《Curse of Generations》


 Chapter 1: One

    Some people know why their parents chose the name for them. I had no clue why my parents called me Rosie. I can''t complain though. It was not the worse name out there. In fact, I was a very happy girl that had the best life and parents that we could wish for. I was 11 when this story happened and was the only child. I was told again and again that I was a cheerful girl that always smiled.


    We were very poor and moved a lot. I hated moving, as it meant that I never had many friends at school. I did not want friends, as it would mean that I would be ever so sad when we had to move to another place. This also meant that I never went to things like scouts or dancing. I don''t even think I ever had a sleepover.


    We were at a picnic in the forest. I loved being in nature. It was like there was so much place. It was a time that we could be together and forget the daily life we had. As I said mom and dad did not have a lot of money, so a picnic was something we could afford. I loved it when dad would find his old guitar and sing some songs he wrote himself. The only thing is that I hated the ants.


    Mom got serious at the end and reminded Dad that they had to tell me the news. They looked at each other as to who would tell it. I saved them the time by saying that I did not want to move. I liked the small town where we were and I wanted to make new friends. I wanted a place I could call home. I wanted to stay!


    Dad tried saying that we needed to move. He had the excuse that he could find a better job in a larger town. I turned around showing my back to my parents. I had a lot of emotions. I was mad. I was sad, I was frustrated. I usually accepted when they told me that we would be moving, but now I had enough. I wanted them to notice my protest.


    Mom tried to explain that Dad could not stay in one place for a long time. She said that he got anxious the longer he stayed. Mom blamed his childhood. She joked that it made him a bitter wimp. I just sat and sulked. Why should I suffer because of Dad''s childhood?


    The strange thing is why our family was even poor. We were connected to the Royal family. The story is that one of my ancestors was a mistress to a king and she bore his child. I should have been living in a palace now. Our family name was Wonderworth, and it was still an influential family. So while we lived in poverty, a part of our family lived in luxury. We never spoke with them. Dad did not even want us talking about them.


    On the way home, Dad asked me if I was still mad. I scoffed at him and said that I hated my parents. I honestly do not know why I said it. I loved my parents so much. I wanted to take it back.


    As I was about to say that I loved them, a huge light suddenly appeared in front of the car. It was so bright that we were nearly blinded. However, if you looked very close, you could see that it was an old woman. Mom said don''t drive over the lady and Dad tried to swerve the car around her. He lost control of the car. The last thing I heard before he hit a tree was when he shouted "She found us"


    Everything went black.


    The next thing I remember was when I woke up in a hospital bed. I was very groggy and it was like my head was swimming around in circles. I remembered that we were in a car crash. I remembered seeing this old woman on the road after I telling my parents that I hated them.


    I saw my Mom and Dad standing over me. It was very strange. It was like they were there and yet were not. It was like they were foggy, I tried to whimper that I couldn''t see properly, but no voice came out. I could not speak! I also wanted to say that I never meant it when I said that I hated them. I could only hear dad talking.


    " The curse!" he said, " She found us! I always told you that it existed. It should have been Rosie that died. I saw her! You saw her! She was there to kill our Rosie!"


    " Thank God Rosie survived!" Mom answered.


    " Yes! The old woman did not have so much power away from her manor house. Let''s hope that our daughter will escape the fate of the curse."


    "There is no one to love and protect her!"


    Then I heard a door open and a doctor come in. She was an old woman and said it was great that I was here. I managed to say that my parents are here. The doctor looked down and said that she had sad news. I looked back towards my parents, but they were not there. This made me afraid and confused, and I started to cry. I asked where were they?Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    The doctor held my hand and told me that I was in a bad car accident. I was lucky as I only had a few scratches and bruises. Then she squeezed my hand harder and told me that my parents did not survive. They are in heaven.


    I whispered that I have seen them. Then everything went black again.


    When I woke up again, I was alone. I no longer had parents or a family. I was an orphan. This thought made me stare at one spot for hours. I should never have told them that I hated them. It was the last words that they would hear from me. Maybe they were now in heaven and they knew that I loved them. Maybe there was no heaven.


