1.1
The boy arrived home and walked toward his father with a bowed head and a hesitant pace. He had taken his time walking home and although it wasn't quite dark out he knew he would be reprimanded for his tardiness. It was dark enough in the inner room of the house where his father sat facing the flickering fireplace that illuminated the room in an inconsistent glow.
"What took you boy."
It wasn't a question that the gruff voice asked the child, it was a verbal confirmation that he had noticed the boy was not on time and actions would be taken to insure it didn't happen again.
"I...I'm sorry father." The boy answered quietly, failing in his attempt to steady his voice, "It won't happen again."
His father gave a non-committal grunt before speaking again.
"Have you at least done what I told you?"
"Yes Father"
"and...?"
"nothing father, nothing."
"are you sure? It won't help to protect him Victor."
"I know father but nothing has happened. Nothing different, He's just...normal."
"hmm...just keep watching."
"yes sir." The boy turned to leave the room when his father spoke again.
"And Victor..."
"Yes sir?"
"I haven't forgotten that you made me wait. I expect to find you in your room after supper, which you will not be attending. You know how I hate to punish you on an empty stomach."
"Yes Father."
* * *
Victor sat in the candlelit cellar on the edge of his cot, behind him a quarter moon shone through his small window. He dug the dirt from under his thick cat-like nails with a small knife, a nervous habit he hadn't realized he had. Silverware clinked the dining room signaling the dinner he wouldn't have was being served. He was hungry but his stomach didn't complain, it was used to missing meals. His father's heavy footsteps haunted the dusty air above his head as he counted the seconds until the door at the top of the stairs opened and what was almost a nightly ritual would begin.
"DOG!" his father yelled down to him as he slammed open the door, "YOU BETTER BE IN YOU'RE CORNER!"
Victor put his little knife under his poor excuse for a mattress. There was no use fighting back with it, that would just get his only luxury taken away. Instead he pulled closer into himself and waited for what he knew would come. His father had reached the bottom of the stairs and Victor found himself dizzy from the strong smell of alcohol radiating from his father like chemical armor. It was no surprise that he was drunk, but Victor's head began to ache from the stench.
The man holding Victor down was his father, the man calling him dog and beating his side with his merciless fists, the man that kept his son chained at night like the animal he tried to beat out of him. He was his father, the leader, and Victor had done something wrong...again, so he must be punished. That's what Victor told himself every time his father came at him drunk and with his fists, or a belt, or whatever object happened to be nearby. That's the way it had been for the last 16 years and Victor supposed that's the way things would remain until his father died, or until Victor was strong enough to challenge his authority. He wasn't stupid enough to try to fight back now, he could easily see that his father was bigger, faster and stronger. It would only make things worse if he fought back. That was something else Victor was fond of telling himself.
The chain around Victor's ankle rattled as he stirred awake, it wouldn't be the first time he'd blacked out during a beating. His ribs and face were sore but it was only a dull pain. Victor had noticed with every beating he seemed to recover faster, either that or he was getting used to it. As he started to drift off again he was awoken by his father, unlocking the shackle around his leg. Victor sat up slowly and put his feet on the floor.
"Father." Victor said weakly as his father walked up the stairs.
"Go to school boy. Do what I always ask you to do." He answered, not even bothering to turn a head toward his child.
"Yes sir."
* * *
The boy took his usual route to the one room school house, through the woods that emerged onto the Howlett's side yard where he would be greeted by the child his father was so concerned with. Jimmy was only a couple of years younger than Victor but he looked much smaller. His wavy hair and huge brown eyes stayed filled with a boyhood excitement that Victor didn't understand. As if on cue to the younger boy came tearing around the corner of the house.
"Victor! Wait! I'm coming!" the boy yelled as he slid on the dew soaked grass. Victor let a tiny smile tug at the corner of his lips as he slowed his gate to let Jimmy catch up to him.
"Victor, you're early, "Jimmy panted reaching into his bag for an apple that he handed Victor "Here, I snagged this for you."
Victor took it and took a large bite before speaking between chewing. "Thanks runt, but it's not 'snagging' when your mommy hands it to you."
"Just eat it."Jimmy laughed, "you're so difficult...are you coming over after school again today? I asked my mom if we could have supper earlier so you could eat with us tonight."
"Sure Jimmy, But I got to leave right after. My dad doesn't like waiting up for me."
"Great! I'll meet you after class." As they walked into the classroom Victor took his seat in the back corner and Jimmy took a desk towards the front. The other students filed in and took their usual seats, none of which were near Victor. The teacher walked in shortly after and began writing on the blackboard. He was a weak little man named Mr. Dearing who surely knew nothing about anything so Victor pulled out his knife and began carving at his nails. Everything was progressing as usual when the door behind Victor opened. Without turning around the teacher's shoulders dropped and he spoke.
"Ms. Bastion take a seat. It's only your first day but in my class you're expected to be on time."
"Yes sir." her voice was sweet, quiet. She took the seat beside Victor and stared at the board like the other students. Victor spared a glance her way, she was pretty. Her hair was the rusty brown of an autumn leaf and she had it pulled back in sweeping waves at the back of her head with a bright red ribbon. Her eyes were smoky blue like the sky at dusk and the darted around the front of the class observing everything happening around her. After a few minutes she reached into her satchel with her silk gloved hands and pulled out a small book and a small pencil. Victor wasn't sure why she was wearing gloves, maybe she was afraid her petite hands would get dirty. What he did know is once her book was out she was paying as much attention as he was. From the moment pencil touched paper nothing but drawings blanketed the page. She drew the teacher, Jimmy and a few other kids in the front of class. After a minute her eyes found Victor's and he quickly turned his attention back to his hands.
* * * * *
1.2
She was bored. There was nothing this backwoods teacher was going to tell her that she didn't already know. Moving to the country had been her mother's idea, something about fresh air. Rayne didn't think the air was any less fresh at they're old home but she did like the scenery here much more. She felt more comfortable here with all the space, she liked the trees and the fields. She liked walking out her front door and not being stared at by every other person in the town. She liked it here, even if she did have to hide.
The other students were getting up from their seats before Rayne realized class was over. She tucked her book into her bag and headed for the door. The boy that had sat beside her during class was already long gone. She had hoped he would stick around a minute. Something about him was... different. Lost in thought Rayne walked into the school yard, she minded her own business past the group of giggling girls talking about how strange the new girl was, past the boys talking about the group of girls and right into a few boys that were waiting for her outside the gate. The first came from the left, grabbing her bag and pouring its contents onto the ground. Without hesitation Rayne kicked him in the knee as hard as she could ripping her empty bag from his hands. As he crumpled to the ground his two friends ravaged the spilled contents. One boy, a particularly short blonde, was picking up any loose objects and tossing them into the air, the other had her sketchbooks.
