across his fair skin. He was dressed in a black suit with a black vest layered over his white collared shirt. Preston was the head butler at the McCarthy mansion. He was in charge of the other maids and butlers who maintained the mansion to its prestigious state.

"She spoke to you?" I asked as I began to fill with curiosity. My mother wouldn't speak to anyone but me - not even her doctor. I found it strange at first. It was as if I was the only thing that existed in her universe. After coming to terms with this matter, I began to care for her and stay by her side, even in the state she was in. In my family it seemed you could never be a child because they constantly expected you to act and speak like them and so with that I slipped into their delusion. I began to forget what it was like to be a real child and the strange stares I got as I got older made it appear as if I was kid being possessed by an elderly spirit.

"I wouldn't really say that we had a full fledged conversation but she did mumble your names a few times."

"I'll go speak to her"

"And um...I hope you don't mind me asking this question but you were supposed to be home two hours ago."

"Oh...that" I said in the most confident tone that I could muster up. "I was attending Isabel's track meet"

"Alrighty then"

He looked down at the duffel bag still in my hand and my backpack that was slung over my shoulder.

"Ah let me take care of that for you" he implied.

"Are you-"

"It is my duty young mistress" he insisted with a smile.

"Fine...but could you please stop calling me that"

"Fair enough" he reassured as he grabbed a hold of both the bags and went off to place them in their rightful places. I turned my attention back to the grand entryway and just as always it seemed stunning but at the same time the vastness of that house made me feel lonely and in a way reminded me of my mother and how the grand hall even though fully decorated, resembled her hollow mind. There were two sets of stairs that were lined with gray carpeting and a gold spiral railing that cascaded down to the first floor that was filled with marble tile. There were a couple of seats by the elevator and above me was the largest chandelier that money could buy. I climbed up the steps and took a turn and knocked on the door at the end of the hall.

"Scarlet? Is that you?" my mother's voice bellowed.

"Yeah. It's me. I'm home." I declared loud enough for her to hear me. I chose to push the memories of the recent events to the darkest corner of my mind and attempted to plaster a smile on my face as I entered my parents room. I opened the mahogany door with the long brass handle and entered the room attempting to possess a cheerful stature. 

The wall that had the ginormous bed placed against it had a white and gold chevron pattern with two gray bedside tables on each side, above the bedside tables, were two silver lamps hanging from a equally gray ceiling in the center of the ceiling was a splash of white and from that area hang a crystal chandelier. Below the chandelier was a tan round ottoman that was placed in front of a floor to ceiling window that lead out to a balcony that had a view of our vast garden.