“You look delightful, ladies.” I turned and Avery mock bowed, eyes fixated on me for my reaction to his insincere compliment. Even he was reining in his usual loud and obnoxious self, I thought, but I could see tonight that he was having as bad a time as me behaving well. He could be a good ally in plots or games of strategy and we made a good team with our combined energy and enthusiasm. He often got on all our nerves though, but we all knew he was just compensating for being slight in build and height.
Evelyn blushed but looked faintly pleased, Tressa just ignored him, and I stuck my tongue out at him and pulled a face. He raised his hands into the air in surrender, the permanent smirk still etched onto his face. The others had pointed out to me many times that perhaps Avery and I clashed only because we were so much alike, but both of us discarded this as nothing but a coincidence.
“Oh, stop it, you two!” Tressa commanded, playing the adult as usual. “Carrying on like a bunch of babies. You should look at yourselves!”
“Oh, I do. And I like what I see…well, for myself at least,” Avery drawled arrogantly, receiving an involuntary snicker from everyone except Tressa, who merely rolled her eyes. Immaturity was always rampant when we were hungry. And already our acting formal was deteriorating, which was dangerous.
We mulled around in the hallway for the next few minutes, chattering, bickering, and fiddling with our splendid dinner clothes whilst waiting to be escorted to the dining hall.
I wandered over to a claw-footed chair over by the staircase. In my poufy onyx-colored dress I knew I must look like a collapsing soufflé as I sat down. The cushion had been widened and elongated to accommodate such voluptuous skirts, enough so that my legs dangled a few inches above the ground when I pushed right into the back.
Then it came. It had taken years for us all to get used to it. First, my heart began to race and kept skipping beats, followed by the sudden feeling of breathlessness, which left me faint from the brief lack of oxygen. A familiar chill crept up my spine as if the very fabric of the air was shifting around me, like an unnatural, invisible storm. My ears popped uncomfortably, accompanied by a ripping sound.
It was disconcerting, and told us all something. He had returned.
I stood up again, still reeling from the overwhelming sensation. This had happened nearly every day of my fourteen years on the estate, but I could never shake the feeling off. We just had to let it happen. It was useless to try to fight it.
As I joined the main group, another familiar silhouette emerged from the smaller corridor that twisted out from behind the stairwell.
Beatrix was an older lady who had taken care of us our whole lives. She was perhaps sixty years old, with a trim figure that was slowly beginning to expand with old age. She took the roles of governess, housekeeper, and cook, although no one ever saw her about the estate working.
“Hello, my lovelies.” Beatrix smiled through crooked, white teeth, something she’d always managed to do through all circumstances. “How has your day been?”
“We played hide-and-seek,” Fred told her, trying and failing to hide the resignation from his tone.
“I won!” I acknowledged proudly, the only one who wasn’t embarrassed to still be playing children’s games.
“Again, Penny? You must remember to give your friends a chance.”
The corridor was claustrophobic compared to the rest of the house, with the walls only nine feet high and the elaborate molding around the top making them seem shorter than that. I could scarcely make out the pattern on the wallpaper, as the candles embedded subtly into the walls were fewer and dimmer in the hallways, and there were no windows to let in light. It was wide enough for three to walk comfortably side-by-side, so Fred, Beatrix and I walked ahead while the others followed in pairs.
Beatrix was talking cordially to Fred. I wasn’t really paying attention though I was right there, as it was no secret that no matter how she tried to hide it, Beatrix preferred Fred to me. Honestly, I couldn’t blame her. Fred was so genuine and pleasant, whilst I could be quite sassy.
“…very special day. You’re all wearing the new outfits I gave you, which is perfect,” Beatrix was saying.
I paid her no heed, and dragged my finger along the textured walls, roughly wearing my nail down, and making a funny squeaking noise as it ran over the grooves.