"Give that back" she grumbled at the tall boy.
"Why should I?" tall boy laughed opening the book, "Are your...doodles so important?"
"yes" she answered sternly, pulling herself up as tall as she could make herself and still coming up a foot short. "They're 'important' because they're mine."
"oh" tall boy taunted, "well in that case, here you go my lady." He bowed and held her book open by the binding as he started ripping out the pages one by one and tossing them at her.
"STOP IT! STOP IT YOU BULLY!" she screamed catching as many pieces of her precious paper in the air and picking the ones she missed off the dirt path. She couldn't fight back, girls don't fight back. She couldn't draw attention to herself again, they had just got here. As she bent to pick up a missed sheet the shortest boy pushed her to the ground. She turned to get up she saw what was left of her book being held out to her at eye level. She followed the arm holding her book to its owner's face and was surprised when she saw the boy that sat beside her during class. She took the book from him and shoved it into her bag before he offered her a hand up. As he pulled her to her feet she saw a brown haired boy a few feet off watching the bullies run away.
"Thank you" she said, brushing herself off.
"No problem" the brown-haired boy said from behind her and she turned to face him. She recognized him from before, he was in the front of the room and there were sketches of him along with the others."My name is James, Victor calls me Jimmy though." he said gesturing to the other boy as he shook her hand.
"Nice to meet you... both of you" She smiled at them, more so at Victor who responded with a grunt and a glance at Jimmy.
"Right. Well we had better be going or we will be late for supper and you're parents are probably worried sick. I know mine would be if I was late home from my first day of classes."
"You are probably right." she said turning away from them before looking back one more time to say, "Thank you again." and she caught Victor looking back too.
* * *
Rayne walked into the open foyer and listened, her mother was upstairs with someone. Her father was still in the city until he could start his new job so whoever was with mother was probably paid help. Rayne told herself they were unpacking and if the truth was otherwise she didn't need to know. She walked through the kitchen and made her way to the back yard where she sat under a large tree. It wasn't near dusk yet but the edges of darkness were creeping at the sky. A light breeze played with her hair and made the trees creak above her. A few deer wandered at the edge of the field and Rayne was hoping if she sat out long enough the lynx she'd seen her first night here would venture out again. She sat and sketched as the sky turned grey. After a while she stopped drawing and just watched the progression of the world around her, the deer were gone but a lone rabbit was hopping around the field. Rayne slowly got to her feet, taking off her gloves and putting them in the band around her waist. She looked around, making sure no one was watching and checked the house windows to see if her mother was standing guard. Satisfied that she was in the clear she walked forward, crouched down and moving slowly so they didn't startle the animal. The rabbit hopped closer, not seeing the girl, or not thinking she was a threat. The girl pounced on the rabbit and snapped it's neck before it even knew what happened. Rayne straightened herself and dusted off her blouse stood, content with herself as she pulled on her gloves and walked to the servant quarters. They would appreciate the meat, her mom would just scold her for being 'unladylike'.
* * *
Victor left the Howlett household as soon as supper was over. He wanted plenty of time to make it home so he could take the long path through the woods and pass the new girls house. He couldn't place it but there was something about her. As he neared her house he saw her walking to the small building beside the main house swinging a stuffed animal from one hand. Victor started to think she was a little old to have a toy like that before he realized it wasn't a toy. At that point a whole new question stirred his mind. What kind of girl touches dead animals? She knocked on the door of the little house and the door was opened by a middle age woman who smiled when she saw the child. The girl held up the rabbit and said something that made the older woman's smile spread even wider before she took the rabbit inside. The girl started to follow but before she could cross the threshold a shrill voice yelled from the back door.
"Rayne Elizabeth Bastion! Get in here!"
The girl's head snapped to the house and she took off running, only slowing to grab her bag from the ground before disappearing into the main house. The mystery behind the new girl was only getting deeper, Victor thought to himself as he continued on his way home.
* * *
"Rayne Elizabeth you are filthy! You are a 15 year old girl, practically a woman. you should not be so dirty!" her mother shrieked as she came into the house."Go upstairs, Miranda has a bath run for you and she's waiting to wash your hair."
"Yes mother" Rayne dropped her bag in the corner and started up the stairs when her mother yelled up to her."And don't forget the gloves Rayne."
"Yes ma'am" she hollered back.
Rayne hated baths. It wasn't so much the act itself that bothered her as it was the servant girl Miranda washing her hair twenty times until she thought it was clean. How many times did her head really need to be scrubbed? Wasn't once enough? How dirty could she be? Rayne still did what she was told, she wrapped up in her robe and pulled on her gloves before walking into the washroom where Miranda was waiting.
"Good evening Miss Bastion. Ready for your bath?"
"Yes Ma'am." Rayne sighed as she hung her robe on the back of Miranda's chair and lowered herself into the hot water. Miranda poured water over Rayne's head and began washing, Rayne just sat still, trying to just get this over with. She watched her gloved hands under the water's surface. She hated the gloves but she hated what her mother would do if she took them off in front of the help more. Rayne didn't want to move again. This time the story was that Rayne was burned as a child and her hands were grotesque. That she had to keep the gloves on so as not to disgust anyone. Rayne wasn't allowed to let anyone know the truth, the last time caused to many problems, that's why they had to move.
"You're done dear" Miranda said sweetly. Rayne's scalp was tender from the scrubbing and her wet hair was heavy. Her stomach grumbled from under the water before Rayne's mother walked in the room with a bowl of warm water and a wash rag
"You may leave us Miranda, I'll brush out her hair. You go see how supper is coming."
"Yes ma'am"
"Come now Rayne don't dilly-dally. Just because we're in a new house doesn't mean anything has changed." Rayne wrapped up in her robe and sat on the stool where her mom was standing. "Gloves Rayne." Her mother tapped her foot impatiently. Rayne took off her gloves and handed them to her mother who threw them away, "I don't know how you get so dirty...little girls should not be dirty."
"yes ma'am" Rayne whispered as her mother washed her hands one and then the other before trimming her nails and handing her a new pair of gloves to wear and starting to brush her hair. After a moment the questions started, it was Rayne's least favorite part of any day, the part where her mother tried to connect with her while pretending Rayne was a normal child.
"How did you're first day of school go darling?"
"Like any other, mother."
"Did you make it there ok?"
"yes mother, although I was late. I think I should leave earlier tomorrow."
"If you think that's a good idea dear...You're father sent you something."
"He did?" Rayne asked, fighting to hide her smile.
