Chapter thirteen: Tara

My mouth was open, my jaw almost unhinged.

We were standing at the front door of a large plantation house, that suddenly appeared, beyond a field, in the middle of the lush brush that Jack had taken me to.

Saying the house was large, is indeed, and understatement. I could hardly call it a house at all, being so big. Though never seeing what a college looked like, I could imagine this would be very close. There were the sounds of children at play, settled in the white mansion. Shrieks of laughter, cry of outrage, and the usual scream.

"May I help you?" I started, and turned around to see an elderly woman, most likely in her seventies, walking up the steps, a few of the tropical native flowers in her hand. She was dressed to accommodate the weather. A thin nun's habit, and the likes. Her long silver hair was swept up, and she wore a small silver cross prominent around her neck.

Jack put a protective arm around my waist, but I smiled at the woman.

"I know this will sound strange but..." I broke off, unsure as to why exactly I was here. My self-consciousness drug me here, with an unwilling Jack, who thought I should still be resting. I had seen the familiar sites, and then run into this small haven...a bit of civilization in the brush.

"I have seen my share of the strange, Mrs–?"

"Oh, its Miss. Makensy. Shane." The woman physically blanched, and had to put a hand out on the railing surrounding the steps, to steady herself.

"Did you say...Shane?"

"Well, I am sure there are a lot of Shanes out there..." I said, smiling confusedly.

"No. You look just like Herald...but you have Victoria's eyes...and her smile." The woman closed her eyes in anguish, then remembering herself, stood straighter, and continued to walk to the large oak doors.

"Please come in." She said shortly into chest, then pulled her head up and pushed open the large doors.

"Victoria came to us when she was just sixteen. Never knew her background, except that she didn't want to talk about it. We could tell from her clothes that she was wealthy, and this one cameo of hers...beautiful thing. Never seen one like it." My head shot up as I looked up at Sister Harris. Hardly a name for a nun, but she did know my mother.

We were seated in her office, overlooking the back of the estate. I could barely make out two little blonde children playing on the lawn, and little mulatto child trying to join in. It was everywhere.

Jack had deposited me here, and gone back to the ship, until later in the evening, after making sure everything was alright with this place. I was somewhat glad too. This was something I needed to do on my own.

"I know the one..." I whispered, shocked.

"Onyx and opal?" I nodded.

"Yes. She was a beautiful girl. She had heard about this haven for runaways and unwanted through the stable lad that her father hired just before she ran away. He also brought her here." She broke off and sighed. "Gerald Shane. Yes, she would sneak out to meet him in the middle of the night. We all knew they would have a romp, and then he would leave. It wasn't until the birth of Tara, that they finally got married."

"Wait...Tara?" I was confused now. "Who is Tara?"

"Oh, yes you wouldn't know about her. Tara is your sister. She is mentally unwell, and lives here. Your parents couldn't afford to take care of her, even if they did sell all of her jewels. She liked to start fires, and hit. An abusive girl, still is."

"How old is she?" I asked with more outrage then anything. This was all news to me, and I felt betrayed by being betrayed.

"She is thirty six. But she has the mentality that wavers dangerously. She lives in the attic, where the other Sisters live. She cannot be alone even for a minute." Harris stood up, and bade me to do the same. I did so, my face still screwed up in a look of shock and anger, I had no clue why.

"Would you like to see her?" I nodded, and Harris led me out of her office, and up three flights of large stairs to what was called the attic, though it was barely closed in.

Lining the large and bright hallway, were doors ever so many feet. When we were approaching the end, I heard a singing, that affected me in too many ways for comfort. It low and murmurous, but carried above our heads.

"Tara? You have a visitor dear." Harris knocked on the last door to the right, and walked in. The room was neat, and clean. With only a small bunk bed that wouldn't do well on the Pearl, let alone this room, but it was comfortable looking at best. There was also a dresser made of wicker, the strangest I had ever seen, and a small chair and desk, also wicker.

Tara was sitting on the bunk, swinging her long and shapely legs. She was smiling, though it wasn't maniacal or foolish. She too had long red hair that was pulled up neatly in a bun. Her green eyes took in more then the nurses most likely thought. She was pretty. She stood up as Harris and I entered the room, and the door was shut behind us. I looked around and started when seeing a woman in the one chair, a nun. Constant surveillance.

"Hullo." Tara said eyeing me and dismissing the nun.

"Er...Hi. My name is Mackensy." I said, holding a hand out. She looked down at it, then back at me.

"You look familiar."

"I should." We sat down on her bunk, and Harris went out of the room, whispering something into the other nun's ear. She sat down, and acted like she was interested in the floorboards.

"Why?" Her voice was deep and rippling.

"Because Im your sister." Tara regarded me for a moment, then snorted.

"Then where is our mother?"

"Don't you know..?" I asked quietly, shooting a scathing look the nun in the corner. She just gave me a blank one in return.

At the confused look on Tara's face, I took a deep rattling breath.

"My...our...mum died. A few years ago. She was murdered." Tara's face held no look.. Just blank. Her eyes shut off all emotion, and it was scary.

"Did you know her?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell me about her?" I stood up and walked over to the nun at the plea in Tara's voice.

"Might I have a moment alone with my sister? She has just found out about our mother...please. I will pay you for your efforts." The nun shook her head at the payment, but did walk out, mumbling "Twenty minutes".

"She was the best woman I ever knew," I started, sitting back down on Tara's bed, and launching into the strange and twisted tale of our mother.

"Tara, you shouldn't be here." I said, after everything was said. The nun came into the door just as I uttered the words.

"Sister Harris says that perhaps you should leave, and let Tara be for now. She has just had some emotional trauma."

"But..." I said, looking from Tara to the nun. "She isn't–"

"Now, please." I gave my newfound sister a hug, and whispered into her hair "You don't belong in here." Before leaving. Tara waved, and that was that. The door was shut and locked.

I made my way downstairs, and into the foyer.

"Ah, Miss. Shane? I was wondering if you would come with me, please?" I looked around and saw a large man walking towards me. I felt like bolting, and tried to, but he grabbed me by the waist, and hauled me back upstairs. I could barely fight back, still weak from being abed for so long, yet I tried my hardest.

"This is insane!" I screamed, pummeling his back with my small fists. "What are you doing? Im gunna kill you." The man threw me none too nicely into a small room, and shut the door. There was a window in it, that you could open or close, about the size of a hand. The room was white, with only a metal posted bed that was smaller then I ever had seen. That was it.

I banged on the door, screaming for help, but then I realized, this was one of those rooms...where you couldn't hear anything in or out. You were completely locked in. I stood up on my tiptoes to look out of the small window. My heart gave a loud thump as I saw Jack standing there, talking to Harris.

She handed him a letter, and the small ring he had given me. Only then did I look down and notice it gone from my index finger...how did they do that?

Jack took the ring and letter, tore it open, and after scanning it briefly, threw it on the ground, along with the ring and strode away.

"Jack!" I screamed, pounding on the door. "Jack! Jack! Please! Someone help me!" I slid down the door, silently sobbing as Jack rounded the corner and out of my view. I pulled my knees up under my chin, tears leaking out of my eyes.

What had just happened?