Then we entered the dining hall. It was a room I both adored and dreaded. The gothic vaulted ceiling was impressive as was the chandelier, many times my size, that hung glowing from the exposed wooden beams, which supported the roof, its hundreds of crystal drops sparkling in the candlelight. The ceiling itself had been expertly plastered right down to the tiniest detail, though what the design was remained a mystery as it was too high to see. Huge floor to ceiling windows, like the ones in the entrance hall, allowed dusky evening light to peep in between the heavy thick velvet curtains. The echoic room was void of anything save a massive oaken table that was centered perfectly with seven straight-backed chairs and one formidably winged throne-like piece, which was isolated down at the head. This was where the Master sat, and was the reason why I didn’t like the room.
Beatrix moved away so that she could go and sit in the most uncomfortable of the chairs, one that had no fabric padding, a couple of yards or so away from everyone else in the no-man’sland between us and Him. We never questioned if this was unethical: that was her place.
I took my usual seat facing the wall with the windows, in between Tressa and Evelyn. The boys sat down with Lucas opposite me; Avery with Tressa, and Fred with Evelyn.
“I’m starving!” Fred exclaimed, licking his lips. “We must have walked miles searching for you and Evelyn!”
“Tell me about it,” I agreed, copying custom and unfolding a crisp white napkin over my dress to protect it. “Try walking about in a corset all day.”
My stomach rumbled in agreement as I surveyed the fantastic feast Beatrix had whipped up for tonight. It was even more scrumptious than usual: roast pork chops, buttered potatoes (mashed, boiled, or roasted), a gravy boat the size of a several stacked textbooks, salted cabbage, onion soup, wild mushroom rice, and a large assortment of seasonings and vegetables.
Even Evelyn, who refrained from eating too much in effort to keep her perfect figure, eyed the food hungrily and shuffled around her chair in anticipation.
There was silence in the room save for smacking lips and rumbling stomachs. We all waited in fearful anticipation for Him to show up so we could get the tough part over with and dig in. Beatrix had her head hung, her lips moving in her routine silent prayer.
Then He came.
The air turned icy, the candles flickered, and the pit in our stomachs twisted nervously, our eyes carefully trained to our laps. A breeze made the hairs on my neck stand up as I felt Him billow past me to the winged-back chair, with all the subtlety and danger of smoke. Madon. I would not think his name again.
He greeted us coolly. His voice was lilting and clear, soft and deadly. “Children.”
“Master,” we all chorused, voices wavering slightly.
His presence filled the room like a heavy weight – pressuring my mind and filling my ears with pounding blood. If sinister had a face, it would be His. To picture the Master, one must only give darkness a human form and they would have a spitting image. Dressed in the highest quality materials, which hung off Him like mist, with pupils and irises that pierced the very soul of whoever dared challenge the obvious aura of authority and utter control.
“You may begin.”
Letting out the breath I had been holding in, I reached for a silver serving spoon and helped myself to food. The others followed suit. He didn’t reach for anything, only watching us intently, drumming slight fingers against the arms.
When my plate was full, I avidly shoved the succulent food into my mouth, chewing and savoring every bite.
“T-t-the food is particularly good tonight, sir,” Tressa spoke up hesitantly, not making eye contact but directing her voice to w
here He sat.
I was shocked. We never spoke to the Master if we could help it, trying to avoid any attention that might trigger anger or punishments. I had to admire her bravery, though.
“It does mark the fifteenth year of you being here,” he answered as if it was a minor detail not worth saying much about. The trail of amusement in his voice was probably the same surprise that someone had spoken up.
“We’re fifteen now?” I gasped, unsure about how I felt about that. There was a round of forced shushing. I had talked too loudly. “Sorry.”
Instead of being excited at the prospect, I felt curiously empty. Ten years later, we were still here doing the same things we’d been doing as five-year-olds, and were no closer to knowing why.
“I said you are fifteen, so it must be so. Do not question me!” he snapped, and I felt my throat tighten.
“I’m very sorry, sir,” I squeaked miserably.
He didn’t answer.
No one spoke up again.
