Chapter Two

July Seventeenth, 1926

I should have known we'd cross paths, I mean we lived right next to each other we were bound to see each other, right? My mother couldn't be mad at me for something that was accidental. I didn't plan on him looking at me, nor did I plan on him talking to me. Yet it may not have helped that my voice raised three octave's higher and I nearly screamed when our eyes made contact.

Jonah Aickman was like a forbidden fruit, and it was as if he was tempting me, like he wanted me to talk to him. Didn't he know most kids would get in serious trouble if caught even looking at him for too long, let alone talking? He should have known, and he shouldn't have been so selfish.

Thankfully my mother had been too busy finishing up her book to even notice she had children, not that I minded. Her books were excellent and it was often she'd snap at us if we'd interrupted her. My mother was a kind woman, or at least she had been. Writing had turned her senile, if not that stressed to say the least.

However it wasn't Jonah's fault I had peeked through the curtains disobeying my mother's strict rule, therefore I couldn't blame my curiosity on his greed. It shocked me, to say the least when I found him leaning against a large cedar tree in his backyard with a book in his hand. It was rude to spy on people, especially people you just practically screamed at for no legitmate reason.

Yet once again I couldn't ignore the tempation hiden behind the sullen turn of a page. Out of all of it, I was curious as to what on earth he'd been reading. I'd read my library clean dry, and my mother's material had been embedded into my brain as I often gave her pointers she wouldn't listen too. It was quite rare I went a week without visiting the library to find more books, I'd hardly say it mattered what I read, it mostly varried from cook books, to greek myths.

I didn't think Jonah Aickman would read, if anything I thought he'd be worshiping satan in his basement or something. The way my mother had described him I figured he was pure evil. However, there was nothing evil about the way his blue eyes closed only momentarily as if scared he'd miss out on what the world had to offer.

Yet there couldn't be much offered to a boy as such as he, after all half the town thought he did voodoo and the other half that he was the devil reincarnated. Yet his eyes stayed open, looking for a change that the universe clearly wouldn't give him.

"What are you looking at?" If there had been a time for Mary to catch her doing something she wasn't supposed it had to have been now, why not when I broke our mother's expensive vase while flying down the steps as a child to fetch my work book. Or when I'd accidentally spilt ink all over my mother's freshly printed words, it had to been when I was stalking their neighbor. I internally growned, rolling my eyes at her sudden presence.

"Nothing." I tried earnestly, but Mary raised a skeptical eyebrow in disbelief. It was evident she thought I was lying, no she knew I was lying. Instead of ripping the curtain open like I thought she would, and catch me caught in a mouse trap she gave a slight nod and turning on her heel quickly. I had no idea what had caused this shift in her behaviour but I wasn't going to question it, I couldn't possibly question her when she had basically saved me from getting in severe trouble.

After that I had decided to do what any reasonable person would do, I pushed him to the back of my mind, and pretended he never even existed. Yet that had been easier said than done, especially because I had almost blurted out his name three times while in the midst of conversation with my mother.

It wasn't until later that night had been able to relieve my stress and let my thoughts run wild in the unholy hours of the night, while I knew for a fact my mother and father were asleep. Yet as I paced back and forth across my room, my feet making contact with the harder wood floor harder each step I had completely forgotten about my sister.

She had startled me when I caught her looking in from the doorway, I took a seat on my bed immeditely as if pretending nothing was wrong, and that wasn't a lie because nothing was wrong. Jonah Aickman was a mystery, one of which I couldn't even get three words out. I shouldn't be thinking about him, it was wrong and stupid. I literally just saw him reading a book, there was no reason what so ever for me to be obsessing over him this much yet I couldn't help but wonder what he thought when he read, or how ashamed or proud he felt when the petrefied eyes of others made contact with his own beautifully crafted light blue eyes.

"Aren't you supposed to be asleep it's like, really late." Mary said skeptically taking a seat next to me on my bed, I could ask her the same thing, however. For she was up at the ungodly hour just like me, therefore she hadn't had much room too talk and I was quick to point this out.

"Well it's hard to sleep when all I hear is you stopping around in here." Mary fired back irritable and it was then I sensed there was more than met the eye, to think of it Mary had been acting strangely lately and I couldn't quite figure out what had caused the shift in her behaviour. Needless to say, I'd been too wrapped up in myself to even think about paying attention to her.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to keep you from sleep, I was just thinking about things." I answered nonchalantly hoping she couldn't see through my somewhat lie. I hadn't been entirely remorseful at the news of her not being able to think, yet it hadn't been a lie when I told her I was thinking about things. For I was thinking about things, perhaps not normal things or, things I should be thinking, yet I was still thinking them.

"What's got you so riled up today, earlier you acted as if I caught you murdering something. You looked so guilty." Mary observed and I immediately wanted to tell her off, about how she hadn't been acting normal lately either and she couldn't just pin all of this on me, but alas I stayed quiet and let her talk.

"I was just looking at something out the window, it was nothing. Yet that doesn't explain why you've been acting so strange yourself." I answered the words leaping off my tongue before I could filter them, even I could hear the singe of bitter binded to my harsh whisper.

"For some reason I don't quite believe it was nothing, come on what's going on, Penelope?" Mary had completely side stepped my accusation with a form of a question, concern radiating from her eyes. The role was supposed to be switched, the older sister was supposed to offer the younger sister advice about what shoes you should absoloutely never wear or what kind of boys to stay away from. It was seemingly the role had been reversed and Penelope hadn't liked it all that much, to say the least.

"Nothing's going on, I am completely fine. Just a little restless thinking about school and what not." I explained exasperatedly, she bit her lip nodding. For a minute, I could actually believe that she had believed my lies, and I could get away from my little sister without further interrogation but like most things I was wrong because she continued.

"Is there a boy? Are you freaking out beacuse of a boy? If you are, you shouldn't. I mean boys are stupid and worthless and just cause you pain in the end." Her words were bitter and harsh. Even I as ignorant as I may have been I could hear how much hatred lingered in her words for the oppiste specimen. Something had must have happened because two days ago I'd hear her talking about this boy had been interested in seeing her.

"Listen it's not a boy, I've had my mind on school. However I think there's something going on Mary, did something happen? Are you okay?" And for a moment Mary almost considered unloading all of her secrets to her older sister, to spill the suffering she'd endured. For a moment Mary had let a stray tear fall but as quick as it had come it had gone, because Mary didn't like sharing her feelings.

"No I am fine, I am going to sleep. Get some rest and don't worry too much about school, your brilliant and won't have any trouble, I know it." Mary said formaly her voice tight and rigid as she exited the room leaving me to bask in an uneasy silence. I had know idea why Mary had to keep it all bottled up and recoiled at even the gentlest touch. Instead of pacing around her room to prevent her sister from more sleep she decided to curl up in bed and perhaps save her thought's on Jonah for another die.

It wasn't just Mary hiding something, and I knew it was selfish to think that Mary had it all together. After all she was only fourteen. Therefore looking back on it now I probably shouldn't have priedas much as I had. Yet it seemed that everyone in this family was hiding something.

Looking back on it now, I probably should have edited this. I'll edit it later, for sure. I know no one is really going to read this, but in case any HiC fans come back they can find comfort or at least a little bit of peace to know it's not completely abandoned. Sorry for any mistakes and all that jazz, have a lovely day!