"yes, it's downstairs. you can open it after dinner."
"Is he coming here?"
"No. not for a few more days dear. You knew it may be like this."
" I know mother."
After Rayne's hair was brushed and she was dressed she went into the kitchen with her mother and they ate a small meal of carbonados Mutton, a broiled lamb in wine sauce. They didn't talk as they ate and Rayne hurried through the meal. When she was done her mother soundlessly passed her a little paper wrapped package. Rayne ran to her room and tore it open, she loved her father's gifts and this one was no different. Inside the wrapping was a new book, no more than 3x5 inches, full of beautifully blank sheets of paper and an unused pencil, it was as though her father somehow knew what had happened on her first day of classes. The cover was leather with a cougar pressed into the front and on the first page her Father had written a note that read:
'My beautiful daughter,
I hope you are finding yourself well in our new home. I only wish I was there to experience it with you, I know that when I finally do see you I will be greeted with love and your beautiful drawings. Keep your mother out of trouble until I arrive.
Joining you as soon as the heavens allow,
Your loving father.'
Rayne read the note over and over in the comfort of her bed, listening to the tree branch scrape her window in the breeze as she drifted off to sleep.
* * * * *
1.3
Morning came quickly and Rayne left before her mother was even awake. She took some dried meat from the kitchen and showed herself out. She was just reaching the schoolhouse road when an excited voice called out behind her.
"Hey Rayne! Rayne slow down!"
Rayne stopped and turned to see James and Victor walking toward her.
"Good morning gentlemen." she smiled tearing her meal into thirds and handing each of them a piece.
"Thank you' Jimmy said taking a bite. "right Victor?"
"Yes. Thank you." he mumbled.
"You do not talk much do you Victor."
"No. He really doesn't." Jimmy answered. Victor made a sound that Rayne took it as him agreeing. They walked the rest of the way to the school house in silence and Rayne had the time to really look at Victor for the first time. He was handsome, in a dark sort of way. He had a heart shaped face topped with black shaggy hair that looked light compared to his eyes. His eyes were almost black and filled with an inner pain that Rayne had never seen on someone his age. In that moment she realized that even though she didn't know him, she pitied him. The walked into the classroom together and took their separate seats. The teacher came in a few moments later and knocked on his desk for the classes attention.
"Class. Today we are going to review what you were taught yesterday."The whole class moaned in unison, "But, I have somewhere to be later, so once we're through you're afternoon is free." The class jumped to their feet in a massive wave of excitement before the teacher slammed his desk again. The class settled down and the teacher turned his back to the board. Without a moment's hesitation the class was at attention with the exception of Victor and Rayne. Victor was carving at his nails and Rayne was watching him. She had started to draw him but when she got to his hands she was mesmerized. Why did he pick at them with that knife? She finally tore her gaze away, not wanting to be caught staring, and continued drawing. A few hours later class let out. Rayne packed up her things and started toward the path home.
"What do you want to do now Victor?" Jimmy asked." You don't have to be home until dark and we have ALL afternoon!"Jimmy was practically bouncing as they walked out the door "Come on Victor! It's still pretty warm out, let's go to the ridge and swim, we haven't done that in WEEKS!"
"Ok Jimmy" Victor answered, sending a side glance at Rayne.
"Maybe she'd like to go to?" Jimmy asked when he saw Victor looking.
"She would probably like it." Victor answered, "It is pretty there, she could draw stuff..." Jimmy didn't give Victor a second glance before taking off in Rayne's direction.
"Rayne!" Jimmy yelled and she stopped in her tracks. He ran up to her with Victor close behind. "Rayne you want to go with us?
"Where are you going?" Rayne asked, when to her surprise It was Victor who answered her.
"The ridge. It's a pond at the bottom of a waterfall back in the woods at Jimmy's house."He paused for a moment before adding."...I can walk you home...after. It's not far."
"Okay. if you're sure you don't mind." She smiled.
"No! We don't mind at all!" Jimmy announced and Victor nodded in agreement.
The started walking along a small wooded path behind the school house, Victor and Jimmy playfully nudging each other into the brush on the sides of the path as Rayne followed behind them. She couldn't help but smile, this was the first time she could remember being treated like a normal kid. Pretty soon she could hear the sound of running water and Jimmy was becoming less clothed with each step. By the time she saw the waterfall she didn't have time to be in awe before Jimmy was in his skivvies and the rest of his clothes were in a pile as he jumped into the water. He surfaced with a smile and a glare at Victor who had taken a seat on a flat rock.
"Come on Victor! It's no fun if I'm the only one!" Jimmy said as he slashed water toward the shore. Victor rolled his eyes and got to his feet unbuttoning his vest then laying it flat on the rock he had been sitting on. Rayne had found a place to sit and was making herself comfortable with her paper and pencil when she looked back to Victor. His clothes were laid neatly on the rock as though when he got up they had opted to stay behind. He waded slowly into the water where Jimmy was waiting patiently to resume the splashing. They swam lazily for a while, enjoying the cool water and the free time. Rayne put her notebook away, sitting still out in the open it was getting hot. She thought for a minute about how nice it would be to get in the cool pond and just float there, but she couldn't get her clothes wet! Her mother got mad enough when she was just dirty! She could do like the boys...and that's when she decided she didn't care anymore.
When Victor looked up Rayne wasn't sitting on the bank anymore. He nudged Jimmy to get his attention.
"What is it?" Jimmy asked, straitening himself in the water. Victor nodded to where Rayne had been sitting. "oh...I wonder where she went?" Victor started wading that direction and Jimmy followed. As they got closer they saw her satchel laying on the ground and the corner of her book sticking out of it. Victor knew she wouldn't have just left it behind.
"Rayne!" Victor yelled, hoping for an answer, maybe she saw a butterfly and wanted to follow it, she was a girl after all.
"Rayne!" he heard Jimmy yell from beside him.
"Gee you guys quiet down." Rayne laughed as both boys turned to face her. She was standing in a chemise holding the rest of her clothes with gloved hands in a ball in front of her staring back at them.
"are you ok?"
Both of them were staring open mouthed at her like she was a ghost. Victor was the first to come around, his face turned pink as he shut his mouth, nodded and turned to face Jimmy. Rayne laid her clothes with her bag and walked into the water beside them. "Are you sure?"
"Yea we're ok" jimmy finally spoke."We just never had a girl with us before, we never thought in a million years you'd swim."
"Well" she said, up to her neck in water now," It was hot...and I wanted to swim so...here I am." She laid on her back and floated out to the waterfall. Victor looked at Jimmy and spoke.
"I like her." he said noncommittally before swimming out after her.