In the end I was one of the last ones finished as I didn’t want to be reprimanded for being a pig and risk punishment.
“Thank you for the meal, Beatrix!” we sang after every plate had been cleaned.
“You’re very welcome, my dears. Happy Birthday to you all!”
He shot her a meaningful look after that statement and she cowed. What was wrong with wishing us a happy birthday? I wondered. We never celebrated or got presents like the children did in books, so why the bother over a simple kind wish?
His icy indifference returned in a split second. With a lazy wave of a hand, I felt the air rip again as the plates and food faded away to be replaced with assorted mouth-watering puddings: Victoria sponge cake, sticky toffee pudding, vanilla ice cream, fruit meringue, and a trifle in a big crystal bowl.
I couldn’t help myself.
“Penny!” Fred chortled as I dived like a madwoman for the toffee pudding and attacked it possessively.
“What? I’m the only one who really likes it!”
“Actually, it’s my favorite too, but we just pretend we don’t want it so you won’t bite our heads off!”
“Liar. Pass the ice cream?”
Evelyn shook her head in distaste as I scooped some of the creamy white mass onto my huge pudding and licked my lips as it began to melt under the warm toffee.
“Can I have your gown after you grow too large wear it?” she asked scathingly.
I noticed on her plate she had only the tiniest slither of cake possible and rolled my eyes. The moist, sweet, gooey pudding was heaven. My waist could die in a hole for all I cared at that moment.
When we finished, me last again for different reasons, it was pitch black outside. He got up first as usual, pulling on His long travelling coat, which seemed to have appeared from nowhere.
“Goodnight,” he said briskly, without emotion, buttoning His coat with another gesture of the hand.
I followed suit and scraped back my chair feeling warm, full, and satisfied. My corset was killing me though, and I cursed the stupid fancy frock for needing one. My day dresses didn’t, thank goodness.
“I hope you enjoyed it, my darlings.” Beatrix hugged us all tightly with her back to the Master. “I have left a little gift for you all in your rooms. You are getting a little old for playthings so I have given a card game to you boys and some jewelry for my little ladies, which I think you will find useful for supper times.”
The others thanked her happily, but something played on the back of my mind. I was about to follow on out down the corridor when I changed my mind and marched right back up to her
“Beatrix, there is something else I – I would like for m-my birthday,” I stuttered, confidence faltering.
“And what is that, Penny?”
“I would like…I would…” How to say it? “I want to have and look and see what is on the other side of the Boundary now I’m older,” I finished with my voice growing stronger at the end.
It happened in a matter of seconds.
Beatrix looked at me with a mounting horror, not having time to open her mouth to scold me before He was there, raging like a silent storm cloud.
“What did you just say?” he asked, deadly calm.
“Nothing!” I shook my head frantically. “I – I was just—”
The pain came suddenly without warning. I threw my head back and screamed, falling to the ground and writhing like a worm. I was being stabbed with poison knives, my organs being ruthlessly cut out and my bones broken… The world swam before me and the agony redoubled, making my back arch involuntarily off the ground. A buzz filled my ears until I could barely hear my own blood-curdling shrieks for this to stop, for me to die and slip away from the feeling… I could see Him standing over me with a grim, untroubled expression, Beatrix looking away, my friends sobbing in terror. I tasted blood. I was dying. Finally.
Then I vomited and it was over.
Choking and crying, I curled into a ball on the ground.
“Pathetic,” I heard Him sneer. “Get up.”
He kicked me in in the ribs as I struggled trembled to my feet, shaking convulsively.
“I don’t want to hear any talk like that again, do you hear? Or I’ll make the pain last your whole miserable life and watch you go mad.”
With a whirl of a coat and a rip, he was gone.
3
“Penny? Oh, thank goodness. I thought you were dead. You look awful!”
“Be quiet, Avery. I was just dozing.”
Even Avery couldn’t use sarcasm to completely mask the nervousness he too was feeling.
