Rushgrove Academy Chapter 1 A little Bird's Message
A/N Hey everyone, please R&R! I'll try to have chapters up ASAP!
Meg Eveson hurried on her way home, thanking the gods above that it was the last day of elementary school. No more homework, no more teachers, and again no more homework…Ahhh, this would be a great summer. Just relaxation and sleeping in, and even better, no annoying older brother to keep you from daring to set foot in your own mind. Just two months of peace and then a new school to boot.
She walked along the old cobblestone path and marched up her drive to her ivy ridden house. Gazing at it she began reminisce.
Such a beautiful house, she thought with a smile. It was an old house, sure, but at least it still had some character. She and her family had moved in years ago, before she could even walk, but she did know from old pictures that this two story colonial house had always been the same. Deep brown bricks surrounded the long walls, contrasting gray siding riding up to the second story, great green ivy climbing all the way to the moon, or so it seemed. Big picture windows, a tree in the front with a small tire swing on it, it had a defiant lived in appearance. Yet, despite all the wear and tear, the house provided a real homey feeling. It had a two car garage, a porch that over looked the entire yard, and a pine fence trailing into the back yard without a sound.
Still reminiscing under the shade of the tall oak tree upon the side walk , she climbed the steps, turned the front door's brass knob and ventured inside the structure.
A smell of fresh baked cookies hung in the air, the fragrance defiantly leftover from her mother's famous last-day-of-school-cookies. Every year, to celebrate the last day, her Mom made fresh cookies to celebrate the past year's achievements. Meg enjoyed it every year, but seemed to have since grown used to the smell that always seemed to linger, because it never really left. It just added to the homey feeling of her house as well.
"Mom! Bryan! I'm home!" Meg shouted across the house while taking her leather clad shoes off and shoving them franticly in the coat closet. A moment later she heard the familiar thump on the wood floor signaling her mother
followed by the annoying thump of her freshmen brother thrashing down the stairs.
"Hey honey, how was your last day of the 5th grade?" Her mother asked in that famous maternal caress. She walked over to her daughter and brushed back her long brown hair and embraced her in a bear hug.
"Fine!" Meg squeaked while trying to free herself from her mother's grasps.
"Squirt." Bryan said, suddenly making his presence known. He glared at her through blue eyes, as she glared back with her light gray ones.
"Bryan." Meg retorted, breaking away from the giant hug. She and her brother never seemed to get along. Even as kids he would always tease her and torment her in anyway possible. It drove her nuts! Every time she wanted to do something he would always do something to bug her. Whether it be watching TV or doing chores, he would always find some way to get to her. It was a good thing he had planned to go to a summer camp for two months. The only problem was that he wasn't leaving until next week, so her endless torment was sure to double in proportion to make up for all the missed days.
Meg motioned past him without another word and went to unpack her things in her room, dumping her coat on the foyer's hangar. She turned past the wash room and into the kitchen to pick up some more fresh cookies and carried her load up the carpeted stairs adjacent to the living area. Her room was the third door down from the stairs, the same as it had always been, ever since they had moved in, and since then, not much had changed. Her walls were still buttery pink from the day when she was five and her and her mom had painted it. Her bed still bore the same flower print from that era too. Meg's entire room looked as though it had been frozen in time actually, not that she minded of course. She had grown accustom to it all.
Her mom, being a single mother since Meg was still very little, had always had a hard time making enough money to support Meg and her brother. They had to down size to this house just to get by after their father had died, and still every month, the taxes only dragged them down even more. Money was definitely not a strong point in the Eveson house hold. But still her mother would always find a way, and never, not once, had Meg ever heard her complain about their lifestyle.
Their dad had died from a car accident, when she was only three. She had been with her father when it had happened, and Meg could still remember that eerie flash of green light right before he was lost. She and him were simply on vacation in Britain, when they ventured down an abandoned street. Rain was showering them, causing the view to be obstructed so they never could make out the small dark figures that ran in front of them. The last thing Meg could remember was the glow of an iridescent green flash, and her father fading from existence.
Meg had woken up in a local hospital, days later, and found her mother at her bedside crying. She was told her father's body was never found, and that the car had been totaled beyond repair. It was a miracle, in fact, that Meg herself hadn't perished herself. She had gotten by with only some minor fractures and several nasty cuts and bruises, but otherwise, she was completely fine. That is, physically. The accident had never left her mind, and often she would get sudden attacks of the memory. The doctors all told her it was just shock, being so young and having your father die before your eyes never could leave you. So Meg had accepted it, and eventually learned to calm herself from these fits.
"So, how was your last day of school?!" Meg snapped back to reality, not even realizing she had been thinking back to that day. Her mother was standing in the doorway with an apron on and that big motherly smile she was famous for.
"Fine!" Meg sighed and looked up.
"That's it? Fine. Well, I would have thought that your last day of the 5th grade might have been a little better than fine." Her mother teased. "Anyway, I was wondering if you could go put the letter on the counter in the mail for me? I have dinner in the oven and I have to make sure it doesn't burn!"
"Oh….sure." Her mother went back into the kitchen as Meg followed slowly behind her. Her mother, of course, worked in a bakery, so she was one of the best cooks Meg had ever known. She made fresh bread every other day, mouthwatering dinners every night, even sinfully delicious deserts on special occasions, and on top of all that, she did all the housework and took care of two growing kids. It was always more than Meg could ever ask for, so she deserved to be treated to a favor now and again. So she scooped up the letter and went on her way.
She marched back out the front steps and down the cracked drive to the mail box. Being the middle of the day, the sleek black box shined brilliantly against the may sunlight. She reached up to the to the curved handle and pulled the door free, pausing only a moment to enjoy the wind's soft caress against her cheek, she shoved the little white envelope into the chamber, yet for some odd reason, it wouldn't go in. She tried again and got the same result. Looking inside she saw a small silver envelope about the size of a book.
This is odd, the post has already come. She thought to herself. Grabbing the letter she looked it over. A Dark green stamp rested over the opening which was sealed with glistening wax. How odd.
She turned to the front of the letter to find that it was addressed to herself.
Miss Megan Jane Eveson1284 Maple Ridge Lane, The Third Door From The Stairs
That was what it said. She gazed at it, wondering who would have sent her this ridiculous letter. Looking around, the only thing in site was a small snowy owl about the size of a breadbox. It's feather were all ruffled from the heat.
It was very rare to see a snowy owl in that part of the country, especially in the middle of summer, so assuming it was just someone's pet was the only explanation Meg could come up with. So she cast aside the thought, shoved the letter inside, and ran inside to examine her letter. But little did 11 year old Meg Eveson know just how import that little letter would be….
Cont. in Chapter 2.
A/N Okay, I know that was a horrible first chapter, but bear with me here! I think the next few will be a bit more exciting! Don't forget to review! (You know you want to! )