I awoke abruptly in a slight daze, rubbing my eyes as the truck came to a slow roll in an unfamiliar, wide driveway. I grabbed my phone out of my pocket, then pressed the power button. It was at twelve percent and read, 5:55 pm, in the center of my lock screen. My eyes wandered upward, revealing the full extent of the driveway in front of us. It was lined entirely with shimmering black steel fences that stood nearly as tall as the truck itself. Green shrubbery lined the entirety of the property, glittering with fresh water droplets from a recent storm. Unmistakably, the blistering sun was pushed away by dark clouds that seemed to reach on for eternity.
From the driveway it was clear that our new home hadn't crept into view yet. The whole move was making me anxious, although the property seemed extensive and beautifully well kept. I chewed on my thumb nail, glancing from side to side.
Taking a deep breath, I glanced down toward Jackson. Small freckles dotted his sleeping face. His dark hair was a complete, utter disaster with small curls flying everywhere. I covered my mouth, attempting to cover up a laugh, after noticing drool trickling down from his mouth. Not more than ten seconds after covering my mouth, Jackson's bright blue eyes burst open as he jolted upward, slamming his head square into my chin.
"Ow!" I yelped as pain radiated throughout the area, "What was that for?!" My chin throbbed mercilessly as I held my hand against it.
"I didn't do anything!" Jackson retorted back, rubbing the top of his head. "You're the one who hurt me!"
Holding my chin in hand, I glanced toward the windshield. Not more than six feet in front of the vehicle stood a glistening black gate. Gradually, my eyes made their way towards the ground. The ground below was made of an assortment of rocks that had been set together with cement. Numerous cement-filled cracks had a layer of bright green moss growing in between them.
There were tall stone towers on either side of the gate that loomed high above us. My eyes fell particularly on the right side of it. There stood a tall man who wore a black and white suit. He held a small device in his hands that seemingly had only a single button atop it. In an instant, a shriek from the gate echoed through the area. Despite the ear bleeding noise, my mind felt clouded. I had no idea who this man was. The way he dressed and held himself was nothing like the way people in Akens Town had been.
Those who lived in Akens Town almost always wore plain clothing. Nobody living there ever had enough money to spend on expensive clothing. Many could barely afford the basics of living at all. Food, running water, and power were what a majority of paychecks were spent on there. My family was no exception to that rule.
This guy was entirely different from those back home. He stood up completely straight and had not even a speck of dirt on his suit. The air around him seemed still as though his exuding confidence kept it at bay. At first glance he looked to be in his late twenties. However, upon a closer inspection, I could tell he looked more like he was in his late teens. His hair was as black as onyx and had been swept up then to the side by hair gel.
As soon as the gate opened, our truck passed through the threshold and onto the property. From the entrance onward, the driveway was surrounded by a vast amount of empty space. All that filled it was a field of bright green grass that stood out against the deep green of the bordering shrubs.
During the time the truck trudged along, a massive Victorian Mansion took up the center of the property. Without so much as a thought I let out a gasp as I took in the image in front of me. My father brought the truck to a halt beside an edge of the mansion that towered above us.
Surrounding the exterior of the house were more of the green shrubs along with trees of various shapes and sizes, all of which were cut to be perfectly proportionate. An old stone path wound itself up like a snake toward the home's entrance, a short wall of stone lining it.
The home in front of me towered high above. It may as well have been a castle, the walls made of a pale-yellow stone. Two enormous church-like doors stood at the entrance, intimidating all who stood before them. Where the balconies, windows, and door frames were, the purest of white was used to give a flare of elegance to the building. The mansion stood a total of three stories high. From the outside, it looked as though there could be an infinite number of windows.
"So big! So big!" My brother yelled excitedly pressing his face against the window beside me, smudging it. "I wanna go explore!" Jackson's face lit up brighter than I'd ever seen it before. I smiled sweetly at him ruffling his hair.
