Awakening (Born From Shadows #1)
Chapter Four

A soft gasp eluded Tatianna’s throat as she stumbled through the soft, white mansion. One of the many mansions in this city fit for the wealthy yet filled with the poor. A giant staircase loomed over her and the white marble was pristine, cleaner than her own body. The girl’s eyes laid upon a fountain of water erupting from the ground in the centre of the room. Oh, how fortuitous they are to have so much fresh, clean water at their dispense. Her throat scratched at the thought. She repelled the action of drinking from in then and there

Her mouth was no doubt hanging open as Freya led her through the perplexing corridors of the grand home. Only one family should not live in a house that could be fit for ten.

“Is this all your family’s?” she said in utter shock, staring astounded at the architecture of the building.

“Yes, it is,” Freya replied shortly.

“How do you not get lost?” she wondered.

“I’ve lived here for years,” Freya replied. Tatianna nodded her head in understanding. Just like she knew every street and alleyway in the city. Years of knowledge and exploration.

The two turned a corner and entered a massive dining room filled with light as electricity poured into the lights above her head. The table was long, stretched out across the room, and the chairs were all evenly spaced as if someone had quantified it to perfection. An immensely colossal window placed in the middle of the room sanctioned Tatianna to gaze upon the city from the towering height.

It was only when she heard a voice did she notice that a man, woman, and boy of around eighteen were seated at the far end of the room.

“Ah, Freya. Seems you arrived just in time. Did you…who is this?” The man spoke, interrupting himself when his eyes set onto the outlandish girl in his house. He had dark brown hair that had grown out to almost physically contacting his hazel eyes.

“This is Tatianna, a girl I met on my walk,” Freya expressed confidently, not worried at all for her family’s reaction. She had faith in them, she had a naivety that Tatianna had yet to come across.

“She looks as if she hasn’t had a bath in months,” the man claimed, judging the teenager in his house. The women that sat perpendicular to him glared at him for the indecent comment. That was because she hadn’t, Tatianna thought to herself.

“I’m sorry dear,” said the woman turning towards Tatianna. She could see the woman’s crystal blue eyes as she spoke, “my husband has no self-discipline over his words.”

“It is fine,” Tatianna assured them, she was used to much worse wording from the rich.

“Why don’t you come over and sit down, we were about to commence dinner,” the woman said with a smile. She seemed kind unlike most. Her eyes and golden hair indicated to Tatianna that she was Freya’s mother. Betokening the man was her father and the boy could be her brother or relative of some kind.

“So, how was your day?” the woman asked.

“Quite pleasant compared to most,” Tatianna replied with a prevarication trying to be polite, though it did not come naturally. In fact, her day had been horrible like most.

“Wonderful,” Freya’s mother said.

“Where do you live? Do you have a home?” the man interrogated her accusingly, his eyebrows scrunched together as he endeavoured to pry the information from her.

“Excuse me?” Tatianna said marginally offended. She hadn’t been to any dinners before, but she does ken it is impertinent to question someone like that.

“Answer the question,” he said demandingly.

“That’s enough father,” Freya spoke defensively.

“I’m sorry darling, but I refuse to have some piece of filth sitting at my table whilst I am eating!” he exclaimed. Tatianna’s eyes widened. How dare this stranger call her a piece of filth, albeit she should have expected such a comment. In any other situation, she would have scuttered away from the individual, but there was no way she could remember her way out of the house. Even if her sense of direction was better than most.

“Frederick!” his wife yelled in astonishment.

“Don’t worry, I’m used to it,” Tatianna spoke as calmly as she could. Not letting her anger get the best of her. Not ever again will she let her anger lose…not after what transpired before.

“Well, you shouldn’t be,” the woman replied with…concern?

“Can we please eat?” the boy asked conclusively, utilising his exasperated voice.

“Not with that sitting here,” Frederick said pointing at her.

“Then leave,” his wife replied sternly.

Frederick roughly got up from his chair and stormed out of the room in a tantrum.

“I’m terribly sorry to intrude in your house,” Tatianna said.

“It’s not your fault, he just isn’t used to this sort of thing,” the lady replied. Tatianna nodded her head and sat down at the chair Freya’s mother was gesturing to.

The comfort was like nothing she had ever felt before and almost sighed in relief at how her back was cushioned. Three men dressed in black wearing white aprons then entered the room carrying metal trays that smelt like heaven. They placed them onto the table then walked away in a hurry.

She looked over to the trays and saw plates of food, hot and perfect for the cold night. Tatianna reached over and grabbed a piece of meat with her hands as if someone was going to steal it from her. She then proceeded to shove as much of it into her mouth expeditiously. The lady chuckled at this.

“You are supposed to use cutlery,” the woman said. Tatianna viewed her with confusion having no conception of what cutlery was.

“Let me show you,” spoke the woman. The woman’s clean hand reached over for a metal thing that looked like some sort of pincer and she used it to pick up a piece of meat. She then placed it on the plate in front of her. She placed the piece of metal down and picked up a knife and then stuck it with the three-pointed metal. Stabbing the meat, she then cut a slice and placed it into her mouth.

Tatianna stared curiously as the woman chewed slowly on the food. Tatianna replicated the woman’s actions, slightly annoyed about how long it took to victual the food.

“You can stay the night if you wish,” Freya’s mother offered to her. Tatianna immediately ceased eating.

“I can’t, I am sorry,” she declined immediately. She had trusted these people an exorbitant amount of already, but to be unguarded and tucked away in the realm of dreams with them lurking around? She knew that she couldn’t do that.

“It’s no trouble,” the woman insisted. Tatianna felt the urge to run at her kind words. Did this woman want her to stay? Was she orchestrating a plan to get her guard down so she could assail her? Is the woman’s kindness an act to ploy her into the house? She needed to run.

“Thank you so much, but I think I have eaten all I can for tonight,” she prevaricated and arose from her chair.

“Well, that’s a shame, if you ever need anything knock on our door and we will provide it. Freya, dear, can you please show her out,” the mother bid her farewell. Tatianna offered her a coerced smile in replication, desperate to leave the mansion.

Freya led her back through the maze of white hallways, each one looking identically tantamount as the last until they reached the massive doors.

“Till we meet again, Tatianna,” Freya bid her farewell.

“Goodbye,” she replied before dashing out of the door, wasting no time to leave the place. She should have never had gone, it was temerarious of her to even think of such a thing, let alone do it.

She was quick to replace her things, still safely tucked away in her corner. She was surprised no one had stolen them. Picking up her torn blanket with a sigh she realised that she had to move. They knew where she resided, she had to vanish from their radar and hope they never saw her again.