The drive was long and seemed endless. The trees, the grass, the animals. Everything was just... there. I was beginning to think that maybe they weren't really interested in adopting us. Maybe they needed free labor? Ugh... That would blow. Every so often, I would look over at Sherrie.
"Knocked out."
She must have been tired. I don't know how she can sleep like this. Everything feels... weird? It's so much to think about, so much to wonder about. And yet all of the chaos and anxiety, kind of create a weird atmosphere. It's almost like it's... relaxing...
As Cerene continued to gaze out the window at the scenery, she began to doze off. The ties of her soul once again; controlling her "meant to be" safe place. Cerene awoke in a dark and damp place. Her thoughts spiraling out of control, she began to breathe heavy and inconsistently. She began to curse herself as the worst comes to mind.
"Oh my god..... What the hell is this?"
Cerene begins to gather her thoughts together as she tries to assess her situation. After steadying her mind, she closed her eyes and tried to listen for a sound. Some sound, any sound! Just... something to give her some type of hope. Just like a typical miracle, she heard a sound! Was that... Water? Wind? She thought to herself. As she was trying to decipher the sound, she felt the ground beneath her legs began to cave in.
"Oh no"
Cerene stood up at an alarming rate trying to back away from the sinkhole.
"What next? It's dark, wet and now sinkholes randomly appear? This is just plain stupid!"
As Cerene backed far enough (or so she thought) away, she continued on trying to get her bearings. Just when she was starting to calm down, a familiar feeling began stirring beneath her feet.
"Shit"
Cerene turned around to run but she ended up tripping. As she lifted her left leg to gain some footing, a hand emerged from the sinkhole and grabbed onto her leg. She began screaming, and fighting, not knowing what was grabbing her. Before she knew it, she was drug inside of the sinkhole. Several hands wrapped around her body and her throat. Breathing became harder and harder and eventually, she began to lose consciousness.
She was jolted awake by the melodic sound of a woman.
"Wake up, princess. "
Cerene was met with the face of the woman that adopted her. A dream? But it felt so real... She thought to herself. She took a moment to take in all of her surroundings. She noticed her adoptive father trying to wake up her best friend. Sherrie was just waking up as well it seemed. Her thoughts finally gaining some type of normality.
"I should have listened to your father. He said you would be a problem when it came to disturbing your slumber." She giggled. Cerene gave a faint chuckle, as she placed her hand on the back of her head glancing to the right. She was still feeling uneasy about everything. The move, the new family, new atmosphere, and then there were the dreams. Nothing really felt right anymore. When Cerene lifted her head both parents were out of sight.
"We're home." They both said in unison, standing at the hood of the car facing the girls. Wearing smiles of joy and fulfillment, they extended their arms to the direction of the manor.
Cerene and Sherrie stepped outside of the car and was met with a long driveway that looked as endless as all of Cerene's mistakes at the orphanage. A house planted at the end of the driveway, really gave it that "Fairy tale" feel to it. This confirmed their suspicions. They were the Cinderellas of the mansion. After riding to the front door, the girls began to feel anxious. Neither 1 of them were ready for what they were about to encounter. As the couple casually strolled up the stairs, the girls noticed something odd. Something felt off about the gentleman. His once fully braided hair was now sporting a half and half feature. Half of his hair was down, the other half braided. Placing their hands on the well taken care of vintage door handles, the couple turned around.
"Are you ready?" Said the tall stoic gentleman.
The couple simultaneously opened the door revealing what looked to be at least 100 maids and butlers forming a line. All of them were bowed as they awaited the families return. A butler and a maid stepped out from side and stood at the the door sill.
"Sir, Madam." The butler and maid greeted the couple as they walked through the door. As the girls walked through, they heard the butler and maid greet them as well. "Your miniature excellencies." They said with the utmost respect.
The 4 of them walked down the doubled line of house workers. The mother stripping item by item the further down she got, and the father kissing the top of everyones head in a weird number pattern. Half way down it seemed as though he stopped caring and just continued on walking. The girls tried to speed up, in an attempt to catch their scantily clad mother, and their oddly affectionate father. By the time they got to the end of the line, both parents were out of sight. The girls turned to question the workers only to find that everyone has disappeared.
"Sherrie, where the heck did everyone go?"
"I-I don't know....Should we, call someone?"
"Yes, Sher. That is exactly what we do! We call on the weird woman who went from beautiful enchantress to Tarzan, the man who's hair changes like Judas' loyalty to Jesus, or the ghost of Beetle Juices sins?"
"What's a Beetles Juice?" Sherrie asked even more confused.
"Look, there's no time to explain something that amazing. Just know I skiped out on a lot of prayer."
"Good Evening Madams" A soft gentle voice spoke from behind the pair, startling the 2. "My apologies for being tardy, your father gave me the wrong information. Please follow me back to your rooms. Dinner will be ready momentarily. Would you like to eat in your rooms or in the dining area?"
