Author's Note: Thanks to all who reviewed my story! B/c of y'all, I'm posting the next chapter to both of mine! Please review! Thanks, all! ~Jenny the chica~
Chapter Two: In which everything is suddenly new and strange...
I felt myself being shaken as my name was constantly being whispered, over and over again. My eyes flew open to see Sister Adelè's face inches from mine. I shook the sleep from my face, and fixed my golden hair back into what Mother had done with it. I vaguely heard Sister Adelè's voice, saying that we had reached the convent.
I gingerly stepped out of the carriage into a biting wind that tore at my thick fur cape, gripping at my bag from Mother, not willing to be separated from it. I stared for the first time at the dark, iron building that is to be my home for the next few years, and shuddered. I felt the hands of Sister Isabelle and Sister Adelè on my back and shoulders as I was led down the front walkway. Much as I wanted to pull away, I knew that I could never, for Mother's sake, do such a disgraceful thing. Nevertheless, I looked forward to being able to write to her in my magic book tonight.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I stepped through the front door of the Convent of Carronsburgh, only to be greeted by soft sounds of humming. I tiptoed around in the footsteps of Sisters Isabelle and Adelè, following them to my new room. Although I was frightened, I knew I must not show it, so I stood up straight in case any students should happen to pass by. None did, of course, but I was glad to finally reach my room, which is mine alone, decorated as Mother had requested for me.
Since I had eaten supper in the carriage, I had been given the rest of the evening to myself, to unpack and move in, but I was expected to follow the schedule left out for me to the letter the next day. I sighed, but kept on unpacking Mother's bag. My luggage was soon delivered, and I unpacked as quickly as I could, trying to give as much time to writing to Mother, while still being able to rise at five the next morning.
I settled in my bed, as my room had attracted a chill, and began writing:
Dear Mother,
I read your message on the way to the Convent of Carronsburgh, and write this in my new room there. Thank you for furnishing it for me, and especially for the two books you left me. Mother, I so wish to come home, and I can tell from looking at my schedule that I already detest being finished even more. I won't, however, make you read this whole message full of my complaints, which I will now keep mostly confined to only my thoughts. Oh, Mother, I am already lonesome and I haven't even begun the lessons which I must start tomorrow. Tell Eneé and Enelle that I miss them very much, but that I love them with all my heart. Mother dear, I had hoped to fill the first dozen pages with this message, but I suppose that that will have to wait until my next 'letter.' Oh, well. Please write quickly and often, for I should have much more to tell tomorrow night. Until next time you write, Mother, Goodbye.
Your loving daughter,
Gretchen
I was not sure exactly how to send it to Mother, so I just closed the book and assumed it has reached her. After seeing clearly that worrying would not help anything, I put the book in my bedside drawer and closed my eyes to welcome the sleep that I felt quickly coming upon me. I hurriedly blew out my candle and fell asleep, with the hummed notes that had been sung when I first entered lingering in my thoughts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I awoke the next morning to the chimes of bells in the main tower, where the main assembly hall was located. At least, I suppose it was meant to chime, but when one was living only a few buildings away, the entire foundation seemed to shake.
Assuming that this would be my wake-up call from now on, I stumbled out of bed and prepared for the day. As I was putting on one of my favorite dresses, I noticed a dress laid across my drawer with a note on it. I walked over to read it, which says:
Dear Gretchen,
We welcome you to our dear convent. Please wear this dress, measured for you, during school hours and all classes. You may wear what you like in your room. As your schedule says, be at the dining room at 5 :45 this morning. We will see you there.
Mother Abbess
I hated the idea of wearing a uniform, but when I saw it, I saw that it was not a uniform at all, at least, not what I had thought to be a uniform. It was more beautiful than I had ever dreamed a school would provide, and I fixed my hair as best I could to accent it.
I glanced at the clock, then quickly walked to the dining room, for I didn't want to be late on my first day.
Just as I walked in, my foot caught the step from the doorway into the main room, and I stumbled forward, my accidental stomps echoing off the wooden floor and painted walls. All eyes close to the door turned and stared. I smiled nervously, and I thought that I saw one girl smile back. I hurried to the empty spot next to her, noticing that she wore a burgundy dress made in the same style as mine.
As we sat down to breakfast, I was given a chance to look around the room. The sisters and the Mother Abbess all wear the traditional black, gray and white, but the students, of which there were only about two-dozen, all wore more colorful clothing. I only saw dark forest green and the burgundy that I wore. I realized that the color of your dress shows your age. These dresses, all made from the same pattern of a new style, had an empire waist with a silky fabric making up the bodice, which cut off straight at a few inches below the front shoulder bones. The sleeves were tight at some areas and had extra, bunched-up cloth in others, forming "bubbles" around one's arms. These were made up of different shades of the main color, some darker, some lighter. Flat ribbons, slightly thicker than string, were sewn in to appear to be tied around the "bubbles." Much more than I would have ever expected from such a strict and painfully traditional school such as this. Yet, remembering what Mother had told me of the financial status of the majority of this school, I imagined parents in the past had oft complained of the old uniforms.
