June 21, 1954

“Carolina? Where are you?”

Carolina covered her mouth in order to hide her sudden laughter. She knew that her mother was searching for her but didn’t want to reveal her hiding space.

“Carolina?!”

Her laughter died when she noticed the panic in her mother’s voice. She decided to end her mother’s worrying. “Boo!” She said as she opened the closet door, scaring her mother in the process.

“Carolina! You shouldn’t do that, you’re going to give me a heart attack.” She scolded Carolina while her hands still covered her chest. “You must get dressed.”

Carolina’s eyebrows lowered in confusion, “Why?”

“There is a dinner party.”

“Mom, you know that no one invites us to parties.”

“Well, the Alastor family decided to invite us.” Carolina’s mother stated as she put the new pink dress laced with black polka dots on her bed.

“What’s this?” Carolina questioned as she ran her fingers over the material realizing that it was a silk dress.

“The Alastors sent it.”

“Mother, this is a silk dress and silk is not only rare but expensive.”

Her mother smiled. “Darling you need to stop questioning the hospitality of others.”

Carolina looked at her mother. She was a beautiful woman with curly hair that reached her thin waist.

“Mother—”

“Carolina that’s enough, you will put on this dress and be ready to leave in the next fifteen minutes.”

“Fine,” Carolina simply said as she began pulling removing her clothes. Her mother smiled at her before walking out and shutting the door. Carolina stared in fascination at the rare material. She shook her head knowing that the Alastor family must be insane. She knew that the family was new to the small town of Angel Camp, California and from the town gossip the family comes from the South. It did bother Carolina that they came from the South due to the mistreatment of colored people and she instantly shook off any form of mistrust; no racist would give a colored girl a rare gift. She slipped the dress up and placed the straps on her shoulders. She looked at her reflection in the body length mirror that was next to her closet door. Carolina smoothed out the material just to make sure she wasn’t imaging it. The dress fit her body perfectly it flared out at the waist and reached her knees the dress was elegant and modest.

 “Carolina! Are you ready?” Her mother hollered from the hallway.

“Yes,” she answered as she stepped from her room. “Can you help button up the back?”  Her mother smiled, as Carolina turned, and began buttoning the dress.

When she was finished her mother hugged her. “You are truly the most beautiful woman I’ve laid eyes on.”

Carolina giggled, “You’re just saying that because you’re my mom.”

“No, she’s saying that because it’s true.’ Carolina turned to see her father waiting by the front door.

“Daddy, you’re supposed to say that mom is that Mom is the most beautiful woman.”

“Well, this beautiful woman created a beautiful daughter.” He stated as he put his arm around her and walked out of the house. Carolina turned to see her mother close the door before following her and her father to the car.

“Dad,” Carolina said as her father held the car door open and waited for her to enter the car.

“Yes?”

“Who are the Alastor’s? Why did they give me this dress?”

Her father smiled, “How about I get you and your mother into the car and then I’ll answer your questions.”

Carolina smiled and entered the backseat of the car. She watched her father hold open her mother’s door and kissed the inside of the palm before she got into the passenger seat. When he father got into the car he took a deep breath and began driving.

“Carolina, I’m going to answer your two questions. The Alastors are a family of wealth. In fact their ancestors no only founder of the town but also built the town. They wanted to get to know our family because they have an interest in my writings.”

 Carolina’s eyes widen in surprise, “They’re interested in your writings? Daddy, that’s amazing news!”

Her father smiled, “Yes, I find it to be a huge deal.”

