"Jennifah, are you ready to play? The master took the other children out to the market. Our game should be undisturbed." I asked the feverish girl.
"O joy! Diana has been giving me horror ever since she caught me crying in the wash closet. I won't stand to face her to-day. Beggar My Neighbor, or hide and seek, Kristen?"
"Dear Jen-Jen, how I pity you, I wish to play…TAG!" I pushed her arm and ran for the inner court. I heard her footsteps running over the wood floors and she strained to catch up to me.
"Kitty, you little cheater!" She yelled. I flung myself down the stairs and ran through one of the main corridors. The windows displayed a grim garden with a stone fence enclosing the Rose Garden Orphanage, the auditorium was near. The sight I saw bemused my childish eyes as I slid to a stop. Jennifer crashed into me, but I remained my posture and pulled her off the floor. "Why the devil did yo-"I cut her off as soon as my hand would allow me. Her dirty-blonde hair was sticking out of her bun in all directions and her dress had been wrinkled during the chase.
"Jenni, compose yourself, we have guests! Smooth your dress, for heaven's sake." I whispered. I tip toed behind her and released her hair from its clasp; I quickly put it back up when I was assured she was decent. I smoothed out my own dresses and ran my fingers through my hair.
In the atrium, there were six adults. Hmm…let us see; One, two, three, four, five, six. Yes, six of them. I didn't know many other numbers, and I just assumed there weren't more. There were three men. Two of which had brunette heads and muscular builds, the next with blonde hair and a slim body, he had dark glasses on his face. The rest were women, each prettier than the last.
I took Jennifer's hand and led her out to the open. "Halloa, excuse me Sir's and Madame's, may I ask why you are wandering about?" I asked, trying to prove Jenni and I were mature for our age of 14. I had heard those words from Meg; I made positive they were put to use. They all turned our way, and the prettiest girl answered me:
"Huh? Uh, hi sweetie, I'm Jill. And these are my friends Chris, Claire, Albert, Barry, and Rebecca. Can you tell us where we are? Maybe you can help us. Do you get cell phone reception here? Maybe I can call for a ride…" She smiled at me and stepped closer to me. She extended her hand friendlily and I closed the gap and curtsied.
"Ello, Jill and friends, I am Kristen and this is Jennifah. I'm afraid I haven't a clue what a 'cell phone' is, and you are at the Rose Garden Orphanage in Bedfordshire, England." Jennifer looked down at her shoes and waved at them. "Oh Jen-Jen, why are you so shy? Please, don't think unkindly of her because of her quietness, Jill. Oh my, why are you dressed so funnily? It's indecent!" Jill wore skimpy clothing, and it was quite awkward to see someone so under-dressed. She looked at me with a strain of loathing.
"What's the year?" The blonde man asked, presumably he was Albert. I giggled and Jennifer tried to fight back a smile.
"O dear, I haven't seen people as strange as you six are! Why, the year is 1923 of course! March one-and-twenty, matter-of-fact." They exchanged worried and shocked glances after I spoke.
"So it worked….we need to find out what happened and get back." The man who was probably Chris said. The others nodded and whispered to one another.
"When our master returns with the other orphans, we are boarding an airship to Germany. Maybe you'll find the answers you need there. Would you like to come? I'd have to sneak you on, but it should not be too hard to hide you. First, though, we will have to get you out of those ridiculous clothes! I'm sure the master has something the gentlemen can wear, and we can help the dames find proper dresses." I pointed out where each of the rooms was so that they could find their proper items. Jennifer and I led Jill, Claire, and Rebecca up to the second floor to the dormitories.
We entered the room and I opened a trunk that belonged to some of the older children that used to reside here. I found them each an appropriate outfit and corresponding shoes. Jennifer sat down with the girls after they had been dressed and she made their hair suitable for company. I had given Jill a knee length blue dress with long sleeves and a white collar. I then attached a faux sapphire brooch to said collar. Jennifer sat her down and pinned the woman's bangs to the center of her hair with clips.
With Claire, I had decided on a scarlet red dress. It's above knee length made it slightly skimpy, but to make it appropriate, I gave her black cotton stockings and ugly brown boots. Her hair was slicked back into a French braid. Rebecca, as I learned, was very modest with her clothing and insisted on a calf length dress. We picked her out one that was white and was very plain. It was very out of fashion, but she persistently insured that it was fine. Jennifer looked at Claire and said with a slight blush, "You…look so pretty. I'm envious." I admired Jennifer for her sudden courage.
We reassembled the group, and saw that the men had chosen wisely and fashionably. Our happiness ended when I heard footsteps hit the first floor. Jennifer's eyes widened and she whispered "Oh no! They're back so soon? We have to hide them!" I agreed and we hurried the party up into the attic. "We'll come and retrieve you when we are ready to depart." Jenni said quietly. "Try not to make much noise." We turned to leave, but we met the eyes of a red headed devil before we could exit the attic.
"What in the bloody hell is going on here, eh Jennifah?" Diana growled. Oh, hell!
Okay, first chapter! Hope you liked it. More coming out soon!