After their swim the trio laid in the sun to dry, soon the talking slowed and the warm afternoon sun lulled them into a relaxed tranquility. After a long time of comfortable silence Victor was the first to speak.
"it's getting late. We should head home."
"You're probably right." Jimmy said, pushing himself upright.
"Well, "Rayne sighed, "the day couldn't last forever."
They walked to Jimmy's house first, he lived closest. He invited them in but Victor insisted that he couldn't be late home again so he and Rayne continued on. Soon after Jimmy was no longer part of the group the pace slowed, both of them dragging their feet and kicking and pebbles that were in the path. Both wanted to speak but neither knew where to begin. Rayne walked closer to him with every step, her arm brushing his. He wasn't sure if he liked her being to close, she was defiantly in his personal space, but at the same time he felt his heart race every time she touched him. She was close, close enough for him to smell. She smelled like the fresh water of the pond they were walking from. That and lavender.
"Victor..." she whispered as they reached her house. He stopped to look at her but didn't speak. "Victor, I...I don't know what it is about you but...you seem..."
"What? What do I 'seem' to you? Different?" he snapped. His brows furrowed automatically in self defense.
"No!" she interrupted putting her hand on his, "sad. you seem...sad." Victor Just stared back at her, his eyes pulling her in and not letting her look away. After a moment he opened his mouth to answer.
"RAYNE!" her mother yelled from the house," RAYNE ELIZABETH WHERE ON EARTH HAVE YOU BEEN! YOU'RE FILTHY!"
"That's my mother, "she said backing away from him, "Good night Victor." and with that she turned and walked toward her house.
Rayne stormed into the house and past her mother. She could yell all she wanted, it wasn't going to ruin Rayne's day.
* * *
The morning was cool, it was the first day that had hinted that fall was just around the corner since Mrs. Bastion and her daughter moved to town a couple months ago. Rayne stood at the end of her yard wondering why her father hadn't joined them as Victor came walking around the corner.
"hey" she said, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, the way it always seemed to do when she saw him.
"hey"
She liked Victor, she wasn't sure what it was about him really, she just felt normal around him. He had a few quirks about him, like he would seem to flinch if you made a sudden movement in his direction and he always picks at his fingernails (they did seem to grow very fast) but usually he was just quiet. Not the quite that you felt the need to fill the gap, more the quiet that you enjoyed. The duo passed Jimmy's house but he didn't run to great them like he usually did. He wouldn't be in school today. He had told his friends the day before how excited he was that his father didn't have to work and how they were going to go fishing. Usually the conversations were dominated by Jimmy and without him the walk to school was quiet, Rayne used the time to think to herself. When they reached to schoolhouse road Rayne didn't turn down it instead she kept walking strait toward the woods as Victor stopped at the fork. Rayne turned to see why he wasn't by her side and found him looking between her and the school road.
"The school is this way." he said, gesturing down the path.
"Really Victor, I thought they moved it. "he gave her a puzzled look and she laughed as she backed away from him," I'm joking...so are you coming or not?"
He gave one more look to the school before jogging to catch up with her.
"What are we doing Ray?"
"Well," she smiled," The way I see it is this, Jimmy is the only one of us that Dearing will notice missing and he knows Jimmy's out with his Father. You and I sit in the back and keep to ourselves, even if he does notice us gone you think he'll give it a second thought?"
"No. He won't. If anything he may be glad I'm not there. I think I worry him." He mumbled the last part, looking down at his shoes as Rayne stifled a giggle.
"Well then today is you're lucky day Mr. Creed," she said in a mock curtsy," today you will not be in the company of anyone that you worry. There's only one stipulation."
"What's that?"
She leaned in real close to his face and his eyes got wide before she whispered, "you have to keep up" and with that she tore off into the tree line. Victor took only a moment to be shocked before going after her, she was fast. He wasn't sure he would have been able to keep up with her if she had been wearing something less cumbersome than her dress. Her dress kept hanging on twigs and branches slowing her down and letting him catch up. Every time he got too close she'd veer of sharply in another direction. she would twist through the tress so easily it was almost like they moved for her. When she finally stopped they were in a partial clearing. there was the tree line behind them and a deadfall to their left. the field in front of them seemed to go off in all directions before turning back into forest. Rayne took a seat on the ground, leaning against a felled tree. Her cheeks were flushed pink from running and her eyes were bright. Victor took a seat beside her and they enjoyed each other's silence for a while before she pulled out some scraps of food for them to share. She had noticed over the last month or so that Victor never turned down food, at first she thought it was just him being a boy but Jimmy had let it slip one day that he didn't think Victor was fed at home. A crumb from a hunk of bread fell onto Victor's shirt and he flinched when Rayne went to brush it away. When he did his shirt moved just enough that she noticed a large bruise on his collarbone.
"what happened?" she asked innocently, gesturing to his injured side.
"what-oh nothing. I just...just got hurt is all" he answered, staring down at his hand as though he was embarrassed.
"Can I see? ...I mean, you don't have to...I just...it looks bad." she wasn't sure why she had asked, maybe it was just her curiosity, maybe it was her intuition telling her he didn't just hurt himself, but to her surprise he answered her.
"if you want...I can show you...it's really alright though." he unbuttoned his shirt and slid it off his narrow shoulders. The bruise on his collar bone was only a prelude to what she was seeing. purple bruising blanketed his entire left side. His ribs looked sore and it hurt Rayne just to watch him breathing. the top of his arm was nearly black in a distinguishably hand shaped mark, as though he'd been held by one hand while the other beat him. Rayne reached out and slid her glove covered fingers across the bruise on his arm lightly. Victor started to pull away but stopped and let it happen, her fingers felt cool on the bruise, even through her light gloves. He looked at her face, she looked sad, confused, angry, concerned, all in one face. he wasn't sure how that was possible but he saw it all there.
"Ray..." he started to say her name but she looked into his eyes as she cut him off.
"Does he do this to you? your father I mean?" he kept his eyes locked on hers for a moment but looked away when he spoke.
"yea, but I deserve it mostly."
"No you don't, no one deserves this."
He kept looking way from her as he slid hit shirt back on, every time Rayne started to speak she could tell he wasn't ready for her to. Instead she opened her bag and pulled out her drawing book. she hadn't started the new book yet, having friends for once she had spent more time with them than alone drawing. She opened the book, past the page full of her father's writing and she drew Victor. He was facing partly away from her so all she could see was the side of his face, he looked so sad, hurt in a way she didn't know how to fix. Every time he moved, she'd start a new page. A new picture. Finally he got up, sat beside her and spoke.