Despite her father’s smiles, Carolina felt that something was a bit off. It was something that Carolina always had, a six sense when it came to people’s emotions. She looked at her mother with intense concentration when she did she felt waves of worry and sadness. The amount of emotion caused Carolina to break her concentration. They were going to a dinner party nothing unusual, other than the fact that they were walking into a wealthy white family’s house for dinner. She looked at her father whose knuckles were turning white due to how hard he was holding the steering wheel. Taking a deep breath she focused again and felt guilt waving from her father. The emotions that she kept felt from her parents were foreign to her. Mr. and Mrs. Marcus Harris were not people who feel guilt, sadness and worry. She shook her head in disbelief, knowing that her parents were keeping a secret which was something that they had never done. She turned her attention towards the surrounding trees that were speeding past her. It was after they had past the third orchard that she realized they were far from town.

“Where exactly do the Alastors live?”

“Well, they live in the ‘rich orchard.’ ” He joked.

Carolina smiled at her father’s joking. The ‘rich orchard’ is called that simply due to the fact that many wealthy people did not like mingling with commoners. She sat in silence wondering what this dinner party was going to reveal.

“We’re almost there.” Her father told her as he turned left onto a dust road. It took fifteen minutes before the house was in sight. When Carolina saw the house she gasped in wonder. The house was beautiful it was a white two story house that had vines swirling up from the left base of the house. It reminded Carolina of a southern house that she’d have seen when visiting her grandmother last summer. When the car stopped her father hesitated, something her father never did. She watched as her mother reached over and placed a comforting hand over his. They sat in silence for a few seconds but it felt like minutes. It was when a couple stepped out and started waving that her parents took a deep breath and her father got out and opened her mother’s for before he opened hers. The woman was quite beautiful she had long black hair and bright green eyes; her husband was abnormally tall with blonde short hair that was slicked black and light blue eyes. Those eyes stared at her with fascination.

“Marcus, I thought you were lost for a second.”

“Almost,” her father joked as he wrapped his arm around her mother’s waist pulling her to him.

“We have Mary cooking a five course meal, and it will be ready in about forty minutes. Why don’t we go inside?” The woman suggested.

“Dear, don’t you think that we should introduce ourselves?”

“Oh, yes. I’m Sally Alastor and this is my husband Jonathan Alastor.”

“I’m Carolina Harris.” She shook their hands and smiled. “I love the house, how long has it been in your family?”

“Centuries,” she answered. “Come inside, it’s going to be a cold night.”

Carolina looked on as her parents and the Alastors walked into the house. She looked at the house one more time before she entered. It was more beautiful inside, thousands of artifact graced oak wood furniture. She looked in wonder not realizing the male who had closed the door behind her

“What are you doing in my house?”

Carolina jumped and turned towards the voice. There was a handsome man who was just as tall as Mr. Alastor with light blue eyes.

“I’m Carolina Harris –”

“So… you’re the one that he’s looking for.”

“I’m sorry?”

“You don’t know?”

“Weston, I see that you’ve met Carolina, this is her father Marcus and her mother Gina. This is our youngest son, Weston.

“Yes, I’m the youngest of five. Mom didn’t know when to stop.”

“Enough, you know that I love all five of you.” She smiled and looked at Gina. “I always wanted a big family.”

“Marcus and I wanted to have more children, but after Carolina there were complications.” Gina stated as she looked down at her feet. That was what she did when she was on the brink of tears. Marcus noticed and rubbed her back in comfort.

“I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”

Gina shook off the sorrow. “It’s alright, you didn’t know.”

Carolina watched as the silence between the two couples became awkward.

“Weston, would you mind taking Carolina on a tour on the house. She is fascinated by the outside I’m sure she will be with the inside.”

“I’m sure,” Weston said. “Ladies first,” he said as he stepped back and extended his arm.

Carolina looked at her parents for permission, and when they nodded she turned and walked past Weston.

Carolina looked at her parents for permission, and when they nodded she turned and walked past Weston.

“What’s off limits?”

Weston sighed, “Not much, just my room as well as my parents.”

Carolina nodded, “What did you mean earlier, when you said that someone is looking for me?”

Weston laughed, “It’s obvious that they haven’t told you. It is not my place to inform you.”

Carolina nodded in understanding as she looked at the various paintings that covered the walls. “Are these your relatives?”

