CHAPTER 3: A NEW HOME

---

As we walked up to the mansion my jaw dropped. I looked at my sister with big question marks in my eyes, and she laughed out loud as she said, “Yep, Sis. This is the real deal. This is where you are going to live for at least a little while. Now, follow me. I used my shifting powers to get inside and I actually found the keys to one of the side doors.”

My jaw was still hanging somewhere near the floor when we reached the door in question. This place was positively huge! There was a huge garden to both sides of the driveway, which was badly in need of maintenance, but still had the most beautiful flowers growing in between. Statues of marble were scattered throughout, and though overgrown with plants, still managed to convey the wealth this place had once known.

As Cathy opened the door she spoke to me again, “Sis, I know it’s tempting to use the enormous beds and all the facilities that this place offers, but I’d advise against it. Inside it looks pretty well kept, so there must be someone who does stuff around the house waiting for the owner to show up. Now I’ve never seen this person yet, but it’s just too clean and well kept. So best be safe and keep lights in the evening to a minimum, stay out of the main rooms as much as possible, and try not to leave any traces.”

“Well, that sounds pretty boring.” I waited for my sister to react, and stopped her. “I’m just kidding Sis, don’t worry about me. I’ve been hiding the real me for so long now, I think I can hide for a while longer. I will do some exploring though, but don’t worry. I know when to keep my head down.”

“I know, Willow. I just worry. At home I could somewhat protect you, but here you are mostly on your own. I will visit you as often as I can. You’ll need food, and I do want you to keep up with your schoolwork.” She laughed at the face I made. “I know, Sis, but if you want to survive you will have to learn.

You’ll need it for whatever job you want to do later in life. “

It felt good thinking about the future in that way. The fact that I still had a future was great, not just the mask that was William, but me, the real me, Willow. Even without my dad, I would persevere. I’d need my sisters’ help of course, I couldn’t do it all alone, but as long as she was by my side I knew things would turn out right in the end.

We spent another 30 minutes or so discussing how we’d handle school work. Our master plan was to wait a year. In one year Cathy would be legally an adult and she could move out on her own. At that point I would move in with her, she’d apply for guardianship and make it all legal. I’d be able to go to a normal school again by then. We’d probably move to a different town to increase the distance between us and dad.

Cathy didn’t have as big a problem with staying with dad as I thought she’d have. “Dad never did anything to me sis, and he won’t. As hard-handed as he was with you, he’d never be with me. He’d never hit a girl, it’s against his moral code.”

At this the floodgates opened as I started crying. “Oh god, Sis, that was not what I meant. It’s just what he perceives. I know you are a girl, it’s just a birth defect. But dad doesn’t see that. He doesn’t understand. He just knows the way boys in his family were raised, which was with the back of a hand. He thinks he’s doing right by you. We both know he’s not, but he really believes that. That is what makes him so dangerous to you.”

I nodded, still sobbing. I could see the truth in her words. Dad had claimed more than once that he was being too soft on me, how he was raised getting regular beatings for misbehaving, and how good a citizen he’d grown up to be. How it only was his promise to our mother that kept his hand at bay. How I resented him for using mom like that.

Cathy promised to bring me food each day before she left for home, and I promised to keep out of sight again. It was almost getting dark and Cathy hurried home to prevent Father's anger. He might go easier on her, but dad being angry was never a good thing.

I decided to wander the mansion a bit to find a suitable place to sleep. I skipped the main hall and rooms there as they were obviously unsuited to hide in. I went straight upstairs and started exploring there. I started with the master bedroom. Even though I knew I could never hide in the most obvious bedroom available, I was still very curious.

A giant bed adorned the center of the room. Silk sheets and fluffy pillows, the most gorgeous woodwork, big closets covering both walls, and a view that was simply breathtaking, even with the gardens as unkempt as they were. I couldn’t resist and jumped on the bed, literally sinking away in the soft blankets and pillows. Lingering for a few moments enjoying the luxury, I reminded myself of needing a place to sleep.

I forced myself out of the bed, and straightened the sheets again so no one would notice my presence. The next two rooms I visited were also grand, though nowhere nearly as luxurious as the first one. But the room I tried after that was completely different for two big reasons. First of all, this room had obviously not been visited for a long time. I was obviously not kept up by whoever did the other rooms and therefore was perfect in and of itself. It was not the reason I fell in love with it though.

It was a girl's room. It was most obviously a little girl's room, maybe meant for a girl of ten or eleven. Now I was way older then that at fifteen years, but I never had the chance to really be that little girl. It was a guilty pleasure become real. White faced porcelain dolls sat on the shelves, a gigantic doll house stood in one corner, the bed was made with pink satin. It was so sweet it made my teeth ache. In other words, it was perfect.

As I opened a door to what I thought would be another closet I found out the room had its own bathroom. The bath wasn’t that big, but then again, neither was I. I tested to see if Cathy had been right, that everything in the house was still working. Even though she said it was, I was still surprised to find the water warming up after a few seconds.

I hung my jacket on a hook, and left my clothes loosely folded on a chair before dipping into the bath. After a few moments of enjoying the unknown luxury (we only had a shower at home), I looked around for shampoo. The bottle looked pretty old, but it smelled and felt all right. I also found some bath oils which of course promptly went into the bath. A sweet scent and lovely bubbles covered the water, and I could almost forget I wasn’t born a girl.