"I could never do that." he said, looking down at himself on the paper.
"What, draw? Anyone can draw." she smiled.
"I can't."
"yes you can...", she broke a twig from the tree behind her and swept the patch of dirt between the smooth, "just follow me."
She drew a circle in the dirt, Victor drew his own with his finger. Rayne noticed his fingernails weren't picked to the quick like they usually were and watched him mimic her circle with a long talon-like claw. She didn't let it distract her, she kept drawing. In the circle Rayne drew a smaller half circle and two lines, making a simple smiling face in the dirt. Victor followed, concentrating hard to match Rayne's. Once he was done he leaned back to compare the two.
" See, you're a natural." she smiled.
* * * * *
1.4
It was already dark when Victor walked into the front yard, he could see his father's silhouette framed in the doorway. The day had gone by far too fast with Rayne, without Jimmy there to worry about being home for dinner on time neither of them had thought to head home until dusk had fallen upon them. His father didn't speak as Victor approached him. he just stood in the doorway, staring.
"I'm sorry I'm late father, I..."
"I don't want to hear it you ungrateful whelp. you know where you belong."
"Yes father." the boy bowed his head and walked into the cellar and sat on his cot. His father watched him from the stairs as he fastened the chain to his ankle and laid back against the cold wall. His father left, shutting him in the dark as he did so. Victor took a deep breath, he may as well enjoy the last minutes of consciousness while he could. He closed his eyes and began to replay the images of the day when he heard a tapping. It was a sound he hadn't heard in the cellar before. He turned to see where it was coming from, when he looked out the small cellar window he saw Rayne, laying flat on the ground outside, looking back at him. He kneeled on the cot and pried open the window.
"You shouldn't be here Rayne. Go." she hissed.
"No, I will not." She pushed his arm away and held the window open herself as she slid through, " I brought you dinner."
"Ray, that's wonderful but you cannot be here. he'll kill you!"
"You're father is upstairs drinking like a fish, he's so slobbering drunk he's still trying to figure out how to use a fork to eat the 1st course."
"Great, so he's drunk enough to not even question the decision to kill you when he find's you down here."
"It will be ok Victor, I promise. Here" she hands him a piece of bread and meat and he scarf's it down, all the while looking at the floorboards above him, waiting for the creak to let him know it's time for Rayne to leave. She lay's her gloved hand on his arm and he looks at her, relaxing just a little as he finishes the meal she brought him. As he eats she looks around and notices the chain on his leg. She looks back up to see him staring back at her.
"You know," she starts, "I read somewhere that people, some people, when bad things are happening to them...like torture and stuff...they think about other things...happy things, and you know, send their minds someplace not so bad...maybe...maybe you could do that." she finished nervously.
"Hmm...maybe." he thought, eyes flicking up again to the cellar door.
"I just mean...maybe it wouldn't seem so horrible then...I..."
"I know. I understand what you mean anyway. it would be a good idea I guess...if I had anywhere to send my mind that was good enough to distract from what was happening. Most of the time I just...pick something to look at...the wall, the moon, anything. and concentrate on that until it's over...or I black out...but you're way seems...better." he said, timidly. Rayne didn't know what to say, she was about to open her mouth when he spoke again."I...I don't have a happy memory to think about...none seem good enough."
"None at all?" she asked.
"No...I don't think so." He speaks softly, Rayne looks in his eyes as he looks back at her, she believes him. His eyes are so sad all the time, she's not sure there is any happiness in him. She leans into him, pressing her lips to his for a moment before pulling away slowly. She exhales and opens her eyes, Victor's are still closed, she whispers to him.
"Now you do."
Victor started to lean to her again when a chair scrapped across the floor above them. They both jumped to their feet, Rayne stood in front of Victor, between him and the door, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him.
"Go. Run. Get out of here right now. He WILL kill you." He spoke through gritted teeth, trying to push her through the window.
"No, I'm not leaving. He can't do this to you Victor!" by now He had pushed her more than halfway out the window.
"He can, and he does, " he said, pushing her the rest of the way out. " and it will be worse if he finds you. Please Rayne, don't make me watch him kill you on top of everything else. Please go. Run." the cellar door slammed open, "RUN."
Rayne ran, she heard Victor's father yell something, it sounded like 'dog'. She didn't run home. She had to know he was ok. She ducked behind a tree and hesitantly looked back at the cellar window.
Victor stood by his bed, waiting for the first blow. It came hard across his face, his head snapping to the side on impact. When his head turned he looked sideways out the window to make sure Rayne had gotten away. Instead he saw her face, peeking out from behind a tree, but she wasn't looking at him. There was no sadness or pity in her stormy blue eyes. The only thing in them was hate, and she was staring at his father. Victor turned back and waited for the next strike, he was still thinking of her, standing there, watching with all the anger in her eyes. He started to resent that she hadn't run like he'd told her to but he realized that if the tables were turned he would be doing the same. He would have jumped between her and the opening cellar door, he would have wanted to stay, to protect her, and when he couldn't he would have hidden and watched to make sure she was alright and learn the face of the one who hurt her. the second and third blows were to his ribs, Victor fell back onto the cot. He closed his eyes and waited for the pain to be too much, for the release of unconsciousness, and while he waited he remembered. he remembered the way Rayne smelled of lavender and earth, the way her lips pressed into his, soft and gentle. the way her cheeks were pink, like she's been running, when he looked at her after the kiss. The way she fought to stay, the way she wished she could protect him.
* * *
The leaves had fallen and the trees were bare, the nights grew long and the days cold. Rayne walked into her home after a long walk from school. When she walked in the foyer she saw her mother in the living room, sitting in front of a lit fire reading a letter. She barely looked up when she heard her daughter walk in the room.
"Mother?" Rayne asked. As she got close she could see that her mother's cheeks were wet and her eyes were puffy.
"I don't know what I'm going to do..." her mother mumbled, "can't handle this myself," she looked up at Rayne, from her questioning face to her constantly gloved hands and a new wave of tears filled her eyes. "I can't do this. It's too much."
"What happened?" Rayne practically yelled. Her mother glared in response to her raised voice and shoved the paper into her hand. Rayne read it, then read it again, and again. She couldn't believe it. The question of why her father hadn't joined them yet was finally answered. She knew he had stayed behind to make arrangements, but she didn't know that the arrangements had been so, final. Here is was, on paper. Her father had made his arrangements, the money and belongings were all her mother's now because her father was dead.
