𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐀𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

𝒔𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏

"Please Amy, stop crying."

"We can never go home again!" She choked, wringing her gloved hands in front of her as she paced deep rivets into the shallow snowbank. "We-We'll be banished from our home forever!"

You sighed and placed your uninjured hand on her shoulder. "You know that's preposterous. You've done nothing wrong."

Amy didn't listen, nudging your hand away and hugging her middle, eyes bleary with tears. It was no longer just her nose that was stained pink, but her entire face that had been rendered a blotchy red as she sobbed. "We'll ha-have to send you back home," she blubbered. You frowned and drew your hand back. "Amy, that's nonsense."

After your little outburst in class, Mr. Davis took you into his private office and registered ten lashings on your open palm. Unknowingly, you had broken just over a handful of classroom rules on your first day alone. Speaking out of turn, interrupting a lesson, and picking fights with your classmates were just to name a few. After you returned to your desk, shaking with combined fear and pain from your open wound, Amy excused the both of you to haul you out of class and corral you in a place she knew no one would find you -- behind the Laurence house.

With each passing second, the winter air pricked at your open wound. But you endured, not wanting to go home against Amy's wishes and send her into another frenzy. "Listen," you said calmly, watching as the breath escaped her mouth in short pants like a steam engine smokestack. "Everything will be alright. We just need to--"

"Hello?"

Amy jumped away from the white brick wall and cowered against the base of the skeletal tree you had been camped under. You looked up to see that a tall window on the second floor had been pushed open. You could see the deep blue velvet curtains unfurling against the cold wind, but were stopped short by the two figures leaning against the sill.

The first was unmistakably Laurie. His hair was neatly combed against his head, although his loose curls still sprung up wherever they so pleased. He was accompanied by another, older man, who from Amy's stories you assumed to be his tutor. Laurie's sage-colored eyes met yours and his curious half-smile fell away to stand upright, shoulders taut. "Miss (Y/N)? Are you alright?"

You opened your mouth to reply but Amy beat you to the punch. "She's not alright!" She sobbed. "We can never go home again because she's gotten us in such trouble!"

Spinning around, you narrowed your eyes and hissed. "I didn't ask you to pull me out of class."

"What sort of trouble, may I ask?" Laurie bellowed, voice edged with concern. You prepared to speak and explain your situation once more when Amy swept up behind you and grabbed your sleeve, tugging your palm out of the warm safety and out into the open air. She held up your angry red gash so that Laurie could inspect it for himself. "Look," she moaned a little too proudly, "Mr. Davis hit her!"

Upon seeing your bloodied hand, Laurie's jaw tightened. He shared a look with his fellow man, who murmured something to him before ducking inside out of view. "You must come inside at once, I insist," he practically begged. Your mouth shot open to object, but for the first time that day, Amy did not try to interrupt you. Laurie licked his lips, waiting for your answer, and you didn't have to turn around to know that your cousin had her hands clasped in pleading.

"O-Of course," you replied, taken off guard by his sudden act of generosity. It wasn't but two seconds later that the wide front door swung open and out stumbled Laurie's tutor, who bowed curtly and gestured for you to follow him inside.

For the first half of your visit inside the Laurence Manor, you were too caught up in the grand splendor to question where the tutor, Mr, Brooke, was taking you. The ceilings were tall, white, and had intricate designs woven into the framework. Amy followed closely behind you, hand wrapped under your arm in innocent childish caution. It wasn't until he opened the narrow double doors to the library that you noticed just how deep into the house you had wandered.