Uncover

Chapter 1

I watched as the trees went by in a blur. My mother was sleeping in the passenger seat as my Uncle Phil drove us along the empty road. All around us were trees.

It took another four hours before we got to the town sign. It read,

Town of Verille. Population 2,304.

Now it's 2,306.

Still full of trees, though.

The house was two stories tall, not including the attic. I pulled my round sunglasses down and grabbed my carry on bag and box from inside the car.

My mother stepped out onto the dirt driveway in her four inches white heels.

While she wore a knee length body hugging white dress with gold accents, I wore a faded navy blue sweater and black leggings, feeling quite in place.

"Liliana, why don't you go pick your room? Any one on the top floor except for the master bedroom. That'll be mine."

I popped my gum in response and shoved the feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach down to my toes.

I didn't need to be upset right now.

After walking into the mudroom and kicking off my converse, I made my way upstairs, looking in the three other rooms. None of them seemed to fit to my taste, so I opened the door at the end of the hall.

It lead to a set of stairs which led to the attic. It was large and spacious and had a 10 foot long ceiling window. It showed the sun, and at night it would show the moon and stars. It was what I wanted.

"Mom!" I set my box and bag down before running down the stairs, my feet pounding against the old brown wood.

"Mom!"

"What in Gods name do you want, Liliana?" She threw her hands in the air, exasperated, as I skidded to a stop in the kitchen. I looked around and noticed that it was a light cream color with white accenting before looking towards my mother again.

"Can't I have the attic? Please? We can put all the stuff that we would usually keep in there in one of the spare rooms. I really want the attic, please?"

She sighed and rubbed her hands against her forehead, her pixie cut blonde hair being pushed back.

"Why do you need the attic? Why can't the other rooms be fine? Whatever, go ahead, but you're the one that's going to be carrying in your boxes and decorating it. I'm not helping. Neither is Phil."

I looked towards my uncle and he gave me a quick grin before nodding and winking, telling me that he was going to help anyway.

"Thank you." I gave her a firm nod and ran out to the moving truck, grabbing two boxes, both full of clothes, before I ran back in the house and waited for the moving men to put in my furniture.

I pulled my light brown hair in a low messy bun with a headband, pulling the few strands that fell out away from my dark blue eyes.

I felt sweat gather at the back of my neck and rolled my sleeves up a bit.

Living in the middle of south-nowhere was troubling.

It took another 15 minutes for the loaders to get here and my excitement grew.

I yelled into the house to my uncle, letting him know that the loaders were here before going and signing the papers.

I quickly helped them set and shove the furniture onto one of the trolleys and pushed it towards the house.

There was an incline next to the stairs, so I used that to go to the mudroom where I met the problem of the doorway.

"Really?" I groaned.