The next morning Rayne dressed and readied herself for school. She'd managed to stay numb to the news of her father through the night, just concentrating on the day ahead of her, going to class, seeing her friends. When she saw the cold autumn storm outside she knew she had nothing else to do today but sit inside with herself and think. She slumped into the corner with her school bag and felt tears welling in her eyes. She should have gotten up and walked to her room, should have done something. Instead she broke down in the front of the foyer thinking of everything that could have been done differently to stop this from happening. If she and her mother wouldn't have left him behind he'd be alive, If she hadn't gotten into a fight with those boys; showing them how much stronger she was, how fierce, how...wild they wouldn't have had to move, if she would have been normal she wouldn't have to worry about the gloves, If she wouldn't have been born her father would still be alive. If she wasn't a freak, her father would be alive. Rayne thought all these things, and knew her mother thought them too. Meals came and went, the servants bustled about, all of them ignoring Rayne crumpled and crying on the floor.
Victor and Jimmy fought through the storm and made it to class, Mr. Dearing never made it but neither did most of their class mates. Jimmy spent the day running around the classroom, shaking his head of wet hair everywhere, not liking being cooped up but enjoying having the schoolhouse empty. Victor sat in his chair, laughing at Jimmy's antics every now and then but mostly looking at Rayne's empty chair. He didn't expect the storm to keep her away. He knew he wouldn't have time to stop in to see her on his way home. The storm would make it dark all day and dark was dark to his father. The duo finally headed home that evening, deciding to stay in tomorrow, Victor saying he'd come to Jimmy's house so they could entertain each other. With a soggy grin Jimmy ran into his house and Victor trudged home. He took the path behind Rayne's house, there was light in a couple windows and he wanted to stop and see where she had been but the rain pounded harder and the thunder roared louder telling him it was time to be home.
The stormy day stretched into a stormy week, none if the children tried to make it to class the second day, or the third. The clouds darkened the sky and the rain seemed endless, the lightning came in bursts so fast you couldn't keep track of them. Even the thunder seemed perpetual, only fading in and out, never actually stopping.
***
To Victor the days are dark and loud, the rain against his window making it hard to hear his father's footsteps above him. He stays on his cot, not wanting to be found up and around the cellar. A scrap of food is left for him some mornings but it's not much, and those were only after truly horrific nights. Days went by before the thunder lessened, by this time Victor's father was frustrated, not being able to work in the current weather conditions, which made Victor his outlet. By the time the storms faded enough to warrant going back to classes Victor was too sore to move, he'd have to hope his father could go back to work so he could take time to recover.
***
Rayne slumped to the school house in the sprinkling rain. Thunder rolled somewhere in the distance but it was too far to worry about. She took her seat in the back of the classroom, Jimmy is sitting in the front and gives her a little wave when he sees her. She gives him a half smile back and wonders how many people know about her father. Mr. Dearing arrives and starts teaching, Victor's chair stayed empty and the day seems a little more grey to Rayne. On the way home Jimmy tells Rayne that he's sorry to hear about her father, confirming her suspicion that the news had gotten around, he also mentions that he and Victor had plans for the rainy days but Victor had never showed. They say their goodbyes and Rayne walks into her house. No one tells her that she's getting the floors wet, no one tells her to change before she catches cold, no one tells her she's filthy. Her mother was treating her like she didn't exist, something Rayne had always hoped would happen but since it had she wasn't sure what to do with herself.
After dark Rayne opened her window and climbed onto the tree branch outside, it was still raining but it's only a drizzle no longer a downpour. She carefully dropped from the branch to the ground, tying her hair in her ribbon to keep it from clinging to her face before heading through the woods toward the Creed house. As she got closer she saw the shape of the house looming in the distance, there was no light coming from the house so crossing the lawn didn't take long. She laid on her stomach and pulled herself to the small cellar window.
Victor can hear tapping in the darkness, tapping on glass that sounds different than the soft raindrops he's heard for days. He moves to open his eyes and look around but only one cooperates. He sat up slowly, the broken ribs in his side protesting as he turns his swollen eye to the room so his clear one can see the window. He knew the swelling would be gone in a few hours, the ribs would be back to normal in a day or so, they'd been broken more than once but they still hurt. His eye finally focused on the source of the tapping, Rayne was at the window, bits of hair plastered to her face as she smiled down at him. he smiled back as much as his swollen face would allow leaning forward to open the window. The closer he got to her the more she could see of his face.
"Victor, what happened?" she gasped.
"Not being able to leave the house, my dad he, he just gets frustrated when he can't work. it was a long week." he whispered. She reached through the window and touched his face, he didn't flinch like she expected him to. He closed his eyes and she whispered back to him;
"I'm going to get you away from here."
Victor started to laugh and it turned into coughing. "There is no away from here, at least not for me."
"Yes there is. I promise you'll see." Footsteps clattered above them and light poured through the floorboards.
"Get out of here." he said, pulling the window closed.
"I'm coming back" she said as she backed away, she turned to run home and looked back for a second, whispering to him, even though she knew he couldn't hear her that she would save him.
Victor's father opened the cellar door and threw down some stale bread, Victor sighed in relief when he didn't come down those stairs but he couldn't help but remember what Rayne had said, he wasn't sure if she knew he could hear her, but he wondered if she meant it. He wondered if she really thought he was worth saving.
***
The next morning the grey sky parted enough for sunlight to pour through Victor's window. He got out of bed and dressed as fast as he could with his body screaming in protest so he could get out the door. he could see out of both eyes again, there was barely any bruising on his face but his torso still screamed if he pushed too far too fast.
Rayne stood in front of her house, the morning still cool and damp, wanting to get the day over with so she can sneak back to Victor's and make sure he's ok. She thinks about doing it right then, just skipping school and going but before she can decide it's what she's doing she sees him rounding the corner walking toward her. He's walking strangely, like it hurts him to, but when he sees Rayne waiting for him he straitens up and walks to her.
"Hi." she whispers.
"Hi." he said back. Neither one of them knew what to say, the sun and the sounds of the morning made the previous night seem like it was a world away. Instead they start walking to the school house, their hands brushing against each other until they get to Jimmy. As soon as Jimmy slides on the wet grass around the side of his house the two step a little apart and greet him. Jimmy is practically bouncing in front of them, the weather giving him more pent up energy than he knows what to do with. He talked and bounced the whole way to school, about anything and everything; the sun shining, the animals scurrying, school being fun. Victor and Rayne traded glances, understanding that he was talking to fill the void they left by not doing so. They were all okay with that.
The school day went about the same as their morning did, Rayne and Victor sneaking glances at each other, neither really paying attention to anything. Jimmy took off after class, saying something about his father and being home early, so Rayne and Victor mumbled goodbyes and kept walking. Rayne let her hand brush Victors again, this time after a minute she took his hand and intertwined her fingers with his, the silk of her gloves felt slick and cool between his fingers. He looked up at her and she smiled at him, he smiled back. when they got to her house she didn't let go, instead she spoke.
