Mothers Mercy

5.

“What’s your name darling?” Mother asked me.

“Isabelle mam. My mom just called me Isa.”

“Hmm. I think we will call you Jade. That matches your pretty green eyes. None of my girls go by the name their moms and dads gave them. It’s best that way.”

I didn’t dare to ask why. The woman seemed so friendly and kind, but she still sent chills down my spine. She smelled of expensive parfume and coffee, her teeth were stained - probably from the coffee - and her nails were perfectly shaped and bright red. But the way she talked about the girls, and that none used their real names. What kind of new life was I driving towards now?

“We are almost there darling. Just 5 more minutes.”

It felt like we had been driving for hours, but it seemed like we were near a small town. There were a few houses on the side of the road, a gas station and a sign to a produce stand selling fresh eggs. Two minutes later we entered a small town named Willow Creek. From the looks of it, it was a typical sleepy town were people minded their own businesses, but still lured through the curtains at night if anything happened outside.

We were almost at the end of the town when Mother turned left at a big sign saying “Mothers Mansion”. She apparently hadn’t been kidding about the name Mother.

As we drove up the road, the house got bigger and bigger. It was huge. No kidding about the mansion part either. I had never seen a house so big before, only on TV and in magazines.

“What do you think darling?”

“It’s huge! You said you were living with 10 girls here?”

“Yes darling. If you chooses to stay, you will be number 11. But the life here isn’t for everyone. I will tell you much more when we get inside. You also need to meet the others.”

I wondered why a life on a huge mansion wouldn’t be a life for me. What kind of work could it be she wanted me to do?

We stepped out of the car in front of the house and she showed me inside the massive front door which led directly in to a room that seemed more like a bar or a restaurant than an actual house.

“Wait here darling. I’ll gather the others real quick.”