"…in a single day and night of misfortune, the island of Atlantis disappeared into the depths of the sea." – Plato, 360 B.C.

Chapter One: The Granddaughter

'Ring around the rosie... Pockets full of posies... Ashes... Ashes... We all fall down...'

I never truly found out that that song was about death till I was nine. As I watched my house burn down while I was being taken away by the Thatches, Ring Around the Rosie burned in my mind. Thanks to the Thatches, I got out safely. My family went with the house that night. I stayed with Milo and his family that night and the next day.

The next night Mr. Thatch took me to my grandfather's. I had seen my grandfather once every Christmas. As a kid, he seem odd, but content. He was wealthy, how could he not be somewhat happy and eccentric. That night was the first time we were together and it wasn't Christmas. He held me close that night and I just cried. After a while I started to make friends, well, a friend. Anna was the only girl I let get to know me. She was the one I got all of my advice from. Her father was a wealthy man who hated it when she got into trouble. And I got us into trouble a lot.

-1900-

"Tia, I'm not sure about this." Anna said as she climbed out of the window.

"Do you know that you say that every time we sneak out?" I asked her a little annoyed.

"Yes." She replied. She jumped from the ledge outside my window to the strong branch of the tree next to my window. "With good reason."

"If you're so opposed to sneaking out, why do you come?" I asked her as I made my way down.

"Who else is supposed to keep you out of trouble?" She smiled. I laughed at her question. Her keep me out of trouble? She got us into more trouble. She changed the subject. "So what's the plan?"

"Um…"

"You don't have a plan?!" She exclaimed.

"Hey, I'm making this up as I go." I replied, "Do you want the guards to hear you?" I sighed, "I can't believe at my age Grandfather still has guards looking after me. Do you know why that is?"

"Do you want the short list or the long?" She asked.

"Whatever."

"Alphabetically or Chronologically?"

"Does it matter?"

"Well, there's the fact you've been sneaking off since you were young, running away from nannies, and governesses, and tutors-"

"I didn't need them, everything I needed to learn from them I could find in the library."

"There's the fact you're unmarried-"

"As are you, Anna." I interjected

"There's a difference between you and me, you harshly reject any suitor that comes to see you, I, on the other hand, give them a chance before I decide to reject them."

I made it down to the ground, "How do I harshly reject them? I'm honest. And they're only in it for the money anyway so why give them a chance. Finding a man, or any person not interested in money, is like a finding a squirrel without a tail, or a perfect world, or 'True Love'. It's completely fiction, absolute fiction, Anna."

"One day, Christina, you are going to get a fresh new perspective on life and men, a new horizon, and you will eat your words because you will know that everything you just said isn't true at all." Anna made it to the ground, "There's someone for everyone, Tia, remember that. Ours are out there somewhere; we just haven't met them yet."

I gave her a small smile, "Whatever you say Anna…" I changed the subject, "Ready for an adventure?"

"I always am." Anna nodded. We left the estate and explored the city. Washington D.C. was a marvel at night. Every family has rebels, even multi-millionaires. Like my grandfather, I was a little bit of one too.