Volatis

The smell of...

   Robert McKenzie had always been told by his father that those who dwelled in the city were nefarious folk: gangsters, whores, thieves, and society's riff raffs all moved there for supposed better opportunities. But all they managed to do was go from being the black sheep of a small town to one of the city. It had been part of the reason he never ventured near them and when required due to business he never lingered too long. Figuring the polluted air would make it to his brain and decrease its size. But when the butler had delivered the yellow packet which had arrived at his manor at early dawn and stated it was for his eyes only, he knew the gravity of the matter. So there he was putting aside his rational phobia and attempting to locate the daughter of his very dear friend.

When he had spoken of the matter to his wife, Elizabeth McKenzie, she had wondered why he didn't attempt to reach out to the second eldest of the three. Surely he would be more capable of handling the matter, but Robert assured her there was a reason Evangeline was the matriarch of the family. He had known her since she was a toddler and felt confident the child would be more than capable enough to handle the catastrophe which had occurred. Of course, he had to admit to himself the root of it was he himself was not strong enough to go against the plethora of enemies the Avery family seemed to have. Nor was there any reason to. Poor children, if only they knew the real reason behind everything. Perhaps these things could be avoided.

He peered outside the window once more to distract himself from his thoughts. The houses on the east side of the city appeared nicer, though they did not compare to the structure of his home, more effort had certainly been put in the surrounding area. The greenery was trimmed and well kept,  the road painted a light tone of red, and the houses as well were painted in soft jewel tones which appealed to the eye. It was the wealthier side of the town, the border patrolled by officials in navy colored uniform. Though realistically it was all an illusion - the city was a concrete jungle and it did not care whether one slept in a bed of Chinese imported silk or withered cloth eventually it was bound to devour everyone. But, it kept the tranquility and peace of mind on those on the inside.

The carriage stopped and Robert had at last arrived, his driver stepped off and opened the carriage door. Robert quickly looked around to ensure there was no one around that could recognize him and quickly made his way to the door and knocked feverishly. He had felt safe in the car, but now he felt as if the eyes of everyone were upon him and the package he carried in his left hand. Mere seconds passed, but it was enough for him to lose his mind and consider merely abandoning the porch steps and running to the safety of his cushioned leather seats. A soft wind blew through the air lightly rustling the leaves and it made the hair on the back of Robert's neck stand up. Had they found out? How? Where they onto him? Sweat soaked into the collar of his shirt and underarms and he swallowed harshly. Finally, the front door opened to the face of an elderly lady, before she could even greet the shaking man he spoke in a shrill voice.

"It is for Ms. Avery, a package from her brother Charles, tell her that..."

 The carriage ride had lasted nearly twelve hours from what the pocket watch attached to Evangeline's black and emerald green trimmed fur coat could inform her. She was extremely uncomfortable: her braided updo strained her scalp and caused a headache, her hat, along with her shoes had been discarded and were sitting opposite of her. Though she could personally pick apart everything which was improper about her current appearance she was undeniably beautiful and to the untrained eye she looked perfect.

Due to the length of the voyage she would have normally slept in an Inn and packaged more, however, the matter at hand was far too urgent. She had received the stack of letters and journals from her maid that very same morning. Though Charles Avery did often write to tell of his adventures in the South and have a flair for the dramatic often writing pages of detailed words to depict a single thing. It was the content of the letter and the strange nature of it that had her packing her luggage and setting out to a place she swore to never even think of again. Evangeline did not know what had shaken her more, the horrifying things Charles had seemingly uncovered or the fact that there was a police report attached to the letters explaining of his disappearance. Truthfully before she had even opened the envelope a sense of dread had consumed Evangeline once the bittersweet scent of pine had invaded her nostrils. It was a scent that brought tears to her eyes and buckled her knees, as several images and memories flashed before her too rapidly for her to even comprehend what any of them were.

Having been absorbed in her thoughts, she had failed to realize that the carriage had stopped. The imprudent and harsh knock on the carriage door was what leaped her out of her ponderous state. It was a knock that felt as if it had been delivered by brass knuckles, a knock which commanded immediate attention and respect. A knock very similar to one of someone she had held dearly before, but perhaps not enough before he had left.

'I am a mess. Get it together.' She wasn't completely in control of herself and it as quite unlike her. If there was anything she prided herself in was her ability to always maintain her composure even if it meant looking apathetic to the rest of the world. Perhaps it was the proximity of her childhood home that had her restless, or it could very well be the smell of pine that was seemingly slowly seeping into the cabin which was affecting her emotional and psychological state. 'I always did dread that smell.' The knock came again louder than before and Evangeline finally peered through the curtain's and out the small window before opening the door.

"What seems to be the problem, officer?" She responded curtly, yet with a smile. It was a perfectly calculated one which caused the dimples in her cheeks to show up but did not crinkle her eyes. A polite smile which did not give away too much. Truthfully, she had wanted to avoid drawing any attention to herself and simply investigate what her brother had spoken about and leave as quickly as possible. An Avery returning to Aversante would cause quite an uproar and in a small town such as this one, those were often accompanied with a terrible tragedy. "I apologize for the disturbance Miss, but I am afraid there has been a disappearance and Sheriff Luxs has us recording everyone who leaves and enters the town. If I could please have your name and the purpose of your visit." The Officer was a tall broadly built man, though his first impression may have been of a formidable man upon closer analysis one may have noticed the flaws of his persona. Crooked sleeves, unpolished badge, a residue of a lipstick smudge on his left cheek. Only things keen eyes could detect but everyone in Aversante was keen. He was new to town. A common man. In order to survive in this town, one had to be anything but.

"Emily Lucille, I'm just visiting a friend. Won't linger around too long."

"What's name of your friend?"

A test to prove her theory. "Avery Sante. We went to school together." No reaction whatsoever.

The man looked up from his notepad where he was scribbling down what she had said. "Alright, Miss. Well enjoy your stay and may I recommend a visit to the east side of town. The founders live there and whilst you can't enter the property it is still pretty to look at." Evangeline nodded and closed the door. The carriage began to move and before she knew it the smell of pine had completed consumed everything around her and in a tiny clearing was the very familiar sign informing her she had arrived.

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