Among the Flowers

Chapter 2: The Road to Nowhere

I slowly opened my eyes, not moving my body I listened to the clip clop of horse hooves. We were still on the road.
    "Almond, are you awake?"
My aunts words rang in my ears.
"Yes Auntie"
I looked out to the road in front of me as I stretched. In the distance I could make out the foggy shadows of a forest.
"Where are we, Auntie?"
I asked wary of the forest we were about to enter.
"We are on the path to Briar-town, just beyond that is Picket Valley, and then we will be on he road home."

"Home."
I say resonating the sound of the word in my mind. Seems to me more like the road to nowhere.

We continue on the road for a long time. Passing through the forest ,and Briar-town, soon we are traveling through Picket Valley.

All the open fields remind me of home. Remind me of how me and mother would roll around in the grassy flower fields laughing and playing for hours. What I great life I lived. I wish I could go back. Oh mother why did you have to leave me.
Tears slip down my cheeks and I begin to silently cry. I turn to fact the fields so that my aunt won't notice.
Soon we arrive at Dawn-House. That is the name that has been given to the fancy mansion my mother grew up in. The carriage halts to the stop as we read the end of the drive.
As soon as we pull up to the door, two children come and stand in the entranceway.
As I exit the carriage both of them run down the stairs. They speak excitedly "Hellooo Almond!!!"  They start talking so rapidly I can no longer understand them.

"Children calm down, let your cousin breath. I'm sure there will be time to speak later. It's not like she's going anywhere"

For a second I see their smiles waver, the light in their eyes goes dim. 
"Yes Mother"

" Now"  she pauses. I can see the fear in her eyes. I glance in the direction she's looking but I don't see what she is lookin at.
She momentarily shakes her head then continues.
"N-Now, help your cousin get her bags out of the cart and then come inside" 

My cousins grabs some bags and I grab my mothers trunk and we head in.  My cousins sneak longing glances at me knowing they won't get to talk to me for a while.

When we walk in there is a man standing in the entryway. He begins to speak "He-"
He gets cut off by my aunt
"Almond Sweetie this is your Uncle . Now go wash up before dinner. There is a bathroom right there."
While my aunt was talking I was glancing at my uncle. I could see that he was angry. Once she finished talking his face changed entirely.
He turned towards me and smiled.
" Yes Almond, I'm so glad that you could stay with us. I just wish it wasn't under such strenuous circumstances" 
He then picked me up and spun me around in the air. I started laughing momentarily forgetting my plights. Once he put me down I  went to the bathroom I washed my face and hands and then sat at the dinner table. 

Once sat my cousins started to talk to me.
"Almond I'm so excited to finally have another girl around here. So how old are you? What's your favorite color. When's your birthday? Do you like the outside? Come on, come on answer me."

"....ummm" I said unable to answer all those questions at once

"Oh sorry. Hehe.. I guess I should introduce myself . I'm Rowan and this is my twin brother Robin. He's annoying" she sticks her tongue out at him

" Hey I'm older you have to respect me!"
Robin says

"Yeah by 16 seconds" She responds back

" Best 16 seconds of my life " He half whispers under his breath loud enough for her to hear.

I burst out laughing and almost fall out of my chair. Rowan just crosses her arms and looks at her brother annoyed.
"ANYWAYS, We are 14 years old our birthday is on October 31st, also known as Halloweeeeeeennn."

"Really! That's when my birthday is but I'm 13 right now." 
Just then your aunt and uncle walked in with the food.
"Mom did you know that Almond has the same birthday as us" Rowan said.

"Yes Rowan I know. I send her a card every year. I guess this year she'll join in on you party" She smiles at us.

We all chat for the rest of dinner. I find out that every year the twins have a big Halloween masquerade party for their birthday. I also found out that during the party the twins don't get introduced but instead oaky a game where the people At the party have to guess who they are. This game is especially hard because on top of a mask they are wearing costumes and makeup. To know that I would be part of that this year made me excited.
Once dinner was done my aunt told Rowan and Robin to show me around the house and show me to my room.