𝐨𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧- 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝

Prologue

Autumn had begun and the leaves were returning to auburn and maroon shades, falling to the ground and crunching underneath my shoes as i walked down the pathway towards the corner store bakery.
The scent of fresh bread had wafted down the street and lingered; it dominated the usual earthy smell of Summer. Not many people were around town at this time, 8am, and i relished in the ambiance of a bright early morning in our small town.

The owner of the shop, a short tubby old man named George, stood behind the counter with his usual welcoming toothy smile, a gentle wave soon following my entrance.
"Good morning Eden," He chirped as he bagged a fresh tiger loaf into a paper packet, my usual order.
"Good morning George." I replied, my eyes quickly looking to the left of the bakery where a young woman stood who i didn't recognise.
This was unusual. Our town was small and i knew almost everybody who lived there; yet this woman i did not, so i supposed she must be a new resident.
She was tall and slender with dirty blonde hair pulled into a short ponytail, fingers fiddling with her messy fringe as she stood waiting to be served.
She gave me an awkward smile as our gazes met and i jumped back, taking my loaf from George and handing him the £3.

I left the bakery and walked back to the small cottage i shared with my grandmother, she was a tall woman with black hair that had yet to start graying only 50 years of age. She was washing the pots as i came into our small kitchen, kissing her cheek as i set the bread down on the counter.
"I have a new job offer," She spoke softly, softer than usual. This usually meant bad news.
"Doing what?" I asked with a small frown. She placed a hand on my shoulder, another bad sign,
"I'll be working as a cook up in the Fairchild Manor."

I cringed. The Fairchild Manor was known to be suspicious, it was a secluded oversized victorian building in the middle of the forest. There was not much known about the residents, i had heard from
passerby's that a young girl lived there with her brother but that was the extent of my knowledge.
"Okay, when do you start?"
"Well that's the thing sweetie, we really need extra money and we can't quite afford the cottage anymore. They're offering free housing at the manor for my cooking services and you to work as a laundry maid."

I took a step back, pushing her hand off gently.
I pressed a hand to my forehead to ground myself and thought for a moment. Leaving our cottage to live in a manor to service some privileged family as a maid didn't sound the most appealing to me. Then again, it wasn't as though the situation was very much in her control and we had been grasping at straws for a while. I looked up to see her tearing up and i pulled her into a soft hug, kissing her cheek for a second time.

"It's okay Grandma, don't worry, i don't mind working." I hushed softly and took another step back. She was smiling now, wiping the tears that escaped her eyes, "We go there tomorrow, you best pack by tonight love."
She must have knew about the job for a while if we were leaving for there tomorrow, it annoyed me she was only telling me now but i was much too tired for conflict. I nodded and left to my bedroom, a small cosy space i had grew fond of over the years.
I didn't have many belongings, a few dresses and couple pairs of shoes, a small collection of books, my hairbrush and toothbrush.

I climbed into bed and pulled the blankets over myself, curling into a ball and trying not to cry. What did I have to cry for? I was just being dramatic.

I was seated on a large bed with black satin sheets- it was the most expensive thing i had seen in a long while. The large door opposite the room opened, a boy standing there. He was slender and lithe; a half shadow. He smirked, black curls falling over a shadow where his eyes would be. His fingers curled down the door and he closed it behind himself, walking towards me. He chuckled and sat at the end of the bed, "Mine."