"Well, I'm the eldest girl. I'll go." Tora spoke as we all sat in the tree house in a circle, well the Brown's did anyway. I was sitting against the wall outside the circle, contemplating my options. I had to go, no doubt about it. Simon was also next to me, seeming to be deep in thought and weighing the outcomes.
"No. I've always known I was destined for tragedy. I'll go." Lily speaks up.
"Aggy go."
"Don't be silly, Aggy. You're not even a whole girl yet."
"No. She wanted me. I'll go." I glanced at Simon silently as he looked out the window. The girls continued to bicker about who should go as he remained silent.
"You can't all go." I saw Nanny McPhee looking at Simon and before he could even get a word in I spoke up.
"No. None of you will go." I stated firmly, looking up at the children as Simon's eyes widened. I knew that's what the older kids expected of me, probably even Simon so I really was going to make it up to him. "The only option is for me to go, I mean, I'm not even biologically a part of your family." I stood up and was about to make it to the ladder when someone grabbed my hand.
I turned around to see Simon standing up and looking at me, he wasn't going to let me do this but he had no choice. "No Lou, I won't allow it." He whispered as the other kids watched intently.
"Well, I will, and I am. Let's face it Simon, it was bound to happen anyway. And I'm the eldest girl here - it makes more sense than it being anyone else."
My voice was no louder than a whisper and I would have said so much more if we were alone. Probably would have even confessed my feeling for him, but I wouldn't be a burden. I shook Simon's hand off mine, the feeling lingering as I stepped down the ladder and turned around. The other kids were following me down in pursuit, but slowly than my agile figure.
Suddenly, Simon tied my hands to the tree, the same rope they used to stop the donkey. It was weird how he thought about it so quickly and I continuously yelled out for him to let me go. But instead he and the kids just walked into the house and left me there by myself.
For about 10 minutes I stood there angrily before I realised how easy it was for me to get out of this trap. He wasn't suppose to stop me, just delay me. Just like in the books, I made my hands flat before bringing the rope up to my mouth and tried to untie it with my teeth.
It came loose easily But I was taken aback when I saw Adelaide's carriage begin to ride away, Mr Brown running after it yelling Chrissie. Before I could even think, my legs broke out into a run after them, curious to know who had been taken. He took a detour and ran through the farm.
"Christiana!" He yelled once he came to a helpless stop, obviously never being able to catch up to it. He looked at me, sadness in his eyes as I tried to say something. I heard the kids footsteps behind me as Chrissie yelled to Mr Brown. He turned around to see his daughter next to him and picked her up quickly, hugging her tightly.
The kids caught up to us as he counted each of us, asking himself who went to the Manor, I had been asking that too. "Evangeline" He said loudly, hugging his kids with his free hand. She had taken Evangeline, and just like that, another person left my life.
• • •
We were all sitting in bed, shaken up about the events during the day. I was sitting with my legs dangling over the edge and I didn't even realise Simon was stood beside me until he spoke up. "Do you really feel that way?"
"Huh?" I asked, confusion sweeping over me as I raised an eyebrow at him.
"Were you actually willing to go today?" Simon's voice was low as his eyes barely met mine. I swung my legs so I was now inside the room, catching his gaze before he could look away.
"Of course. You guys have already lost your mother, I wasn't going to allow you to lose a sister." I whispered, reassuring my best friend.
"But you-" He began to say, but I hushed him, already knowing where he was going with it. He was going to bring up my mother and father, which normally made me upset and that wasn't good at all.
"I promise I won't leave you Lucy, and that's a promise I'm going to keep." Simon said instead, pulling me into a hug as I felt my heart flutter. He really must have cared about me to be committed enough to never leave me. I was a difficult child, in a way which I always did my own thing and wandered off.
"It was your idea for Evangeline to go, wasn't it." I spoke up after a while as he dug his face into my blonde hair.
"Time for bed." Nanny McPhee said from the door as I quickly pulled away from the hug not even allowing Simon to respond. Chrissie walked up to her and thanked her as Simon sat on his bed, leaving me to stand there. As Nanny McPhee walked Chrissie to her bed, the other kids thanked her. She looked over to Simon, who hadn't said anything and was playing with a cricket ball. He looked over to her and nodded.
One of her warts disappeared like before, and dumbfoundedly I walked over to my bed and lied down. "Papa was going to let her take me." Chrissie talked to Nanny McPhee as I leaned against the headboard
"No Christianna. Your father would never have allowed it." She spoke to her while tucking her in, looking at me momentarily. She then turned, saying goodnight to us as we returned it. When she disappeared down the stairs Tora spoke up.
"She hasn't got any warts now, do you think she's using some sort of cream?" She asked as Simon propped himself up slightly, watching the doorway.
"I think it's deeper than that, maybe it's a witch thing." I whispered loudly, joking back to the kids previous beliefs. Eric cracked a smile across the room, as I laid back down into my bed.
The room became silent quickly, and I allowed myself to fall into a comfortable sleep.
