From The Moon Goddess

Chapter One

As the earth shattering guilt gripped her heart Ella stood at the bottom of the wrap around porch that was to be her new home the wood of what she would of called a shed but was in fact a spacious cabin was well weather worn and broken " oh! em! gee! what have you left me to mother" groaned Ella as she spoke to her mothers spirit as if she would reply or jump out from a near by bush and shout "got you" but deep in her heart she knew she wasn't dreaming her mother and father was never coming back her inheritance locked away until her 21st birthday her expensive mansion in miami was gone her friends had shunned her and called to say to get in touch when she gets her inheritance all ella had left was three suit cases full of her clothing and memories gone were her prada shoes and gucci handbags her fendy purses and her louis vuitton shades all was left was what stood beside her and they had begun to look as battered and worn as she did after her trip up the drive pulling them over broken twigs, muddy puddles and only god knows what.

looking once more from the dirt drive she had spent the last hour trying to travel Ella looked back at the cabin and sighed shaking her head slightly before stepping closer to the steps leading up the the main door, gently she kicked their first step a few times to test its sturdiness before placing her left foot on the plank, "please hold" prayed Ella to the man upstairs who she thought was probably laughing is white beard and robe off with the rest of the departed angels of the world, slowly Ell a applied some of her weight to the step and let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding when it didn't creek or groan at her, it took Ella another 5 minuets to test the other two steps and the porch itself before she was satisfied it would hold her successfully along with her luggage and then it took her another 10 minutes to pull her luggage to the door as she mutter to herself about how much she missed christopher her driver who would of carried them for her had he of been their to help.

Life it seemed had taken Ella's world and given it a good shake and picked out all that was good in her privileged little world and tossed her and what was left into the proverbial trash. Ella reached up and give the door a gentle knock which sounded louder to her ears then what she had intended it to be seconds passed before the door opened to her and a young man stood there with half a piece of beef jerky hanging out of his mouth " you Ella?" asked to man as he looked her up and down " hi.. yeah.. i was given this address by my parents lawyer im to find Emmerson Smith? " replied Ella as slowly as she deemed possible as the man who stood in front of her seemed a little dim for her liking " yeah thats my ol' man i'm Henry Smith your cousin" replied Henry in the same manner she had as he swmg the door open and walked off into the house " you not going to help with my luggage " asked Ella as she stepped into the house slightly only so she could be heard " nope this ain't not hotel princess you brought em you drag em " laughed Henry enjoying Ella's plight " you must be Ella?" boomed a voice from behind her Ella swung round startled by the voice only to see a large towering man behind her with a rifle hanging in the crook of his right arm and something furry hanging down his back from a string his long greasy black hair making a parting only to show his dark brown eyes that bore down at her freezing her to the spot Ella for the first time in her life had lost the ability to use her tongue and could only answer by nodding her head " ok i'm Emerson bring your things in and leave them by the door and i'll help you get settled in after i wash up " he replied his eyes softening slightly when he realized what a fright he must be to her familiar blue eyes.

- Emerson's P.O.V -

i had to steel myself away, the young girl that i had found standing on the porch was a double to my cousin Maria the last time i had seen her 30 plus years ago we had use to be close but her father and mine had a difference of opinion and had gone their separate ways when we was barely teens they hadn't spoken to each other since and me and Maria. well we was told that the other was our enemy but how could i say no when a lawyer called and said that maria had died leaving her 17 year old daughter with no other family to claim her till she turned of legal age blood is blood no matter how dark the colouring of it i had given that lawyer our address and told him to send her out to us and that i would take good care of her the best i could a girl with a broken heart my boy Henry was like me threw and threw tough as nails and brave sadly he took his mothers brains or lack of as it stands. Henry was laid on the couch watching the tv as i entered the living room with beef jerky hanging out his mouth clearly he had just opened the door to Ella and left her standing their scared and cold, i couldn't help myself when i saw the lazy lout i walked over and slapped his foot off the chair arm " get your lazy ass up boy and put this away for me and when your done clean this mess up last time i checked we don't live like animals in zoo" i dumped the dead pheasants i had caught on his gut when he laid their staring at me like i had grown two heads and spoke french " now Henry Now! " i bellowed as i made my way to the bathroom leaving henry scowling at me like a toddler who had his toy car taken off him.

