*Adelaide-Age 17*
April 2017 (Ten years later)
I look at everything.
I look at the trees; there are so many different kinds with a variety of shapes and sizes.
I look at the cars, as the weirdly dressed lady called them. Again there are different shapes and sizes and even colors. I think my favorite was the bright orange one that appeared beside me a couple of hours back.
I had never seen such a sight. It was beautiful, glistening under the bright sun, nearly blinding me as I stared openly at it. It stands apart from all the other cars. Most are dull colored, like me…but this one is like the lady in the woods. Bright and beautiful.
I look at the animals…I have only ever seen squirrels, rabbits, and occasionally deer from my bedroom window. My ma educated me, teaching me about all types of animals. She would show me pictures of dogs, horses, bears…and so on.
Ma.
It was just like every other day. I woke up and spent a couple of hours by my window, silently praying for that lovely couple to reappear. Only when I was certain they wouldn’t come, I wandered into the living room where my ma should have been on the couch with an off-limits book on her lap.
But that day she wasn’t. It was odd. Perhaps she’s feeling ill, I had thought.
I went to her bedroom and knocked before entering. What I saw nearly knocked me off my feet. She laid on her bed, her light brown hair fanning around her head. Her hands laid folded on her stomach…she looked beautiful in her death.
I had never thought that about my ma before…but there she was, untouchable and forever away from this world. Beautiful.
I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know where the keys to the door were. I didn’t have any contact with the outside world…and if I had, I didn’t know the first thing to say.
How was I to ask for help? What was I to do with her body? Surely, I couldn’t leave it there…
A few days passed and I was more alone than ever before. I took my ma’s presence for granted. All my life, I hated her for keeping me prisoner…I then hated her for dying without giving me an escape.
I was trapped more than ever before.
And I had no one to speak to. No one to annoy me and ignore my questions.
I was half determined to read the books I was never allowed. Perhaps I would find my answers there.
But I was scared. There had to be a reason she kept them from me. I was scared that the answers would keep me from wanting to leave this house…and there was nothing I wanted more than to leave.
I just wish my ma would have been able to accompany me.
I look at the people walking the streets. There are men and women alike. Some are groups of just men or just women, some are clusters with a mix of the gender. There are even just couples containing a man and woman, just like my couple in the woods.
None of these men seem like monsters.
I hold my hands together and sigh in disappointment as I, again, feel nothing.
What is the point of holding hands when you feel nothing from the contact?
Is there something I’m missing?
Perhaps my answer is in one of those books…
I look at all the houses we pass. Some are oddly shaped, looking nothing like my old home. They are rectangular and bland. There is even writing on the outer walls. Some say Walmart. What is a Walmart? Others say Shell, with a bright yellow picture of a shell above it. Is it a building filled with shells?
That’s odd…
Then some of the houses are nearly identical to my old one. They are of different colors and sizes. I see people exiting and entering them. They are also of different colors and sizes.
To think I thought everyone looked like me and my mom…or the couple. Why are some people darker than others?
I heard being in the sunlight causes your skin to get darker. Did they stand under the warm rays for too long?
Another unanswered question…another question I’m sure is in the books.
“Miss?” the lady dressed in odd clothing asks from beside me. I glance over to see her looking at me with her eyebrows raised. Why is she staring at me like that? “Are you ready to see your new home?”
The moment she asks, the car lurches to a stop. I let out a gasp, smiling down at my legs. I shift slightly, still not used to the feeling of the warm leather against my skin.
What an odd thing, to sit in a box and be transported from one location to another. It’s much faster than walking, or even running. How did I live my whole life without knowing such a thing existed?
I look out my window to see the white house in front of me. It’s large, compared to all the others I’ve seen like it. It has a porch that seems to go around the whole exterior of the house. There’s a white fence in front of the house. It’s small, so I doubt it is to keep anything in. What is the reason for the fence, then?
A stone walkway cuts through a section of the fence, starting from the driveway and curving to the porch. There is a beautiful garden on each side of the walkway, littered with colorful flowers.
“Miss?” I look back at the woman…what is her name again? I have never heard of one like it…Sarah?
“Okay…” I whisper. My hand reaches for the handle, just as Sarah had instructed the moment we got in the car.
She wanted to reassure me that I was not locked in the vehicle…that I could get out whenever I felt threatened. That was a strange concept…freedom.
That’s actually a word I learned from one of the few books I was allowed to read.
I push the door open and am instantly overcome by warmth. I gasp with alarm, glancing over my shoulder to look at Sarah. She gives me a smile and an encouraging nod.
It takes me a moment to get used to the heat, but when I am, I place my boot-clad feet on the rocky ground. I hear the rocks grind together under my weight. I take a few deep breaths and can’t help but notice that the air is easier to breathe out here than inside the car.
I glance at my surroundings, my eyes wide at the large amount of land this house is placed on. Most of the land is fenced in and occupied with horses. I wanted to take in every detail of the large animals, but I grow fascinated with the red house off to the side. I arch an eyebrow.
It doesn’t look like a typical house. Is that where I am to live? Or is it the white one?
“Adelaide!” I hear someone call my name and I turn to find the source of the delicate voice.
I see a woman nearly identical to my ma running along the stone pathway. When she gets near, I notice she doesn’t stop until she makes contact. I cringe, waiting for impact.
Her arms wrap around me and I tense. My ma hardly ever hugged me, saying she didn’t want me to get too comfortable with human contact. She didn’t want me to rely on it.
But here is this woman, holding me as if I were some lost treasure.
“Oh, I haven’t seen you since you were a baby. I’m so glad you’re here.” I assume this woman is Missy Crane…my aunt.
