In a bright white sundress trimmed with frills, a young girl skipped along the dirt trail that cut through the forest. Long, blonde curls trailed behind her, tied with ribbons. She stopped to turn around, stomping her shoe against the road impatiently.
"Come on! You're going too slow!" she exclaimed, tiny fists balled up against the skirt of her dress. Following behind the girl was her father, mother, and sister. Her father chuckled.
"Now, now, Dawn," he replied with a smile. "We'll get there in due time. Don't worry." Dawn's face scrunched up into a frown, and she bounced up and down in frustration.
"Don't make such a face, my dear. It'll get stuck that way," her mother warned jokingly.
Dawn was the second child of Damien and Veronica Summerfield. Lord Summerfield was a wealthy business man while Lady Summerfield was a famous pianist and soprano. Their first child, Marianne, was ten years Dawn's elder, and was learning piano from her mother. Despite their age difference, Marianne loved her little sister, even though Dawn's endless energy could become quite tiresome to the teenager.
Wearing a billowing, yellow dress, matching sunhat, and white boots, Marianne carried a large picnic basket as she walked along side her parents. Her brunette hair was tucked into a neat bun, though a few strands had broken free in the summer heat. Dawn ran up to her sister and tugged on her dress.
"Marianne! Come on! I wanna go to the hill now!" she whined. Marianne pulled her skirt out of Dawn's hands.
"Dawn, we're almost there. I think you can wait a few minutes longer," Marianne said firmly. Dawn's lip quivered with the intent of swaying her sister to come with her. Marianne rolled her eyes and grinned. "Tell you what, if you walk with me, after lunch we can go into the forest and look for flowers together." Dawn's eyes went wide with joy.
"Can you make me a flower crown?" Dawn asked.
"If we find enough flowers, sure."
"Yay!" Dawn jumped with excitement. She walked right at Marianne's side, gripping tightly to her big sister's hand.
Soon the family came to their destination: a tall, grassy hill overlooking the forest. It was shaded by a large tree with a wooden swing attached to one of the branches. Veronica laid out a large blanket under the tree. Marianne placed the basket down and began to dig out its contents. She handed out fresh fruit, cheese slices, sandwiches, and bottles of birch beer, which her father opened with his pocket knife. Dawn devoured her sandwich in a few bites before she stood up and pulled at Marianne's hand.
"Come on, Marianne, let's go find flowers!" the six-year-old pleaded.
"Dawn, I haven't finished eating!" Marianne replied.
"Pul-eeeeaaaase?" Dawn pulled harder on Marianne's hand.
"Okay, okay! I'll just take my sandwich with me," Marianne stood up and turned to her parents. "We'll be back in a bit," she said.
"Stay together, okay? And don't wander too far from the trail," Damien reminded them. The girls nodded and Dawn was off like a bullet. Marianne quickly pursued her sister, taking a bite of her sandwich as she ran.
The sisters trekked through the woods, picking small wild flowers whenever they could find them. Marianne found a raspberry bush and the two partook of its ripe fruit. While Marianne gathered the raspberries, Dawn continued to look for flowers, her heart set on a flower crown.
Distracted by her search, Dawn tripped over a tree root and went tumbling down the forest bed. She landed on her belly headfirst into the ground. Dawn immediately started to cry, which caught Marianne's attention. She ran to her sister's rescue.
"Dawn! Are you okay?" Marianne asked. Dawn wailed even louder. Marianne gently shushed her, assuring her that she would be fine. "Come on, let's have a look." Marianne got Dawn to her feet. The young girl's knees were scraped up, and her dress was smeared with dirt. "It's okay, Dawn. It's just a little scrape. You'll be fine," Marianne said as she dusted the dirt off of Dawn's dress. Dawn sniffed hard, wiping the tears from her face.
Then, something caught her eye.
"Marianne, look!" Dawn said, her injuries forgotten. Dawn started to walk away, drawn to whatever it was she spotted. Marianne followed her sister's gaze, and her eyes went wide. There sitting in the middle of the forest was a small, yellow cottage surrounded by a black, metal gate. Colorful wind chimes made of sea glass hung from the edges of the roof, ringing softly in the forest breeze. The cottage was covered in beautiful, pink flowers. Primroses. They crawled up the walls of the cottage and twirled around the bars of the gate. A look of wonder spread across Dawn's face as she got closer to the cottage. "Look at all the flowers!" she exclaimed.
