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Winter of 1765

The smell of sweet jasmine and the deep chill that had settled into the room caused the young girl’s eyes to finally flutter open. With a groan she pulled her comforter tighter around her small body. She knew it was too early to get up.

"Elizabeth? Are you awake?" Willow whispered; her bed covers wrapped tightly around her form with her face barely peaking out from the edge of her comforter. Her red hair tousled from tossing and turning in her bed during the night.

"Yes." Elizabeth huffed as she turned around in bed to face her cousin.

"Do you find it cold in here as well?" She asked in a soft voice, poking her hand out from under her covers to tuck a strand of her crimson hair behind her ear.

Elizabeth nodded with enthusiasm as she tried to sink further into her bed. "Maybe my mother forgot to shut our window last night after she read to us."

"Well shut it!" Willow whined in the bed next to Elizabeth’s, her body curled up into a little ball that was shaking like a leaf.

Elizabeth huffed as she threw back the covers and almost immediately dived back under them when the frosty air around began to bite at her. Wrapping her arms around her, Elizabeth hopped over to their window and threw back the drapes. Her pink, rosy mouth opened wide when she was faced with the site before her.

White. Everything around her was white. The trees and the ground were covered with white. The small garden behind the mansion was covered with the white. Hazel eyes opened wide as they could as they took in the splendor that was outside. It was snow and it looked absolutely gorgeous! She had always wanted to see winter in the city and now she was!

"Willow!" Elizabeth gasped from her place at the window, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. "Come and see! Come and see!"

"What are you talking about?" Willow groaned as threw her covers off and marched over to the window. Her jaw immediately dropped as she finally saw the scenery in front of her. "It is beautiful!"

The redhead giggled with excitement as she pressed her face up against the glass, letting her nose almost freeze at the touch. Her warm breath cascaded along the glass, making a fog on the window. Her bright green eyes widened as more snow began to fall and cover the ground.

Elizabeth was just as excited as Willow. She remembered when it snowed last year that she had no one to go outside and play with, so she didn’t even bother going out. This year though, she had three people to play with.

"Do you think we will be able to go outside and play?" Willow asked her, placing her hands against the window. "I have not been able to play in the snow before. Mother doesn’t like me to."

Elizabeth grinned with delight, briefly looking over at her cousin before staring back out the window. William told her the other day how he loved to play in the snow in the winter here. He told her he would normally go out alone but didn’t care. He had told Elizabeth how he couldn’t wait until the day when snow would cover the ground this year.

Elizabeth’s face immediately brightened as she ducked out behind the drapes and raced towards her door. "I have to tell William!"

"Elizabeth!" Willow called, whirling around to stop her cousin. "Where are you going?"

Elizabeth chuckled to her own amusement as she gripped the doorknob. "I am going to tell William about the snow! He would want me to tell him!"

Willow shook her head while Elizabeth bolted as fast as she could out of the door and down the hall. Elizabeth’s blonde hair swished behind her as she ran down the hallway towards William’s room. She came to abrupt halt when Abigail slowly crept out of the room followed by an elderly woman, wearing the same type of uniform as the young nanny. Their shoulders were slumped and their eyes looked tired and bloodshot and this sort of behavior made Elizabeth furrow her eyebrows with confusion.

Abigail’s attention finally noticed the small girl standing beside them and the nanny shook her head. "Young Elizabeth, what are you doing up? It’s too early."

Elizabeth grinned as she clasped her hands behind her back and began to rock back and forth on her bare feet. "I wanted to tell William about the snow." She said with a chipper sound in her voice, smiling brightly at the older woman. "He told me the other day how he couldn’t wait to see snow this winter."

The nanny smiled at her. "Elizabeth, I am sorry to inform you but…young master William is sick. It seems as though he has gotten a cold over night."

"Oh…"

Abigail reached out and gently ran her hand down the young girl’s tangled hair, still smiling at her. "Do not worry though, he shall be better in a couple of days. The boy just needs some rest. So, it wouldn’t be best to see him right now child, you don’t want to catch his cold now do ya?"