    I got a visit from my aunt from England. She was Dad''s youngest sister. She looked as if she was a rich woman with a nice hat and a nice coat. She didn''t say much after she told me who she was. She just broke down crying. I did not know what to do or say so I just sang a song to cheer her up. It seems as if the visit was too much for her, and she left sobbing. That was a strange visit.


    Time went quickly. There were always doctors and nurses coming. They have done countless tests on me to make sure there was no hidden injury. Some came from school and this was nice. Despite that I was at the school for such a short time, it showed that some of the other children cared for me. They did not know what to say. What do you say to a girl that just became an orphan? Still, it was nice that they came.


    My teacher came as well. She told me that everyone was praying for me and she knew how difficult this was for me. She told me not to think about homework and to concentrate on getting better. I needed to be strong. This made me smile as the only positive thing I could think about was that I did not have to do homework.


    A social worker came in and told me that we needed to have a serious talk. It was her job to find me a home. Now that I was an orphan and could not live by myself as I was only 11. She spoke with my aunt that visited me. The social worker said that my aunt wanted to take care of me, but she was very insistent that she could not. In fact, she said she would not. The social worker said that my aunt was afraid of taking me in.


    The social worker admitted that she would hate to send me to foster care. She did not say why, but I spoke with a boy here at the hospital. He told me that it was a hard life. Very few foster parents treated foster children as their own. He was also moved from one foster home to another. He was not happy and felt like he was a burden to society. I remember how sad this was to hear, and knew that it could very well be my future. I would not be wanted. I would just be fed and housed and when I was old enough, I would fend for myself.


    A few days later, I found out that would not be the case. The social worker came and said my great Aunt has agreed that I could live with her. I was told that she was a duchess and lived in a huge mansion. I may not have my parents, but I would never be cold or hungry and I would be safe. I whispered that dad always said she was a mean woman and never said anything good about her. The social worker put my file in a briefcase and smiled. It seemed that she felt she done her job and did not want to discuss it.


    The day before I left the hospital, my aunt visited again. She was a weird woman! The last time she said nothing. This time, she just held my hand and cried. Then, in the end, she apologized to me for not being able to take care of me. She sobbed as she said that she was too afraid. She sobbed further when she heard I would be living with the Duchess.


    "You will be living at Undergrove Estate. The duchess lives there. The manor is a huge building that is living in the past. The duchess has no heart and no soul. You do not deserve this. The thing is I do not know how to save you. I am so afraid of her and the estate."


    My aunt ran out crying. A nurse came in and told me she overheard my aunt. She thought it was wrong for my aunt to scare me. I should be brave and give my aunt a chance.


    After a few days, I was on an aeroplane going to England. This was exciting in a way, as I never was on an aeroplane. It was exciting the way the plane lifted from the ground. I could feel it all in my body. It was strange thinking that such a big thing could fly. When we were in the air, the fun stopped. All I could do was sit and wait. Sit and wait. Sit and wait...


    This gave me a lot of time to think. I would now be a rich girl living in a huge house. I would never move from place to place again. I would be without my parents. I would be living with an old woman that my Dad hated. I wanted to cry. I was worried. I was afraid. I was also excited.


    A driver was waiting for me at the airport. I was surprised that the duchess was not there. He told me to sit in the back seat of a very fancy car. That''s the last he said. He drove me out of the city and on a motorway. It was raining, but England was so green and beautiful. If I asked the driver questions, he would just ignore me. How rude can one man be?


    The roads became smaller and smaller. It felt like we were in the middle of nowhere. We finally came to some big gates that had an old sign on them.


    "Undergrove Estate"


    We drove a long way through an overgrown garden. It looked like a jungle. It needed some tender hands. Then I saw the manor house. It was made of grey stones and pillars. There were dragons and sorta demon faces under windows. It looked both impressive and at the same time scary! I could not even count the windows. There were so many.


    We stopped outside the huge entrance. A maid and a small boy were waiting there.


    When I got out of the car, the maid told me that the Duchess was waiting for me.


    I took a deep breath. It was time to meet the old lady that everyone hated or feared.

