In a small town in Maine there was a mansion that sat atop a hill that overlooked the rest of the residents. The mansion was generations old, with Georgian style brick exterior walls and slate gray roof with matching window panes. The entrance was surrounded by four thick white pillars, flower beds, tall abundant hedges, and a fountain that centered the stone brick round about driveway. As stunning as the exterior was, the inside was more wondrous than the outside. The walls were freshly painted white, unlike the outer walls, and the floor in the foyer was made entirely of marble tile, while the other rooms had pure, dark mahogany wood floors. A luminous golden chandelier was raised above the foyer where the grand staircase was placed, leading to the second story.
The home not only contained several rooms and luxuries, it was a home to two sisters, Christine and Olivia Haven. The two had grown up in the mansion with a secret they kept a hold for years. Olivia, the eldest, could harness the power of fire manipulation while Christine, the youngest of the two, harnessed the power of ice. They have managed so suppress their powers in front of others their entire lives, but on this day it would be crucial for the two to hide their abilities, for they would be hosting a party in honor or their father's memory and his company.
"Checklist, checklist, where is my list?" Olivia had already set up everything for the party she had been planning for months. There were tables of glasses filled with champagne and food all aligned neatly on top of white silk tablecloth. The mansion had been cleaned thoroughly, making everything shine radiantly from the sunlight peaking through the windows. The only thing missing was her checklist.
Olivia closed her eyes and in almost an instant knew exactly where she had left it. She could see every detail of the list. Every smudge, every line stroke of the items she had crossed off, and even the tiny crinkle starting to form on a corner. Library, she thought to herself, that's where it is.
Olivia walked down the corridor towards the library at the very end of the mansion. The sound of heels clicking on the tile echoed throughout the empty halls. In just one hour, the home wouldn't be so empty as employees and business partners from their father's business would crowd the rooms.
The door to the library gently creaked open, and inside Olivia's sister, Christine, was lounging around on a couch with her nose in a book. From the indentations on the surface of the couch, it had appeared that she had been there for hours.
"Chris, you have to get up," Olivia scanned the room, and located her checklist on an end table, "the guests will be here in an hour, and you still haven't showered." She picked up the list and read through it to see what else needed to be accomplished.
"At least I put on jeans, dear Olive." It was rare to see Christine wear anything other than sweatpants. With the amount of money that came in from the company, the two didn't have to work for the rest of their lives. Christine took this as an opportunity to invest in reading and trying new things in the mansion, while Olivia pursued a career in an expensive couture store to be closer to her hobby in fashion. "I'm almost done with The Fountainhead, I have to say, not my cup of tea, but still worth the read."
"I don't care what you're reading. You know that this is a formal event, you can't wear jeans." Olivia reached for Christine's book and snatched it from her grasp.
"Hey!" Christine made a failed attempt to get her book back, instead she flopped back on the couch. "Why do I have to attend? It was your idea in the first place, which I didn't agree to by the way."
"It's been five years since dad died, Christine." Olivia closed the book and placed it in one of the bookshelves, her eyes looked down remembering her father, "This is the least we could do for everyone who had stayed in his company all of these years."
Christine stared at the ceiling in silence with crossed arms. She let out a huff, "Fine. For dad, but I'm only staying until dinner, then I'm in my room with no disturbances. You know how much I hate crowds, especially with our... you know."
"We've kept our powers hidden for this long." Olivia knelt down next to her sister, meeting Christine's blue eyes with her own green. "One night will be fine. Just think of it like school again, it had more people there than who are coming tonight, and not once did your powers slip."
"Easy for you to say, you're so outgoing and sociable and popular, everybody loved you back in high school." Christine rose from the couch and rustled her long, brown hair in between her fingers. "It was easy for me to hide and be invisible. Now that it's my own house everybody will be crowding me, wanting to know every secret we have."
"Christine, like I said, it'll be fine. Besides, maybe you'll find a cute guy. You haven't been on a date in... well, ever."
"I'm not interested right now." Although, it would be nice to find someone who didn't mind cold temperatures. She thought.
Olivia stood up and grabbed Christine's hands forcing her to stand up as well, "Whatever you say. Now go get dressed, we wasted enough time already."
Christine begrudgingly left the library to go upstairs to her bedroom on the left. Olivia followed and went upstairs to the right where her room was. She slipped off her clothes and put on a red strapless gown and black pumps. She looked in her bathroom mirror and put up her blonde hair in a bun. On the counter was a pair of golden earrings and a matching bib necklace. Olivia placed the necklace around her neck and slipped in her earrings. She then reapplied her favorite red lipstick and made final adjustments before declaring herself ready.
Olivia glanced at the clock that read 5:50 PM, ten minutes before the guests should arrive. A loud chime of the bell rang throughout the mansion, indicating some guests have decided to arrive a bit early.
Olivia made her way down the stairs, looking around to make sure everything was in place. She took a sharp breath in and out, and finally opened the large doors. "Welcome to the Haven Mansion. My name is Olivia Haven, please come in and make yourselves at home."