Midnight Rose

Chapter Three : The other Family

I had just left the house of my sweet and was heading to my house on the outskirts of Brockenhurst. My family had owned it since I was a small child, and after I became what I was i decided to keep the house after my family had all passed on. I had managed to keep the house up to date with everything that it needed done to it, and I even managed to have a small family look into it from time to time to do the cleaning inside. I left the garden on the outside exactly as my mother had planted it all those years ago. She was the one who got me into loving flowers just as she had. 

I was almost to the side door of my house when I felt the same small feeling of someone watching me that I had the first night when I had run into Isadora in that alley way. I knew from the feeling that it was Anthony who had followed me from the Family House all the way here just to get himself or me into trouble with "Father".

    "You should come out from the shadows Anthony. Hiding isn't a good look on you." I said into the shadows just to my left and a few paces behind me.

"How did you know I was there? And what are you doing so far from Home?" He asked me.

    "I was given the leave by "Father" to come look after my house for a while. It has been almost 60 years since the last time I was here and I wanted to come have a look about the grounds that I grew up on since I miss them so. The only question here is if "Father" knows you have snuck off the follow me again? And how mad will he get this time at you for following me?" I asked him with a knowing look on my face.

"You won't rat me out to him again will you? I only wanted to see the world like you have. And you still didn't answer how you knew I was there and not one of the other Children?" Anthony asked with some worry on his face.

    "If you must know how I knew it was you and not another of the Children that had followed me the answer is simple, you are the only one that follows me as closely as my shadow does!" I answered back with a small smile of my own.

"But what if I had been John, and not myself that was following you around?" Anthony said as if to stump me.

    "If you had been him you would have been six feet back and to my left side where the light never reaches. That is the side that he loves to hide on and attack his pray from. I thought you would have figured that out the last time he managed to get you away from "Father" for the week you were missing last year?" I said with a small look of cockyness on my face.

"Why do you always have to bring that up? I wasn't the best time in the world for me, and you knew "Father" was going to be laughing the whole time we were out and you didn't even think to give me a heads up that he was there! You are such a jerk James." Anthony said with a sad look on his face.

    'If "Father" asks where you are this time I will just tell him that I took you with me for a short time as to give him and the other Children a small break from you trying to follow all of them around the grounds. Just so long as you don't make a mess in my house you are welcome to say in here with me." I said with a stern look on my face.

"I promise not to make a mess in this house. But how can you own this house?" asked Anthony.

    "If you must know, this house is all I have left from when I was a small child. I was born and raised in this quaint little house. My mother always had things growing in the back yard and I helped her with that. My own father was a Mason and actually laid most of the foundations of the houses in this town. I was an only child to them so I was allowed to do whatever I wanted most of the time. I didn't have any family here since both of my parents had moved here for a fresh start. I was alone in the woods behind this house when I was about 20 years, and back then it was normal for a young man to still be at home till he was almost 30, when I can across "Father". He said he was looking for one of his other Children who had managed to run off close to town and he was wondering if I would be able to keep and eye out for the Child. Well me being who I am I told him I would. One thing led to another, and no later than a week from meeting him I am what I am now." I told him with a sad and far away look on my face.

"Wow, I wouldn't wish that story on anyone. Not even John, but please tell me he wasn't the Child that you were helping "Father" look for that had gotten close to this village all those years ago?" questioned Anthony.

    "Well it wasn't John that was missing, but the Child was one that he had taken from a few towns over just a few months before he came here. Sad things is that the little soul didn't manage the Change at all. So in the end I guess it was a good that the the soul didn't make it or else I would have an older sister who would be bossing me around instead of me being the oldest and telling you what to do all the time." I said with a small laugh.

"I don't think I could handle another Child who was older than me. I think you and John telling me what to do all the time is enough for me." Anthony replied with a small pout on his face

    With all of that having been said the two of us stepped into my house with the sun only hours away from coming up.