Thoroughbreds//The Turning [COMPLETED]

Chapter 1 - The Meeting

She shrugged, looking towards Delilah. 

I pulled out the apple and went to hand it to Flora, but Delilah snatched it from my palm, her tongue grazing my skin. She left behind a small amount of slobber on my palm, making me slightly squeezy and wipe my hand on my jeans, leaving a stretch of horse saliva down my trouser leg.

"Haha, she's kinda greedy," Flora said. 

I smiled and noticed Kate staring at us from the corner of my eye. She stood just outside the stables, watching us.  

"So, what's the black horse called?" I asked Flora as I turned my attention to the beautiful beast, attempting to divert my attention away from Kate.

"His name is Sampson, he's grumpy all the time," Flora told me. "Only Miles is allowed to ride him though, Mrs Grose says Sampson is too headstrong for me," 

"Who's Miles? I heard Mrs Grose mention that name before," I asked her.

 The girl made eye contact with me. 

"He's my brother, he lives here too but he's at boarding school right now," Flora replied with almost a hint of sadness in her voice. 

"Well, I can't wait to meet him," I smiled at her, causing her to smile back.

"Come on, I want to show you the maze," Flora said as she took my hand, pulling me out of the exit.

---

"Wow, it must be easy to get lost in here though," I said as Flora skipped beside me, glancing up every so often.

"Yeah, it's very easy to get lost, just be careful," 

"I'm claustrophobic so I probably won't come down here often," I told the girl, hoping she knew what the word 'claustrophobic' meant.

"That's when you're afraid of small spaces isn't it?" She asked, curiosity filling her voice.

I raised an eyebrow, "Yes, how did you know that?" I asked back, amazed she knew the word.

"Mm, Miss Jessel was a good nanny to me, she taught me lots of things, even French," Flora said.

I looked at her, slowing my pace, "Miss Jessel, what happened to her? Did she leave?"

I noticed Flora had a worried expression on her face after I asked this, after I mentioned Miss Jessel.

"Um, yeah, she just left us one day, I think I must've gotten on her nerves after a while," Flora blurted out, sounding hurt.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders.

"I'm sure she just needed a break, who knows, she might be back soon,"

"I doubt it,"

---

"Hey, slow down!" Kate yelled as her and I chased Flora into the mansion. 

"C'mon!" She shouted back at us, waving at us to follow her. 

"So, you don't hate kids at all do you?" Kate muttered beside me as we walked up the steps of the mansion. 

"Hey, she's cute...and good company, plus I never said I hated children Kate, just not keen" I smiled as I nudged her. 

"Up here!" We heard Flora yell from the top of the staircase, pointing at a room.

"Who's room is this then?" I asked as I entered the room. It was clear it was her room, with pink bed sheets and pinky wallpaper, teddies covering the floor.

"Mine silly" Flora answered. Kate and I laughed as Flora grabbed my hand and dragged me to another room. 

"This is Miles' room" She commented as she swung open the door, flinging me into the room temporarily. Through the quick glance I managed to get, I saw a few guitars, a drum kit and a mattress laying on the floor. "I think you will be spending a lot of time in here when he gets home"

"Ha, what makes you say that Flora?" Kate asked as I felt my cheeks turn purple. 

"You know, my brother is the type to make friends fast, and girlfriends" Flora winked at me as she jogged down the hall.

"Ooo, I guess you'll be busy tomorrow then" Kate said, attempting to tease me.

"Wait, he comes home tomorrow?" I asked her, hoping I came across as 'worried'.

"Mrs Grose told me when you left for the stables earlier today" She laughed. "And don't look so worried, I'm sure he's a nice boy" Kate finished as she brushed my fringe behind my ear.

"Wait, whats down there?" Kate questioned Flora.

"That's the east wing, I don't go in the part of the house" Kate and I looked at each other, swapping worried expressions.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Don't wanna" Flora replied as she turned and walked off.

"What the hell was that?" I asked Kate, looking at her. 

"I don't know" She said with a worried tone in her voice as she stared down the east wing.

I felt my eyes heading towards the east wing too. The empty hall which seemed to be unoccupied, wasn't quite so welcoming. I could feel a cold breeze brush my skin as I stood there. It was almost like someone was attempting to push me down the corridor.

"Flora" Kate yelled down the hall as she walked towards another room, snapping me out of my daze. I followed, not wanting to pace the mansions floors alone.

"This is your room Kate, oh Elizabeth I forgot, yours is just down the hall at the end, next to Miles'" Flora told Kate and I as we studied the room we stood in. 

"This is my room?" Kate asked Flora.

"Yep" She replied with a high pitched voice, prancing around the room like a pony.

"Woah, this is all for me?" Kate questioned, dazzled by the lovely room she had been given to sleep in.

"Yep" Flora repeated. "Want to see something else?" She asked.

"Yeah" Kate replied, following Flora through a doorway within her rented bedroom. 

"Behold, my great grandmothers sewing room" Flora said as she twirled about the open space.

As I walked in the room I saw mannequins, piles of old clothing and fabrics and about four sewing machines.

"What is this?" Kate asked as she approached one of the mannequins.

"Oh Miles did that, I told him it was tacky" Flora replied and carried on dancing around the room, hanging off of anything she could see. 

I too approached the mannequin and noticed  two groups of sewing pins impaling it.

"If that was a real woman I bet she'd give Miles a piece of her mind" I said, causing Kate to laugh. 

"Oh I bet you would" Kate whispered, nudging me again. 

I looked at her with a confused look. 

"Whats that supposed to mean?" 

"You know"