Chapter 1
The hollow and the horseman have an inseparable relationship.
I couldn't much stand living with the idea of living with my mother's uncle. This whole distancing strategy that I had been trying on my nanny had defiantly not been working. She had done every thing in her power to tern me to the light side. Of course who could blame her and anyway she had promised my mom that she could take care of me. The loopy old bat in question lived at 302 Selmans street in the equally outrageous city of Greensburg Georgia. She was a dear old thing. Nanny always wore a bright colored scarf over her perm and she carried with undue dignity a hand bag that reminded me of a beach bag. This hand bag was of the finest scrap of leather that any oriental had the privilege to paint beige. Not to mention it was studded with genuine plastic pearls imported from Mexico, that oh so distant desert land of the uncouth, as Nanny liked to put it. My nanny had the rare ability to bring to life all that was strange. I spent most of my time during the summer at the barbers shop on east and main. I came home one afternoon at four my usual time. Nanny was in the front parlor with a lady that came about twice a week for advice. So I steered clear toward the kitchen and fixed myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and settled down to wait for the consultation to end. Ten minuets later I heard the front door close and the lady walking down the front steps. Nanny called me into the parlor. Obeying I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror down the hall. I had the shortest hair of any girl in the neighborhood. Nanny had always made sure that I kept my hair short. She didn't want me to leave any stray locks lying around for a voodoo witch to pick up. I also had high cheek bones and fair hazel eyes that struck people dumb when they looked me in the face. Nanny sat in her squishy high backed chair wrapped in a neon green shawl. She spoke first. "You know Charlotte your mother had some relatives in upstate New York." "Yeah, My great Aunt and Uncle Lorain and Richard Greer. They're Yankees all the same Nanny." "You aint wrong there.' She laughed "they are your legal guardians now though since you turning eighteen an' all" I stopped my study of the street below the front window and turned to look at her. She sat there in her chair and peered kindly at me over her beaded rim glasses. I stared back sure that my gaze held some piercing quality. Nanny didn't even flinch. I knew she wouldn't. She smiled and lent forward. "Come and sit Charlotte. There is something I need to do for you before you go anywhere." I moved over to the small stool opposite her and sat down. I was slightly confused though she had never given me advice from the cards before. I said nothing and watched as she shuffled the deck. There was something going on this was an important and serious reading of the tarot. Nanny finished her shuffling and set the deck. Slowly she began to draw cards. The first card was the White Knight sign of truth and strength. The second was the Virgin purity and love. The third and final card was the horseman of the apocalypse the ultimate symbol of death. Nanny seemed confused and slightly flustered. "Charlotte my child I fear you have a hard journey ahead of you. My advice is to keep your wits and never fall to fear." Nanny looked up from the cards to my face and smiled a knowing smile "You will survive" I just nodded and took her advice to heart. That night I packed my bags and started on my way to New York. Nanny promised to keep in touch she even saw me off at the bus station.
Chapter 2
Darkness draws near to Light
I never thought I would ever come to hate something as stupid and undeserving of attention as a bus. Thirteen and a half hours riding on the interstate. I thought I was going to die of sheer boredom. I didn't but I came very close to a coma going through Pennsylvania. It got colder as we moved farther north I had to pull out my school sweatshirt. Once I got it on I was fine. Of course there just had to be a really annoying brother and sister that kept making fun of my accent. I just ignored them and stared out of the window at the geography. It was some where around two in the afternoon when we finally stopped at Tarrytown. I got up gingerly from my seat. My muscles were stiff as boards. Grabbing my onboard duffel I made my way to the front of the Greyhound. I met the eyes of the driver in the rearview mirror. Needless to say he quickly glanced away like he had received a cornea burn. I struggled down the steps with my duffel and got my trunk and suit case. I sneezed. The air defiantly smelt different here.
The hollow and the horseman have an inseparable relationship.
I couldn't much stand living with the idea of living with my mother's uncle. This whole distancing strategy that I had been trying on my nanny had defiantly not been working. She had done every thing in her power to tern me to the light side. Of course who could blame her and anyway she had promised my mom that she could take care of me. The loopy old bat in question lived at 302 Selmans street in the equally outrageous city of Greensburg Georgia. She was a dear old thing. Nanny always wore a bright colored scarf over her perm and she carried with undue dignity a hand bag that reminded me of a beach bag. This hand bag was of the finest scrap of leather that any oriental had the privilege to paint beige. Not to mention it was studded with genuine plastic pearls imported from Mexico, that oh so distant desert land of the uncouth, as Nanny liked to put it. My nanny had the rare ability to bring to life all that was strange. I spent most of my time during the summer at the barbers shop on east and main. I came home one afternoon at four my usual time. Nanny was in the front parlor with a lady that came about twice a week for advice. So I steered clear toward the kitchen and fixed myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and settled down to wait for the consultation to end. Ten minuets later I heard the front door close and the lady walking down the front steps. Nanny called me into the parlor. Obeying I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror down the hall. I had the shortest hair of any girl in the neighborhood. Nanny had always made sure that I kept my hair short. She didn't want me to leave any stray locks lying around for a voodoo witch to pick up. I also had high cheek bones and fair hazel eyes that struck people dumb when they looked me in the face. Nanny sat in her squishy high backed chair wrapped in a neon green shawl. She spoke first. "You know Charlotte your mother had some relatives in upstate New York." "Yeah, My great Aunt and Uncle Lorain and Richard Greer. They're Yankees all the same Nanny." "You aint wrong there.' She laughed "they are your legal guardians now though since you turning eighteen an' all" I stopped my study of the street below the front window and turned to look at her. She sat there in her chair and peered kindly at me over her beaded rim glasses. I stared back sure that my gaze held some piercing quality. Nanny didn't even flinch. I knew she wouldn't. She smiled and lent forward. "Come and sit Charlotte. There is something I need to do for you before you go anywhere." I moved over to the small stool opposite her and sat down. I was slightly confused though she had never given me advice from the cards before. I said nothing and watched as she shuffled the deck. There was something going on this was an important and serious reading of the tarot. Nanny finished her shuffling and set the deck. Slowly she began to draw cards. The first card was the White Knight sign of truth and strength. The second was the Virgin purity and love. The third and final card was the horseman of the apocalypse the ultimate symbol of death. Nanny seemed confused and slightly flustered. "Charlotte my child I fear you have a hard journey ahead of you. My advice is to keep your wits and never fall to fear." Nanny looked up from the cards to my face and smiled a knowing smile "You will survive" I just nodded and took her advice to heart. That night I packed my bags and started on my way to New York. Nanny promised to keep in touch she even saw me off at the bus station.
Chapter 2
Darkness draws near to Light
I never thought I would ever come to hate something as stupid and undeserving of attention as a bus. Thirteen and a half hours riding on the interstate. I thought I was going to die of sheer boredom. I didn't but I came very close to a coma going through Pennsylvania. It got colder as we moved farther north I had to pull out my school sweatshirt. Once I got it on I was fine. Of course there just had to be a really annoying brother and sister that kept making fun of my accent. I just ignored them and stared out of the window at the geography. It was some where around two in the afternoon when we finally stopped at Tarrytown. I got up gingerly from my seat. My muscles were stiff as boards. Grabbing my onboard duffel I made my way to the front of the Greyhound. I met the eyes of the driver in the rearview mirror. Needless to say he quickly glanced away like he had received a cornea burn. I struggled down the steps with my duffel and got my trunk and suit case. I sneezed. The air defiantly smelt different here.