"I didn't know someone lived out here," Marianne said. Despite the cottage's cozy appearance, a feeling of wariness swept over Marianne. "Dawn, let's go. I don't think we should be here," she said, beckoning her sister. However, Dawn had already begun to crawl through the bars of the gate. "Dawn!" Marianne gasped, running after her. She stopped at the gate, hands wrapped around the bars. She was much too big to follow after Dawn, so Marianne tried giving the gate a shake. It didn't budge.
Meanwhile, Dawn was busy gathering as many flowers as her little arms could hold.
"Dawn Summerfield, you get back here right now!" Marianne demanded.
"But Marianne!" Dawn groused.
"No buts! Now! Or you can forget about your flower crown!"
Dawn whimpered, but did as she was told and slipped through the gate, holding tightly to her collection of primroses. Marianne looked down at her sister, hands on her hips. "You're lucky you weren't caught. You could've gotten into big trouble!"
"I'm sorry..." Dawn said, burying her face in the flowers.
"Just don't do it again, please," Marianne sighed. "And don't go picking flowers from strangers' gardens!"
"Can I still have a flower crown?" Dawn asked as sweetly as she could. Marianne raised an eyebrow, then hummed in thought. She looked back at the cottage. It didn't appear occupied at the moment, and there were so many primroses it would be difficult to notice a handful of missing flowers. No harm done, Marianne figured.
"Alright. If you promise to stay beside me on the walk back, I'll make you a flower crown," she replied. Dawn giggled with glee, shifting the flowers into the crook of her arm so she could take Marianne's hand. Marianne's fingers wrapped around Dawn's, and the two started back to the hill.
Veronica wasn't pleased with the state of Dawn's dress, but her concern shifted once she saw the scrapes on the little girl's knees.
"Oh, Dawn! What happened?" she asked.
"I tripped," Dawn replied. "But look! I found lots of flowers!" Dawn held out her armful of primroses for her mother to see.
"I'm surprised you found so many!" Damien confessed. Dawn beamed, then handed the plants to Marianne.
"Flower crown?" Dawn asked politely.
"What do we say?" Marianne replied teasingly.
"Flower crown, please?"
"Okay. Sit down." Dawn sat down on the blanket next to her parents, legs out, tapping her shoes together in excitement. Marianne sat beside her sister and got to work on entwining the stems of the primroses together.
"Girls, when you're all done we're going to head home, okay?" Veronica said as she gathered up the food and put it back into the basket.
"Okay!" the sisters responded, both focused on the flower crown. Veronica smiled at her husband, who chuckled and gave his head a little shake.
The sun was low in the peach-colored sky when the family returned to their summer home. The long, white mansion was located at the edge of the forest, looking down over the sea-side city of Aster. Aster was famous for its warm weather, beautiful beaches, and vast array of shops and restaurants. A tall lighthouse stood above the harbor, there to guide boats to Aster's shores. It was a popular summer destination.
Dawn skipped down towards the mansion, a crown of pink petals atop her head. She spotted their housekeeper, Griselda, taking some laundry down from the clothes line.
"Grizzy! Auntie Grizzy! Look!" she called out, waving her arms in the air as she ran towards the older woman. Griselda's normally frizzy hair was pulled back into a misshapen bun, a vain attempt to control what she called a 'rat's nest'. Griselda looked up from the laundry and smiled once she spotted Dawn.
"Hello, my dear!" she replied with a wave. Dawn leapt into Griselda's arms, who grunted when she caught the child. "Oof! You're getting so big, my darling, I don't know if these old bones can catch you like this for much longer!"
"Auntie Grizzy, look! Marianne made me a flower crown!" Dawn said, pointing to the flowers.
"Ooh! So she did!" Griselda said, petting one of the flowers. "Why, you look just like a fairy princess!" Dawn let out a gasp of awe.
"You think so?" she asked, stars in her eyes.
"I do! All you need are some wings and away you'll fly!"
"I wanna fly! Make me fly, Auntie Grizzy!" To Dawn's disappointment, Griselda put her down instead.
"I'm sorry, dearie, but my back isn't what it used to be," Griselda said with a sad smile. "But Bog's in the gardens if you want to ask him." Dawn's frown instantly vanished, and in a flash she headed off to the mansion gardens.
A few moments after Dawn left, Marianne came running up to Griselda.
"Griselda, did you see Dawn?" the teenager asked, a little out of breath. "She ran on ahead of us."
"She's in the gardens, my dear," Griselda said, pointing in the direction Dawn ran.
