Chapter One Part Two

Arwyn’s sleep was restless and not very satisfying at all. She kept dreaming that something was chasing her, only she couldn’t see who-or what-it was. All she could see was a pair of blindingly green eyes before her-almost yellow, and a figure wrapped in a black cape-black like a starless, moonless night.
Without meaning to-she fell at her feet.
“NO!”
The thing chasing her was forcing her down into a prostrated position, with her hands bound behind her back.
The scene around her disappeared in a blinding light-and she was back at the villa in Italy-in the garden. It looked like it had when she was just six years old-perfectly pristine, neat, and beautiful-instead of overgrown (as it now was).
But something in it was out of place-a woman sat there on her knees, a gown of green silk spread around her like an aura. She was both familiar and foreign. Arwyn was about to ask her who she was-when the woman put a finger to her lips.
Shh....She heard it like a sigh in her mind-a soft sigh.
The woman’s white forearm extended-pointing at something on the ground.
Look....
A scarlet and black colored snake with yellow-green orbs for eyes wound its way toward the woman (who Arwyn supposed was her mother).
Arwyn was about to jump back and scream again.
The woman put her hand out-to stop Arwyn.
No-it wasn’t to stop her. The snake crept up her mother’s arm- and once it reached the middle of the arm-it sunk its teeth into flesh and hissed.
Arwyn screamed. But no sound emitted out of her mouth.
Yesss....... The serpent’s voice was cold and sharp in her mind.
“No,” Arwyn shook her head at her mother’s body-slowly growing colder, “NO!”
You’ve returned....At lasssst..... At lasssst.....
She screamed again-realizing this time that she could hear herself. Except that it wasn’t her-it was a strange, high-pitched squeaking voice that filled her ears.
Her eyes flew open.
The train was stopped.
“It was just a dream.....just a dream,” she panted feverishly.
“Are you okay, Arwyn?” Mae asked. Em was still snoring-she could sleep through anything.
Arwyn wiped the cold sweat off of her forehead and neck. Wanting nothing more than to take a nice hot bath.....
“Yessss.....I mean, yes. I’m fine.”
Arwyn shook her head-black waves shaking incessantly-this was too strange. It was just a dream but.....No. It was just too strange.
“Did you have a nightmare?” Mae asked. Arwyn looked quickly past Emma to the window-and realized the blackness outside was night, and the strange yellow light emanating from all four corners of the compartment was lantern light.
“No.” Arwyn lied, and continued looking out the window-in a vain attempt to see the moon and stars, which were strangely missing.
Just a dream.....Not real....just a dream.....nothing.
“I think we’ve come to the station...finally.”
Arwyn wiped her forehead again and muttered, “Yes.”
Mae leaned forward in her seat and pushed on Emma’s arm.
“Wake up, Em! We’re here.”
“Huh.....what?” Emma said sleepily.
“We’re at the station.”
“Mmm.....?” Emma curled her hand underneath her chin and drifted off toward sleep again.
“EMMA! WE HAVE ARRIVED AT THE STATION!!!!!”
Emma covered her ears. “You don’t have to yell, Mae! I’m coming.”
But despite this she didn’t move.
Mae huffed out a furious breath.
“If you don’t come right this second....I’ll....I’ll!”
Em just rolled her eyes and yawned again.
Mae looked expectantly toward Arwyn.
Arwyn just tied on her bonnet and gathered her parasol and the weathered, leather briefcase that once belonged to Robert.
Mae put her hands on her hips and her eyes bugged.
The last thing Arwyn wanted to do was become the center of a three-way-struggle with her sisters (as was often the case).
Arwyn shook her head defiantly.
Mae sighed and went to Emma.
“I know you’re in no rush to see Felicia, but at least there’ll be food.”
Emma rolled her eyes but climbed to her feet. She stood on her tip-toes and stretched out like a ballerina.
Emma was the tallest of the triplets-she easily towered over Mae and definitely Arwyn (who was tiny and petit as a child).
“COME ON!” Mae yelled again, and released her parasol.
The girls stepped into the dripping wet and realized two things almost immediately.
It wasn’t night-at least not yet at least. The sky had gone strangely dark with the thunderstorm.
Rain beat down on the three girls by the gallon. They were soaked three seconds after they stepped off the train.
And the second thing they’d come to realize. This station had no shelter whatsoever.
They were left standing there with only their flimsy cloth parasols.
A boy in dark clothes hopped out of the luggage compartment and threw down Emma’s big trunk (which had all of their belongings) into the mud at the base of the platform’s steps.
“Welcome to Lincolnshire your ‘ighnesses!” The boy tipped his hat jokingly.
Mae shivered. “Help me with this, would you.”
The three girls managed to get the heavy trunk to the top step in ten minutes or so. Their sweat washed away by a thick curtain of sickly-cold rain.
“When will it ever stop?”
Emma squinted her eyes through the unrelenting rain.
“What? Arwyn I can’t see you!”
“You’ll have to speak louder I can’t hear you!”
Something grasped Arwyn’s hand tightly.
“Who goes there!”
She wanted to cry out, but didn’t-because she finally saw that it was Emma. It certainly had set her heart pounding, though.
“Emma! Arwyn! Look!”
They looked toward Mae who was standing near the trunk.
Apparently, their efforts with the trunk were in vain, because here came Aunt Felicia’s coach-and-four.
The coach stopped, the door opened.
Milford’s rather large head poked out.
“Well come on, then, we haven’t all day! Bring your trunk!”
The coach door slammed shut.
“Oh, bugger,” Arwyn sighed.
They ungracefully shoved the trunk down the steps and the coach driver (“The name’s James”) helped them lift it onto the back of the coach.
“Thank you,” Arwyn replied while rubbing the sore spot on her back.
James just nodded.
“Open it!” Mae yelled at the coach door.
It was thrust open.
All three girls clambered in and fell into the seat opposite of Milford.
(“I guess this means we’re out of luck, then”)
No one wanted to sit by him.
Milford shut the coach door with a sharp thud and they were off.
“Is our Aunt in?” Asked Arwyn, trying to sound as polite as she could.
Milford continued to stare out the window as if the girls weren’t there.
“Unfortunately, yes.” He answered after a long pause.
Milford downed at least ten cups of gin before they arrived at Whitehouse Place. Someone isn’t getting along with his mother these days.....Arwyn was sure she’d resort to alcohol if she was raised by Aunt Felicia. She suddenly broke into a wicked grin. If her sisters (particularly Mae) heard her think this, they’d chide her mercilessly.
It was a good thing they couldn’t perceive each other’s thoughts-as the stereotype for siblings born at the same time went-or they’d murder each other.
“What?” Mae looked at Arwyn’s mischievous smile and narrowed her eyes.
Arwyn tried to make her face go blank before any assumptions could be made.
Fortunately, Milford’s cringing into a corner saved her. A strangled sound emitted from their cousin’s mouth.
He composed himself after another glass of gin (he nearly swallowed the filmy glass cup along with the liquid), and said, “We’re here.”
He shivered violently and pointed toward the window to his left.
There it was. Whitehouse Place.