my family

Part 1

Maria's POV:

It was a family get together like no other you could say our family had a few problems with one another, but that would be an understatement. Some would literally be at an other members throat and this gathering well this would be one for the books.

~PRESNT~

We've been here for a few minutes close to an hour one has told us that the other would be here. We were all to meet in the back garden, you could say that the place had it's own errie feel to it. The house it's self would probably be considered a haunted house by it's looks it was large old built with brick with vines growing up the place, but I somehow found it welcoming.

Each part of the 'family' show up my Aunt Josephine was one of the first that arrived she watched as we all filtered into the place. Aunt Josephine was once one of the kindest people you could find but it all changed later on. There was a car accident it took both her husband and one of her children's life away. Miraculously she was the only one to survive. We had even all heard how her only other son was kidnapped. That was her breaking point driven mad by grief she was convinced that someone in the family wanted rid of her after her own little family was all gone leaving her alone.

Once we were all gathered my old grandfather's head butler came out to us and told us that he, the head of the family, had just passed in his sleep at midnight. That was the last thing I heard before the world all went silent for me. I know we weren't very close but I still was one of the only ones that were. I felt lost my heart ripped a bit more when I heard it was from overdose. But overdose of what he never really took anything. He was one to stand tall and fought back he'd never let another to beat him at anything. He once told me when I was younger that he had to act that way to protect all of us the family and the company.

When I could finally compose myself a bit enough to pay attention to what was going on around me I saw some crying their hearts out on the floor from the shock of what had just happened. While I saw a few smiling at the news that he was finally gone as if to say, 'that old bat is finally gone now I could be the next head soon'. I felt disgusted by their sad stupid acts that were displaying. It sad that only I knew that he had already chosen someone.

By the end he told us, "he's will is to be read tomarrow morning when the lawyer comes by with it and only those willing to stay in the house may be able to have what he's left you because that was also a clause in his will, so take this time and find out who shall want to stay."

Only we he was gone did they start to argue. Aunt Josephine started it off by screaming that it was Aunt Claire, that Aunt Claire had killed him like she killed off her family and then somehow took Josh as well. Aunt Claire's child Tommy clung to her leg scared of Aunt Josephine and for his mum. She picked up her teary eyed son and held him close to her trying to clam him down by bouncing him up and down in her arms. Once she saw that that things would get worse she rushed through the family that was here. Then as she saw me she went straight to me and handed Tommy to me, "please hide him well from them." She told me looking around to see that no one was listening to us.

"But... but what about you... you can't please Aunt Claire," I tried to beg her not to do what I knew she was going to do. She was going to give her sister what she wanted her life, though she'd never let her have Tommy's. She shushed me but with one finger and shook her head at me silently.

"I have to, you know how she is. She never liked me to began with so please for me." I nodded my head to her as she mouthed the words 'I'm sorry' to me then kissed the top of his head as gently as she could be as if either of them would break and told him, "I'll always love you and that your daddy did as well never forget that." She smiled at the end with thoughts that they would soon be reunited again and with that she left off back to where Aunt Josephine was looking for her. Then came an ear piercing scream had split through the night air as a few tears escaped from me. I tried to cover Tommy's ears as best I could, but he recognized it as his mum.

Tommy knew what it ment and cried into my shoulder with bunches of my shirt in each of his small hands. My mother had then notice what had just happened and took note of Tommy who was a mess. He was only but 3 years old soon to be 4 he had so much a head of him and with that we hid him from the rest so he never see them again.

Once he was hidden we went back and as I had thought earlier was confirmed it was my Aunt Claire's scream she had been stabbed. There she now laid in her own pool of blood in her dress that she told me she loved so much because her husband, Uncle John, had given it to her. Her eyes wide open fear still etched on her face. I leaned down and closed her eyes for her as I got back up to turn I closed my eye and spoke quietly, "I promise he's safe now and I'll make sure he's not found by this people that share the same blood of mine.. they are not family." I ended my small promise as I cried silently again.

They had all entered the old house by now. My Aunt's body was removed from the premises as was the crime scene where it happened. My mother begged me to leave with her since my father our link to this side of the family had gone missing. I told her though I was his child I was part of this horrible family, and I certainly wasn't going to let them all take what he left to me. Knowing that she couldn't convince me to go my mother and a few others decided to leave after Claire's incident, all the children were sent home I was but the youngest to stay within a few weeks I'd be 18 so it wasn't like it was a child.

The help that had ran the house had still worked and ran about their jobs. They moved us into our rooms and had all of our dinner set up by five sharp. As everyone gathered around the table no one dared to speak not even utter a sound. It was only me, my Aunts Josephine, Sarah, Leah, and May as well as my Uncles Greg, Aiden, Henry, and Stephen. The only thing that was heard was the sound of our glass plates and the silverware we used. We all exchange a few weary glances at the table.

Uncle Aiden spoke the first words since we sat down which were on most of their minds, "why did you choose to stay," he murmured silently. "You who is but still a child..." he questioned to me.

I sat there as straight and tall as I had before all the while not daring to show them weakness as I turned to him held his gaze but for a moment. I smiled a small victorious smile as my eyes went to each one as I look back to him, "why are the all of you all here?" I questioned them back one was about to speak but I held my hand up to shush them before they could even get a sound out. "I am here for the same reasons as you to see if he left me anything." I spoke to them slowly pleased by their shocked looks as if I had not just spoken back to them. "You may see me as a child because of my age, but I shall soon be 18 and be finally known as adult by age as well. You want to know what I see you as..." I paused happy by how they were still silent, "I see you all as ones who still can't support yourselves that's why you are all still here. You all are here to see if he left you all any of his money, you're all just a bunch of gold diggers and people after the title of head of the family!"

"If... if we're all a bunch of gold diggers here and what not then," my Aunt Sarah jumped up from her seat and slammed her hand on to the table, "what the hell would that make you then since you're here as well? In that case you're no better than the rest of us here are you!" She screeched at me.

"Ah you said it Aunt Sarah," I smiled sadly at her. "I was actually close to my grandfather if you must know and you, you're here hoping that he left you something so you can pay off your debts." She stared at me stunned by my words. "Oh did you think I didn't know why your here even though your not actually his child and you still want his money. He only took you in because he felt sorry that your mother died for you were his only little sister's child that's it no other reason." Her eyes watered at the mention of her mother, I would've felt bad for her if she hadn't gone after me as well.

I sat back down and ate while the table returned to as before. This time though with Aunt Sarah weeping to herself while her husband Uncle Henry tried to soothe her. They ended up somewhat talking to each other mainly just my uncles. None had dared to try to argue with me again after that. Once we were done with our dinner they came collected the dirty dishes before setting out our deserts in front of the each of us. By the time our meal was done it was still as silent as before as we went to our own rooms for the night.