Carrying the Legacy: The Revolution Continues

The Secret Room

Stephan hits the big white door three times with his foot while he carried so many books in his arms that the pile almost covered his view completely. It opened after a couple of seconds but he didn't see anything and tried to widen his eyes to look down from over the books, then sighting the top of a black curly hair.

"Uhm, hey Jane," He greeted the youngest Jefferson as she stood at the door with a dark blue dress and skeptical eyes; unusual for a nine-year-old but being from that family it wasn't a surprise she was so smart. "Is... Your sister's home?"

"MOMMA! STEPHEN IS HERE AGAIN!" She shouted and Stephan sighed in defeat. The girl would never get his name right. Angelica soon appeared and smiled at her nephew.

"Hello there, Steph! Oh, I see Mary gave you a task again?" She raised an eyebrow and chuckled at the pile of books.

"Yeah," He tries to chuckle and then press his lips together in embarrassment, "Uhm... May I come in to deliver this to her?"

"Of course, honey." She welcomes him and the boy steps into the house, "She's at the attic as usual, you already know the way."

"Thanks," He quietly says before heading to the huge staircase.

"Why he can enter Mary's secret room and I can't?" Jane pouts, crossing her arms.

"It's only for grown-ups, sweetie." Angelica bent down to be eye-leveled with her younger daughter, "But what about we go to the park instead?" That instantly lighted the girl's mood and she jumped in bliss, running to grab her shoes and put them on.

"ESTON!" Angelica shouted, "Jane and I are going to the park! Help Stephan with these books, please?!"

The younger teen pops his head out of his room with a smirk on his face, then sighting his cousin almost tripping in a step with the weight of the books but regaining balance quickly.

"Sure thing, ma!" The boy replies with a mischief look and rushed to grab half of the pile into his arms, his eyes softening when made eye contact with his cousin. "Here. Lemme help, Steph."

Stephan sighs in relief for the weight being reduced, "Thanks, Eston."

They walk through the long second-floor hallway and turned the final left corner, leading them to a narrow and simpler staircase that blend to the wall, giving a soft turn and hiding whatever was in the attic. They climb it and find themselves in a simple, white, and tiny square hall with only a door on one side, which was closed as usual but soft noises of metal could be heard from the inside. Stephan kicked the door softly just as he did with the front door of the house, and a muffled voice shouted, "COME IN!"

Stephan uses his shoulder to open the door and Eston follows him right behind, his mischievous grin growing and his eyes shining in excitement for sneaking into Mary's lab as he looked around. There were thousands of schemes around the walls as well as metal pieces and tools scattered all around the place, at the floor, over, and under, the three wooden tables perfectly aligned at the center of the room, forming a line with enough space to walk between them.

At the further wall to their left was the area with most space, which Mary used to place most of the machines and her specialty: automatons. Eston had no idea of what they were or did, but he was aching to touch them and discover it himself. He put his pile of books back on Stephan's arms before rushing there, making the older boy lose some air from his lungs and he panted, "M-Mary, I got your books!"

She was doing something at the furthest table in the back of the room, with her back turned to her friend and which she didn't bother in turning around as she kept on working, "Neat! Just put them at the table please?"