1912

Chapter One

With a small grunt, I pull the smallest suitcase out from our old attic. It's a nice leather suitcase, but since my family hasn't used or seen this suitcase in nearly twenty five years... It's covered in a fine layer of dust. I drag it behind me, the suitcase thumping loudly with each stair. Violet, my sister, pushes past me rudely, then laughs as my suitcase rumbles loudly as it rolls down the stairs. I roll my eyes at her, my mind too flooded with excitement to argue anymore, then chase after my suitcase.

After I chase my bag down three flights, I finally catch it. I pant and heave breathlessly after the short workout. I grasp the bag tightly in my skinny fingers, then return to floor two, where my quiet bedroom awaits me.

Once I'm in my bedroom I drop the slightly-heavy bag on my bed.
I flip open the switch of my suitcase, and swing it open. I'm surprised when I see its full of old pictures. They're are black and white pictures. I flip through some of them. They have pictures of a younger girl in a large dress at a party, a teenager with a man who looks a slight older than her, then they both appear again dressed fancy, like for a wedding. The next time I see them is with a small girl with dark reddish-brown hair, almost like me. The next picture I see is of the same family with the girl being older and now there is a fair skinned blonde girl standing next to her. I look through a handful of more pictures until I realize I don't know the people in these pictures. I close the suitcase, looking for clues. I find a gold nameplate, and wipe away the sticky coating of dust. It reads Rose White.

Just as I open my bag again, there's a knock on the door. "Come in" I call, hoping my door handle was not stuck again. My father appears in the doorway and says "The carriage will be here soon, are you almost ready?" I look down at my bag full of pictures, then back at him, and respond with, "Yes, Papa, I just need another minute." He leaves. I pour all the photographs from my bag into a closet then mindlessly shove dresses and crinolines into my bag.