Elizabeth furrowed her eyebrows as she unclasped her arms from out behind her back. "But—"

Abigail’s hands held on to Elizabeth shoulders as she turned her around and guided her back to her bedroom. "Now Elizabeth, why don’t you get dressed and head downstairs. Breakfast will be served in awhile, and then you, Alexander and Miss Willow can play out in the snow afterwards."

Before the young girl could say another word, Abigail pushed Elizabeth back in to her bedroom and shut the door behind her. Sighing, Abigail brushed her apron and walked briskly back to William’s bedroom.

The servant, who had followed Abigail out earlier, leaned forward and whispered quietly. "Does she know about Mr. Rayne?"

Abigail fidgeted with the frilled edge on her apron, ducking her head shyly to allow her free jet-black curls to fall in front of her face. "No, Margaret, she doesn’t. Mr. Rayne would have my hide if anyone else knew about…William’s marks."

"Very well then." Margaret nodded her head with assurance. "Well, I must be off, I have breakfast to help finish. Stay with William and don’t let anyone in besides the Sir and Madam. Understood?"

Abigail curtseyed as she watched the older woman sashayed down the hall, her skirt swirling around her ankles as she went. She hated lying to Elizabeth, but she wasn’t supposed to know about Mr. Rayne’s treatment of young William. It was just by accident that Elizabeth had found out. The nanny shook her head as she entered the boy’s room and her heart immediately broke.

An evergreen shawl –that his mother had made for him when he was just a baby— was wrapped around his small body. His legs were drawn up to his chest and his arms were around his knees. The flickering glow of the fireplace he was sitting in front caused orange shadows to dance across his face. His eyes that were usually bright and sparkling were now a dull grey color.

"Who was that, Abby?" His voice was raspy as he responded to his nanny’s presence in the room.

"Elizabeth." The nanny brushed her apron again, retrieving the water basin that was sitting beside William’s bed.

"What did she want?"

"She wanted to let you know about the snow." She told him softly, kneeling down next to the boy. "I told her you had a cold."

The pair sat in complete silence as Abigail dipped her cloth into the water basin and began to dab it across his chin and neck. The nanny almost flinched as her eyes traveled over the mark. It was as large and a pale, sickly yellow color. However, unlike his previous injuries, this one marred his face and neck where everyone could see. If Mr. Rayne didn’t want anyone to know about how he treated his son than he was doing a very terrible job at it.

William growled as he pulled away from her touch. "There is no need for that Abby." His tone now rough and thick and his whole being radiated pure frustration. "It will do nothing to make it go away."

"Don’t be so stubborn William." She scolded and began to dab at the bruise on his cheek. "Besides, it will help the swelling go down."

William huffed as he threw his shawl off of his shoulders and pulled away from her gentle touch. He didn’t like to feel this. He didn’t like to feel weak and tired. He didn’t like that his father hated and ignored him. He didn’t like the fact that he could hear his mother cry alone in her room every night and he couldn’t do anything to soothe the pain that she was feeling. He didn’t like the fact that he could never leave here and that he would probably end up dying here, all alone.

"I am perfectly fine, Abigail." He snapped at her. And at the moment, he seemed much older than just 9 years old. You could hear it in his voice and the way he carried himself. His azure eyes had lost their innocence over time. "Leave me be, please." He whispered in a harsh tone, crawling onto his bed and curling up in a fetal position.

"I shall send your mother to look after you. She’ll want to see your face." And with that, Abigail left.

~*~

Xander’s breath came out in hard, lingering breaths as his feet trudged through the thick snow. The tip of his nose was a pale pink and his lips were beginning to turn purple. His adolescent body shivered and shuddered while his eyes scanned the area around him.

"Xannnnder!" Willow’s small voice called out.

The brunette jumped in fright as he whipped his head every which way, trying to locate the redhead but she was nowhere to be found. Her voice seemed to be coming from the forest that sat behind the Rayne’s mansion. The small boy shivered in fright as he remembered the stories William had told him about the forest.

