Thick Blood
:: CHAPTER ONE ::
"Don't worry, Lizzy dear. Soon we shall arrive at your uncles and he'll look after you." Came the comforting voice of her nanny who sat in the black cold carriage with her for support, despite it being against the rules. "You'll make lots of new friends and soon the grief will have passed."
Lizzy smiled encouragingly at her, before turning to look out of the window at the large hard gravel as it bumped passed the carriage.
"There it is." Said her nanny, in awe, "Heartcliff Hall. Your uncle's home." The carriage turned a sharp corner as a large, austere manor came into view. Lizzy took a deep breath and sighed. "Soon you'll forget all about what happened." Continued her nanny, "All about the fire and your parents and your pretty little face will shine again." Lizzy looked out of the window.
"I doubt it." She said solemnly, "I sincerely doubt it."
A dark cloud, that had been forming overhead, began to show itself more clearly as a threat and began to rumble as a few drops of water began to fall from its grey tufts. As the carriage began to slow, approaching the entrance to the manor, an austere face appeared with cold black eyes and pinned hair. She scowled and pointed, directing the coach to the servants entrance.
"What sort of a person is my uncle, do you think?" asked Lizzy, watching from her window as her nanny smartened her collar.
"I don't know, Lizzy. A kind man, I should think. He's your mother's brother and he agreed to take you in."
"So kind that he doesn't greet us personally, and sends a maid to direct us to the servants' entrance." Lizzy scoffed, "I think him not kind. Or rather, not thoughtful."
"Oh Lizzy!" gasped her nanny, "You shouldn't say such things!"
"Right now I am allowed to, though, nanny." She said calmly, "My parents have just died and…"
"Your parents have passed on to a better place." Came the calm reply.
"They're dead. There is no better place!" snapped Lizzy in her young voice, angered by the old woman's set ways.
"Do not be so blasphemous. You speak with the Devil's tongue. May God show you the errors of your ways…"
"And may He strike me down." Lizzy plagued under her breath, looking out of the window again as the carriage was brought to a stop.
An old man came with an umbrella and opened the door, lowering the steps to the ground. Lizzy took his hand and jumped out of the carriage, landing in a puddle positioned perfectly around the carriage. She took a deep breath and looked up at the man.
"You'll want to watch that here." He grunted in an angry voice, leading Lizzy up the few steps and into the main house, past the woman who had first directed them round.
Lizzy was left in the corridor as the man turned around to go and fetch her bags. She watched as the woman dismissed her nanny without so much as a thank you. That was the last time she ever saw her.
The woman shut the door and turned to Lizzy. She scowled at her, walking towards her. As soon as she was upon her she grabbed her by her arm and bent down to whisper in her ear.
"You are not welcome here. Do not expect anything. You are lucky with what you get after what happened to your foolish parents." Lizzy was taken aback by this and found herself unable to speak.
The woman stood up straight but kept a hold of her arm. She looked at her disgustedly then started walking hurriedly, dragging Lizzy by her arm behind her. Lizzy was led down a cold, sterile corridor. All working within were silent and dressed in black, making it seem even more ghostly than it already was.
Lizzy watched open-eyed as she was dragged through the halls and led to a small, dusty room with flowered wallpaper that seemed so faded that it barely was visible. There was a large window at one end of the room with a large sill. The view was of the vast gardens and fields which stretched for miles around in each direction. Just like the house, they too were plain and dark and twisted and ghostlike. Dark dead trees were left to fall and be suffocated by crawling vines. No flowers could be seen, only short, neatly kept bushes of plain green.
"Here you are." Said the tall, thin woman. "Get used to it, and realise just how lucky you are that God spared you." She turned to leave but Lizzy ran and placed a small arm over hers. The woman turned, wide-eyed, angrily and flung Lizzy into a corner.
"You do not touch me." Said the woman, "You are not of any help to us, only hindrance." The woman paused before speaking again whilst Lizzy cowered down in fear, "What is it?"
"Please, maam," stuttered Lizzy, quietly "when do I meet my uncle?"
"You don't. He has seen you already, as you were approaching, and does not even wish to know you are here. You are not welcome here."
"As you have said." Said Lizzy, simply, but closed her eyes in hope that she hadn't said a thing.
There was a long pause when no one said anything and silence was predominant.
"Listen girl." Said the woman, calming down, and relaxing her arms which had clenched previously. "Get used to these four walls. There are many rules in this house. Don't speak unless you're spoken to, it is rude. Don't walk on the carpet in the middle of the stairs or it will fade. Don't go outside in the rain. The rain water will make the ground muddy and the mud will get on your clothes. No one will clean the mud off if it gets on and the Master doesn't want to spend more money buying you clothes then he already does. You'll put him in debt one day. You're more trouble than you're worth. You're not welcome here. Don't you forget it."
With that the woman turned and left, closing the door firmly behind her and locking it loudly. Lizzy sat in the corner for some time and waited, crying softly to herself.
The dark clouds kept dark and rained down constantly. Much time passed, as the morning drifted on into the afternoon, and the afternoon into the evening, and the evening into night, but no one came. No sound could be heard but the soft pattering of the small raindrops as they fell against the glass and rolled down.
Lizzy stopped crying as the moonlight streamed into the room, illuminating the tiny drops as they fell softly through the air. She stood up and walked towards the window. Looking out she saw the grounds to her new home and watched the forbidden water as it plummeted down.
Watching it fall she got a sudden pang of fear and courage. She ran to her window and struggled with the latch, but finally flung it open. Feeling the cool night air hit her face she closed her eyes and breathed in. When she opened them she felt the fear fading. She stood on her windowsill and balanced in such away as to be able to slowly lower one leg out of the window. Doing this her heart began to race as she held on tight; nothing could stop her.
Suddenly she heard footsteps coming towards the door. Panicking she tried to lift up her leg and move back into the room, but was stuck. The door opened and the thin woman appeared grasping a tray with some bread and cheese on, and a glass of milk. The woman gasped and dropped the tray, calling for help and pulling the girl back into the room.
Another thin younger woman ran in and helped in pulling Lizzy in, then pinned her down on the bed.
"HOW DARE YOU!" cried the older woman. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!" Lizzy looked worried and couldn't stop herself from crying. The tears fell now, no longer in her control.
The woman looked at her for a moment, then smacked her across the face. She paused, then, and ran out of the room, returning a moment later with a hammer and nails. Lizzy's breath began to grow heavy as the younger woman covered her mouth.
"Don't be stupid, child." Said the older woman, walking towards the window and pulling it shut. Then, with each nail, she secured the window shut, hammering the nails so far down that they would be unable to be retrieved.
"No supper." Said the woman, pulling the younger woman off Lizzy and out of the door, gathering the materials from the tray with her. Before she shut the door she spoke one last time. "Silence is a virtue. I do not want to hear a word from you. You are banned from leaving the house for at least a year and you would do well to notice the rules. NO GOING OUT WHEN IT IS RAINING! Remember," she paused to think, a grin teasing at her lips, "you're here for a long time..." she said, slamming the door and locking it behind her.
Lizzy remained for a while, breathing heavily on her bed. When at last her breaths calmed, she walked to the window and sat on the sill, putting a hand up towards the glass, watching the rainwater hit it.
"I know," she whispered, "I'm here for an eternity."
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