Masks

Chapter 1

I was like a burned out candle:
Once bright, once beautiful.

  ~~~

  The last two weeks of summer that year were unusually cold, and the sky was often dark, cloudy and rainy. The small town of Scarlettview was no exception to the gloomy weather; in times like these, the residents of the meek city rarely left their homes, which was almost no different than it was on normal days.

  A young teenage girl approached the household, which was easily the largest compared to the smaller houses in the neighborhood. Grasping her suitcase handle nervously, she sighed loudly. She wouldn't have wanted to do this herself, but her guardians back home insisted her to. She stood outside to avoid entering the house, but shivered as the cold wind blew, her long, black skirt flowing.

  Guess I don't have a choice, huh...

  Ringing the doorbell, she could hear footsteps running hastily, approaching the front door. The girl took a few steps back, her grip on her suitcase handle tightening.

  Opening the door was a young woman who looked in her early twenties. She wore a white shirt buttoned to the collar and a long pale blue skirt that went down half her calves. A beige apron was tied around her waist.

  "Ah, you must be the girl moving in." She smiled. "Welcome to the Waters household. Mr. Waters has yet to arrive from work, but Mrs. Waters would like to meet you in her office."

  The girl gulped, taking a step into the house. Ignoring all the interior features of the place, she headed straight for Mrs. Waters' office.

  "Please knock" was written in large, bold letters on a sign that hung on the office door. The girl gulped again, knocking quietly. A sharp "come in" was the reply.

  The girl shook as she slowly opened the door, which creaked loudly, disturbing the once silent atmosphere. A woman sat in a tall chair wearing a black blazer, a black skirt, as well as black stockings and flats. It was as if she attended a funeral before she met the girl. To add to it, a bulky, black computer was on the right side of the desk, a black telephone sitting next to it, and, on the contrary, a stack of white folders on the opposite side of her desk. "Mrs. Evelyn L. Waters" was printed in bold letters on a golden nameplate, which sat on the centre of the table. The girl entered the room, sitting down in the chair in front of the desk.

  "You must be the girl Mr. and Mrs. Vallet sent in." The woman behind the desk said in a monotone voice, handing her a thin stack of papers. "Your room is the third door on the left in the upstairs hallway. The bathroom is down the same hallway to the right. I'd like your bed made every morning by 8:30am - the maids start cleaning at 9:00. Breakfast is at 9:30am, lunch at 12 noon, and supper at 6:30pm, sharp. The papers tell you everything you need to know about here."

  Astonished at how organized the household was, the girl nodded slowly, looking down at the stack in her hands.

  "You will be attending Mount Evergreen High School in the fall. All the information for next school year is in this envelope." Mrs. Waters handed her a brown envelope to add to her stack of papers.

  "T-Thanks."

  "Excuse me?" Mrs. Waters looked offended.

  "D-Did I say some—"

  "That's "I sincerely appreciate it, Mrs. Waters" for you!" She scolded as if she wanted the whole household to hear.

  "I-I apologize for my—"

  "If you think I will treat you as a child of mine, lower your expectations." Mrs. Waters said sharply. "Your guardians entrusted you to me, knowing full well about how things work in this house. As long as you live here, you will follow my rules. Is that clear?"