His cousin said that witches use to live in that very forest, and that they were burned alive in their cottage by the townspeople. William told him that some have said that the witches haunt the forest, putting a curse on anyone who entered the forest.

Pulling his coat tighter around him, Xander stalked towards the forest while his body continued to shake but not from the cold but from fright.

I can do this! He began to chant in his head as he reached the edge of the forest. I can do this! I can do this! I can do this!

He jumped in fright once again as a twig snapped by him. "Hello? Willow? Elizabeth?" He shivered, his teeth starting to chatter. "I-I don’t want to play this game anymore!"

The further the boy walked into the woods, the darker it became. All that Xander could see now was the outline of the trees and bushes around him. More twigs and sticks began to snap as time went on. He could even here the branches above him begin to sway with the wind causing clumps of snow to fall down to the ground, some of it even falling on Xander’s head. It was the light giggling that Xander heard that made him turn around on his heels and bolt out from the trees.

His breath began to quicken again as the boy quickened his face, going as fast as his little legs could take him. When he was finally out, Xander leaned forward and let his hands rest on his knees while he tried to catch his breath.

"Xander!"

Xander whipped around and was surprised when a huge mound of snow hit his face. It was then that large fits of laughter could be heard. With a huge gruff, Xander angrily wiped away the snow and came to face with a giggling Elizabeth and Willow. Their faces were as pink as his nose. The whitest snow covered their dresses and the mittens that they wore.

"That was not funny at all!" He huffed, shaking his head about so that the snow would fall out of his hair.

"Yes, it was!" Elizabeth continued to laugh, grabbing Willow’s hand as they ran back towards the house. Xander growled as he picked up a mound of snow and went chasing after them.

None of the children were aware of the figure watching them. His hand was pressed against his window as he began to trace patters on the glass. He had been doing this for awhile, so much that his hand was freezing but he did not mind it. Long eyelashes fluttered softly as sapphire eyes watched the children below. They were all chasing one another, throwing chunks of snow up into the sky and at each other. He wished that he could be down there with them. This was the first winter in years that he had not been alone.

Tentatively, the boy reached out and touched the bruise that marred his face and neck, flinching as soon as his fingers brushed his skin. He wondered if by the time it would heal that the snow would be long gone and Christmas would be gone and the Summers family would be gone as well and he would go back to being alone again. When he was alone, William felt older than he actually was. It was not in the good sense though because with this feeling came emptiness. When he was around Elizabeth and Xander, he could feel a light shining light within him.

"William, what are you doing there?" His mother’s soft and comforting voice asked. The boy did not move when he felt her hand rest upon his shoulder. "You must go back to bed."

"A few hours sleep will not make it go away, mum." He whispered softly, slowly turning into her embrace as she picked him up off the floor and cradled him in her arms. William then gently laid his head against her bosom, taking comfort in her breath as her chest rose and fell. He could hear his mother sigh heavily as she sat down in the rocker that sat by the fireplace.

"I will take you away from here." She spoke to him, running her hands gently through his hair. "When the time is right. You won’t have to be here anymore."

"What about you, mum?"

He heard her sigh again and she began to fiddle with his curled locks, twirling them with her fingers. "It matters what happens to you sweetheart. It does not matter what happens to me."

He slowly raised his head from her chest and stared deeply in her eyes. "But it matters to me mum."

She smiled at him sadly as she laid his head back down on her chest. Closing her eyes she slowly began to rock back and forth. Even though her son didn’t know it, she would take him away from here. One of these days, when he would be old enough, she would send him to live in the country with her sister and her husband. They loved him and would treat him as their very own.

Jenny breathed deeply as she leaned forward and kissed him gently on the forehead. "Did I ever tell you the story about your Aunt Helena and I on the farm when we were about your age?"

"No." He mumbled as he squirmed in her lap until his head was buried deep in his mother’s neck, taking in her rare, warm scent. "Would you tell it to me?"

Jenny chuckled quietly as she ran her hand through son’s hair. "Yes, my love."

To be continued…





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