Chapter 2

Raven plodded slowly behind Ms. Grumpky's clicking heels on the cobblestone pavement. Ahead of them stood in its Gothic glory, the demise of Raven's world. With every step her heart became heavier, to the point where she didn't think she could carry it anymore. Things were becoming all too real. It began to hit home that Grams was really never coming back. She was never going to see her home or sleep in her bed again. She had been allowed a quick trip to their tiny house, to collect some of her things. They really never had much, so there wasn't really a lot to collect. Some of her clothes, her favorite toque and a picture of she and Grams on her 12th birthday. Raven would never forget that day...it was probably the best day of her life. Grams had surprised her with a trip to the coast. It had been chilly, being in October, but it certainly hadn't dampened their spirits. By day they collected seashells on the beach and in the evening had cuddled together in front of a cheery fire sipping cocoa. Raven's heart ached at the memory and tears threatened to give herself away again. Swallowing the huge lump in her throat, Raven straightened her spine and stiffened her shoulders. She had to be strong now. It's what Grams would have wanted....no time to be a weepy willow, which was what Grams used to call her when she was little and pouting because she wasn't getting her way.  With all the courage she could muster she pushed her shoulders back and lifted her chin high, and stepped into the shadow of the massive fortress.

Ms. Grumpky banged the lion-headed knocker on the giant wooden door.  The hollow thumps matched the beating of Raven's heart.   She could feel the nerves beginning to bubble up inside her again.  She whispered to herself "don't be scared, don't be scared"  and with a dry mouth and shaky fingers, she began fiddling with the frayed strings on her jacket.  Ms. Grumpky gave a "tsk tsk" and tapped her fingers with her clipboard just as the old oak doors gave a loud groan and slowly opened.  Ms. Grumpky quickly ushered her inside the doors, seemingly afraid they would close again at any moment
  Raven's eyes took a bit to adjust to the candle lit room, but they widened like saucers when standing before her was the tallest woman she had ever seen!  Raven tried not to stare....she really did try to remember her manners that Grams had taught her, but she just couldn't help herself.  This lady had to be at least seven feet tall!  Not to add insult to injury, she was also the weiiiiiiirdest looking person she had seen in a long time. She outweirded even Mr. Ewing.  Her blondish-whitish hair encircled her shoulders, but it looked like she had stuck her finger in a light socket.  The frizz was almost as big as her hair was long.  She had a puckered mouth, much like Ms. Grumpky's,  but it seemed even more sour if that were possible. A small pair of spectacles sat on the bridge of her very pointed nose which magnified two very fierce looking eyes.  Raven immediately took a step back with a loud gulp.  She knew at that very moment this was not place for her. 

"Good evening Petunia, this is the child I was telling you about" explained Ms. Grumpky.  Petunia?!?  Seriously?!?  If Raven hadn't been scared out of her wits, she would have found the small flower name hysterical for this woman.

"Yes...yes" croaked the frizz master.

Raven could feel her skin almost crawl as the woman looked her up and down.  She wasn't quite sure why, but she looked absolutely disgusted with her.  She wasn't sure if she was seriously inconveniencing this woman to the point of disdain or perhaps the look was just a permanent one.

"C'mere girl" crowed the old woman. 

She grabbed Raven by the front of her favorite T-shirt and peered deeply into her eyes.  The woman had lifeless eyes, like dolls eyes.  They seem to search for something, but was having trouble finding whatever she was looking for.  Raven gave a small cough as the stench of the old lady began to overwhelm her.  Her smell reminded her of the funeral home she visited when her great uncle Sal had died.  A cross between death, decay and obnoxious flowers.  She could try and hold her breath...but she already felt like she was ready to pass out.

The woman abruptly shoved her back, almost sending Raven sprawling.  She was lucky, or unlucky enough (depending how you look at it) to land on Ms. Grumpky, who as usual gave her one of her generic "tsk".  