Closing the door and locking it i had to brace myself as i leaned my back against it Ella's white hair and bright blue eyes flooded into my mind as i let out a shaky breath her skin had been sun kissed from living in miami all her life and he nose was slightly freckled their was nothing in her of her father as far as i could tell not that i had known the man but i knew Maria and Ella was the spit out of her mouth an exact double the resemblance was uncanny to say the least their would be a few in town who remembered Maria who would think they had gone back in time and was reliving a memory when they see Ella walking by shaking my head to clear the memories from my childhood i quickly washed up and returned to the livingroom to find Henry had tidied his mess and had taken his place back on the couch jerky and all while Ella was standing in the hall looking around with her cases by her feet and the front door shut i shook my head knowing my son had left her to carry them herself and wouldn't of offered a hand like the kind man i had hoped he would of grown upto be when his mother had left us when he was nothing but a babe at her teat but i did my best when raising him.

-Ella's P.O.V -

what was i doing here why did they have to leave me to these county hicks they had meant to love me and they leave me with no other guardian then this man and his sloth of a son Henry i could only describe as a look alike of kletus from the simpsons while Emerson seemed a lot more grizzley to say the least, i had done as grizzly adams had asked and brought my things inside and was waiting for him to return as Henry grumbled about cleaning up his mess and stomped his feet like a five year old i took the time to look around the room as i waited it wasn't much in the way of style or cleanliness but it had a little bit of potential if a womans touch was applied the walls was as i had expected wooden and bare the furniture was old and bulky but it looked like it was made to last not to look good the main take away from this room was .... yeah you guessed it wood alot of wood.

it took me a minute to realize that Emerson was stood looking at me when he realized i had noticed him he cleared his throat and nodded his head towards the stairs behind me before walking and picking up two of my cases " your room is up here Ella.. it's not much and probably not what your use to but the bed is comfortable and warm and the room is clean" he said softly as if he was trying to be kind but his voice was thick with an emotion i couldn't decipher i picked up the remaining case and followed as he climbed the stairs and took me to my room " your room has its own wash room but be warned the hot water is sparse hear so try and keep the showers as quick as possible" he continued as he opened a door and placed the cases inside and turned on a light the room was quite big, not as big as her bedroom but big nonetheless from what Ella could gather this must be the mater bedroom it had a double sleigh bed covered in a baby pink bedding set, set against the left wall a large window with what looked like a balcony with large glass doors covered by blackout curtains " erm.. there's a small closet in thier for your things and a vanity table under that cloth over their" he continued while pointing things out my eyes following where he pointed " the bedding is clean i went into town yesterday and got it for you ... erm so yeah make yourself at home get cleaned up and come down when your ready and ill have you some supper ready for you" nodded Emerson as he went to leave the room my body turned as he went by me as if being left alone in this room was the last thing i wanted but i knew i needed to say something to him ..." Mr smith.... thank you for taking me in i know you don't know me but i'm thankful and sorry if i am a burden to you...or Henry" i said softly my eyes starting to burn as i hold back the tears from pooling in my eyes Emerson stood with his back to me for a moment his right hand gripping the handle of the door he let out a shaky breath before half turning towards me his eyes holding the same emotion from moments ago " you are not a burden Ella you are family, distant yes but still family" he seemed to take in the room once again before his eyes fell on me once more " this use to be your mothers room when she would come visit as a kid you look so much like her Ella....." his eyes softened slightly as he looked at me the air inside my lungs gushed out as i stood their with my mouth open like a fish before i had chance to respond he was gone closing the door with him i looked around the room again and tried to imagine what it looked like when my mother had it... this use to be my mothers room was all that kept running threw my head for the rest of the night as i unpacked my things and got settled in.