"Thank you," Marianne said before hustling down to the gardens. She zoomed past her parents, who were a little startled by Marianne's pace.
"Whoa! Where's the fire?" Damien asked with a laugh.
"Oh you know how Marianne is," Griselda replied. "Always has to have her sister in her sights."
Dawn entered the gardens, eyes peeled for Bog, the groundskeeper. He was Griselda's only child and was a few years older than Marianne. Dawn spotted his lanky figure hunched over the marigolds he was planting. His dark hair was swept back, and sweat beaded over his olive skin. His shirt and slacks were covered in dirt, which wasn't unusual. Dawn slowly crept up behind the young man, unable to control her giggles. Bog's head perked when he heard Dawn's tittering. He grinned.
"Hmm, I wonder who's that I hear," he said, feigning ignorance. Dawn had to cover her mouth to stifle her laughter. "It's not a bird, it's not a cat, it must be…" Bog quickly turned around, hands up in a claw-like manner. "A Dawn!" he shouted, which made Dawn yelp in surprise. Her giggles quickly returned.
"Boggy, you scared me!" she laughed.
"Aww, I'm sorry, wee one. I only wanted to keep you on your toes," Bog replied, giving Dawn's nose a poke.
Unlike the Summerfields, Bog wasn't originally from the country of Hilanthus. He was born and spent most of his childhood in Nymphaea, a swampy country much colder and foggier than Hilanthus. Thus, Bog had an slight accent that inflected his vowels.
"Boggy! Look what Marianne made me!" Dawn said as she adjusted the crown of flowers back onto her head.
"Wow, look how pretty!" He inspected the flowers. "What kind of flower is that? Hmm…they look like primroses. That's strange, I didn't think primroses grew this season."
"Auntie Grizzy said I look just like a fairy princess!" Dawn continued. "Boggy, can you make me fly like a fairy?"
"I certainly can," Bog replied as he got to his feet, dusting his hands. He bowed before Dawn. "Your Highness, are you ready to fly?" Dawn bounced in place, her hands reaching up towards Bog. Bog hooked his large hands under her tiny arms and threw her straight up, catching her on the way down. Dawn squealed with delight as Bog continued to launch her high into the air.
"Bog, spin me!" Dawn giggled. Bog let out a laugh before he wrapped his hands around Dawn's wrists and started to turn in a tight circle. Dawn's flower crown flew from her head as Bog increased his speed. Dawn let out a scream of joy as she felt the air whoosh past her face, gravity pulling on her legs.
"Dawn! There you are!" a voice called out. Bog stopped in his tracks, setting Dawn on the ground. Everything was quite wobbly.
"Oh! Marianne! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," Bog said, trying to maintain his balance. Marianne just smirked and shook her head.
"Dawn's not bothering you again, is she?" Marianne asked.
"Please, Dawn could never bother me. She was just showing me her flower crown." After the world stopped spinning, Dawn found her crown and put it back in its proper place.
"I'm a fairy princess!" Dawn said, running around the garden, making sparkle noises.
"Well, my little fairy princess, it's time to head inside and get washed up for supper," Marianne said.
"Nooo..." Dawn pouted, kicking the ground with her shoe.
"Come on, Dawn. We'll go with you," Bog assured. Dawn frowned, but started toward the mansion, stomping the whole way. Marianne was about to follow but Bog tapped her arm. "Oh, Marianne, I forgot to mention. Roland sent a gift for you."
"Really?" Marianne asked, a smile forming on her face. "What is it?" Bog walked over toward his gardening tools and picked up a rose, a small box of candies, and a letter. He handed the rose and the box to Marianne. "Um...the letter, Bog?"
"Oh, I'll get to that," Bog opened the letter and cleared his throat. Marianne quickly realized what he was doing and glowered at him.
"Bog, don't even think about it," she threatened.
" 'Dearest Marianne,' " Bog started, speaking in a horribly exaggerated tone.
"Bog, give it!" Marianne demanded, reaching for the letter. Bog moved it out of her grasp, an easy task since he was at least two heads taller than Marianne.
" 'Though I long to see you in person, a letter of my love will have to do in the meantime,' " Bog continued, batting his eyelashes as he spoke. " 'I miss you, my little buttercup. Every day I spend away from you is another day of agony!' "
"Bog, I swear to God, I will kill you!" Marianne shouted, trying not to laugh at his dramatic display. She started to pull on Bog's arm, desperately reaching for the letter. She didn't succeed. Bog kept reading.