 Chapter 2: Two

    I was tired after such a long journey. I nearly forgot how tired I was when I entered the mansion. It was like entering a museum. There were hundreds of paintings of people that I did not know. There were fancy ornaments everywhere. The walls were wood panelling and the floors were also wood that was so shiny! It was the loveliest place that I have seen. To think that mom and Dad always lived in caravan homes or huts, while a part of our family lived here!


    We entered a room that was so dark and dusty. The curtains were closed and unlike the halls that I have seen, the room seemed so dark and untidy.


    That''s when I first saw the duchess. She looked a bit like old pictures of Queen Victoria. The difference was that she was wearing an old worn white nightdress. Her hair was also a mess and could use a brush. She was not smiling and looked as if she did not smile for years. So this would be the woman that would take care of me.


    I walked towards her to give her a hug. However, she put her hand up to stop it. This surprised me, as I was always used to giving people hugs. She just sat there and ordered me to stand before her. She would tell me to turn around. Then she even wanted to see my teeth. I felt like a farm animal, and this thought made me giggle until she said to be silent. Then the Duchess said that she did not approve of girls wearing jeans. She thought it showed no dignity. The old woman told me to go to my room and put something decent on. Then she would speak to me.


    The maid led me through the long hallways and up countless steps. There must have been hundreds of bedrooms. We came to my bedroom. It was the fanciest room that I ever have seen. The bed was like the best princess bed ever. Ten people could sleep in the bed. It was a canopy bed, so it looked so royal. The furniture was old and so pretty. It was obvious that someone took a lot of time to make them! I must have stood there staring and not believing that this was my new room. The maid pointed to a dress and tights that were on the bed.


    The dress was an old fashioned dress that they must have worn 200 years ago. It was a red dress with white lace. The dress went below my knees and had long sleeves. The tights were normal white ones. I tried to speak with the maid as she helped me put the dress on, but she did not answer. This did not bother me, as it was not every day that I was giving a new dress or even a dress that should be in a museum. After I put the dress on, the maid brushed my long hair. She let it lose as it was in pigtails. She was not very gentle when she brushed it. There were lots of knots!


    I looked in the mirror and could not believe what I saw. I looked like I was some girl in some old movie. A movie that was about life long ago. It made me think about why she wanted me to wear such an old dress. The only thing I could think of was that she was so old and wanted me to look like she did when she was a child. Still, the dress was nice and I did like my hair was let down.


    When I went back to the duchess, she was sitting in the same seat. She told me to sit beside her on the floor. I nearly burst out laughing as this was what a puppy would do. I did not laugh though, as I doubt there was any laughter in this house for centuries. So I just knelt beside her chair.


    "You will be living here and I have agreed to be your guardian," she said in a very formal way, " You will be the heir to Undergrove Estate. Do not expect to be spoiled and loved as I have very little tolerance for such follies. I expect you to be obedient and hard-working. You will get lessons every day on what is important in life and etiquette as well as how to be a lady. I have agreed to be your guardian because my family has been a disappointment. I will train you to be the next duchess and in return, you will be my companion."


    I was about to ask so many questions, but she told me that the first rule is that a child should be seen and not heard.


    Then she ordered the maid to bring me my supper. A small table was put beside me and a meal was put beside me. The duchess did not eat. This meant that it was very lonely just sitting there chomping away at the food. I should not complain. The food was great and it tasted well. I was just used to eating as a social event. This made it look like a TV dinner without a TV. There was no TV in this huge house. After I ate, I thanked the duchess for the meal. She told me that the maid must teach me how to curtsey. Then the duchess said that I must be tired and I should go to bed.


    I went back to my room, which seemed that it was miles away from the dark dusty room. This was a strange day. The maid helped me get ready for bed and told me that she put some things on my bed that was in my suitcase, otherwise she took the clothes I had as the Duchess would provide my clothes. After I had my nightgown on, I looked at what was on the bed. There was a picture of mom and dad and a necklace. It was the cross that mom always wore. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    The maid told me to remember to pray for my parents. Then she left the room. I was all alone looking at the picture and the cross. The happiness I had with my parents have now become a life without smiles, being a pet to a duchess. I started crying as I remembered my parents. I was not even at their funeral. How could life be so cruel? What was I to do now? How would I survive here?


