Miss Marot's Home For Unique Individuals

1

"Sit straight don't hunch you aren't a hunchback, Mauverick!" Her mother cried out before smacking her in the back of the head. She raised her hand to rub the throbbing spot. Mauve fixed her posture and turned to look out the window as carriages rolled to the entrance releasing the people contained inside.

Slowly people trickled into the hall and into the ballroom. With as much uncoordinated grace as Mauve could muster she tripped into the ballroom to watch the guests. A voice called out her name.

"Mauve," it said.

She turned to see her father.

"Mauve, my how much you've grown. How old are you now?" He questioned jokingly.

Mauve kept her mouth shut fearing if she spoke Mother would kill her. Father went to grab her arm Mauve winced as he hit a bruise.

"What is wrong?"

Mauve still didn't answer, but Mauve pulled her bruised arm out of his grasp and ran when her Mother rounded the corner and into the room. She ran up the stairs to the attic, her safe haven. Mauve gently closed the door while it moaned it's protest. Following the wall she came up to the trunk and hid behind it. Carefully she took off her boot and looked at the black and blue limb that caused her to be uncoordinated.

Mauve felt a unfamiliar pull in her stomach and her foot disappeared, minute by minute her ankle started to slowly disappear. Crying out in fear Mauve pinched her arm hard, but the limb did not change.

After five hours of hiding the noise from the party slowly down died to nothing. Mauve's legs up to her knees had disappeared to match the floor. Her sister started to call her name, quickly Mauve replaced her shoes and stood up making sure her dress covered her ankles.

"Mauve come on out a lady is here to see you!" Eliza opened the door to the attic.

She grabbed Mauve's hand and dragged her to the front door to greet the woman. The woman wore a long stiff white dress that went well with her dark skin.

"Hello you must be Mauverick, I'm Miss Marot," she introduced herself with a thick accent.

Mauve nodded.

"Could we talk in private?" Miss Marot asked her mother.

"I suppose," Mauve's mother lead the way to the parlour.

After everyone left Mauve faced the lady.

"I know your secret," Miss Marot.

Mauve looked at her confused.

"Your disappearing," she said calmly.

"H-how do you know that," Mauve's throat scratched out for the first time in years.

"Because I know a bunch of children just like you and I want you to come with me before your mother finds out. Your dress won't hide you forever."

"I will come," Mauve jumped at the opportunity to leave her abusive mother.

"Great I will come by tomorrow at noon," Miss Marot smiled and vanished from the chair.

Mauve jumped at the sudden disappearance of her. Mauve slowly opened the door and peeked into the hallway to make sure the coast was clear. After making sure it was Mauve ran from the room and up the stairs to her room. Heading to her bed Mauve peeked underneath and grabbed the dusty suitcase. She tossed it on her bed before heading to her closet to grab her clothes and boots. Shoving it all in the suitcase Mauve had to sit on the case to latch it.

#-#-#-#

The next morning Mauve noticed her waist had disappeared. Scared to look at it she quickly dressed in a long dress she had left out then rushed downstairs to the dining room.

"Good morning everyone," Mauve smiled shocking everyone at the table.

"Why are you so happy?" Her mother snarled.

"I'm leaving to go to school, that lady who came last night asked if I wanted to go to school and I said yes. I'm leaving at noon," Mauve told her.

Her mother stood up quickly knocking over her chair in the process. As her mother walked out of the dining room she yanked Mauve's hair pulling out a few strands. Mauve yelped and gently touched her scalp.

"Are you alright Mauverick?" Her father asked.

Mauve nodded trying to hold back her tears. Noon couldn't come soon enough.

But it did come just not as quickly as Mauve hoped it would. True to her word Miss Marot knocked on the front door on the last stroke of twelve o'clock. Mauve's rushed to the door and opened it to let her in.

"Good afternoon, Miss Mauverick," Miss Marot greeted her new charge.

"Good afternoon, Miss Marot. I am pleased to see you again," Mauve returned the greeting before gesturing her inside.

"You must be the lady Mauverick told us about at the breakfast table," Mr. Astonburg held out his hand to Miss Marot.

"Yes, I am Miss Marot. I will be taking Miss Mauverick with me if it is fine with you, sir?" Miss Marot asked.

"Of course anything to keep my youngest alive," Mr. Astonburg said.

"You are aware you will have to sign a paper before she can leave with me," Miss Marot told him.

"Yes, yes this way please," he lead her to his study where she handed him the paper.

The top read: Miss Grace Marot's Home for Unique Individuals.

Mauves father didn't even bother reading through the paper before he signed it. Mr. Astonburg handed the paper back to Miss Marot and gave his youngest a hug goodbye before he left leaving them alone in the study.

Miss Marot bent down a little to Mauve's height and smiled, whispering in her ear.

"Go grab your things and meet me back in here," she shooed her out of the room.

Mauve raced to her room and lugged the suitcase back to the study. As she ran in she stopped abruptly to look at Miss Marot who sat on the sofa waiting for her to return.

"Are you ready to leave this place?" Miss Marot raised her eyebrow at Mauve.

"Yes!" Mauve yelped.

"Alright! Hold on to my hand tightly and don't let go until I tell you to," She instructed.

Mauve held on to her hand and watched as she grabbed a pocket watch and turned the dial on the top. Then they both disappeared from the study to the front of a small mansion.