"Now, now, Jackson," my father turned toward us, his blue-green eyes analyzing my brother, "we've already talked about this, first we need to unpack our things, then we can explore. If you want to, you can go take a peek at the rooms." My little brother's smile faltered slightly at that comment.
"Fine, but I'm going to choose my room first!" Jackson stuck out his tongue, rushing to the door opposite of me. He jumped out of the truck, racing towards the house's front door which, to my surprise, was unlocked.
"How did you two manage to afford something like this?" I asked, dumbfounded. I glanced toward my parents as I hopped out of the truck.
"Darling," my mother said, her grey eyes seemed to be full of happiness. "For many years now, your father and I have been saving up what we could. Just so you and Jackson would have room to grow, even though it'll cost quite a bit of money. To help with this, your father and I have gotten new jobs that pay much more than before!" Her face lit up as she said this, which made my heart warm.
"Thank you, so much mom and dad," I embraced both of them. I was grateful that all the time they spent away from home wasn't in vain. My mother's long brown hair brushed against my face, giving me faint memories from when I was a young child. A time when I was terrified from nonrealistic, pointless things.
"You're welcome, Makayla, now go on and find a room, okay?" My father laughed patting me on my back, I kissed both of them lightly on their cheeks. I raced my way up the stone path and stairs towards the massive front doors.
I stood before the grand mansion in awe, my mind not fully grasping the fact I was at a place like this. Carefully, I gripped the golden door handle, which was adorned with small vine-like designs. I pulled it steadily, which I admit was fairly difficult due to the weight of the door. It would have to be something to get used to.
Immediately after entering, I was blown away. The interior of the mansion was absolutely magnificent! The floors were made from golden wood that was perfectly polished, making it stand out. The walls were painted with an assortment of colors ranging from vibrant reds to caramel browns, along with olive greens. The ceilings rose, forming arcs high above me. To the left of the door a stairwell fit for a castle led to the floors above, where I assumed many of the bedrooms were located.
In one swift movement, I bolted up the freshly polished steps smiling like a small child as happiness controlled my movements. Without much thought I ran directly to the third floor, checking out every room to cross my path. Every single door was intricately carved of —- wood. On top of this each of them were open showcasing the barren rooms inside.
Well, we shouldn't have any trouble with guests coming over anymore, I thought to myself as I scoured the rooms.
No two rooms on this floor were alike. Whether that be in a difference of wall shape, ceiling height, color, or even window size and placement, no room was the same as the last.
After a few minutes of analysis, eventually, I found the room that I wanted. It was located on the third floor down the left side of the grand, arched hallway, at the very end. The walls directly to the back wall along with the one facing the door were a light shade of olive green. The other walls in the room are plastered with white paint.
This room held three tremendous windows scattered throughout. Their white sills matched the green of the room to perfection. One of which was considerably overgrown in comparison to the other two. This window stretched from what seemed to be floor to ceiling. Beneath it was a small sitting area that overlooked a flower garden and the outskirts of the woods.
The entirety of the room was massive. In front of another window, which sat towards the left corner of the room, was a king size bed that looked as though it was truly fit for a king. Thick, solid, white beams supported the entirety. The headboard stood high above the floor, and the top was adorned with designs created by golden paint. The walls surrounding the bed were curved similar to how it would be in a tower, the rest of the walls in the room were rectangular. I admired it a few minutes longer before walking away to continue my journey throughout the room.
On the other side of the large room, a partially cracked door revealed only a small fragment of a glorious bathroom. Taking careful steps, I crossed the golden wood to pull on the gold doorknob. A quick yank and hinge squeal later, made my way in. In no less than a moment, I was overcome by the lavish room.
The bathtub was oversized, comparable to a solidly built hot tub. There were two porcelain sinks adorned with golden spouts. The counter they stood upon was made of a luxurious black granite that had mica inclusions and veins of white splattered throughout. The toilet was average, except for its petite golden handle. Across from the bathtub was a captivating shower. Its walls were created with the same sparkly black granite, and the floor was made entirely from white granite. The stark difference between the two tones drew me toward it more. I touched the glass in front of the shower and continued to scan the bathroom, everything in it was just marvelous.
