Love, Endlessly

Chapter 1

I don't think I will ever meet anyone quite like him. He was beautiful, whitty and a complete idiot all at once. Oliver Isaac Carter was quite possibly the most beautiful person I have ever met and was the only man I will ever love. Now let me tell you the story of how he died.

No, let me tell you about how he lived.

It was the summer of 1943, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I was visiting with my family, and we were staying one of my old dead relative's houses. Back at home in Columbia, I was normally not allowed outside of my fenced in yard until my whole day of school, art, and piano lessons were finished. But this summer, I was free. I mean as free as a 17-year-old with a 10:00 curfew can get.

As we drove up the long driveway, all I could see where the palm trees were planted so that they almost made a fence. Just like my house. No matter where a go there will always be a fence. We finally made it up to the house, and the first thing I see is a beautiful fountain, The car drives us up to the front door, and I step out into the world, with the warmth of the South Carolina sun beating down on my face. I look up at the house. To me, this house is what I would consider to be a normal home, but to someone else, this would be a mansion. I walk up the dramatic stairs and our driver hurry past me to open the huge, decorative door. "Evelyn , don't go too far," my Father calls out, "Patricia5 and I have some rules we would like to lay out once we get you settled in."

"Yes, Father," I call out, without looking back. I go inside and take a deep breath, instantly my nostrils are filled with old lady smell and dust. I let out a big sneeze and then laugh at the fact that this house still smells like whatever perfume that lady used.

The first thing I see is a grand staircase that leads upstairs. I look up and there is a huge chandelier hanging over my head. To my right, there is a big open living room with paintings of people or old relatives that I couldn't name for the life of me. And to my left, there is a big dining room area. The table is huge, so you would think my family would all sit close to each other, but that's not "proper." We spread out, Father at one side, Patricia at the other, Ann and Bethany on the side, and I would be somewhere on the other.

This is my life. Every day I need to be the perfect daughter for my perfect family. And if I step out of line, even by just the smallest inch, I am immediately grounded or punished. But this summer I plan to have fun, hang out with my friends and do just about everything my parents would think to be an improper action.