The oil covered my skin and made it feel even softer then it was. I could stay in there forever, but as I yawned I realized I’d better get out and get to bed. After rubbing myself dry with one of the softest towels I’d ever laid my hands on, I slipped in between the satin sheets and let the kingdom of dreams claim me as its own.

CHAPTER 4: BUMP IN THE NIGHT

---

Sunlight warmed my face. It was a warm, gentle wakeup call. I turned around in the soft blankets and wished I didn’t have to get up. Then I had another awakening, this one a bit more rude. Soft blankets? Sunlight? There was no morning sun in my room. I didn’t have a bed as soft and comfy as this. Where was I?

Memories of the day before resurfaced, as did the emotions in rapid succession. Surprise at dad being home, fear at his discovery, desperation whilst fleeing, relief in the forest, then desperation again about the future. Calm when my sister found me, amazement at the house. It had truly been an emotional rollercoaster yesterday.

As I thought over the events of the day before I sagged back in the softness of my bed. And it was my bed, at least for the foreseeable future. My sister wouldn’t show up till later today so I had the day to myself. She’d promised to bring me schoolwork and such. After my initial reluctance I actually started looking forward to learning. Sure, this mansion was a great place to explore, but how long would that keep me busy? Days? A week, maybe two at best?

No, it’d be better to keep myself busy learning new stuff. I never was one to go out into the sun and spend large amounts of time sunning. My near white skin was enough proof of that. And besides, winter was coming, and it was already getting noticeably colder outside. I uttered an involuntary giggle as I thought back to my sister, naked in the woods yesterday, and for once was thankful I didn’t share her gift. Shifting inside of the house meant you’d have to leave the house as that animal. And enter it again to reclaim your clothes. This was alright if you were alone, but if anyone saw you enter the house or leave it, that could bring big problems.

After a while I got restless, though and opted to explore a bit. I got out of bed, and into my goth gear. As odd as it was, the pink on my shirt matched to pink in the room to a tee. They were from completely different styles, yet exactly the same color. I used the dressing table to put on some black eyeliner and matching lipstick to complete the look. My raven black hair framed my face and I looked a fright. Maybe it wasn’t what one would call a respectable look, but it suited me, and I made it look good. So there!

After checking the other bedrooms I started wondering. If my bedroom had its own bathroom, with everything that could be needed in it, then the master bedroom would have to have one as well, probably way more luxurious then the one in my room. Curious to see how it could be any grander, I set out for the master bedroom again.

As I entered the room the first thing I noticed was the bed. The sheets were all ruffled and crumpled as if I had just used it. I straightened out the sheets last night didn’t I? I was pretty sure I had, but obviously I hadn’t. And yet, weren’t those curtains closed last night? I was pretty tired, I must just be remembering things wrongly. Shrugging it off as just that I continued my quest for the bathroom.

And what a bathroom it was. It could easily fit 4 grownups at the same time. It had those little holes in it you see in swimming pools where the bubbles come from. Maybe one day in the future I’d try it out, once I got settled a bit more and knew when to expect the cleaner to come by. Or more importantly, how to evade him.

Shortly after school would’ve closed I heard a noise downstairs. Expecting my sister, but not really sure it was really her, I snuck downstairs. I peeked around the corner to find out that it was indeed my sister. I dropped my stealth and stepped into the room, greeting Cathy. She just about jumped through the roof as she heard me.

“Dammit, Willow, don’t sneak up on me like that!”

“I’m sorry Sis, but I had to sneak at least part of the way. I wasn’t sure if it were you or that cleaner person.”
She handed me my schoolbooks, and shoved a suitcase in my direction. “Here are your books, some food for a day or two, and the rest of your clothes. I got one of your classmates to write down what was done today, so I suggest you get working on it, pronto. The more you keep up, the less you need to catch up on. Now, I’m sorry but I need to run. Dad was already a bit suspicious with me being gone so long. He hardly mentioned you, by the way. I don’t think his behavior is quite healthy, even for him. But as I said, I need to run now. Ta-ta!”

With that waterfall of words she stormed out of the door again and left me to my own devices. I’d intended to show her around, especially my room, but that would have to wait. I could more than understand her not wanting to get in trouble with dad.

I made myself some food, and like a good girl should, I started on my homework. I explored a little more after I was done. Each room was as grand as could be in my mind’s eye. I didn’t stay up late, actually longing to rest within the soft confines of that little girl's bed. I did indulge in another bath, though, with those nice scented oils that felt so good on my skin.

I quickly settled into a rhythm. Each day would start out with a little bit of exploring. Then my schoolwork would follow. I found it a lot more challenging to do on my own than with a teacher spelling it out for me. A lot more challenging, and a lot more interesting as a result. After school each day, my sister would stop by, sometimes for only a few minutes, sometimes for longer periods.

I got to show her my room, which she thought hilarious. When I explained the reason I liked it she got quiet though, and understood why I wanted to stay there.

But each day I noticed some little things. It had started with the sheets, and maybe the curtains in the master bedroom. But there were other things. Doors that I was sure were closed were suddenly open, and vice versa. Something that I could have sworn was on the left side of a desk was now on the right side. Things just didn’t add up. Someone had been here, but I’d been here the entire time and I hadn’t noticed a thing.

Until after a week or so I found a note in flowery handwriting. Now, I was sure that note hadn’t been there before. With a slightly trembling hand I picked up the note. I had to steady my hand to keep it still enough to read.

- editing by Pippa =^_^=