"Ma'am," a voice sounded from behind me, making me jump. I turned around holding my hand against my chest, my heart beating a hundred miles an hour. "I'm sorry, I hadn't meant to startle you, my lady," the butler guy from earlier stood in front of me now, setting down several boxes that contained my belongings. He proceeded to gently wipe off his suit and lower his head into a bow. "Now please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Chase Cofer. I was hired to assist where necessary. I'm a butler, if you will."
"A butler? How were we able to afford that?" I asked in disbelief.
"I am indeed, as for the other, I'm paid in part through means of housing," Chase's voice was deep and smooth. His eyes were a deep forest green, he kneeled down taking my hand delicately with his gloved one. "I'll be pleased to assist you," he softly laid smooth lips upon my hand, kissing it. "Now if there is anything you need me to do, please don't hesitate to ask."
"Let's start with not kissing my hand again."
"Got it." He spoke, standing and releasing my hand.
"After that can you grab the boxes for my bathroom and set them on the counter here? Then the other boxes you can set in my room if you'd like to."
"Of course," With ease of movement he gathered a few of the many boxes, his black shoes glistening in the bright overhanging lights.
"I have a question," I trailed my hand along the wall to appear distracted, "why did my parents hire you, was there any specific reason?" Chase stopped dead in his tracks, facing away from me, as though he was contemplating. "I mean they've never hired anyone to help us with anything before."
"They just want assistance in keeping the house clean. They also just wish to be sure both you and your brother are well fed and taken care of when they're away, Miss," he replied, continuing to carry the boxes piled in his arms toward my bed.
He continued to carry the boxes to the proper places as I stood there. I stared out the window at the woods beyond, seeing shadows staring toward me from the tree line past the fencing.
"Anything else Miss?" he asked, glancing my way with an unreadable expression.
"Could you possibly unpack my boxes?" Chase nodded his head, making a strand of black hair fall in front of his face. He quickly ran his hands through the dark strands, taming it.
"I'll be downstairs," I said, fixing my gaze on him instead of the outdoors, "feel free to get me if you need any help."
He nodded as I made my way out of my room. I roamed the long hallway for a moment, peeking into several rooms. Then I trudged back down the wooden stairs almost toppling over Jackson whose short form blocked me from the final steps. He was glaring intently at our parents, his small hands splayed on his hips.
"Why can't I?" Jackson whined and pouted, jumping up and down in disapproval.
"You are not sleeping in the attic!" My mother exclaimed, exasperated, her head rocked from side to side in disapproval.
"You know Jackson," I said in a low voice, "you could sleep in the attic but that doesn't necessarily mean you'll be able to leave. There are a lot of scary things in attics," I began to whisper into his ear, "like spiders, bats, ghosts, and maybe even goblins."
"G-ghosts, g-goblins?" his eyes widened, fear evident in his blue eyes. "I-I'll find another room!" Jackson rambled, as he raced up the polished stairs. Moments after he disappeared, I began laughing hysterically, clutching my stomach. My parents shook their heads trying to conceal their laughs. But in a few moments, they turned back to their formal, stricter selves.
"Makayla, have you seen Chase?" My father asked, looking towards the kitchen's arched entrance.
"I saw him a few minutes ago. Why do you ask?" My parents eyed each other, seeming to speak without words.
"Well, we had been hoping he could cook dinner, it's getting late and all of us deserve a nice rest," my father yawned, his freckled face clearly marked with fatigue.
"I thought I was going to cook; I usually do?" I furrowed my brows in confusion, a pit forming in my stomach.
"Well Chase is a professionally trained chef and-" I put up my hand, interjecting my mother.
"Why don't you just let me cook tonight? Just one last time, and that way Chase has more time to do other things," I smiled and walked down the last few steps glancing at both of them. "Now then if there are no objections, I'll get to it. I would like to cook as a treat to everyone for the first night of us living here!"