I had woken up that morning with a gigantic headache and clammy skin, the fever causing me to miss breakfast and stay in bed for most of the morning. I was still very shaky from my ordeal and was utterly dreading dinner, for although I had no physical scars to show from the torture, since we all knew that it was nothing more than an illusion, inside I was a nervous wreck. It had happened before to most of us, and took a few days to recover.
“I’m going out before lessons start,” I announced quietly.
We were all dallying in our common room, a large area on the second floor with a fireplace, sofa, a patterned rug, and bay window with gorgeous views of the grounds. It had been our nursery when we were younger, and now served as a place to stage all indoor activities.
Avery, Fred, and Lucas were using the table on the rug to set up the game they’d received yesterday, setting out rectangular cards and trying to figure out what to do with them. Evelyn was curled up in a chair by the roaring fire with Tressa affectionately braiding her pale blonde waves.
When I voiced my idea, every head turned to the window, which was being viciously pelted by a steady rain.
“Don’t be silly, Penny,” Evelyn scoffed, turning back to Tressa’s hair. “You’ll catch a terrible chill in this weather, especially in your state. Stay in and I’ll plait your hair next if you’d like.”
“Why do you even want to go out?” Lucas piped up.
“I need some fresh air.” I shrugged, eyes pleading for them not to push further than that.
None of them had mentioned last night, but they mutually understood the reason for my needing to clear my head, and so they questioned that no further.
“Make sure you stop and get a coat out of your room before you go, and be back before noon. Don’t expect us to come out and remind you,” Tressa told me with authority.
“You’re letting her go?” I heard Avery gasp as I got up to leave.
“You should know better by now than to try and tell Penny not to do something once she’s set her mind on it,” Tressa said philosophically, flaunting her excellent ability to judge character again.
My bones ached, and my eyelids felt heavy from the few hours of turbulent sleep I had managed. I did not take the detour to the south wing for my coat; instead, I headed straight down the staircase and out onto the lawn.
The rain had dulled to more of a drizzle than a downpour, but it was still not very
warm. I headed straight across the grass with purpose for the distant Boundary woods. A light mist shrouded them, making them seem mysterious, though not threatening.
The air was fresh and there was a woody, earthen smell. Big fat drops of water splattered down from wet branches until my hair turned a dark, almost mahogany, red, which plastered to my scalp, my sodden dress clinging to my arms. I stepped quickly over twisting roots and piles of mulch, not really trying to minimize damage to my already-soaked stockings and shoes. There was no marked path as we didn’t usually travel this far into the woods, but the widely-spaced trees and limited undergrowth allowed me to easily make my journey.
The fog grew denser as I walked and the trees began to close up and become more spindly than the massive giants that bordered the lawns. I stopped all of a sudden, feeling the surreal buzzing all around me. I looked down, and sure enough there was a tiny, barely noticeable dribble of water, nearly too small to be called even a creek. Though not particularly wide nor deep, it circled the entire property like some trickling little fence. On the other side, the fog and trees grew so thick that I couldn’t see more than a few feet. I had reached the Boundary.
I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, ignoring the unpleasant feeling of the rain seeping through my clothes and the foreign will inside my mind egging me to turn back, perhaps caused by the static pulse that crackled through the nearby air.
As I stood, the wind picked up a few oak leaves and carried them in an unsteady line towards the invisible wall. As the leaves crossed above the creek, there was an odd ripple as if they had hit a vertical body of water, and the leaves fell to the ground at my feet as no more than a pile of ashes.
I remembered when I was six: I had been punished just like I had been last night, and I had wanted – no, needed – to get out. Luckily, I had tripped on a root and fallen just before the Boundary, and only my outstretched hands had touched the creek. The tips of my fingers were burned black, my nails worn down to tiny stubs, and it had hurt! I’d put on gloves in hopes no one would notice, but I should have known better. Nothing got past the Master. I had been punished again for trying to get out, trapped in my room for ages, and confined to the house for even longer.
Boundary Page 2
