The Atham Manor (Slow Updates)

Nightmares are Ephemeral

Katherine again led me through the circular hallway of the house's second floor and back down the stairs. She seemed tense - more tense than before. She slipped behind the stairs, taking me to the left of the downstairs to a grand dining room with an extremely long dining room table.

The food was already set, a heaping thing of spaghetti and meatballs, salad, fries, green beans and other random side dishes that really didn't go together. There were four different pitchers of drinks all varying in color.

Adaline was already there, sitting to the right of a handsome older man with salt and pepper hair, brown eyes and a stern look. Mr. Athams probably. Cassandra was there too, sitting to the left of her father and glowering at me just as hatefully as before. The last man was sitting beside Adaline, sipping dark red wine from a golden wine glass. He was also just as handsome as Warren, with hazel-green eyes and blonde hair. His eyebrow shot up when I walked into the room behind Katherine.

Adaline smiled graciously. "Xania, wonderful, you're here. You've already met Cassandra, but this is my second son Calvin." She gestured to the pale man sitting to her right. "And this is my husband."

"Hello, Mr. Atham, hello Calvin." I waved awkwardly and Calvin nodded his head in acknowledgement. Suddenly, Miriam brushed beside me, sitting next to Calvin. Now that I could see them across from each other, I could verify they were in fact twins.

Warren walked up next to me, putting a light hand on my shoulder. "Come sit next to me, princess." My eyebrows rose at the new nickname.

"Stop messing with the poor girl, Warren. You're such a man whore." Miriam rolled her brown eyes, and Warren's arm dropped as he sat down beside Cassandra.

"Where's Henry?" Adaline asked, and all her children sent her knowing looks. "Ah, yes. Henry's not very... communicative. He prefers to be alone all the time."

"Oh, okay." I glanced down at the two people left to sit by. Miriam was nice enough but who knows how long that'll last and Warren was too flirtatious for my liking. I sat down next to Miriam since she was closest. Surprisingly, she smiled at me. Oh. Someone friendly. Finally.

Dinner was eaten in silence, and Mr. Athams didn't even touch his food. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere else than there. Calvin just downed wine like it was nothing and Warren kept looking over at me. Miriam and Cassandra were the only ones who ate, but barely anything at all.

I, on the other hand, ate like a starving animal. I ate two plates of spaghetti, one whole salad, and a whole plate fries. Warren's eyes went wide. "Damn, the girl can eat."

Embarrassed, I stopped the fry before it entered my mouth. "Sorry... airplane food is gross and I didn't eat before I left."

"It's okay," Adaline smiled joyously. "I take it the food is to your liking?"

"Mhmm," I nodded, chewing on my neglected fry. "It's really good, thanks."

"Great." Adaline turned back to her salad and forced another bite down. I don't know if she wanted to appear healthy or not, but she seemed to not like eating the food set out. Maybe she was vegetarian and couldn't take the smell of meat. {AN: *snort*}

More silence ticked on, until I put my fork down on my empty plate(s). "I'm finished eating." All at once, everyone stood up, clinking their dishes back down and leaving in different directions. Within two whole seconds, the table was cleared aside from Adaline. I stared in shock. The woman stood up slowly from the table, sitting down her wine glass.

"Don't worry about the mess, dear. The butlers will pick them up." I paused in the middle of stacking my dishes and set back down my empty glass. "Go ahead back up to your room. You can shower and sleep. Tomorrow we're going shopping for your uniform for Eastwood School of Fine Arts."