Persephone's Angel

Chapter One: This Is How It All Begins.

"Why must I keep her, Agatha?"

"Because you can provide a life for her, Firmin! Joseph and I are but only being wedded, we have not money for a child!" Hissed my aunt Agatha, she and her brother (my uncle) Firmin were arguing in whispers on what my fate would be. I stood, hiding, behind the wall before the kitchen, eavesdropping.

"Agatha, things are very busy and I--"

"You don't think planning a wedding isn't busy? The nerve of you, Firmin! Take the damned child, for god sakes, Firmin! You don't even have to interact with her, the Paris Opera House is grand, I hear, seventeen floors! Just...please, Firmin, do it for her; give her a life." My Aunt Agatha hissed, fading into weary silence. 

"Fine, I'll take her to Paris with me, but, you owe me, Agatha. You owe me greatly." Uncle Firmin growled, Agatha thanked him and I silently walked before the wooden casket lying in the middle of the room, I crossed my legs and tapped the box. They hadn't even cared to make her an actual casket, it was just a box made out of plywood, nailed together hurriedly. Her funeral funds couldn't pay for a better box, I had no money and Firmin was a greedy, greedy man.

I tapped the box and smiled, I knew how she was killed, t,hey tried to tell me it was of disease, but I saw a fleeting glance of her body that day, she was murdered. My mum was murdered. Firmin and Agatha walked out of the kitchen into the small living room, our entire house was small, it was only three rooms.

 We didn't need much since father left when I was born.

Firmin sighed "pack your things, Persephone, you're coming with me" uncle Firmin said, I gave a weak smile.

"I already packed, monsieur" I said weakly, standing and walking into my mum and my bedroom and bringing out a small, brown leather bag. Uncle Firmin told me to always address him as 'monsieur' even though I'm English. I knew very little French since I lived in Whitechapel at the time, which isn't the best place to live, but it's all my mum and I had. Uncle Firmin nodded and turned.

"Let us leave, then, Paris is quite a ways away and we must get to the heart of it, come" Uncle Firmin said, opening the door, I nodded to my aunt Agatha who waved a goodbye. "God, it stinks, how did you and your mother live in such filth?" Firmin asked covering his nose with a white, laced handkerchief. 

I shrugged.

"You get used to things, smells, ways of life. This doesn't bother me anymore" I said, looking up to him, he scoffed and quickly opened the door for me to the carriage, jumping inside after me.

--* We spent our two hours together silent, Firmin didn't know anything about me and I didn't care to know about him, he didn't want me around, it was a burden to him to have me around. I was a bastard child and I disgraced him, he didn't care two pounds about me. I stared out of the window the majority of the ride, watching England turn to ocean, then our carriage stopped at the docks, a large ship named the 'Victoria' awaited our arrival. "Try not to look so...wonder struck" Firmin growled as I stared up at the ship, I nodded and walked beside him, attempting to look normal. We boarded the ship and instantly Firmin struck up a chat with some wealthy dignitaries visiting from Spain.

I sighed and sat far away from him, in a white, wooden chair near the water. People yelled in what seemed to be a different language and the boat lurched, then started chugging away from England.

Ten minutes into the boat ride I had played two games of chess with myself and lost both times. I wasn't very good at chess. I sighed in boredom and stood, walking over to the side, peeking over and watching the blue water bubble and foam from the boat's propeller. I wasn't interested in boats or mechanics, I just liked the water and the way it sparkled. I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see a man in a white outfit, his hair was silver and his eyes were the equivalent of melting sapphires.