" Right...first thing is first.  Those clothes will simply not do at Blackwood.  We pride ourselves here on conformity.  Angeliiiiiiique!!".   Shrilled the oversized matron.

A beautiful blonde girl appeared from the shadows, beaming at the humongous witch.

"Yes Ms. Teeny?"

Scared or not, Raven had to bite her tongue in order not to laugh at that one.

"Take her bag and then get her a uniform.  After that, show her to her room....I think 3rd floor will do.  Room number 13.   We'll go over the rules with her in the morning"

Angelique smiled sweetly and grabbed Raven by the elbow.  "Very well Ms. Teeny".

Raven stopped Angelique as she tried guiding her from the room. 

" Um....excuse me...Ms. T-Teeny?".  The old woman glared at her.  "I...um..haven't had dinner yet...".  The old woman smiled a yellow toothed smile at her and paused before saying... "Well, that's just too bad for you...... innit?".   Angelique regained her grip on her arm and escorted her from the room.

The two girls walked in silence down the long corridor.  Raven's thoughts swirled as her belly grumbled.  She slid a sideways glance at the girl walking next to her.  Her golden hair seem to shimmer even in the poorly lit hallway.  She was definitely older than Raven.  Maybe 15 or 16?  The girl looked over at Raven and glared.  Raven blushed.  She knew it was wrong to stare but she couldn't help it.  Angelique was so pretty and looked exactly like what Raven hoped to look like some day.

They reached a large oak armoire which looked like it could hold a small country's wardrobe.  Angelique ripped open the doors and began rummaging through the shelves.  First throwing a shirt, then a skirt, blazer and socks at her.  Raven held them up to inspect size and fashion....yuck.  These were gross.  A plaid blue and green skirt, a powder blue blouse and a navy blazer that was much older than she was. 

" you look like a small, so I gave you a small.  If they don't fit....not my problem" snipped Angelique.  "What size shoe do you wear?"

"S-s-seven" stammered Raven.

"No sevens so you'll have to make eights work" as Angelique threw two black clodhoppers at her feet. 

"It's OK.  I actually just got new shoes before I came here.  I can just use my own".

Angelique whipped her head around and sneered at Raven. 

" yeah....kiss all of this, goodbye" pointing up and down at Raven's clothes and shoes. 

"Ya but, these were just bought for me, and I can't help but think someone would be pretty disappointed if I didn't wear them..."

Raven didn't want to argue but she was not about to give up her shoes that she so desperately needed and finally got.  At least not for a pair of shoes that wouldn't even fit her!  Raven's thought were interrupted as Angelique threw her up against  the hard wooden door of the closet.  Raven could barely catch her breath with the door handle painfully poking her in the small of her back.

"Listen here worm" Angelique snarled just inches from her face. "what I say goes around here.  You make trouble for me.....well, let's just say I can make things extremely difficult for you.  You do as I say, period.  No lip, no questions.  Got it?!?"

Raven could barely breathe let alone speak.  All she could do was shake her head yes.  
Angelique smiled sweetly at her "good.  We'll get along great as long as you remember that.  Follow me"

Raven's mind was absolutely blown.  How could someone so beautiful be so ugly?  Raven followed the not so angelic girl through a maze of twists and turns and then finally up some stairs.   Arriving at a small door, Angelique opened it to what looked like a small closet.

On the top bunk you'll find a nightgown on the bed and a small nightstand next to it.  Leave your clothes on it....INCLUDING the shoes.  Roll call is at 7am.  I suggest you not be late". 

Raven dropped her head and shuffled into the small, dark room.  On the bottom bunk layed a small dark mass hidden beneath a thin blanket.  Raven took a step on the ladder to see the top bunk.   At least she could see out the window she thought as she glimpsed out the moonlit glass.  Finding the old fashioned nightgown that just had to be from the 1800's, Raven began to undress. While folding her clothes and placing them and her shoes on top of the small nightstand as instructed, Raven fished out the picture of she and Grams out of her jeans pocket.  Gripping the picture tight, she climbed onto the bunk, under the thin blanket.   Staring at the two familiar faces, Raven could feel the tears begin to leak from her eyes. Hugging herself tight, she began to pray for sleep, and for someone....anyone.... to get her out of here.

