Suddenly I felt a cold presence enter the room and I knew who it was instantly. My mother was one of the coldest and most fierce women I knew. So was her mother before her. It was honestly a miracle they had found men they deemed suitable partners for them and had kids in the first place. But my mother knew I didn’t have the same instincts as her so she was extra cutting to me in her remarks. 

“Oh Cynthia. Darling, why are you out here? Are you perhaps going with us? Not dressed the way you currently are. You must go fix yourself up like a proper lady. You’d be much prettier if you put effort into your appearance.” She said with what felt like a forked snake tongue. 

“Oh no mother I am not coming with you. I am to stay here as you stated. I do not look like a lady of the Adumbral family. I look far too shabby to be standing next to your radiance.” I reply, stroking her ego.

“Curb your tongue. You cur. I know you are mocking me and our family name. But I will not have it. You may go slink back into that hole you claimed as your room. I shall not turn to say goodbye. So farewell.” With those last biting words she exited the room out towards the car.

Man I hated her and this family. She was beautiful but she was just as mean as she was pretty. Her long blonde flowing hair caressed her porcelain skin. She was wearing an emerald green dress that complimented her hazel eyes and made them seem more green than they truly were.

As Lucious entered the house I saw my father wave at me. He looked so goofy in his green bow tie and gray 3 piece suit. He then checked his pocket watch from his breast pocket that was connected to a gold chain so he wouldn’t lose it. Of course my mom dressed him as he would never have known what color to go with to match her dress. Lucious walked underneath the staircase and headed to his quarters. Through the dining hall. He was also wearing gray but it was a tuxedo with a black bow tie. It definitely complimented his complexion but I wished he would get rid of his toupee as it was very obvious to anyone who looked at him. I smiled as he walked past and he smiled back looking exhausted.

I returned to the library where mittens was already cuddled up on the couch I always laid on to read. She always knew what I needed. I laid down and grabbed a book I had left off the shelf on the table next to the couch. It was about a dystopian world where everyone has chosen to let go of emotion and create a utopian society. However, it is not so simple and requires the sacrifice of one person who had to hold the collective memories and emotions of humanity so they do not seep back out to everyone who gave them up. It is really a tragedy. It felt a lot like the world I was currently in. As everyone in the book could not see color or even feel basic sensations of warmth or cold. What a dreary existence. I thought to myself.

It felt a lot like my own. I stared at the pages knowing exactly what was coming next. I didn’t want to read it anymore. It was making me too sad. I couldn’t bear to feel any more sad than I already was today. So I started to look through the shelves of books all around me trying to find something that would cheer me up. Or at least let me escape from this feeling. 

Mittens perked up and meowed at me as I walked around the room fervently searching for a new book to distract me. Then mittens reached out and swiped at me as if telling me to calm down. So I walked over to her and pet her on her head softly. She purred so loud and nuzzled against my chest. She always knew what I needed. Some people think cats are just mean spirited but most of them can connect to exactly how you are feeling. If they ever sense you are sad they will never hesitate to try and help the ones they love and care about. 

I sat down and she instantly hopped into my lap and curled up into a ball. I knew I looked like a mess. I wish I could just go back to before this. When my grandparents passed it was so hard on my mom. I knew she still felt the pain and I also knew it probably killed her to be here in this house. That’s why I didn’t take any of the offensive things she said to me to heart. I knew she was hurting and didn’t know how to process all of these emotions. She’s so used to being in control but the one thing none of us have control over no matter how hard we try is death. Death will come for us all and it will never stop. Being faced with your own mortality is often a hard pill to swallow.

I thought this to myself as I mindlessly pet mittens. Then all of a sudden I heard a loud crack from down the hall. That’s strange, the only people here were me and Lucious. I knew it couldn’t have been Lucious so I tentatively walked out and around the corner. Mittens following close behind. Then I found the originator of the noise. It was one of the doors that would never open. It seems like it finally broke. How it broke is a question for another day. Because right now I had access to a hidden treasure trove. I walked into the spooky room and saw how huge it truly was.

I was in awe. It was like the ballroom in ‘Beauty and the beast’. It felt like I was in a dream. I walked up to the 20 foot tall pillars lining on either side of the room holding up the convex glass ceiling. It was like a scene out of a movie. On the floor was a beautiful motif of bloody reds, vibrant oranges, and radiant yellows. I stood in the middle of the room awestruck. I was truly speechless. There was a heavy film of dust on the ground and on each ledge of the pillars.

Why had this been hidden for so long? And why was it just now so violently opened? I thought this as the sky started to get darker and darker. Then suddenly it started to rain. A loud clang of thunder rang out but with no light to suggest a lightning strike had caused it. The sound made me fall from the immediate shock of it reverberating in this cavernous room. I look down to see my hands covered in a thick layer of filth and dust covering my pajama bottoms.