" 'I hope that within the next month my parents and I can make the trip out to Aster for a weekend and we can finally spend some time together. Until then, you're in my thoughts and dreams! Love, Roland.' Awww, that's so sweet, it's disgusting!" Bog laughed. Marianne finally managed to yank the letter out of his hand.
"Do I detect a hint of jealousy, Bog?" Marianne taunted, putting the letter back in its envelope.
"Roland's not my type." Bog's response sent a look of shock over Marianne's face, which made him laugh even harder. She punched him in the arm. "Oh, don't get all flustered, Marianne. I'm just teasing you."
"Hmph. You're lucky I don't kick you into the ocean."
"I don't think your legs could reach me."
"Oh, that is it!" Marianne kicked her boot into Bog's shin. He flinched, then burst into laughter. Using his long legs, he quickly put distance between him and the angry teenager. Marianne ran after Bog, her legs swinging in the air, hoping to hit him. It didn't take long for her anger to quickly dissolve into laughter as she chased him. Bog finally bolted into the mansion, Marianne following behind.
Griselda scolded them both for being late to supper.
The sun dipped behind the horizon, allowing the moon to take its place. Fireflies glimmered in the night sky, blending in with the stars above. A warm breeze blew through the window of Dawn's room, gently pushing the curtains back. Dawn leaned against the window sill, watching wispy clouds pass over the moon. She was in a light pink nightgown, her hair still damp from her bath. Her knees had been bandaged up with thick pads of gauze. Dawn held her flower crown over the sill, picking off the petals that had begun to wilt. The wind quickly picked up the falling petals and took them away, to where, Dawn could only imagine.
There was a soft knock on her door.
"Come in," Dawn said, putting her crown on her nightstand. Veronica stepped inside the young girl's room, a warm smile on her face.
"It's time to turn in, my dearest," she said.
"Will you read me a bedtime story, Mommy?" Dawn asked.
"Of course," Veronica replied. Dawn beamed, and she hopped into her plush bed, snuggling under the thin blankets. Veronica walked over to Dawn's impressively filled bookshelf and took out Dawn's favorite: a book of fairy tales. She sat down on the bed and opened the book to the table of contents. Just as they did every night, Dawn closed her eyes and pointed to a title. If she ever chose the same title two nights in a row, she got to choose again.
Tonight, Dawn's finger landed on "The Beauty and the Beast". Veronica flipped to the beginning of the chapter, and began to read.
"Once upon a time, there was a handsome prince who lived in a magnificent castle. Although he was lovely of face, the prince was selfish and unkind.
The prince longed to marry the fairest maiden in the land. However, the maiden refused, for she could see there was no love in the prince's heart.
Determined to take the maiden as his bride, the prince sought out the home of a powerful witch. In the witch's garden grew magical flowers, which could be used to make love potions." Dawn stared at the painting in the book. The witch's house looked just like the cottage in the forest!
"Mommy! Mommy! I saw that house today with Marianne!" Dawn exclaimed. Veronica smirked.
"Oh did you now?" she chuckled.
"Yeah! It's where we found the flowers for my flower crown!" Veronica simply smiled. Her daughter had quite the imagination, she thought to herself.
"Well, let's hope the witch doesn't come find you!" she teased, giving Dawn's tummy a tickle. Dawn giggled, shooing her mother's hands away. Veronica looked back down at the book and continued.
"The prince gathered as many flowers as he could, and returned to the castle. That night, however, the witch showed up at the castle doors. Accusing him of thievery, the witch cursed the prince, and he transformed into a horrible beast. Forever he would remain a beast unless he could learn to love another, and be loved in return."
"Oh! Oh! I know what happens next!" Dawn exclaimed. "The maiden comes to the castle, and they meet, and he saves her from these wolves, and then they fall in love!"
"Where's the fun in reading the story if you're just going to spoil the whole thing!" Veronica laughed, rubbing her nose against Dawn's cheek.
A knock on the door.
"Lady Veronica?" Griselda stood in the doorway. She had a look of concern on her face. Veronica sensed something was off.
"Something wrong, Griselda?" she asked.
"There's someone here to meet you," Griselda explained.
"At this hour? Send them away, they can come back in the morning."
"I've tried. She won't leave." Veronica's eyebrows furrowed. She put the book aside and stood up from the bed.
