Decreptina - Chapter 1

She stood on the porch, sweeping the dust from the house out onto the dusty driveway. Her fluffly black hair sprouted from her head like a rose in bloom, and her dark skin glistened in the sun. 

Decreptina. That's what they called her. The girl with the sunken face. There was a name for what she had. Something about Mongolia, Decreptina thought, but she didn't know what Mongolia had to do with her. She had never even been there. She had lived all her life, all sixteen and a half years, in a house up on a hill with ivy growing all over it, up all the way to the roof, which reached even over the giant oak. She loved the oak. She would sit on its branches, even the high up ones, and swing her feet and think. Think about the stories she would make up in her head, about fairies and magic and princesses. She sometimes pretended she was a princess, using her magical powers to fight for her kingdom and reclaim her throne. 

But she didn't have much time for that. Her mistresses, Lady Sibella, would usually call her in to get her soemthing or to clean up a spill. Often caused by one of her children. There was Lilianna, a pretty twenty-one year old girl who gave Decreptina her name. She took one look at her as a babe and said "She's ugly" and came up with the name Decreptina right on the spot. Lilianna's father, Lady Sibella's late husband, was so proud of how quick-witted his daughter was to think up suck a name so fast. Lilianna had a brother, a lad of fifteen named Lyle. He had shiny black hair, like his sister and mother, but it was short unlike theirs. He loved to break things in the house and get Decreptina to clean it up. He loved especially to break glass and stomp on Decreptina while she was cleaning it, causing her to get cuts all over her dark skin. 

"Decreptina!" Lady Sibella called with an angry, shrill voice. 

Decreptina jumped a bit, causing her to drop the broom, which landed with a thud on the wooden porch. Decreptina quickly picked up the broom and ran into the house. She found Lady Sibella and Lilianna sitting at the dining room table. 

"Yes Ma'am?" Decreptina asked. 

"Where is our tea?" Lady Sibella demanded. 

"Coming right away Ma'am. Very sorry  Ma'am." 

Decreptina ran off, into the closet to grab the leaves for the tea. She was searching for them when she heard the door close behind her. She turned around, and saw Lyle standing in front of the door, glaring at her in a way she had never seen before. It frigtened her, so much so she couldn't move. 

"Now," Lyle said as he licked his lips, "It's time."

Let me know if you like this and you want more! Thanks for reading.