Good To Goth: Chapter 7

 

Maddison walked briskly to the clearing where her and Mason went the day before for break. The day had been horrible, even Miss Bradley was being extra cross with Maddison. Not to mention the rest of their girls and their insatiable need to make her the center of their pointless gossip.

Finally, she reached the clearing instantly she felt calmer and a lot less agitated. She sat on the fallen tree just looking around her surroundings, everything was so silent here, she couldn’t even hear the light chatter of the girls as she had the day before. The warm summer day suddenly disappeared and a familiar icy wind blew about Maddison. The hairs on her neck stood up as the wind got a bit colder with each short gust. She searched her memory for when she had felt this wind before when it suddenly stopped and Mary stepped through the trees.

Maddison looked around curiously and listened as the birds began to chirp again and the chatter of the other girls drifted through the shield of trees. “What are you doing here?” Maddison asked angry that Mary had once again invaded her space.

“ I followed you here,” she explained stepping into the clearing and looking at Maddison intently. “Why are you so distant from the rest of us?” she asked.

Maddison looked away, why was this girl so intent on bothering her? Sighing and deciding the question was safe enough she answered, “Because the rest of the girls can’t stand me just because I already know everything they are learning, except for needlepoint.”

Mary moved to sit next to Maddison, “So, that doesn’t mean you always have to hide. You were brought here to learn how to be social,” she said.

Looking at the girl a bit angrily she lashed out, “Have you even listened to a single word I have said to you? My parents are dead, and I was brought here because my grandmother paid a hefty amount to Miss Bradley to keep me out of an orphanage. I’m not like you or any of the other girls. I am here out of charity. I don’t have a family to go home to after graduating, I’m not even sure I will have some sort of dowry.”

Mary remained silent, apparently she hadn’t thought all the way into Maddison’s situation as the others girls did. Mary looked at Maddison who stared at the ground pretending to be interested in a dry leaf. “I’m not like the rest of the girls,” she said silently.

Maddison sighed, she knew she had hurt Mary’s feelings. As she turned to say something to Mary, she saw that she was already making her way through the trees back to the court yard. Sighing, she got up too but instead of following Mary back to the school she continued to follow the tiny winding path farther into the forest. It was almost like the trees were alive and they just moved out of the way for her, and each step she took the forest animals became silent. Once again that creepy cold wind was back raising the hairs on Maddison’s neck. Her heart raced as she finally realized where she had felt the frightful gusts. It was in the dream she had the other night before she saw the man who drank her blood. The feeling that someone was watching her crept all over her body like a centipede, each of its tiny legs sending shivers down her back. She tried to turn around and go back to the school, or even the clearing, but she saw nothing but a darkness that enveloped everything. Her nightmare was coming true, any minute now the elegant man was going to come out from the darkness and kill her. She was going to die right here. The wind got colder and froze her racing breath in her lungs as the darkness got closer. She couldn’t breathe, spots were forming in front of her eyes blocking her vision. Out of the darkness she saw a pair of hands with long, elegant fingers, and a simple seal ring on one hand the intricate initial embossed on it was a “D”. The hands were the last thing Maddison saw before she went blind completely and fainted.

~*~*~*~

 

A few hours later Maddison awoke to hear voices mumbling at her side, realizing that she wasn’t breathing she made a tremendous gasp for air. Then the voices stopped and a woman cried, “Oh thank goodness!” it sounded like Miss Bradley. Maddison opened her eyes to find six people in her room. Four of who she already knew, and the man with the stethoscope, she guessed, was the doctor. So who was the other man. He didn’t look to be very old, maybe a bit older than Maddison. He dressed rather formally save for the few leaves in his hair. In his black gloved hands he grasped a forest green top hat to match his tails coat. His face was smooth not even a shadow of stubble, his eyes were hazel and held a reserved demeanor in them. He stared at her for a moment and then looked away when Maddison’s grandmother started to fuss over her.

“Oh, dear! Are you hurt?” she asked motioning for Maddison to get up. When she failed to respond, the doctor stepped in placing a calming hand on the old woman’s shoulder.

“She may not even know who we are or who she is, just leave her alone for now while everything comes back to her,” he said pulling her grandmother away from the bed to sit in a chair.