"Stay here, my dearest," Veronica instructed as she left the room with Griselda. Dawn sat in her bed, confused. She picked up her book and looked at the painting of the witch's house. Maybe there was someone in the cottage in the forest after all. She had to find out.
Dawn held the book close to her chest as she got out of bed and quietly snuck down the hall to the staircase. She jumped when someone touched her shoulder. It was Bog. He leaned down so he was eye-level with her.
"What are you doing out of bed at this hour?" he asked. Dawn put a finger to her mouth and made a shush sound.
"I think there's a witch in the house," she whispered.
"A witch?" he whispered back.
"Yeah. Marianne and me found a house in the woods. It looked just like this," She put the book on the floor and opened it to the painting. "It was covered in pretty pink flowers. The peeroses."
"Primroses," Bog corrected.
"The witch must've followed us home, just like in the story!"
"I think you've been reading too many fairy tales," Bog stood up, and held a hand out. "Come on. Let's get you back to bed."
"No!" Dawn bolted down the stairs, doing her best not to trip.
"Dawn!" Bog quickly ran after her, taking two steps down at a time.
Dawn ran as fast as her little legs could take her before Bog caught up to her, scooping her up into his arms. She flailed her legs in protest.
"Dawn, it's time for bed," Bog said firmly. "You can play pretend tomorrow." Dawn continued to fuss as Bog carried her back to the staircase. She stopped, however, when she spotted her parents and a dark figure standing in the foyer.
"Boggy, look!" she pointed. "It's the witch!" Bog stopped and peeked through the doorway. The stranger was an old, haggard woman, wearing a cloak as dark as night. Her skin was as pale as parchment, and her teeth were jagged and yellow. She definitely looked the part of a classic witch. He had to wonder what someone like that was doing out here so late at night.
Bog put a finger to his lips, silently telling Dawn to be quiet, as he stood against the wall outside the foyer, listening.
"I won't ask again," Damien said sternly. "Please leave. And leave my daughter alone."
"Your daughter is a thief," the old woman said, her voice dry and raspy, as if she had been smoking on pipes for most of her life. "And thievery must be punished."
"It was a handful of flowers!"
"They were my flowers! Magic flowers! Blessed with the essence of love itself!"
"You're mad!" Veronica yelled.
"Darling, please," Damien said, trying to calm his wife. He turned back to the strange woman. "Madam, this is ridiculous. They're flowers, they'll grow back! Now, please escort yourself out or I will call the police." The woman grinned a twisted, evil looking grin.
"Oh, I'll leave. In fact, you'll never see me again." She turned to the front door, opening it wide, allowing the summer air to sweep in. It blew back her hood, revealing a wild mess of thin, silver hair. She stood in the doorway, pointing a crooked finger where Bog and Dawn were hiding. "Know this, little one. From now on you will live your life as a monster, and all who lay eyes on you will see nothing but ugliness. Only with true love's kiss can the spell be broken. Not of friendship or family, but of a lover. A lover's kiss. Only then will you be free." The woman grabbed the edge of her cloak and twirled it forward as she left, the door slamming behind her. The house went very still. Damien adjusted the collar of his shirt.
"I think we'll have to invest in a bodyguard," he said.
Dawn held tight to Bog, her eyes wide with fear. Bog gently smoothed back her hair.
"Come on, Dawn," he whispered. "Let's get you to bed before your parents realize you're still up."
"Okay," Dawn muttered.
As Bog carried her up to her room, a sharp pain shot through Dawn's head. She grimaced, which Bog took note of.
"Dawn? Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.
"My head! It hurts!" she cried. She put a hand to her head, and felt something hard and pointed. Dawn quickly pulled her hand away, and gasped when she saw blood on her fingertips. Bog noticed the blood as well. He hissed a curse and put Dawn down.
"Okay, Dawn, just stay still," he instructed, "I'll try and find out what's going on." Bog pushed through Dawn's hair, searching for the source of the blood. The pain only grew worse, and Dawn began to cry. "Shh, it's okay," he assured. That was when Bog spotted something sticking out of Dawn's head. It was small, curved to a sharp tip, and covered in blood. Bog leaned in, getting a closer look at it. It looked like a horn. "What the-?"
Suddenly, the mysterious lump shot out, growing longer and thicker. Blood sputtered from Dawn's head, and she screamed, throwing her head back. The horn rammed into Bog's mouth, tearing his lip open. He fell back, hand over his bleeding mouth. Another horn grew on the opposite side of Dawn's head, her hair now stained with blood.
