Evealyn watches the shadow of trees stretching over her window, the car driving along the hilly dirt road. The drive makes her feel as though she'd been wounded, it's hard to even recognise the road that she's on. Having wanted a change of pace, this is not what she had in mind for a change of pace. Learning that she was now the inheritor of her grandmother's estate. What surprises her most is her parents, who usually ever think about what could benefit herself. Wonders how its that they haven't pestered her to hand it over, only accepting the money and bits of real estate willed to them.
Calling it worthless to her face, and went off on some around the world trip somewhere with the money. Thoughts have been nothing but blur, staring at the cluster of trees, the shadows worsening her mood. Having not realized how hard she is tugging on her wrist band, "You know, tug any harder and I'm afraid it might go airborne." Evealyn stops staring up at the mirror, the driver noticing her eyes, they were like the forest of trees. That's if the forest were clouded over with an indiscernible fog. "Perk up kiddo else Joycln can't rest with you looking like that.''
"Would it be so bad if she were to wake up, Percy?" her voice being so devoid of emotion, with a hint of uncertainty in believing her own words. Evealyn had grown tired of seeing nothing but trees along the way. "Percy, are you sure we're on the right road."
"Don't tell me you've already forgotten the way to your own home ." In her memory, the path leading up should be clearer than this, and accessible to see the stars. "I remember there not being this many trees on the way there." Wondering if she misremembered, it had been twelve years after all. "The trees were all planted by Joyclyn." Grandma? she questions why would she plant so many trees around. "Are you sure grandma planted all these trees?" confused as it's so unlike her, as she always says dark places attract evil things.
"These were all planted for your next arrival." Surprised is an understatement as to what she was to do with so many trees. "That sounds very unlike grandma to be planting trees as an added gift." Percy, confused at first, never understood why she did it until; "That's due to her wanting her little squirrel to have a place to touch the stars."Evealyn feels embarrassed hearing her old nickname again. It makes her happy knowing grandma kept her promise to some extent.
Percy laughs, happy to see some emotion coming back to her face. The black iron gates come into view, as the dirt road turns to cobblestone. When the gates opened, Evealyn had hoped to be met with a familiar bright smile. Feeling a bit disappointed, that the guard and his post was nowhere to be seen. It crossed her mind that maybe he had retired and grandma must have had it automated from the inside. Though wasn't afraid to ask in the case he might be on vacation.
"Percy, what happened to Mr Charles?" He stayed quiet for a moment, making her feel uneasy, he then sighs; "He had gone to take a rest of his own." Believing maybe her hunch was correct, and was curious to know if he really did retire or was on vacation.
"It's good that he can enjoy his free time now, so has he retired or is he on vacation somewhere?"
"No Evealyn, like Joyclyn he's no longer with us," feeling her heart drop down to her stomach. Not able to bring herself into believing a word he had said, driving further away from the gates. She glanced back at the mirror as the gates were closing, for a brief moment believing she saw Mr Charles. He had let go of the gate he was closing to wave at her and smiled, "Look Percy, isn't that Mr Charles right there?"
He looks at the mirror then back at her, "There's nobody there kiddo." Looking back and to her dismay, Mr Charles wasn't there like she thought. Afraid of what Percy might think, wondering if he might think of her as crazy. The expression on Percy's face doesn't calm her but it relieves at least a bit of worry. Percy's expression is like looking at a sad kitten drenched in the rain. Evealyn rests her head against the leather upholstery "Pull yourself together Evealyn nobody's there."
Closing her eyes wanting the drive to be over, Percy looks back at the mirror, his expression different from the sympathy before. Making the bend by the old fountain statue arriving at the entrance of the main house. Percy gently pressed on the brakes, Evealyn unaware they had come to a stop. Lost in a powerful windstorm of her thoughts, clouding her field of motion. It's all starting to feel real, when she wants it all to be a lie or some bad dream. "Open your eyes kiddo, welcome home." The bright lights from the porch illuminating the white stone pillars that tower over the vehicle.