As I continued to silently stare around the room, hearing bits and pieces of conversations as they floated by, I was able to solve the "mystery" and find burgundy to be worn by the thirteen year-olds and the deep green by the soon-to-graduate fourteen year-olds. The school only lasts two years, as one begins a few weeks after her thirteenth birthday, as I have, and leaves a few days into her fifteenth year, as I will in two years.
My thoughts for solving the school's mysteries were interrupted by a voice next to me.
"Hello, I'm Grace."
I turned to see the face of the girl who I had thought had smiled back at me when I had first entered. I then saw a hopeful smile full of nervousness. I smiled back.
"I'm Gretchen," I answered, although she had not asked a question.
She smiled, and I noticed a string of girls sitting down the table in a line from her who also had burgundy dresses on, who smiled as well, and we all began talking about everything imaginable, and we soon became great friends.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The days quickly sped by, and I found life not to be so bad at the convent. I especially enjoyed the music class, and I became the teacher's immediate favorite. All my classes included at least a couple of my new friends, and we all became closer and closer. The convent became a nice place to live after one was there for a while, and got used to the new lifestyle, and it even started to feel a little like home. Just as the convent had become perfect, and I was so used to it that daily life there was second nature, which was not until after I had been there for about three fourths of a year, some of the girls left, as they were now fifteen, old enough to leave. The rest of us tearfully said goodbye, but then a thirteen year-old would turn fourteen, and we would welcome her in, so our group kept growing.
Eventually, though, I celebrated my fifteenth birthday. It was awful to think of leaving my friends, but I looked forward very much to being able to go home and see Mother. Although I had been constantly writing her in my magic book, the chance to finally see her and show her all that I had learned was what I had been waiting for. I had told her about our group of friends, about all that we did together, how each was especially different in her own way, and so on. Her replies and the stories in the other book that she had given me got me through the few times I was lonely.
She had told me that she had sent her new servant to pick me up at noon the next day, and I excitedly packed my bags that night, ready to finally go home.
Chapter Two: In which everything is suddenly new and strange...
I felt myself being shaken as my name was constantly being whispered, over and over again. My eyes flew open to see Sister Adelè's face inches from mine. I shook the sleep from my face, and fixed my golden hair back into what Mother had done with it. I vaguely heard Sister Adelè's voice, saying that we had reached the convent.
I gingerly stepped out of the carriage into a biting wind that tore at my thick fur cape, gripping at my bag from Mother, not willing to be separated from it. I stared for the first time at the dark, iron building that is to be my home for the next few years, and shuddered. I felt the hands of Sister Isabelle and Sister Adelè on my back and shoulders as I was led down the front walkway. Much as I wanted to pull away, I knew that I could never, for Mother's sake, do such a disgraceful thing. Nevertheless, I looked forward to being able to write to her in my magic book tonight.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I stepped through the front door of the Convent of Carronsburgh, only to be greeted by soft sounds of humming. I tiptoed around in the footsteps of Sisters Isabelle and Adelè, following them to my new room. Although I was frightened, I knew I must not show it, so I stood up straight in case any students should happen to pass by. None did, of course, but I was glad to finally reach my room, which is mine alone, decorated as Mother had requested for me.
Since I had eaten supper in the carriage, I had been given the rest of the evening to myself, to unpack and move in, but I was expected to follow the schedule left out for me to the letter the next day. I sighed, but kept on unpacking Mother's bag. My luggage was soon delivered, and I unpacked as quickly as I could, trying to give as much time to writing to Mother, while still being able to rise at five the next morning.
I settled in my bed, as my room had attracted a chill, and began writing:
Dear Mother,
I read your message on the way to the Convent of Carronsburgh, and write this in my new room there. Thank you for furnishing it for me, and especially for the two books you left me. Mother, I so wish to come home, and I can tell from looking at my schedule that I already detest being finished even more. I won't, however, make you read this whole message full of my complaints, which I will now keep mostly confined to only my thoughts. Oh, Mother, I am already lonesome and I haven't even begun the lessons which I must start tomorrow. Tell Eneé and Enelle that I miss them very much, but that I love them with all my heart. Mother dear, I had hoped to fill the first dozen pages with this message, but I suppose that that will have to wait until my next 'letter.' Oh, well. Please write quickly and often, for I should have much more to tell tomorrow night. Until next time you write, Mother, Goodbye.