    "You are not alone. I will be your friend!" I heard a voice say. When I looked up, I could see a girl there that was a bit younger than me. She was wearing an old nightdress. I wondered where she came from. She was totally strange as if she was hovering above the ground. She was a small bit see-through as I could see the furniture behind her. Her face was very white. Then I realized that she must be a ghost. I started getting a panic attack, started shaking, and jumped in my bed and hid under the sheets. I could not believe that I just have seen a real ghost. Would she hurt me? When I peeked over the bedsheets, I could not see her.


    I did not sleep that well that night.


    The next morning, I got another old fashioned dress on and went to see the duchess. My breakfast was already on the small table in front of her. She did not ask how I slept or talked at all. When I tried to talk, she would look at me with this strange look. When I talked too much, she would remind me that children should be seen and not heard. Then I just closed my mouth and wonder why the duchess did not wait to eat her breakfast with me.


    She had a guest. He was an old man and wore a shabby suit. His name was Mr Pennydale and his job was to update the duchess about her finances. She owned a lot of land, factories, and retail shops as well as shares. He talked about finances and profits and the huge expense of the estate. It was quite clear that the woman was filthy rich.


    Mr Pennydale carefully said that there was a request from the local church. They were renovating the medieval building and wanted to know if the Duchess would donate some money. This made the old lady get mad and ask why should she give God any money? He had given her nothing but pain and agony. If the local people wanted to waste their time in a church, then that was their problem.


    When the man went, the duchess looked at me and said this was part of my education. One day I would take over her finances, which meant I had to think logically and not with emotions. She must have got tired of me, as she told me to go for a walk. After all, small girls needed exercise.


    As I walked through the hallways, I had nothing to do but think. The duchess seemed so bitter. She never smiled or laughed. It was like she was mad at life. That was such a sad thing.


    "I hope I did not scare you last night. Please be my friend"


    It was the same voice as last night. I looked behind me and could see the same girl wearing the same nightdress. I was was afraid and wanted to scream. However, she looked so young and so harmless and it was like she was pleading to be my friend. I also thought that if she wanted to hurt me, she would have done it by now.


    Then I heard another voice. It was a boy my age saying that he finally found me. He looked normal enough but I was so confused that I asked if he was also a ghost. At first, he was silent and stuttered a lot trying to answer that question. Then he answered that his name was Diego and he was the maid''s son. When I looked back at the ghost, I could see that she was gone.


    Diego could see that I was confused and laughed as he said that many strange things happened in this house. That made me laugh. Diego then said that he would show me around. For the next hour, we explored the mansion. There were so many rooms that a whole town could live her. We found a small chapel in the house, but it looked as if it was hit by a storm. The books were spread everywhere and it looked like someone damaged the holy pictures with a knife. The prayer books were torn and the altar things were scattered all over. The statues were knocked to the ground and badly damaged. Diego explained that he heard rumours about what happened and his mom was warned not to clean the chapel.


    I had so many questions, but Diego said he should take me back to "the lady" so I could have lunch. On the way back, I even tried asking if he knew the people in the paintings. Diego just went pale again and said that he did not want to talk about them. I looked at one panting and screamed when I saw his eyes were moving, as he was watching us walk past him. Diego took my hand and said that we must rush.


    Diego did not stay as I ate lunch again at the small table. Once again I ate alone. I tried speaking with the duchess but she ignored me.


    After I ate, I asked her if I should open the curtains to leave some light in and I could tidy and clean the room. It would look like the rest of the house.


    The duchess snapped at me and said to leave things as they always were.


    " I do not want you to do tasks of a maid," she explained, "It is fine in here as it is. Besides, you need to go to the schoolroom and have some lessons. I expect you to excel in your studies!."


    I was going to ask if Diego would be there. The Duchess must have known my thoughts as she said that the maid''s boy will not be there! Why should she educate him? She warned me not to be his friend. I should remember my status as her heir and a future duchess. This meant that I should not associate myself with the lower class.