"Victor. what would happen if you didn't go home?" she wondered, the smile left his face and he thought a moment.
"He would come after me, he would find me and it would be worse that anything he's done before. And nothing would stop him."
"We could leave."
"No you can't Rayne, I can't let you leave your life because you think it will save mine. I've been living this one for so long, it's just how it is. I will be fine, I promise."
"I meant it you know. I'm going to help you get away from him."
"I know you meant it. I know. But I can't let you trade your life for mine...I have to go, I'll be..."
" Late, I know." She leaned onto her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. I'll see you tonight.
"No, you can't come every night, you're going to get hurt."
"Victor I can out run your father, and I can take care of myself."
"Please Rayne, just don't come tonight."
"We'll see."
"Rayne..." he huffs and she smiles at him, pulling her gloved hand away from his.
"We'll see."
***
1.5
Rayne laid in her bed listening to the sounds of her house. The wind scraped the branch outside her window against the pane, her mother's footsteps made their way down the hall. Rayne got out of bed, still dressed, and went to her window. She didn't promise not to go to Victor. She opened the latch and leaned out to see Victor in her tree.
"What are you doing here?"
"I knew you weren't going to listen to me, so I picked the lock and came to you."
"You're going to get in trouble! What if your father finds you gone!"
"Then I will still get a beating tomorrow."
"That's not funny Victor."
"No, it's not. but it is true."
"Well, at least come inside instead of sitting in the tree all night."
He crawled through her window, his fingernail caught on her curtain tearing it a little as he came inside.
"Sorry. I uh...I um..."
"Victor, it's ok."
She tried to take his hand but he pulled away.
"I...I should go."
"No, don't it's ok really."
"No it's not." He said, his face turning red. Why couldn't he just be normal, he chastised himself.
She grabbed his arm and turned him to look at her. He looked back at her, his eyes sad and scared, not what she expected.
"It is really, really ok Victor," She took his hand and looked at them a minute before speaking again."..I need to show you something."
She let go of his hands and he pulled them behind his back, ashamed that she'd seen them, mad at himself for not keeping them cut back like he usually did. When he looked back at her she was pulling at the fingertip of her glove. it was strange to him, seeing her take off her glove was like seeing any other person take off a layer of skin. it shouldn't have been so odd, they were just gloves, but he'd never seen her without them. She walked to him and handed over her gloves, when she did he saw her hands for the first time. They were pale, smooth, petite and over all what you would expect from a young girl with one exception, at the end of each slender finger was a lethal, cat-like claw that seemed to flex and retract when she moved her fingers. He set her gloves on the end of her bed and laid his hand on hers. They were like his. He'd never seen anyone like him before.
"My mom makes me wear the gloves so no one's know. she thinks telling other adults I have horrible burns or something makes it better, makes them feel sorry for me...we had to move here because of me, some boys tried to corner me between some building in the town where we lived...like I said before I can take care of myself, I'm stronger than I look...anyway they cornered me, one pushed me down and I knew I was outnumbered so I fought them, they got all scratched up...really badly hurt...they went and told their parents that I was a monster and I attacked them...that I was evil and had a demon in me or something. The church came to talk to my parents, they even tried to convince my parents I should be publicly executed but my father fought it. he got all the money he had and sent me and my mother...saying he'd follow us out later...but...he um...he stayed behind to long and the town blamed him...the parents of the boys blamed him when one of the boys...one of them died...so they blamed my father for me getting away...the boy who died...his father came and...and shot mine. Because of me..."
"At least your father loved you enough to die for you...my father doesn't love me enough to try not to kill me."
"Hm." she said noncommittally," my mother blames me for all of it. She hasn't looked at me since it happened."
"My father blames me...for my mother. She died when I was born. So it was my fault."
"Adults make no sense."
"You have no idea."
They stayed up that night, swapping stories about what being different had meant, what it had made them. When dawn broke Victor snuck down the tree and back to his lonely cot. The fall passed quickly, their nights were spend together turning the days into a blur. They two grew close and Jimmy saw it. They never tried to hide it from him but they were never open about what was going on between them. Victor knew it wasn't his place to let Jimmy know Rayne's secret and telling him more about their time together would include telling him that. The nights grew colder and the tree's were bare when Jimmy got a fever. Victor stopped coming to see Rayne. He told her not to visit Jimmy, that he didn't want her to get sick too, but he was there every night. Victor wanted to see her but when he told his father that Jimmy was ill he made Victor stay and keep an eye on him. He didn't know why, Jimmy had been sick many times before but this time was different. He just kept asking about Jimmy, about how bad Jimmy was and what was going on.
One night Victor was sitting by the fire, talking to Jimmy, asking why he was not better yet and complaining that he was always sick. Jimmy was reminding Victor that he used to get sick too when Mr. Howlett came in the room, Victor stood up;
"Evening sir."
"Evening Victor, I didn't realize you were still here."
"I was just keeping James company sir, if that's alright?" he asked.
"Very kind of you." He said, half looking back at Victor, not sounding too sincere before turning back to Jimmy.
"Feeling better son?" he asked, brushing the sweat plastered bangs from Jimmy's forehead.
"Still cold father." He answered weakly. Victor hated that he sounded weak, he couldn't afford him to be weak. He had heard his father drunkenly talking to himself the night before. He knew why he was so concerned with James and he didn't like it.
"Just a mild fever, you'll be alright in the morning." James's father said gently, coddling him. that's why he acted weak. If he knew the truth it would be different...soon it will be different, Victor thought, and when he knows we'll both have to get out of here.
"You always say that" Jimmy smiled, Victor hated that he'd been lucky enough to be raised like this. That Victor had the raw deal...but soon they'd be equals and they would have to help each other...Victor would have to help him, teach him to be tough.
"And you always pull through, don't you? Now, have you taken your medicine?" he asked. Before Jimmy could answer There was a loud banging at the door. It was Victor's father and he was yelling for Elizabeth. Jimmy's father turned halfway to address Victor.
"Your father is drunk again. You should help him home Victor."
Victor knew, and Victor knew better than to get in his way.
"It's not my name he's calling. sir." He answered.