Dawn's screaming echoed through the house. Her parents came running up the stairs while Marianne and Griselda came from down the hall. As Griselda helped get her son to his feet, Marianne knelt down to her sister, hands on Dawn's shoulders.
"Dawn, what's going on?" she asked frantically. "What happened?" Dawn looked up at Marianne with tear-filled eyes.
"Marianne, help me!" she begged. Marianne watched in horror as her sister's lower canines extended out like tusks. Her two front teeth grew long and sharp, and a layer of fur began to grow all over Dawn's body. Her legs cracked as they grew out, her knees snapping back. Dawn's fingers and toes fused together, sharp talons forming at the ends. Her ears became large and bat-like, nearly as big as her head. Dawn's screams turned into shrill, ear-splitting screeches. Marianne pressed her crying sister into her shoulder, muffling her wailing. She looked up at her parents, who were too shocked to respond. Marianne put a hand to Dawn's head, and rocked her in her arms. It was all she could do.
Later that night, after Dawn had cried herself to sleep, everyone had gathered in the den to discuss what had just happened. Marianne confessed about where Dawn had gotten the flowers. Veronica and Griselda were in tears, while Damien paced around the room. Marianne and Bog sat silently on the sofa. Bog held a piece of gauze to his lip. Damien turned to Marianne.
"What were you thinking?!" he shouted furiously. "Allowing your sister to wander into a witch's garden!"
"I didn't! Besides, how were we supposed to know it was a witch who lived there! How were we supposed to know witches existed in the first place!" Marianne snapped back. Damien ran a hand through his greying hair.
"It doesn't matter! You're the elder child, Marianne, and thus it was your responsibility to keep your sister safe!"
"I know! I know..." Marianne's head fell. Bog put his hand over Marianne's, giving it a comforting squeeze. She smiled, appreciative of the gesture. Damien sighed and put his hands on his hips.
"Now the question is what we do with that thing," he mumbled.
"That thing is your daughter!" Veronica barked.
"Well we can't exactly bring her home, now can we? Think of the scandal it'll cause!"
"That's what you're worried about?! What other people will think?!" Marianne growled. "What about Dawn?!"
"If you had kept a better eye on her, this wouldn't have happened in the first place!" her father retorted. He took a deep breath. "Your mother and I are very prestigious people, Marianne. Of course I'm worried about Dawn, but our reputations are what keep this family running. If news came out about this, my business could be questioned and your mother may never perform again! We have to be smart about this..."
"Damien, we can't just abandon our daughter!" Veronica sobbed. "She needs her parents!"
"We don't have a choice, Veronica!" Damien countered, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "As much as it pains me to say it, we have to keep her hidden from the world. Who knows what might happen to her and us if someone found out!"
"She can stay here with us," Bog suggested.
"What?" Veronica said.
"Yes, that's a wonderful idea!" Griselda piped up. "Your business partners never come out here, and we rarely get visitors. She'll be safe and cared for here, and you can come see her every summer!" Damien stroked his chin.
"That's...not a bad idea, actually," he said.
"Oh, darling, I don't know about this," Veronica said, nervously fidgeting with her fingers.
"It might be our only option," Damien replied.
"But we can't just leave her with no family!"
"We won't have to," Marianne said. Everyone looked at her. "I'll stay here with Dawn."
"Absolutely not!" Damien bellowed.
"Marianne, that's sweet of you, but what about your life back home?" Veronica asked. "What about your piano lessons? Your school work? What about Roland?"
"I can still practice out here," Marianne replied. "I could give piano lessons to kids; something to keep my skills sharp. As for school, well, I can get a private tutor. Dawn will need one eventually too, won't she? And Roland...he'll understand. We can still arrange visits, and we can always send each other letters. Look, I got Dawn into this mess, the least I can do is be there for her." Marianne's parents looked at each other. They had to admit their options were limited, and having a loving sister here would help Dawn tremendously.
"We'll have to increase your pay to help with Dawn and Marianne's care," Damien said to Griselda. "Food, clothes, what ever you need."
"One of my patrons is a private tutor," Veronica added. "She and her husband. Stephanie and Thane Griswold. I'm sure I could arrange a meeting with them to discuss our...situation."
"Don't worry," Griselda said with a smile, "My boy and I will take good care of the girls."
"Then it's agreed," Damien said. "Marianne, you'll stay here with Dawn. Keep her company, and, more importantly, her hopes up."
"I will, Father," Marianne assured. "And I promise, I will find a way to end this curse."