Unsure if the sight of it had caused her heart to stop or caused it to race faster. Feeling a vibration of emotions coursing in like a current. Percy gets out of the car walking over to her door, seeing it open Evealyn is too afraid to step out. Believing everything would become real if she did. Even if she was really back at the estate, surely grandmother Jose would be inside waiting for her.
Right?
Percy leaves the door open for her, feeling she might need to process whatever she's feeling right now. Walks over to the trunk to start unloading her luggage. Evealyn grabs the bags beside her, gathering enough will to step out. The frigid night air washes against her skin, making her feel more awake. Standing in front of the porch makes her scared, "Grandma Jose is waiting for you behind those doors." Trying to convince herself that everything was all right, there's nothing for her to worry about.
The click of the truck brings her out of her thoughts. "You packed rather light you know." Looking at her bags, Evealyn wonders if they have different meanings of the word light.
"You're moving, so one would expect a moving truck." Evealyn finds what he says is hard to dispute. Then again she can't just tell Percy that in her haste to get here she never thought of bringing anything more. "With furniture already taken care of I only pack the essentials." Having this being the logical explanation she has for her 'light' luggage. In all honesty she doesn't mind using back the furniture already provided inside.
"Smart thinking there kiddo." They make their way up to the porch opening the door. Evealyn can hear echoes of her younger self laughing, running around the halls. While grandma tells her to be careful, it starts to feel like a distant memory. Evealyn is disappointed to find that grandma jose hadn't greeted her by the door. The head to the right taking the steps, taking notice of the drawings she made on the walls. Grandma Jose hadn't painted them over, worried that it might have pained her to see them everyday.
They take a turn down the hallway, Evealyn unable to see her grandmother anywhere. She stops in front of a room situated right next to her's, Percy notices but decides to walk ahead of her. Seeing her eyes looking closer to gray, the forest now completely overshadowed by fog. Her hazed eyes lingered on the carved mahogany door a little longer, feeling heavy with it closed. Entering her own room seeing the blue lights, she feels herself bleeding with no cuts.
The translucent turquoise curtains over the windows like a cascading waterfall. The little blue crystals strung down the sides of the windows. The reflection of the light bounces off of them causing a water ripple effect. Her grandmother used to tell her they attracted water spirits that protect her at night. The round cream-colored, pearl pillows had little tassels, set atop the bay window she loves to sit. The big chair in the corner, with the giant crochet octopus sat on top of it. Grandma Jose spent a lot of time making it for her eighth birthday, calling it her water guardian.
It sits under a small shelf with a crystal dolphin, and vines hanging down like seaweed. Beside her bed was a small night table with a lily shaped lamp on top, now feeling that it's out of place. The wall next to the bed houses an in wall wardrobe with crystals as the knobs. All in all this is the place she has called her underwater grotto. Seeing that there hasn't been much change, other than the bed now bigger having a canopy over it. The translucent blue fabric hanging from it gives it that waterfall touch. The blue and white pillows and sheets arranged like an underwater wave.
A few stickers placed along the walls have peeled off revealing the cornflower blue underneath them. Seeing bits of residue left behind leaving an imprint of where the once were. Percy who had placed the remaining bags down found that she looked around the room almost lost. It's like she had opened a long forgotten time capsule, with memories feeling unfamiliar.
Percy glanced over to the crystals for a brief moment before heading back down to give her some space. Feeling she's going to need it to have time to process before she can finally settle down. Evealyn walks over to her bed, noticing a new smaller crochet octopus sitting by her pillows. Figuring her grandmother must have thought the bigger one would get lonely with her gone. Getting close enough she goes to pick it up, that was until she noticed something. Behind the octopus tucked between some pillows was an old book. She pushes past the pillows taking a hold of it instead, her eyes stung feeling cathartic. All the emotions she had been denying had bubbled up to the surface, believing she might wake up in her city apartment. Getting ready to receive a letter from her grandmother, finding it hard to breathe as the tears come streaming down. The feeling sank deeper and deeper, with the realization that her grandmother was actually gone.
A/n: Hello everyone, first time writing on here instead of being a reader. I hope you all come to enjoy this and futures parts to come. Please Vote, Share and Comment what you all think.
So, there has been some slight changes but nothing major story wise, just wording and punctuation.