Raven was awaken quite rudely the next morning by insistent tapping on her shoulder.  "Five more minutes Grams" she mumbled.

"Get up, get up get up!" A small insisting voice whispered.

Raven's eyes fluttered open, blinking rapidly against the pain of the morning sun.  She groaned and tried to flip onto her belly to get away from the assault. 

"C'mon!  You're going to get in trouble, and Angelique is especially testy in the morning!"

Raven sat straight up with the mention of that name.  She was greeted by sunny blonde hair so light it was almost white, a button nose and a pair of happy, aqua blue eyes.  The girl looked at her quizzically like a puppy would, with its head cocked sideways.  She had a large friendly smile and her warmth shown through the gloomy room like a beacon.  She liked her immediately. 

"Here, get dressed and tie your hair back with this" handing her a frayed ribbon.  "They like to threaten to cut off all your hair if it's not tied back,  I'm Jax, Jaxyn is my real name but everyone just calls me Jax.  I take it by your reaction you had the displeasure of meeting Angelique already, or as I like to call her, Devilique.  She's a warped mess, that one.  Did they give you shoes that don't fit?  They take great pleasure in making us uncomfortable....".

The girl talked a mile a minute and jumped from subject to subject like a cat on a hot tin roof.  Raven appreciated the distraction from her misery and listen intently while she dressed in her newly acquired, hideous clothes.  First thing she noticed, after the onslaught of course, was all of her personal belongings, including shoes were gone.  Her heart sank just a little bit more.  Even if she couldn't wear them, it would have been nice just to have them.  Raven slipped her feet into the clunky shoes and frowned.  "These are way too big" she thought.  "Monster blisters for sure in my immediate future"

"Those too big?" Questioned Jax.  "Lilly's are too small, maybe you guys can switch".  Jax  popped her head out the door and called over a tall, thin, seemingly shy girl and had her slip on Raven's shoe.  A slight smile crossed the girl's lips, proving they fit.  Raven slipped on one of the other girl's black Maryjane shoe and even though they were a far cry from her South Paws, blister city would no longer be her final destination.  They fit. 

A deep bell tolled and Raven watched as  girls scrambled frantically in the hallway to find their place in front of their bedroom doors.   Raven turned and watched in amazement as Jax expertly made Raven's bed in a matter of seconds.  Even Grams would have been impressed.  Raven slipped on her blazer trying to stifle a gag after getting a whiff of mothballs and body funk.  She doubted the thing had ever been cleaned.  Jax tugged on her sleeve and desperately motioned for Raven to take her place.  Raven obliged and stood next to Jax and their door.

  The hallway fell silent but Raven could see Jax happy eyes smile at her.  She knew she didn't really know Jax, but she had saved her life 3 times already and it was only 7am.  Come what may, Raven just knew and felt in her heart that she had a true friend in Jax and she would do just about anything to keep that friendship intact.  The silence was broken by the creaky wooden stairs being climbed.  Click, click, click  was the sound of the giant woman's shoes as she entered the corridor with  Angelique in tow.  Raven could hear the two stop at each girl, telling them to straighten this or tuck that.  Her heart began to speed up the closer they got to her.  The dreaded duo stopped next in front of Jax. 

" I swear Jaxyn, what are we going to do with you.  Always a total mess.  Look at this hair.  It's beyond me why I just don't shave your head and be done with it.".

