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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thanks to Jess for her help!
Chapter Three

We arrived just before sunset at the Sunnydale train station. It was a small barn-like structure in the middle of nowhere that was pretty much deserted. Grandmother had sent a car around to pick us up. A very tall bulky man stepped out of the limo and greeted mother.

“Children, this is Adam. He is Dru’s right hand man. He’s going to be driving us back to the house.” Mother explained all of this while Adam stiffly loaded our luggage into the trunk of the car. We all watched in silence as this man, who to me resembled a modern day Frankenstein, packed away our belongings. Once he was done, we all climbed into the back, the silence thick.

Mother was nervous. I could tell by the way she kept wringing her hands. She was once again painting a pretty picture for the twins, talking about the stables and playing hide and seek in the massive gardens. The twins were enraptured; you could tell by the expressions on their faces that they were excited and ripe with anticipation.

I, on the other hand, was digging my fingernails deeply into the palms of my hands. None of this felt right. The limo, the creepy butler, mothers visions of grandeur. If it was this good, why hadn’t she made up with grandfather before now? I spared a glance over at Will and saw that he too was deep in thought. He looked concerned but I could still see him smile every once in a while at something mom would say. I couldn’t understand why I was the only one with so many doubts about this arrangement.

After forty minutes of driving, first through town and then away from it to the outskirts, the Rayne Manor could be seen from the road. The car drove through the tall iron gates that surrounded the entire Rayne property and started down the long gravel road. It was daunting, more like a castle than a home. There was one main section and then two massive wings coming off it from either side. Judging from the rows of large windows, it looked to be three stories high. In the middle of the lawn was a reflecting pool leading to a softly lit fountain. The driveway was illuminated by elaborate gaslights along each side of the path. There were many lights in the windows but one wing looked vacant, dark and abandoned. Avoiding the circular driveway around the fountain in the front, the car drove around back and Adam shut off the headlights before we came to a stop. I could hear dogs barking in the distance but otherwise the night was silent.

Standing in the doorway with a candle was grandmother. Drusilla looked as insane as usual. Dressed in black and illuminated only by candlelight, she stared at the limo. Once outside, Adam addressed us in a curt tone. “Mrs. Rayne will see you to your rooms. I will follow with your luggage momentarily.”

Mother quickly gathered the twins and led them to grandmother. Will and I followed and watched with interest as mother approached Drusilla and gave her a quick, awkward hug. She tried to introduce Dawn and Connor but was quickly reprimanded. “Joyce, there is no time for pleasantries. We must do this without Ethan’s knowledge. Now follow me and keep the children quiet.”

We followed Drusilla down a dark corridor and then up a flight of stairs. She led us to a wing of the house that obviously hadn’t been used in a long time. Antique chairs and credenzas had storage cloths over them and ornate wall mountings had dust and cobwebs clinging to them. About halfway down the hallway, she stopped to unlock a room. Stepping aside, she made a sweeping gesture with her hand to indicate that we should enter.

Inside the plain white room was sparse. There were two double beds with a nightstand in between. Against the wall opposite the beds were a couple of dressers for clothes. There was a small desk along another wall underneath the windows. It was unnerving to see that the windows were covered with sturdy iron bars ensuring that no one from the outside could get in. Or from my perspective, so that no one could get out.

“This will be your room. There is a bathroom through that door to the right. I am going to get your mother settled in her room and then I will be back to tell you the rules of this house.“ With an icy gaze on all of us, she finally turned to the door. “Joyce, come.”

Our mother flashed us an apologetic smile and turned to follow Drusilla’s order. When the door closed, we heard a key slide into the lock, shutting us away from the outside world.

“She can’t be serious, Will!” my head snapped in my brother’s direction. “All four of us stuck in this tiny room!” I was furious, lashing out at the only one I could vent to as I went to turn the knob to our door to no avail. “This huge house and all she can spare is one room! And to lock us in!”

I could see the anger in Will’s eyes and was glad that he felt it too. To my surprise, however, he was mad at me. He gripped my upper arms and backed me up to the wall so fast I didn’t know what was happening. My heart raced as he leaned in to whisper in my ear between gritted teeth, “Do not talk that way in front of the twins. This is hard enough for them without your irate bitching. You will think of them first before you speak. You can yell at me all you want when we are alone, but not in front of them.” His fingers dug deeper into my arms as he pressed me harder into the wall. “Do you understand me?”

He pulled back so I could look him in the eye. The fury was still there but his face softened. I couldn’t face his stare any longer, so I looked past him to Dawn and Connor clung together on one of the beds. They were both trembling and I could see tears falling down Dawn’s cheeks. My anger dissipated as I looked at the two huddled forms and it gave way to love and sympathy. My gaze turned back to William who had loosened his grip but still did not move away. I gave a barely perceptible nod to answer his question and then looked away, ashamed at my outburst. He pulled me in for a hug and told me that he loved me.