    The duchess assumed that I agreed as she said that she needed peace from my chattering and constant questions.


    I carefully told the duchess that I had one more question. This made her sigh and ask what was now bothering me.


    "I was just wondering- " I started asking, "Well.... this may seem strange... Are there any ghosts that live here?"

 Chapter 3: Three

    The duchess laughed when I asked if there were ghosts. This was the first time that she even smiled, never mind laugh. When she realized that she was laughing, she suddenly stopped and told me that I should go to the classroom. It was up in the attic. She told me she expected me to apply myself and not disappoint her.


    I tried counting the steps as I walked up to the attic. I gave up as I assumed that there were too many. The classroom was a small attic room that had very old school things in it. The school desks were old fashioned, the blackboard looked old, even the posters and maps looked old.


    There were two desks. I was surprised to see that the ghost girl was sitting there. That was sad. As a ghost, she would never grow up and was expected to sit at a school desk for eternity. I smiled as I have seen her and she whispered that she was ever so happy that she was no longer alone. I admitted that I was happy that I was not alone.


    The teacher came in. It did not take me much time to see that she was also a ghost. She was see-through and hovered as she walked. The attic school was as boring as any other school. We started by learning about kings and queens. Then different wars and bad things have happened. After all that, she talked about how we should be ladies. I was a bit surprised when she said we should not be interested in politics and it was best that we let those things to men. It was our duty to support the man that we would marry. The teacher was obviously living in the past. I remembered my mom. She supported my Dad, but he also supported her. They were equal. That was the example that I would follow.


    After the school lessons, I noticed that the ghost girl disappeared. This was something she was good at. I was bored, so I decided to go down to the kitchen. The maid was also the cook. Diego was her son and he was helping her. They both bowed when I came in and that made me feel strange. I know it was a sign of respect. However, it made me feel more alone and more like an outsider. I just stood there and looked. The maid stopped what she was doing and told me that I looked so sad. I whimpered that I used to help my mom cook.


    The maid smiled and told me that this was no work for a lady. However, I could help Diego prepare the vegetables. I put an apron on and helped Diego. We were soon laughing and joking. This made his mom smile as she said it was nice to see that there were finally smiles in the house. I was also so happy, as for the first time, I did not feel sad about my parents or life.


    It was soon time to eat dinner, so I went down to the dark sitting room and sat beside the duchess. I told her what I have done that day. I went to the classroom and then afterwards helped Diego and his mom in the kitchen. I smiled as I told her how fun it was. The Duchess did not say anything. She usually got mad at me when I spoke. She did not smile, but I can see that she was listening to every word I said.


    While I ate, she told me it was not appropriate or ladylike to help the servants in the kitchen. She also reminded me that girls of my status in society does not establish friendships with someone from another class. The duchess looked at me saying that she was not mad, but I had no excuse now that I now knew. I just wanted to leave the room. Diego was the only one my age I knew.


    I later did get permission to go. As I curtseyed, the duchess exploded in a rage of anger. She started screaming at me to take the cross off. She screamed that God was not welcome in her house. He always brought disaster and sadness. I started crying as I did not expect this outburst. I tried explaining that it was the only thing I had to remind me of my parents. This did not help. I was told strictly to remove the cross and not have it in this house. She finished by saying that she did not want to hear any more about it.


    I was mad when I was back in my room. This cross was very important to me. It reminded me of my mother and how great she was. What did the duchess know about love? She was a bitter old woman that treated me like her pet. She had no love in her and I highly doubt that she had. She lived in that dark and dusty room that was untidy. She never ate with me! She was just a strange woman that was the opposite of my mom.


    The maid gave me a hug and told me I could hang the cross on my bed.


