Andrianna was having a dream. She dreamt that she went back to a large mansion. She could not place where she was by looking at it but her subconscious mind felt a sense of recognition.
She knew the driveway that she walked on had once been surrounded by a beautiful garden, a contrast to the heavy wild trees that now swallowed it whole. It lacked the sophistication afforded to the house and her by birth.
She watched large windows, as she stood outside the magnificent house.
La Perla.
The pearl.
Named after Pearl Moreno. Andrianna was positive that she had never been here and yet a part her knew that the recognition she felt was not from a memory that belonged to this era. Much like any dream she saw snippets of memories that were her own and yet were not. A fog of imagination seemed to veil reality and yet everything about it was real. Or atleast her interpretation of it. Of this memory.
It was a different time that she remembered. She was a different woman. She was the pearl of his dreams.
She stood in front of the house with a hopeful joyousness in her heart, watching the pearled mansion welcome her.
And yet it did not.
The curtains were drawn, barring Andrianna from peaking inside. All except the one on the far right. It shades were parted just a little, as fingers clutched it open for her.
There was no face to the pale hand, just a head of dark curls. And Andrianna knew who it was and where that figure stood. Andrianna pushed open the front door, listening to the loud creek of the door, wrestle its resistance.
The house did not want her here. She knew its secret after all. The secret to its beginning and its end.
The chandelier above moved in warning, as if with each swing it said, "Be gone la pearl. You do not belong here. You maybe his pearl but our mistress is here and you aren't her."
Andrianna did not care; she wanted to see the face that accompanied the dark curled hair. She took a step further inside.
That's when she heard the door open again, followed by the laughter of a man and a child.
"Pearl… mi amour. Come outside. You know that you must not go inside. The lady of the manor does not like us here. Do you want us to stay alive? She warned you, did she not? To stay away?"
Andrianna wanted to ignore him, but found that her feet moved a step back. Away from what she knew was her home. Away from the girl that lived in the right wing.
She found her lips curl in a sad smile, longing to stay inside. She brushed her palms against side of her skirt before she said, "Of course my darling. I don't know why I would come inside. Forgive me, why don't the three of us go out for a picnic today?"
The man, her husband, held the door open as he urged her to leave with him.
"We haven't been here in a while have we?"
"I suppose not, darling." She responded.
"Someday maybe…" Pearls husband sighed.
"Someday maybe…" Andrianna echoed.
"Are you better now?" Andrianna heard the sweet siren like voice beckoning her awake.
Andrianna groaned as she slowly opened her heavy eyes feeling a slight pain at the inside of her arm. Tasting the metallic taste of blood leaving a foul sensation behind. Andrianna knew that what she tasted was not fresh blood but the blood she must have drawn as she tried to mask her screams from the prying ears of the students passing by the stalls.
She nodded as she looked at the girl with the cherry blossom hair.
"I saw you have a panic attack, so, Aaron and I brought you here to the infirmary. Although I suggest the next time you tell us before hand and we take you to our secret spot."
Andrianna nodded again in response.
"Yes… yes that is a splendid idea." The boy named Aaron spoke.
"I am sorry…"
"Never apologize. Something really bad must have happened to you. All the students were made aware that you went through something cruel recently and that well we were to be extra nice to you for that. But, come on this JNS, people here are not nice to anyone. Well, except for us. Obviously."
"Leave Andrianna alone Galescia." Aaron chided, before turning to her and apologizing for her behavior.
"Well, I am Aaron Cross. Its pleasure to meet you."
"Andrianna Redfield."
"Redfield… I don't know why but I have heard that name before. But, then this is JNS."
Andrianna mustered up a weak smile, realizing these seemed to be her new friends.