Sarah gave me some background…she’s my ma’s little sister. She lives on this ranch with her husband and two children. She has a daughter named Kristy and a son named Jeremy. They should be around my age…Sarah’s words, not mine.
Missy pulls back and looks at Sarah. “Thank you for everything, Mrs. Williams.”
After grabbing my bag of my few belongings and bidding goodbye to Mrs. Williams, Missy gently leads me toward her house.
It is much bigger than my own. The walls are filled with colors; reds and golds…none of which were ever on my walls. There are many more rooms, for there are walls that divide them. My old house was open…
I think my ma wanted to keep an eye on me when I wasn’t in my bedroom.
Missy leads me to the stairs and we walk up them until we reach a hallway filled with doors. Most of them are closed, apart from three. I glance in one to see a bathroom. Even the bathroom has colors…pale blue walls with a shower curtain that matches.
We near the end of the hall, where I see another open door. I peek in to see a room with pale purple walls. The bed is much larger than my old one, with a blanket that matches the wall. There’s white furniture around the room, small tables on either side of the bed, and a dresser beside the closet.
The bedroom holds two large windows that allow the sunlight to shine through. I look over at Missy with a small smile on my lips. “Mine?” I whisper. Tears gather in her bright blue eyes before she nods.
“This is all yours, Adelaide.” I walk into the room and set my bag on the bed, watching as the mattress slightly sinks at the weight. My bag is light, therefore this bed must be soft. I smile at the thought. “We’ll take you into town tomorrow and shop for some new clothes…how does that sound?”
I glance down at the dark brown skirt I am wearing. It reaches the floor, covering my legs, just as my dull green shirt covers my arms. My outfit is mundane, compared to the floral dress Missy is wearing.
“Shop?” I ask, arching an eyebrow. How does one shop?
“It means to search and buy. We’ll get you new clothes tomorrow,” Missy explains. I nod my head. She doesn’t favor my clothing, and when I’m beside her, I don’t either.
She dresses just as the woman from the woods did…in bright colors.
I wish to be dressed in bright colors.
“I’ll let you get settled in. Kristy and Jeremy are out in the fields with their father and won’t be in for a couple of hours. Feel free to explore.” Missy reaches over to give my hand a gentle squeeze.
I glance down at the contact, feeling a slight warmth from it. Is that what everyone feels? Is that why people hold hands?
Missy leaves me standing in my new room. I wait for a few moments until I’m sure the coast is clear and begin to backtrack my way to the door of the house. I have been trapped in a house all my life…I just wish to be outside.
After making sure Missy is nowhere to be seen, I sneak out of the house and walk along the stone path until I reach the rocky ground.
I slowly walk, listening to the crunch of the rocks beneath my feet. I savor the sound, for I have never heard it before. It’s unlike anything I’ve heard before.
I make my way to the fence, wanting to see the horses from before. However, they are no longer in the grassy field. I frown, wondering where they could go. Isn’t the fence here to ensure they don’t escape?
I’m familiar with the purpose of a fence. My ma had one around the house in case I managed to unlock the door…an extra barrier.
Turning, I see an opening in the fence and wonder if the horses managed to escape. I follow the length of the fence, never straying from its path, until I reach the break. I am now beside the red house, a strong earthy aroma filling my nose. I sigh…I have never smelled such a calming scent before.
I walk toward the large door that has been peeled open. Peeking inside, I see a large hallway covered in dirt with cages that hold the horses. Frowning, I walk toward the first cage to grab the latch, ready to set the beautiful brown animal free.
How could Missy do this to her horses? Does she not know what’s happening? Surely she does…this is her red house, right?
“What are you doing?” I hear a voice shout the same moment a large hand grabs my wrist. I cry out in fear, shrinking away from the tall, overpowering man beside me.
The man quickly releases my hand and secures the latch on the cage, keeping the animal prisoner. I take a step back, shaking with fright as the man runs a hand through his dark brown hair, spreading a streak of mud through it.
He looks over at me, his honey brown eyes finding my quaking form. “I’m sorry, ma’am. I didn’t mean to frighten you.” Ma’am? “I just thought you were trying to let the horse out.”
“I was,” I say to myself.
“Please, I mean you no harm. My name is Maddox…and who may you be?” He gives me a small smile that reaches his eyes. As I stare at him, I can’t help but question my ma’s logic.
This man does not resemble a monster. Yes, he did scare me, but he did apologize. That must mean something, no?
My eyes travel away from his angular face, down to his broad chest. His shirt is unbuttoned, revealing his tan skin. There are harsh lines running horizontally and vertically, defining his muscles. I don’t stop myself from memorizing every inch of him…
I have never seen a man this close before…this bare to me. I understand that his size indicates just how strong he is, however he doesn’t seem to make any move to use his strength against me.
I keep my distance, even stepping back when I see him approach. He quickly halts his advance. “Ma’am? Am I to be given a name?” he asks, his voice soft, so much different from the gravelly voice in my dreams. The voice that keeps me up at night and enlists fear inside me.
I lift my eyes to see Maddox’s staring intensely at me. “Adelaide,” I whisper.
Maddox smiles wide, revealing his white teeth. His smile stretches across his whole face, giving me a glimpse of kindness.
Is it possible that what my ma said might just be false? Maddox couldn’t possibly be cruel and harmful. Not when he notices my fear and keeps a distance between us.
Why would my ma say something if it wasn’t true? Why would she lie to me?
I take a step away from Maddox and decide that I must keep my ma’s warnings in mind. Even though he seems kind, I must not get too close.
My ma was trying to protect me from something…and I intend to find out what it is.