Your loving daughter,
Gretchen
I was not sure exactly how to send it to Mother, so I just closed the book and assumed it has reached her. After seeing clearly that worrying would not help anything, I put the book in my bedside drawer and closed my eyes to welcome the sleep that I felt quickly coming upon me. I hurriedly blew out my candle and fell asleep, with the hummed notes that had been sung when I first entered lingering in my thoughts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I awoke the next morning to the chimes of bells in the main tower, where the main assembly hall was located. At least, I suppose it was meant to chime, but when one was living only a few buildings away, the entire foundation seemed to shake.
Assuming that this would be my wake-up call from now on, I stumbled out of bed and prepared for the day. As I was putting on one of my favorite dresses, I noticed a dress laid across my drawer with a note on it. I walked over to read it, which says:
Dear Gretchen,
We welcome you to our dear convent. Please wear this dress, measured for you, during school hours and all classes. You may wear what you like in your room. As your schedule says, be at the dining room at 5 :45 this morning. We will see you there.
Mother Abbess
I hated the idea of wearing a uniform, but when I saw it, I saw that it was not a uniform at all, at least, not what I had thought to be a uniform. It was more beautiful than I had ever dreamed a school would provide, and I fixed my hair as best I could to accent it.
I glanced at the clock, then quickly walked to the dining room, for I didn't want to be late on my first day.
Just as I walked in, my foot caught the step from the doorway into the main room, and I stumbled forward, my accidental stomps echoing off the wooden floor and painted walls. All eyes close to the door turned and stared. I smiled nervously, and I thought that I saw one girl smile back. I hurried to the empty spot next to her, noticing that she wore a burgundy dress made in the same style as mine.
As we sat down to breakfast, I was given a chance to look around the room. The sisters and the Mother Abbess all wear the traditional black, gray and white, but the students, of which there were only about two-dozen, all wore more colorful clothing. I only saw dark forest green and the burgundy that I wore. I realized that the color of your dress shows your age. These dresses, all made from the same pattern of a new style, had an empire waist with a silky fabric making up the bodice, which cut off straight at a few inches below the front shoulder bones. The sleeves were tight at some areas and had extra, bunched-up cloth in others, forming "bubbles" around one's arms. These were made up of different shades of the main color, some darker, some lighter. Flat ribbons, slightly thicker than string, were sewn in to appear to be tied around the "bubbles." Much more than I would have ever expected from such a strict and painfully traditional school such as this. Yet, remembering what Mother had told me of the financial status of the majority of this school, I imagined parents in the past had oft complained of the old uniforms.
As I continued to silently stare around the room, hearing bits and pieces of conversations as they floated by, I was able to solve the "mystery" and find burgundy to be worn by the thirteen year-olds and the deep green by the soon-to-graduate fourteen year-olds. The school only lasts two years, as one begins a few weeks after her thirteenth birthday, as I have, and leaves a few days into her fifteenth year, as I will in two years.
My thoughts for solving the school's mysteries were interrupted by a voice next to me.
"Hello, I'm Grace."
I turned to see the face of the girl who I had thought had smiled back at me when I had first entered. I then saw a hopeful smile full of nervousness. I smiled back.
"I'm Gretchen," I answered, although she had not asked a question.
She smiled, and I noticed a string of girls sitting down the table in a line from her who also had burgundy dresses on, who smiled as well, and we all began talking about everything imaginable, and we soon became great friends.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The days quickly sped by, and I found life not to be so bad at the convent. I especially enjoyed the music class, and I became the teacher's immediate favorite. All my classes included at least a couple of my new friends, and we all became closer and closer. The convent became a nice place to live after one was there for a while, and got used to the new lifestyle, and it even started to feel a little like home. Just as the convent had become perfect, and I was so used to it that daily life there was second nature, which was not until after I had been there for about three fourths of a year, some of the girls left, as they were now fifteen, old enough to leave. The rest of us tearfully said goodbye, but then a thirteen year-old would turn fourteen, and we would welcome her in, so our group kept growing.
Eventually, though, I celebrated my fifteenth birthday. It was awful to think of leaving my friends, but I looked forward very much to being able to go home and see Mother. Although I had been constantly writing her in my magic book, the chance to finally see her and show her all that I had learned was what I had been waiting for. I had told her about our group of friends, about all that we did together, how each was especially different in her own way, and so on. Her replies and the stories in the other book that she had given me got me through the few times I was lonely.
She had told me that she had sent her new servant to pick me up at noon the next day, and I excitedly packed my bags that night, ready to finally go home.
