Maxine's Story-- The second scene

Alright, well here's the second scene from Maxine's Story.   I hope you enjoy reading it.  Please feel free to comment, and tell me what you think.  This is the scene when they first arrive in Sheldonburg.

     The winter here was cold and did not seem close to ending as Maxine Avrams explored the monstrous house.  It took an extra week to get here because of the huge snow drifts.  They had finally arrived yesterday afternoon.  But today was her first time really looking around.

Fires burned in the marble fireplaces on each side of the entrance room.  It was much quieter here than during the train and coach rides, and it was much bigger than the small apartment they had after Father died.

Her sister, Emily, often told her of the big country house they had lived in when she was small.  She did not remember much, and it scared her that her memories of Father were fading too.  No longer did she remember the sound of his laughter; only that he often laughed.  What color were his eyes?  Were they bright blue as hers were?  If only she had one of the photographs of her father, but she was required to leave all the things she treasured behind.  Mama was afraid of offending her new husband.  “Are we truly to call him Papa?”  She whispered to her sister.  “Emm, please tell me it is not so.”

“Shhh.  We will be respectable once more, Maxine.  Remember that we are to count our blessings.  We have a large house again as we did with Father, we have decent clothing once more, and Mama will not be so lonesome.”   Maxine breathed deeply, and stood straight and proper.  Emily, was older than her and always seemed to know just what was expected from them for propriety’s sake.  A towering man came down the steps with their mother then.  “It is nice to meet my two new daughters.”  He greeted, but she didn’t like how he instantly considered himself their father.  Was she expected to forget her own father as if he never existed?  Swallowing she dared not let her thoughts be known.  It was not her place to speak against an elder.  “From now on you will be known as Emily Westing, and you shall be known as Maxine Westing.”  The man was looking at her as if she should be grateful, but something about him made her knees wobble.  “You will never have to think of the past again.  Only the future is to be thought about.  We are all Westings, and I am your Papa.” Maxine nodded her approval as she knew her Mama expected of her, but her stomach jumped with fear.  She did not like this man that was wiping the memory of her father away as if he had never existed.  Still for Mama and Emily she would be strong.

“Papa.”  She repeated and curtsied as best as her trembling legs would allow her.  “You are Papa.”  She gave a side glance to her sister.  She was doing the same.  At least she did not make a mistake this time.

     That night she crawled in bed with her sister, and hid under the covers as her sister held her.  “It’s alright Maxine.  Things will be just fine now.”  Emily’s voice soothed her until she could fall asleep.  If Emily was with her, then it was maybe okay.

     The next morning, Emily helped her dress, and they quietly walked down the staircase to the dining room.  Breakfast was already being served as they both sat down at the massive table.  Maxine looked down to the table’s feet.  They looked like a beast’s feet.  Was there some kind of creature that lived here?  Everything was so large and massive as if made for a giant.  Looking back up to her sister, Maxine sat down on one of the chairs just as Emily did.  She let no one see her fear.  It would be alright, Emily promised.  Emily never lied.  If something went wrong Emily would protect her.  So, she followed what Emily did, and took security in her sister’s motions.

     The first two weeks passed without anything overly frightening, and Maxine settled into the routine of following her sister’s example.  A tutor was hired for Emily, and even during school hours Maxine sat quietly and listened.  She learned some of the mathematics her sister did, and she learned some of the words, but most of the time she was given paper and she could draw.  There were times she would sit drawing for hours trying to make her picture as lifelike as possible.  On those days she had no clue what the tutor was teaching her sister.  The only thing she could think of was being able to draw well enough to be able to draw her first father and her grandmother whom she missed more each day.  If she could just draw part of true father’s face maybe the rest would come to her.