“Yes. They were all painted and passed down to future generations. I personally think that we had ugly ancestors and I would gladly burn each painting.”

Carolina looked at Weston. She noticed the way he looked at each painting with dislike.

“Sorry, but my ancestors were money hungry. They did things that were dishonorable.” He said as he placed his hands in his pockets and sighed. “Well let’s take this tour to the library.”

“You guys have a library?”

“Yes, my oldest brother Nikoli, he’s a fan of books.”

“Oh? Is he coming to the dinner party as well?”

“No, he’s not welcomed.”

Carolina followed him up the spiraling staircase. “Not welcome?”

“Well, he has gone against my parents’ wishes. They in return disowned him.”

“How could your parents disown him?”

“He was ruining the family name. The only way for us to be safe was to disown him.”

“That sounds…harsh.”

Weston shrugged his shoulders. “We all do what we must for survival.

They reached the second floor and continued down a hallway that led them to the library. When they reached the double doors, Weston pushed them open and Carolina gasped.

“Who designed this library?”

Weston stood by the double doors, “My brother, Nikoli.”

Carolina walked inside and started to glance at books placed on the bookshelves. “Your brother is quite the classical reader.”

“I wouldn’t know.”

Carolina looked at him, “What do you mean?”

“No one other than Nikoli is allowed to enter this library.”

“Oh? I’m in here.”

“Yes,” he said as he leaned against the door frame. “You are special.”

“Special? I doubt that.” She joked. She turned and looked at the fireplace that was in the middle of the library. It was dusty as well as much of the library. Looking around she saw that the books were separated by genre.

“Did anybody other than your brother put books in this library?”

“No, he was quite serious about his library and very possessive. Why?”

Carolina touched the binding of her favorite book after she looked at the surround novels, “He has the entire Jane Austen collection. He even has an original signed Pride & Prejudice.” She told him as she opened the book.

“Jane Austen?”

“Yes, that’s strange. I wonder how he even got a signed original.”

“He probably bought it; money means little to my brother.”

Carolina read the message that was left on the title page, “It was signed to him, and apparently he was quite the fan.”

Weston sighed in irritation, “Do you want to see the rest of the house or are you going to stay in there all night?” She blinked and shook her head, “Sorry, I’m coming. It’s just I’ve never seen such a collection of books. I’m still baffled that the book was signed to him.”

“I’m not. Nikoli is a family name given to the first son.”

“Oh, well I guess that explains it.”

They continued the tour with Weston narrating throughout. It was toward the end of the tour that they passed a door that had never been touched due to the fading red paint which caused it to stand out. “What’s in this room?” Carolina asked as Weston walked past her she walked up to the door and twisted the door knob. She had cracked the door but it was instantly slammed shut, “No!”

“I’m sorry!”

“Why did you do that?”

Carolina felt herself walking backwards, “I don’t know.’

The sound of running footsteps caught Carolina’s attention. Jonathan Alastor looked furious, “What happened?”

Weston sighed, “She opened the door.”

Jonathan cursed as he put his hands on his hips and looked at Carolina. “Do you know what we did in order to keep you safe?”

Carolina looked at him confused, “What do you mean?”

“Dad, he’ll come here. We only have a few hours.”

Jonathan sighed, “You’re right. We must hurry.”

It was then that Carolina’s parents ran up the stairs followed by Sally.

“Don’t tell me—”

“Yes, she did.”

“What did I do?”

Jonathan Alastor walked up to Carolina. “Jonathan, don’t you dare.” Sally said as she tried to stop her husband.

“I’ll tell you what you did. You have just triggered something that I have tried to keep sealed for centuries! You have given a location to my oldest son who is a monster and will kill everyone just to get his hands on you.”

Carolina’s eyes began to water, “What are you talking about?”

“Jonathan, you’re scaring her.” Sally said trying to reason with her husband.

“She should be.”