Light as a Feather

Chapter Five

     The next morning, Annabelle's dad still wasn't back. Her mom had talked on the phone with him for hours the night before. The only other relative in the house hadn't come out of her room, as far as Annabelle knew.

     Her mom came into her bedroom super early in the morning. She opened her blinds, saying, "Rise and shine!"

     "What?" Annabelle growled.

     "Some family members are coming over for brunch today. Which means you need to help me cook."

     Annabelle groaned as her mother left the room. That was not a question of 'will you help me?'. That was an order to get her lazy butt out of bed. She rolled over and walked over to her suitcase. There were drawers and places to put her clothes, but she hadn't unpacked. She didn't want to feel too at home since this was not her house, and she didn't want it to be.

     She settled on some skinny jeans and a nice shirt. She didn't bother with shoes. Annabelle quickly brushed her hair and teeth and she walked downstairs. Her mom had already started making some food.

     During the process of actually making the food, she and her mom did not talk. The only words exchanged were things like, "Does this take more salt?" or "How many eggs did you put in that?" It probably would have made her a little sad if she had not felt like being silent anyway.

     People she didn't know started arriving around ten. Annabelle found herself feeling awkward, since they all seemed to know her personality by heart, but she hadn't seen them in a few years.

     The morning was spent hanging around her mom. She wanted to call her best friend and talk to her, but she knew that that would be rude to their guests. She still hadn't seen the mysterious relative in the closed room.

      One woman stood out to her. She thought it was one of her aunts. She walked up to Annabelle and said, "Hello, darling. You probably don't remember me."

     Annabelle was taken aback. None of her other family members had said anything like that. They just assumed that she knew exactly who they were, when that was most definitely not the case. She shook her head. "I don't, I'm sorry."

     "I'm Jilah," she said, holding out a delicate hand. Annabelle hesitated and then shook it.

     "That's an interesting name."

     "Yes, it is. It's what my grandfather wanted me to be named, which he told my mom on his deathbed." What was it with her family and dying names?

     "Well, it's unique. I like it."

     "Annabelle was a wonderful woman," Jilah said out of the blue.

     "So I've heard," Annabelle answered.

     Jilah only nodded. She paused for a minute and then said, "There is something you must remember about our family. We're not like everyone else. We're different. And that's okay."

     Annabelle chuckled. "I've known that for a while."

     Jilah smiled. "Well. It was nice talking to you, Annabelle." Then she left, floating away into the group of people that were her family.

     Through that conversation, her mother had disappeared. Annabelle scanned the room, looking for her. She soon found her at the top of the stairs. She said, "Will those people who I need to meet with please follow me?" She walked toward the hall with the bedrooms. Annabelle noticed that Jilah was one of those people.

     What did her mom need to meet them for? It was so weird. Something strange was going on, and she was going to find out.