“But what if she is injured?” her grandmother asked worriedly.

“I assure you, she is not injured, I have checked her myself. Your granddaughter is perfectly fine, she just fainted,” he replied walking away from the woman to go talk to Maddison. He sat on her bed and quietly studied her. Attempting to be defiant Maddison stared back, after a while the doctor smiled and asked, “Young lady, could you please tell me your name.”

Maddison nodded, “My name is Maddison Jane Dickinson,” she replied slowly.

The doctor looked to her grandmother and she nodded, he looked back at Maddison and asked, “can you name the people you know in this room?”

Again Maddison nodded and pointed to everyone as she said their name. First she pointed to her grandmother, “That is my grandmother, Jane Alice Bradshaw.” The she pointed to her grandfather he crinkled his eyes with relief, “That is my grandfather, Edward Bradshaw.” Then she pointed to Mason, “That is my butler Mason.” Finally she pointed to Miss Bradley, “That is Miss Bradley, she is the headmistress and French teacher A Miss Ashley’s.” Miss Bradley gave a slight smile that didn’t reach her eyes and nodded.

The man in the green tails coat stepped forward, “My name is Alexander de Marcuois. I was the one that found you in the forest after you fainted,” he said in a voice that proved Maddison’s suspicions of his only being a couple of years older than herself.

“Thank you very much Mr. Marcuois,” she said looking into his eyes which shown a feeling of apology like it was his fault she had fainted. The stared at each other for a moment until Miss Bradley broke the silence.

“Maddison, you will not be required to dine with the other girls. Actually Dr. Harris would rather you didn’t, and I couldn’t agree more. A tray with soup and tea will be sent up shortly,” she said curtly then turned Jane. “Mrs. Bradshaw, I am to understand that Maddison will be needing a coming out party. I ask for you and your husband to follow me to my office so we can discuss this.”

Nodding, her grandparents crossed to room to follow Miss Bradley. Maddison’s grandmother stopped by her bed and kissed her forehead. “Mason will you please stay with Madison until we return,” she asked kindly. Mason bowed in reply and pulled a chair next to Maddison’s bed.

The trio left and Dr. Harris packed his things. He turned to Maddison and smiled, “Please be careful for the next couple of days, and try not to venture too far into the forest again,” he said kindly and left.

The only people left in Maddison’s room now was herself, Mason, and Mr. Marquis.

He stood there silently watching as the other two quickly forgot about him. Stepping from the shadows he cleared his throat, making Maddison jump from the sudden noise. He quickly bowed, “Forgive me,” he muttered and left the room.

Maddison looked at Mason inquiringly who just shrugged his shoulders, “ Miss Bradley says that he frequently makes donations to the school, apparently he is about our age but inherited his title very young after both of his parents died a few years ago.”

Maddison looked at the door that now stood ajar, a flash of blonde hair crossed her vision, “Mary,” she said out loud. Mason looked at her like she was unstable, but then saw the blond girl pushing through the door in her dinner dress.

“I just wanted to see if you were okay,” she mumbled, “And get a look at Mr. Marquis.”

She turned to leave but Maddison stopped her, “It’s okay Mary. I’m sorry for what I said earlier.” Mary smiled and nodded in return, then she left to join the rest of the girls for dinner.

Mason looked at Maddison, “I’m gone only a few hours and already you are not playing nicely?” he asked jokingly.

“That’s not fair! You left me all alone after only one day!” Maddison replied as Mason got up and headed towards the door. “Wait a minute, my grandmother said you had to stay here with me.”

“I know that, but you also need to eat, and I need to go get your food from the kitchen,” he said smartly, “I’ll be right back.”

Maddison sighed, her experience in the forest was rather weird, definitely not something she would have expected at Miss Ashley’s Finishing School for Girls.

Reviews

[VoodooWebs]

Your sentences really tend to ramble on and on! Break them down, give them breaks when they need them. Lots more detail! A few things, though: How did her grandparents get there so quickly? And Mason, too? Aren't they supposed to be far away, in France or somewhere? You could have Maddison wake up to see the doctor, Mary, Mason, the headmistress, and Mr. Marquis there. Have the headmistress inform Maddison she will write a letter explaining the fainting to Maddison's grandparents.
Watch out for grammar! It helps in the end ;)