Then he turned back to the twins, “Dawn, Connor, let’s get you settled for bed. Beth and I will get you cleaned up and then get you into your pajamas. Tomorrow we can start unpacking. I think we’re all tired after today’s travels. “ He had moved closer to the twins as he spoke. With his last sentence, his thumb brushed away the tears streaming down Dawn’s face. “Don’t cry Dawnie, “he knelt down in front of her. “We’re all in this together, ok? We’re all going to get through this together. Just like when daddy died. Remember how Beth and I took care of you?” Dawn nodded her head while sniffling. “Good. We’re going to take care of you now too, ok? Do you believe me?” Another nod from Dawn. Will pulled her into a hug much the same way he did with me earlier. “I love you Dawnie. Now go with Elizabeth so she can wash your pretty little face and brush your teeth and get you ready for bed.”

Dawn came toward my outstretched hand and we walked hand in hand into the bathroom. I cleaned her face with a warm washcloth and began brushing her long brown hair while she brushed her teeth. In the other room, I could hear Will talking to Connor. “We’re the men of the family now. Ok, Connor? You need to be strong for your sis. Dawn is going to need you to be there for her. You’re going to have to protect her.” I assumed Connor nodded his head in agreement because the next thing I heard was William’s voice. “You’re a good boy, Connor. I know you’ll keep her safe. I love you. Now go get ready for bed.” And there it was. My brother, in less than an hour, reassured us all of his love and devotion. William, at sixteen, reasserted his loyalty and let us all know that we would take care of each other, that we would all protect each other, and that we would hold together as a family. Something I would be hard pressed to say my mother was doing at the moment.

As Dawn and I came out of the bathroom, Will and Connor went in. Both of the boys had already changed into their pajamas and Dawn and I quickly changed as well while they were in the bathroom. I told Dawn to pick out a book so that we could read some of it before bed. She grabbed ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ from her backpack and sat on the bed next to me to wait for Connor. When William and Connor came over to the bed, Dawn scrambled into William’s lap while Connor stretched out on the bottom of the bed. Once settled, I began to read.

****************************************

The normality of the situation was shattered when after thirty minutes the lock rattled and Drusilla floated into the room. “Well isn’t this cozy. I told you I’d be back with the rules.” She wasted no time.

“Rule number one. Girls and boys are not allowed on the same bed. The girls will share the bed by the door, the boys the bed by the window. Move, NOW!”

“But I want to sleep with Connor.” Dawn whined.

“I told you to MOVE!” Drusilla grabbed Dawn’s arm and forcefully removed her from Will’s lap. She threw her onto the other bed ignoring her comment and whimpers of pain. I quickly went to a now crying Dawn and clutched her to my chest. “I guess I should make myself clear right off the bat. If you do not follow any of my rules, you will be punished accordingly.” She gave a menacing stare at us before she continued.

“Rule number two. There will be no yelling or crying so I suggest you stop that right now little girl. If I hear from any of the staff that they have heard even a whimper from this wing I will know that this rule has been broken. Rule number three. You will not try to leave this room. If your grandfather or any of the staff see you there will be grave consequences. No one is to know that you are here until I say so. Rule number four. You will be showered and dressed by 9:00 AM. This is when breakfast will be served. Either Adam or I will bring it to you. I also expect the beds to be made by then. Rule number five. You will not tempt each other. You will change in different rooms and you will not pleasure yourself. Sins of the flesh are the most punishable. You can ask your mother about that one.” She looked pointedly at Will when she said the last one. “God will not abide sinners and neither shall I. Are there any questions?”

“Yeah,” a defiant word from Will. “What about school? Elizabeth and I are supposed to start our junior and senior years of high school. The twins are going into fourth grade. If we can’t leave the room, how are we supposed to get an education?”

“I will supply you with books so that you can home school the children. I will include some for yourself so your mind will stay fresh but school does not concern me. You will not need anymore than the books I provide you.”

Well if Will was going to ask questions, I thought I might as well too. “What about lunch and dinner and what if we need something from the store, personal items and laundry?”

“Lunch will be served at noon, dinner at six. Laundry is done on Saturday, there is a basket in the bathroom closet. Shopping is done on Wednesdays. If you need something at the store, leave a list with the breakfast cart that morning. And to show you how reasonable I can be, I’ll have Adam get you a small refrigerator for your room so if you want to keep some things here you can.” A pleased smile graced her lips.

“When are we going to see mom?” Will’s question wiped that smile right off her face.

“That’s up to her. I’m not keeping her from you. She has taken her punishment tonight and I’m sure she’ll want to visit with Ethan. I assume she will come to see you within the next few days.”

“What do you mean her punishment?”

“I told you that anyone who does not follow the rules of this house would be punished accordingly. Joyce is not immune to those consequences. She has been forsaking the Rayne Manor rules for twenty years. Her insubordination cannot be taken lightly. Ask her to show you what happens when you break the rules. I’m sure it will be a good lesson for all of you.” With those parting words, she floated back out of the room as fluidly as she entered.

After hearing the door lock once again, William turned to everyone. “Alright, let’s get to bed. I think we’ve had enough excitement for tonight.”

It was early for us to go to bed, but I knew Will was trying to comfort the twins and maybe trying to wrap his mind around what Dru had just told us. I wanted desperately to talk to him but knew I couldn’t yet. We needed a place to talk in private and the only place for that was the bathroom. Plus, the twins needed to fall asleep first. I climbed into bed next to Dawn and gave a small smile to Will. I thought I would be up all night thinking about Dru’s words but to my surprise, the exhaustion of the day helped me find sleep quickly.





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