Raven thought that was pretty ironic coming from the lady that looked like she had her hair done by an electric mixer.  The mistress' hair wasn't like that this morning though.  It was pulled tight into a bun fashioned on the back of her head.  While the frizz seemed to be contained for the moment, Raven couldn't help but notice how it made her nose look even larger and pointier.  Raven shivered at the thought of having to look at that face for the rest of her life.  They were still giving Jax the business and a small fire started to burn inside of Raven.  Jax had been the only one to show her an ounce of kindness since she stepped foot in the place and here they were treating her like something they found on the bottom of their shoe. 

Raven cleared her throat.  "Excuse me ma'am?"  Angelique's head whipped around and her eyes narrowed.  "How dare you  interrupt Ms. Teeny, you worm!"  Sneered the blonde headed viper.

"My dear Angelique,  tis quite alright, Raven hasn't been notified of rules yet.  Yes Raven, did you have a question?".  Raven couldn't think of a thing to say.  Her plan had worked, she had distracted them from Jax, however that's where her plan had ended.  Now what?

"Well...seeing how the cat has got your tongue, I think now is as good as time as any to go over a few house rules" said the massive matron.  "Rule number one, Raven, is that no orphan is to speak unless spoken to by myself, or Angelique.  Rule number two is that everything here is earned.  You earn your food, you toiletries, your electricity, your bathroom privileges by doing chores.  You will clean whatever we tell you to clean with no backtalk, no exceptions.   Rule number three...you are to be up and dressed and ready for inspection before breakfast at 7am sharp.  There are more rules, but it's more fun teaching them to the new orphans than it is telling them. " she said with an evil grin.  "Anyway, those are the main ones.  Do yourself a favor and abide by them...or else."

With that Ms. Teeny swept out of the hall in dramatic fashion.  A whistle blew and all the girls lined up at the end of the hallway.  Jax grabbing Raven's hand whispered a sweet "thank you" which made the whole debacle with the wicked witch and her toadie worth it.  Raven followed as the line of girls walked down the shadowed hallway.  The term "silent as the grave" popped  into her head, as not one peep was spoken by one girl.  Arriving at what looked like a giant cafeteria Raven and the others took their seats.  Raven wasn't sure what was going to happen next, everyone just seemed to be sitting there in some sort of trance.  Just when she thought she couldn't take anymore of the weirdness, another door opened on the far side of the massive room, which began rows and rows of boys filing in. 

Raven sat there a bit stunned.  She never thought to ask if there were boys that lived here as well.  She watched as each boy took his seat, just as silent as the girls had been.  Once everyone was seated, another whistle was sounded and tubs of some kind of food was rolled out.  Raven's belly was quite hungry by this time since she hadn't had supper the night before, but the smells that were permeating from the bins of food, were not pleasant ones.  All she could smell was grease and something that had been burnt.  Badly.  Bowls were passed down each table to each child who would place it in front of them.  Once all the bowls were delivered, two tables at a time, one from the boys and then one from the girls, were ushered to the giant tubs of food.  Raven watched table after table line up and get their food Finally it was their turn.  Raven didn't care if they were serving leather shoes, she was starving.  

Holding her bowl allowing the food lady put breakfast slop in it, she stared into her bowl filled with some kind of burnt eggs and oatmeal combo, and the thought a leather shoe just became more appetizing.  Turning to go back to her table, her eyes locked with the bluest eyes she had ever seen.  She knew instantly they were the very same ones that had invaded her dreams!  Raven couldn't move.  She was frozen with shock.  A quiet giggle and a slight nudge from Jax snapped Raven back to reality and she began again the walked back to her seat.  Raven's head was spinning.  How could those eyes actually exist and actually belong to someone?!?  Raven scanned the room, finally finding the owner of the crystal blue eyes.  He had dark hair...almost as dark as hers.  He was kind of tall, at least compared to the other boys sitting by him.  His blue eyes met hers again and a small smile graced his lips revealing a perfect set of pearly white teeth.  Raven blushed deeply and stared into her half eaten bowl of breakfast that she didn't even remember eating.  She still couldn't wrap her head around how it was at all possible.

©jaholland 2015