Lost Soul

Promises

"Promise is a big word. It either makes something or it breaks everything."

~Nine years earlier~

A five year old Celine was hiding from her four brothers in a tall tree. She wiped the sweat off her brow, and continued to climb to the top. Her frizzy platinum blonde hair had twigs, leaves, and tiny flowers in it from wrestling with her elder brother Harrison in the grass.

Celine continued to climb until the foliage thinned out, letting her see the expansive Lockwood estate. The stables was a few hundred yards away, and the faint whinnying of the horses could still be heard. She settled herself onto a sturdy branch, and pulled her hair over her shoulder. The ends of her pale hair were stained a dark brown from when Harrison dipped her hair into his ink pot. Celine tried to rub the ink off, but it stained her hands.

"Tch."

Celine stayed in the tree until the sun was starting to set; by then, she was cold and hungry. She looked down, and whimpered. The ground was a good 30 feet down.

"I hope someone gets me down soon." She glanced back at the manor, and saw a carriage pull up, led by four pure white horses. Celine's stomach growled.

A younger Victoria stepped out of her carriage, her stomach doing somersaults. It had been five years since she had given her first born child to her closest cousin, Rosalie. Not wanting her to go to school to become a courtier, Victoria sent her away to have a real childhood; sending lavish gifts every birthday.

"You seem nervous, Your Highness. Why?" Ash had shut the carriage door, and walked ahead of Victoria to knock on the ornate oak door. The pair waited for answer in silence. Ten minutes had passed before a flustered Earl Lockwood opened the door.

"Oh, Lord. Rosalie! Victoria's here!" Harrison Lockwood ran his large hands through his disheveled black hair. Servants and children ran around behind him, shouting and calling orders.

"What's going on?"

"Er, well, you see-" Rosalie Lockwood rushed towards her timid husband.

"Celine is missing." Rosalie interjected, staring at her elder cousin. Anger flashed across Victoria's face.

"What?" Her voice was dangerously low; her steely grey eyes narrowed.

"Did you ask any of the other children where she could have gone?" Ash inquired, looking at the four boys run around the foyer frantically.

"No. Harrison, come here!" Rosalie let Ash and Victoria inside, and shut the door behind them. Harrison ran up, grass stains on his grey trousers and white shirt.

"Do you know where Ellie went?" His mother bent down, and looked him in the eye.

"She went towards the big tree out past the stables."

"Why did she go there, Harry?" Harrison gave a meek smile, and hid face behind his hands.

"I dipped her hair into my ink pot and wrestled her in the grass." He gestured to his stained pants.

"Harrison," Rosalie scolded. "That's not very gentlemanly of you. Would you like it if she did that to you?"

"No." He mumbled.

"Ha ha! Harrison got in trouble!" Shouted Stefan, Harrison's twin. They both shared everything from their black hair to their blue eyes.

"Okay then. Show us where the big tree is." She stood up, and pointed at a footman.

"You! Come with us." The five adults followed Harrison outside

Celine shivered, and looked back up at the sky. She loved everything about them, especially how they twinkled in the night sky. Her legs were becoming tired from sitting on the hard branch for so long, and her hands were sore from climbing up the massive tree.

"Celine where are you?" Earl Lockwood called out. Elijah and Noah had followed the group on horseback to help look for her.

"I'm up here, Papa!" She swung her aching legs, and her stomach growled once more. "I can't get down!" Celine shouted, and tried to climb down to the branch under her feet. The branch she was residing on creaked. She whimpered as it began to sag and groan even more.

"Do something!" Rosalie and Victoria screamed as the branch gave way. Celine screamed, and reached for something to hold on to. She grasped on to a lone branch; some ten feet off the ground.

"Are you alright?" Victoria watched fearfully as her daughter struggled to keep her grip on the large branch. Her heart was in her throat; she had barely managed to croak the words out.

"I'm fine, but my hands really hurt." Celine's aching fingers begged to release the branch. The ink on her hands made her fingers stick together, which was quite annoying. She looked down; looking for another branch. The closest one was just a few centimetres out of reach. She glanced back down again before shouting.

"Do you think someone could catch me?"

"Don't you dare let go of that branch young lady!" Earl Lockwood shook his finger furiously.

"Well then how am I supposed to get down?!" She shrieked, panic setting in. She pumped her legs, trying to get a better hold of the branch.

"Do you have a ladder?" Victoria inquired to the footman.

"Aye, but it's not tall enough. I'd say the young Mistress' idea is the best option." He shrugged, and shrunk away from the menacing glares he received. Celine gave a triumphant smirk down to her father.

"So who's gonna to catch me? Because I would like to let go of this bloody branch!"

"Celine! What did I tell you about saying that word? A proper young lady doesn't say things like that."

"But Elijah and Noah get to say it!" She whined; Elijah and Noah glaring daggers at their little sister.

"Really? Well, I'll be having a talk with them later on." Rosalie turned on her heel, crossed her arms, and stared up at her eldest sons. They both shrugged their shoulders and smiled guiltily.

"I can't hold on much longer." No sooner had Celine spoken, the had broken. She shrieked, and landed in Ash's arms. She looked up at him, and grabbed his hair.

"Your hair is almost like mines. It's all white and stuff." She grinned cheekily; continuing to rumple up his hair. He chuckled, and put her down on the ground. Rosalie and Victoria darted forwards and began to fawn and fuss over Celine.

"I'm fine mamma." Celine exclaimed. The women retreated, but Elijah ran up in their place.

"Ooomph." He enveloped her in a bone crushing embrace. "Eli, you're crushing me!"

"Don't EVER scare me like that again. Promise?" His blue-green eyes were filled with relief. Celine drew an 'x' over her heart.

"Cross my heart swear to die."

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