The girls followed the maid as they hashed out their options. By the time they had completed their thoughts, they were at their bedroom doors. They gave the maid their choice and chatted while awaiting dinner. After dinner, the girls chatted more and became a little more comfortable as the night went on. They both ended up falling asleep. The didn't see their new parents anymore that day, and they didn't care. They were happy to have been chosen, something that wasn't fathomable to them before. For the first time in a while, Cerene had a peaceful sleep.
Well into the middle of the night. Cerene was awoken to nature calling. She stumbled out of bed and began to wander about. Flashlight in hand, she walked down the long hallways. Her feet began to feel moisture pooling around them. Had she already peed? She continued walking only to end up further in what seemed to be water. Her eyes opened and she shone the flashlight ahead of her only to be greeted with walls an water.
"What the hell?" Cerene said as she slowly started moving forward, gaining a better view. Upon moving forward she noticed a steep area filled with water. She noticed something shiny floating around in the center and shortly after, something went past it.
"I need to find that bathroom. I think I'm starting to see things."
Cerene steadily lifted her foot to take a step or two back from what clearly didn't make sense, and turned around.
"REALLY?!?!? As if it's not annoying that I go through this in my sleep, but now MY mind, has lost IT'S mind!!
She was met with a change of scenery. The path she traveled was no longer what she knew. There was a forest. In a house. When she JUST came from that direction. Cerene felt like she was going crazy!
"OKAY! FINE!... I'll go through the water I guess..." She mumbled to herself.
Cerene turned and began to prepare for a swim. She tied her shirt in the back, rolled up her pants, and put her hair up using the scrunchy she always keeps on her, and stuck her foot in the water.
"Ewwwww it's warm." She began dancing around in circles with a look of disgust.
Yeah... Because that's EXACTLY what I want to feel when going into a RANDOM! Body of water that appeared out of the crack of butt! She thought to herself.
"Butt" She giggled for a moment as she thought about how she could say the word butt and it go unpunished.
Then came the urge to pee again. She stopped her laughter and took a deep breath, preparing for the "dive". Cerene steps into the water and begins to carefully wade through. The swim was shorter than expected and she finally reach the opposite end. She began to climb out of the water when something grabbed her by the ankle and drug her down into the water. She frantically tried to swim back to the surface, but to no avail. It was too dark too see which direction she should swim in. Out of the corner of her eye she saw it. A faint glowing light that seemed to peer through the everlasting darkness. She swam for it. Her only hope of not perishing to the water, or the monster. She grabbed stretched her hand and grabbed it. She held the glowing item above her head in hopes of some sort of guidance. And there it was. The glowing object combined with the pitch black water caused the light to reflect off of the chandelier and the windows causing ripples in the water to create beautiful shimmers of light. It lit her way just enough for her to see which direction ahe should swim towards. She was almost there. Just a little further and she would be home free. She swam as hard as she could she could. She made it. She threw her head back gasping for air. Who knew breathing was such a luxary? She climbed out of the water panting. She laid there for a few minutes as she caught her breath.
"What" She breathed "The heck was that thing!?"
She turned her head towards the hand with the item in it.
"A necklace? You've gotta be kidding me. " She thought to herself, trying to make sense of it all.
She began to rise to her feet. Clothes soaked; shaking; cold & wet like some abandoned cat in the rain. And if we're being honest, she is an abandoned cat. Battered, defeated, and alone. Thankfully, she no longer had to live with those abusive families again. It doesn't fix the damages and it doesn't stop the nightmares, but at least it's stopped. She walked down the hallway slowly, leaning on the wall for support. She dropped to her knees and then everything went black.
~The Morning~
"-Rene. Cerene, it's time to wake up. Can you hear me?" Sherrie gently shook the sleeping beauty.
"Ugh.. No, I can't hear you." She began to giggle.
"First day waking up here and you're already being mischievous! Are you going to keep being lazy or can I get some help?"
"Yeah, yeah I'm getting up. " Cerene raised herself up, letting out a yawn in the process. "I had the weirdest dream. There was a light. " She stated as she began to make up her bed.
"Wait what? A light.... That's all you remember? How is that even a dream? "
The two girls share a laugh. As they complete their bed making. A knock came at the door.
"Good morning little misses. Everything that you need is in the closets. The Master and Lady of the house request your presence at the table.
Some time went past and the girls went down for breakfast.
"Good morning! How did you sleep? " A voice called from inside of the large refrigerator.
"Good" The two answered almost unanimously.
Once breakfast was done and everyone was at the table, the parents began to ask questions. Something that the pair was used too by now, but was still an uncomfortable time none the less.
"So, tell me something that both of you enjoy"
"We enjoy whatever you enjoy! We are sure that your interests are the best for us and we will not deviate from that!" Once again, the girls spoke unanimously.
"No, no, no. Your mother does not mean lie. Tell us, what is it that you enjoy? "
Back again... Here at this point where it can go either way. The girls know if they're honest, they will be thrown away because no one likes little girls with opinions. Now, if they lie, that possibility of being abandoned; for the first time, is an option.