Hidden Talents
Chapter 1
Her entire life, Tara knew she was different. She couldn't explain how, though. She had always felt something deep within her. Something that resonated within her body that convinced her she was meant for greatness. There was nothing normal about her. She had elusive green eyes and long, cinnamon hair that she was never able to cut. Every time she tried to slice a single lock, she felt searing pain pass through her entire body. It was nauseating. She never questioned it because it was the way it had always been. She simply wore it in a braid when she needed it out of her way. She was fairly tall, not abnormally, but taller than most girls her age. She was plump, but with her height it fit her perfectly.
She usually wore a dark green dress with a white blouse underneath. It was very plain, but it was all she had. She also wore a necklace that consisted of small, olive gems, with a slightly larger dark green gem as the pendant. She never had any reason to take off the necklace. She had worn it her entire life. It was a part of her. Even at the age of sixteen, she would feel naked without it.
When she was an infant, she was left on the doorstep of a very wealthy family whose name was Moran. They lived in Southaven, in Westland. Tara assumed she was born there, but she honestly had no idea. Most people she met considered her to be no one, for when she was found there was a note that simply read "Tara". She knew they were wrong. Her time would come, but she knew not for a long time.
Rather than the Morans taking her in and raising her as one of their own, she was a servant. She didn't mind, though. Tending to the household chores gave her something to do. Her room was nice. She had a fairly large bed that had a cherry wood head and foot board. Her blankets were periwinkle blue and white. Her bed was pushed against the wall, under a window. Tara would often lie in her bed and just stare out of her window. Her closet was on the right wall of her room. Inside she kept her blankets and dresses. Beside her closet was her dresser where she kept her undergarments, and poetry she had written.
They were very bitter, the family. Tara could never understand why. They never mistreated her in any way. There was Robert, his wife Eleanor, and their son Brady. The Morans were not very kind to anyone, but they treated her with respect, especially Eleanor. With them, you had to know them to gain their love. Robert was not a handsome man. He had an long torso and short legs. His hair was a misty gray that grew thinner as time went by. His eyes were gray, a dull blue at best. Eleanor, however, was very attractive. Her brown eyes seemed to age faster than she. Her honey-gray hair cascaded just below her shoulders. She was taller than Robert, and always carried herself as if she were nervous. Brady was a young man of seven with blonde hair, the same dull blue eyes as Robert, and freckles. He was a small, weak child. He never played with other children. His desire to be alone came from his mother's gene pool.
The house was very elegant, but in no way extravagant. They came into their money through Robert's business. He owned an inn that he inherited from his uncle. The inn was famous for its supply of wine, so of course, business was good. Tara was so bored then. She never met any of her family. She never knew why they abandoned her. She felt meaningless and alone. That was until she met Josephine.
Josephine came to the family when her parents gave her to the Morans. She belonged to the Browne family. The Brownes were old friends with the Morans. When they wanted to be rid of Josephine, the Morans decided to take her in as a servant. She was Tara's age, and very beautiful. She had long, curly ebony hair and brown eyes with tiny specks of gold. Her skin was like milk, kind of pale, but wholesome. Her lips were of normal size, but they were very alluring. She was a little taller than Tara, maybe by an inch or so. She wore very simple dresses. Most were colored with earth tones, but a few had bits of red and blue. Tara admired her for a long time. They never really spoke, not until Josephine had lived there for a while. They occasionally glanced at each other. When one saw the other looking at her, the other would quickly turn away.
One night while Tara was sitting in her room mending a quilt, she heard a knock at her door. She didn't move. No one ever knocked. They either barged in or just open her door slowly. The Morans didn't know the meaning of knocking. There was a second knock. "Come in." was all she could say.
Josephine entered her door wearing her nightgown. It was a white, long-sleeved gown with buttons on the back running from her neck to the middle of her spine. It had accents of lilacs on the sleeves and hem.
"I-I was, um, wondering if you had an extra blanket I could, um, borrow. M-mine is not very warm."
She looked at the floor while she spoke. She was very reluctant at times. Tara loved her shyness. It was somehow unique.
"Of course." Tara said as she walked to her closet. She opened the door and withdrew a pink and white quilt.
"Here." She handed Josephine the folded quilt. "You may keep it. My blanket is warm enough so don't worry about returning it."
"Thank you." She looked down again. "So how long have you been here?"
Tara smiled. She was enthralled. She always wanted to talk to Josephine, but she never knew what to say. She tried to keep her excitement hidden.
"My whole life. They found me when I was a baby. They took me in and kept me as a servant."
Josephine looked at her and frowned. "You never knew your parents?"
"Well, no." Josephine's frown deepened. "B-but it's not that bad. They've been kind to me. And if my family were that cruel to abandon me, then I'm glad I never met them."
Josephine gave a slight smile. "You have a very nice way of looking at things."
Tara returned the smile. "What about you? Why are you here?"
Josephine hesitated before speaking. "Well, my family is not very, um, shall I say, wealthy. My mother gave birth to twins two months ago. They couldn't afford to let me stay."
"That's terrible." Tara could not help but frown. It took a Josephine a few minutes to finally speak.
"Well it- it's not their fault. My father became ill and he hasn't been able to support my family as well." Her tone didn't seem to match what she was saying. Her words were kind, but her voice contained a mixture of anger and sadness. Everything she said about her family was said slowly, as if she were trying to comprehend everything.
"Do they ever write to you?"
"No." Tara's expression changed from melancholy to angry. "But they're very busy. My mother has to take care of my father and my brothers. They're a handful." Josephine managed a smile, but Tara could still only frown.
After a few moments of silence, Tara finally spoke.
"If you, um, ever feel lonely or bored, you can come in here and talk with me. You and I could be good friends, I think."
Josephine smiled and said, "I will. Thank you for the quilt."
"You're welcome."
"Good night."
As Josephine walked into the hall and closed the door, Tara just stood there. After a few moments, she flopped onto her bed and smiled. "Good night." she said quietly.