Without making a sound I slipped out of bed and over to my dear sister Lizzie's closet. Yes, I share a room with my sister even though I am nineteen years old, and yes, the 'dear sister' part was sarcasm. I opened her closet door and groped for the secret switch in the dark. Aha, there! I pulled on the loose nail and grimaced as the backboard clunked onto the floor of the other side. "Silver? Is that you?"
I sighed loudly. "Yes it's me Anita, do you have the candle?" In response to my question a small orange flame was struck behind some dresses. "Thank you. I'll be through in a minute, get the dress ready." Normally I would have gone right through and closed the door up behind me until I was done working but a noise caught my attention.
My dear younger twin Lizzie was singing in her sleep, how sweet… NOT! Yes, I did say twin. I, Silver Russet Swann, am sister to the vile breath of foul air that is Elizabeth Auburn Swann (our mother named us okay?!) We are alike in three ways, 1) our parents are the same therefore we have the same face shape and eye shape. 2) Our middle names are both words for brown and obviously, since neither of us is married, our last names are both Swann. And 3) well… oh, looky here, it's only two things. Isn't that nice? You see, I am sarcastic, cynical and outspoken; Lizzie is quiet, demure and proper. She stands for everything I hate and vice versa, I won't bore you anymore with the details.
Oh, wait, I remember a third thing we have in common 3) Our connections with one mister William Turner, she has a small crush, I am hopelessly in love with him and he… well let's just say that no one in their right minds would choose me over Elizabeth.
Deciding to ignore Lizzie dearest (note my sarcasm) I climbed into the closet and closed up both doors behind me, although I left the outer door slightly ajar, as it isn't sensible to close oneself into a closet. "Anita?" I said. A slight shuffling to me left made me turn to see my only female friend fixing a dark blue corset onto a mannequin.
"Almost done Silver," she said, "We'll be finished by morning and then we won't have to wear those bloody dresses horse riding anymore!" I smiled at her enthusiasm. For weeks Anita and I had been perfecting plans for a dress that separated bodice from skirts when you unhooked it. We had only one so far and if all went well for me at James Norrington's promotion ceremony we'd make another for Anita.
I walked to her side and looked at my new gown in the semi-darkness. It was a deep blue, almost as dark as the sky at night, and was a fairly simple design as far as dresses go, a full yet plain satin skirt (petticoats included, ick) and a blue and white bodice with one inch thick straps. I had drawn the designs so that I could wear a shirt under it and just have the bodice over trousers, Anita had sewn everything and I never would have gone further than the designs without her. There were enough hidden pockets so that I could carry things like a dagger, money and even a sword if I needed to. "It looks amazing Annie."
She giggled, "It does, and I can't wait to see you in it tomorrow. You'll look great!" Her comments made me blush and even though it was dark I could tell that I was blushing. I grimaced, you see when I blush it's not the pretty little apple of the cheek thing like Elizabeth, it is a full blown, strawberry red from my neck to my hairline, not entirely pretty.
"Do you think I have to wear a corset?" I asked my lip curling over the last word. I, unlike Lizzie, am not nor have I ever been obsessed with my weight. I'm not overweight, nor am I stick figure thin like Lizzie, I am a little bigger (as petty as it may sound) mostly in the chest than my sister.
Anita gave me a long hard look before looking back at the dress. "Well," she said slowly, thinking about her words before saying them, "I don't think so; I mean you are slightly bigger around the waist and stomach than I am but not that much. No I think you'll be fine." That's what I love about Anita, she's honest but you can't help but think whatever she says she says it in a nice way. "All we have to do is test the clasp."
Anita pulled a pair of men's black linen trousers from a bag that I hadn't noticed before and handed them to me. I hurriedly pulled them on and then let her help me into the bodice. I swear it was like a bloody corset on its own. "It fits," I cried triumphantly, pulling the skirt on by myself, I fastened it at the roses on my hip and grinned as the hooks did up and came undone easily. "And it works!" Anita and I did the only girly thing we ever did (mind you only in private) other than talking about our respective love interests (hers James Norrington and mine Will Turner. He's so handsome and oh his eyes… and enough of that…) we held each others hand, jumped up and down and squealed (albeit quietly, keeping in mind that Lizzie was asleep in the next room and we had no idea what room lay beyond my mothers old hideout.)
"Goodnight Annie," I whispered, kissing my friend on the cheek. "I'll see you in the morning."
"'Night Russ," she responded, using the nickname my mother had given me once upon a time. I waited until she was safely through the tunnel back to her house and then returned to my room to get some well earned rest.
Little did I know that my suddenly great life would be turned upside down in a matter of hours.
A/N: My first posted fic. I have other chapters written so as soon as I get a review I'll post another :)