Mr. Howlett got up from the bed to take care of the problem at his door, the problem yelling for his wife. Jimmy tried to stop him, calling for him in a voice that pleaded for him to stay. He was told to stay where he was. Victor followed Him out of the room, closing the door behind him hoping that Jimmy would be smart enough to run. Victor passed his father, unnoticed in the foyer. His father had his rifle and was yelling at Jimmy's mother, a woman who had always been hesitantly kind to Victor. Jimmy's father was yelling, saying he told him never to come back here again. Victor was almost to the end of the yard when he heard the gun go off. He stopped and looked back into the house to see James's father on the ground, His mother screamed and Jimmy came bolting down the stairs. Victor cursed under his breath, the stupid runt was going to get himself killed. He should run while he has the chance. Instead he went to his father to watch him die. Victor heard his father say something that caught Jimmy's attention. Probably part of the speech Victor had heard him drunkenly practicing the night before but something happened that Victor never would have predicted; Jimmy balled his fists in anger and three long, boney spears grew out of his hand, Jimmy screamed and ran at Victor's father, he tried to shoot at Jimmy but his mother pushed the gun aside. Victor stayed in the shadows, leaning in the doorway to get a better look at the 12 inches of bone that Jimmy now had growing from him and now had impaled into his father. James was shaking and his mother was staring. Victor heard the man who'd beaten him all his life mutter his final words to Jimmy. "He wasn't your father. Son." And there it was. The truth that had been hidden from them for so long. They were brothers, half brothers, but brothers. James looked to his mother for a denial but all she said to him was 'what are you?' and with that Jimmy took off into the forest and Victor went after him. When he caught up to him at the edge of the woods the only thing Jimmy could say was that he didn't mean it.
"Yes you did, and he deserved it" Victor said, "don't you get it? We're brothers Jimmy. you realize that? Brothers protect each other. You have to be hard now, hard so nothing can ever touch us."
"I want to go home." Jimmy said.
"We can't. We stick together no matter what and take care of anyone who gets in our way. Can you do that little brother?" Victor asked. Dogs barked somewhere in the distance and lanterns dotted the yard. "Can you run?" Jimmy nodded."Ok, keep on running, don't look back."
***
One of the workers told Rayne what had happened. That there was a manhunt for her two best friends for the murder of their families. She didn't believe it but she couldn't afford not to, fighting in their defense wouldn't help them. Explaining that Victor's father deserved death was only going to give the authorities more reason to think it was Victor. She didn't expect to see either of them ever again and confined herself to her room. After six cold months winter had almost melted into spring and there wasn't any sign of either boy. Everyone speculated that they froze or starved over the winter, Rayne just thought that Victor finally found a way to escape this place. She sat at her vanity and took off her gloves, pulling the red ribbon out of her hair and wrapping it around her palm before she starts brushing her hair. Rayne sits, brushing until her hair lays smooth, she hears a tap on the window and starts to turn but she tells herself it's the tree. A moment later she hears the squeaking of the window pushing open. Rayne closes her eyes, it's just the wind. She takes a deep breath and she can smell Victor. She tells herself it's her imagination. A cool hand closes around hers, a broad chest leans against her back and a faintly recognizable voice whispers to her.
"No matter how tightly you close your eyes, you cannot wish me away that easily." The voice is a bit lower than she remembers, but familiar as it brushes warmly against her ear. she opens her eyes and looks at Victor. His hair is longer, his face rougher. He'd grown taller, but then so had she.
"I thought I'd never see you again." she whispered, afraid if she spoke to loud she would wake up and he'd disappear.
"We didn't go far. Not much traveling in the winter."
"But you're ok? You and Jimmy, you're ok?"
"Yes...We miss you. but we are ok."
"We?"
"Yes, Jimmy misses you something awful. He's very torn up about it."
"Hm. well you'll have to tell him that I miss him too."
"I will." he laughed, when he did Rayne heard a sound in the hall. The sound of someone knowing she wasn't in the room alone.
"You have to get out of here, you can't come back. You'll get caught. They'll know you're here."
"I'm going to come back for you Rayne."
"No. You're not. I'm not letting you trade your life for mine" She said, echoing the words he'd told her not too long ago,"...Now go."
He put a strong hand behind her head and pulls her to him an a rough, intense kiss as though he's trying to imprint the feeling in his brain in case he never gets it again. He backs away from her, leaving her breathless as he crawls out her window and slinks back into the forest. Rayne latches her window and goes back to the vanity to tie up her hair. When she reaches down she finds the ribbon gone and she smiles because she knows exactly where it is.
***
The next morning Rayne wakes to her mother shouting for her. She takes the stairs by two, thinking someone is dying for her mother to be saying her name. When she reached the bottom step her mother doesn't look up, instead she keeps her eyes on the paper she is reading and mumbles harshly at her daughter.
"Go pack your things, I'm sending you to live with your Aunt and cousin. I can't handle you anymore."
Rayne stood with her mouth open. She had been begging to live with her cousin since she had first met the girl. they were the same age and had the same rambunctious spirit but Rayne's mother had never thought them proper enough to associate with and pretended to not be related to them. Now that Rayne was getting her dream come true she didn't want it. How would Victor know where to find her? What would happen if he came back to the house and she wasn't there? She couldn't leave now, but she had no choice.
She packed her things slowly, wanting to draw out leaving as long as possible incase Victor returned. Her mother was having nothing of it. The hired girl, Miranda came to speed up the process. Looking back those days were a blur or packing and panic. The day came to leave and Miranda took her by coach to the train station, Rayne's mother didn't even wake up to say good bye to her only daughter as she walked out the front door. Taking a seat on the train the only thing running through her mind was
"I will never see him again."
The ribbon didn't smell of her any longer. Too much time outside had faded away the only physical link he still had to her. It was too risky to go back, he knew that. But he didn't care. The runt kept trying to talk him out of it, but only made a half hearted attempt. He knew it was useless to argue as far as Rayne was involved. He brought the ribbon to his face, mostly out of habit, when he walked into the tree line of the Bastion house. It was dark, he wasn't worried about being seen. What did worry him was that the house was dark too. Not a single light shone out the windows. He made his way up the leaning tree to Rayne's window. Peering through the pane he saw that all the furniture was covered in a layer of dust. He listened for sounds of stirring inside and heard nothing bigger than a field mouse or two. Lifting the latch he slipped in thru the window. The room still smelled of her but only faintly, she hadn't been here for months now. He opened drawers and trunks to see if she'd left anything behind, maybe a clue to where he'd find her. In The drawer of her vanity he found a small leather bound book with a big cat stamped into the front. He recognized it as her drawing book and wondered if she'd left it on purpose. He opened the cover and saw himself, a younger himself. Flipping the pages he practically saw himself age. Every picture seemed to be of him, or him and Jimmy. On the last page she saw her hurried handwriting and read:
'Victor, Don't trade your life for mine. Living your life trying to find me will be wasting it, we will find each other.'