Rifiuto: Non Miriena

Written: May 10th, 2012. Found: September 9th, 2017.- Licia

She awoke that night, her skin covered in gooseflesh, her joints sore and her vision blurry from sleeping on the ground. Slowly, she pushed herself up; as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she thought she heard the sound of voices off in the distance...

Finally pulling herself to her feet, she grabbed the key and slipped it into her pocket, before making sure she had whatever else she'd brought and slipped out of the garden. Once she'd made sure to lock the door, she skulked silently out of the maze-

"Pippa! Where are you?"

"Miss Melena!"

"I don't see her, Fenvu-"

She choked on a sob, her small legs carrying her as fast as they could out of the maze, as far away from the men's voices as possible; the tiny voice in the back of her brain told her they were only looking to take her back to Mistress Ketza and look out for her, protect her, like her father wished. But she didn't want to go back, not to them. She wanted to go home, back to the Vinkus, where Daddy and Grandpa and Grandmama were. Where Candle and Tersan and Avaric and everyone she loved were. Where she belonged.

Somehow, she managed to make her way back through the kitchen gardens-

She stopped. Since coming to live with Master and Mistress Ketza, she had not been permitted out at night alone, and now she understood why.

Not a star shown in the sky, and as she looked around she realized that she was now completely and absolutely lost.

This was not the Vinkus, where even if she became lost in the woods, she could still find her way back to Kiamo Ko, or through the village and back home to her parents' waiting arms. This was something else, something entirely different. This darkness seemed to swallow everything whole. This darkness frightened her more than the darkness of the Vinkus.

The voices- now disembodied in the darkness- continued to call for her, and her heart leapt into her throat. Instinctively, on fear, she rushed towards what looked like a building several feet away. Once there, she struggled to open the door, but finally managed, and slipped inside, shutting it tightly behind her. She leaned against it, catching her breath; once she was certain the voices couldn't get to her, she moved away, tenderly picking her way through the debris.

A mansion. She was in some sort of mansion.

The scent of smoke was strong, even all these years later, and though a good portion of the building was destroyed- due to fire, most likely- it still appeared to be strong, intact, waiting for something, or someone. Though the roof had caved in, much of the old plantation home- for that was what it truly was- was still standing.

The distant sound of laughter reached her ears, and she slowly made her way into the foyer; her eyes had adjusted by then, and she could see possessions that had survived what had obviously been a fire that had wounded the old manor. Scorched and blackened, some pieces of furniture sat molding, others covered in dust. Portraits hung on the walls; tapestries decorated corridors...

Her feet led her through the mansion, towards what had once been the ballroom. A slice of moonlight appeared through a broken window, falling upon what appeared to be a figure standing not far from her. Her long hair was down around her shoulders, and she wore a beautiful, simple white dress, but it was her features that startled the girl. Though neither moved, Pippa recognized the woman's face.

"Mama."

Slowly, the woman turned, moving down the hall, her skirts brushing the ground. A moment passed, before the child followed.

"Mama! Mama, wait! Wait for me!"

Her whisper was soft, panicked, but the woman didn't stop, didn't turn back, didn't speak. Instead, she continued on, across the ruins of the house, towards a set of double doors, of which she walked right through. The girl skidded to a stop, unsure of what to do. Eventually though, she reached out, grabbing the handle of one and tugging it open before slipping through and onto a landing-

Music filled her ears, followed by laughter and voices, conversations floated through what was obviously the ballroom. The scent of champagne and cologne, perfume and flowers filled the air, tickling her nose. Taking cautious steps, she moved down the stairs, being careful to avoid the cracks and holes in the once smooth steps, her eyes struggling to take everything in.

Men in handsome suits and women in beautiful ballgowns waltzed about the dance floor. They seemed to have burst forth from the tapestries that still clung to the walls; spiritual embodiments of a time long since forgotten. There were small tables set up at the outer edges of the dance floor, but she wasn't searching for that. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of who she'd been following, and her breath caught.

"Mama!" She rushed through the crowd of dancers, pushing past the elegant gowns and crisp suits, unaware of the occasional glance tossed her way. The small heels of her high button boots clicked on the floor, and every so often she had to stop to avoid colliding with a couple; at some point her hair had fallen out of the twist Nardia had put it in, and the long black curls tumbled down her back. "Mama! Please, wait for me!"

The woman, now standing in the center of the ballroom, stopped and turned back. It was now that Pippa realized she wasn't chasing her mother after all. Though the woman possessed the same delicate features as Mama, her eyes were the same, but her hair... it was more brown than black, and her skin was a soft porcelain white, instead of green. The dress she wore was not something Mama would have worn; it was more old-fashioned, tighter than the dresses she remembered Mama wearing. The dress had a train at the back, and ruffles at the front, it was a very pretty emerald green. Her eyes met Pippa's, and after a moment, she glanced over her shoulder, before turning back and smiling softly at the girl before being caught up into a man's arms and swept into the waltz.

Pippa watched the pair disappear into the sea of glittering gowns and crisp suits, now completely lost. She wrapped her arms around herself, eyes darting around the room.

Her breath caught as a couple waltzed towards her; they were young, about fourteen or so, not much older than her. The girl wore a white strapless, ankle-length gown with elbow-length gloves, and her hair- as black as a raven's wing- had fallen out of whatever elaborate hairstyle it had been forced into. She wore a simple strand of black pearls around her neck, and a pair of white satin slippers on her feet. The young man she was waltzing with had sandy-colored hair and-

"Mama. Daddy-"

The pair ignored her, continuing on with the waltz as the music continued to play. The waltz continued, the music and talking continuing to grow into a din that Pippa neither noticed nor cared about. Her gaze kept following her parents; the way they seemed to melt together, the steps flowing effortlessly as they danced. The other woman and her partner soon danced past, her eyes met Pippa's, and the child shivered, feeling fingers trail up her spine. She turned back to her parents as her father spun her mother out; as the dancing continued around them, she stopped, those famous aquamarine eyes the Crown Princess was known for meeting the child's gaze.

After a moment, the other girl reached out, holding her hand up against Pippa's as the child reached out to touch her. Though they didn't touch, the look on the teenager's face was clear; she recognized the girl, even if at that moment, she had no idea of what fate held in store for her. Pippa's gaze shot to the side as the other woman joined them, she did the same as the teenager, holding her hand to Pippa's though they didn't touch, a smile tugging at her features, though the child knew not the connection this woman had to her, or her deceased mother.

Granddaughter, look how you've grown.