Fall or Fly

Chapter 3

1401 Canyon View Drive

I looked out of my car window in disbelief before looking back at at the paper. The address still hadn't changed. I looked out again, gaping at the house in front of me. If you could even call it that. It was more of a mansion, or a castle, gleaming white in the sunlight. I fell back in my seat and let out an unbelieving laugh.

Did I save the Crowned Prince of England?!

I shook my head. I needed to calm down. I didn't know who this Caspian was, or his mother, but I'm sure they were just ordinary people. Who happened to own a castle. I looked down at my ratty t-shirt and paint-splattered shorts. Wow. This was insane. But I had to go in. I had to know that this boy was really okay, or I would never forgive myself. I took a deep breath and got out of the car. Walking up the driveway, I gave a laugh as it got even closer. Was this for real? I did a little spin as I walked up to the house. I had to put away my nervousness and be the bubbly Kat I usually was. It was pretty easy, as I felt a bit giddy in knowing that everything would be fine. Hopefully. As I got to the door, doubt started running through my head, and I took a step back.

You can do this.

I took a deep breath and gave the door two quick knocks. In a split second, the door was swung open, and I took a step back in surprise. A boisterous woman looked at me, one of her eyebrows raised.

"You the girl that saved Caspi's life?" She asked, and I blinked as I took in her words. It took me a moment to realize who "Caspi" was, and I finally gave a quick nod. She scrutinized me for a few seconds, before her lips broke into a wide, blindingly white smile. Before I knew what was happening, she had enveloped me in a hug. She smelled like cinnamon and bread, and her skin was soft.

"Oh bless you, sweet girl, bless you, " she said, pulling back and sniffling loudly. "I just can't believe you had the nerve to tackle him." She her expression smoothly transitioned from a tearful one to an amused one as she gave a loud, booming laugh that I quickly joined in with. When we stopped, she grabbed my hand and shook it earnestly.

"I'm Carlotta Burk. I'm the housekeeper and cook for the McCarver's."

"Katrina Blackwell," I said, shaking her hand while giving a chuckle. My nerves had disappeared when she had started laughing, and I found myself relaxing. If the McCarver's had such a nice and sweet woman working for them, they had to be nice, right?

"Blackwell?! Y'all own that bakery down the road?" She asked, and when I gave a nod in confirmation, she laughed and gave me another smile. "I love that place! Y'all make me fat every time I go there, I can't stop eating!"

I laughed with her, silently thanking the universe that she was the welcoming committee, not that lady on the phone. I stepped inside as she opened the door wider. I continued my conversation with her as I stepped inside. "Are you from the southeast? Most people around here don't say "y'all," so I-"

I stopped mid-sentence and let out a gasp as I took in my surroundings. The interior of the house was bigger than my house and the bakery combined. There was a marble staircase in the center, and  elegant decorations and lavish furniture​ surrounded it. Everything was a light grey, although I had expected it to be white, since the outside was blindingly so. It was beautiful, and yet, strangely...eerie. The furniture, although beautifully crafted, looked unused and uncomfortable. The decorations, as expensive as they were, looked like they were bought out of boredom, not because of experiences and memories. I thought back to my small house, jammed with furniture from the antique shop and a weird collection of art and figurines that we had collected over the years.