    As I was in my bed, I tried to sleep but could only think how bitter the duchess was. It made me think about how I would end up as. Would I grow to be a bitter old woman that hated everything and everyone? This was the greatest fear. I decided then and there that I had to keep positive and to have a good heart. The duchess would not corrupt my heart. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    I was proud of my decision and closed my eyes to sleep. I opened my eyes again when I heard the ghost girl. She told me that we should play. So I got out of bed and we went to where the dolls were. I do not know how long we played with the dolls. It was fun and made me smile once again. Nothing was said for a long time except telling each other how we should treat the dolls. The ghost girl said it was important that we took care of them and not let them fall into danger. This made me want to ask how she died, but I guessed that it was not the right time


    I did ask her what her name was, but it was not like she heard. She instructed me which clothes the doll I had should wear. So I concentrated on the doll again. After a while, I heard the Ghost girl whisper that she did not know what her name was. When I looked up at her, she was gone. I hope I did not make her sad.


    The next day, I was once again eating breakfast with the duchess. Nothing much was said as just sat on the ground and ate. The Duchess looked at me but said nothing for a long time. She asked me if I was well as I was very quiet. She admitted that she missed my chattering. The only response I had was that it was time for class.


    "Wait!", the duchess said, "I know that you may dislike me and even hate me. To be honest, I did not even want you here. This has nothing to do with you. The fact is that every time I become close to someone, they ended up hating me or leaving me. This happened with your Dad. He was a nice boy and a lot like you. Then he started hating me and was even afraid of me. He told me one day that I was evil and then left me. You remind me of him so much and I am even getting very fond of you. One day you will tell me the same. You will say you are afraid of me and hate me!"


    I sat down again and smiled at the duchess. Maybe she did have a heart and did care about me. I told her that I would never hate her.


    The accountant visited once again and told her how rich she was today. The duchess was once again her old self. The accountant was told that she would not increase wages in her businesses this year. On top of that, they could be fired if they disagreed. The accountant reminded the duchess that her employees were the least paid in the country. She just looked at him and asked him if he liked his job.


    I could not believe it. Just when I thought the duchess had a human heart, she changed back to the monster everyone seen. I excused myself and said that it was time for class.


    The ghost girl was there already in the classroom. As we waited for the teacher, I told her that I hoped that I did not make her sad by asking her name. The fact was that she was a good friend and this made me so happy. Then I suggested a name for her. She looked at me with a huge smile and after she thought a bit, she said that she had a doll that was called Wendy. We agreed that her new name could be called Wendy. When the teacher came, she was told that the ghost was called Wendy. The teacher just shrugged her shoulders. I wondered did she remember her name?


    The classes were boring. I wished we would learn something fun, like art or nature.


    After class, Diego was waiting for me. We went for a walk in the garden that was more like a jungle. I asked him why did he and his mom work here. I told him it was a strange place that most would keep away from. Diego smiled and said it was not because of the wages. The fact was that everyone in the town worked for the duchess in some way. She owned everything in the town. His mom had no choice. This was the only place that she could get work.


    Diego said that he had a question for me. He wanted to know if the duchess was as strange as everyone thought she was? Did she have a heart? Was she a Satanist? I had to think about it a bit and answered that she was old and many people have hurt her. I think she wanted to be liked but she didn''t trust people.


    We decided to help his mom cook. I was once again smiling and felt like I was with people that wanted to be with me.


    It was time for dinner with the Duchess. She smiled when she saw me. This was strange but it made me think that she was telling me the truth that she liked me. The duchess wanted to know what I was up to.


    I told her that there is a ghost in the house. She was a child that did not remember her name. She goes to the schoolroom with me, and despite that she is a ghost, we were best friends. Then I said that we decided to name her Wendy. I finished my story and looked at the duchess for a reaction. The only thing that she said was that she thought that Wendy was a doll''s name.


    I asked the Duchess what her name was.


    The Duchess told me it was time to be serious. She knew that I spent most of the day with Diego and even helped his mom. The Duchess looked at me and said that I could not change the social class system. This system has worked since the dawn of time. I had to get used to the fact that some people were more privileged than others. Social classes do not mix!


    The Duchess told me that the maid and Diego were also responsible for breaking the social class rule. I had to fix the problem. The duchess told me that she wanted me to fire the maid and both the maid and Diego were to leave Ungergrove Estate the next day, and never return!


    I felt a tear roll down my cheek. I had to get rid of two people that I really care for. I was becoming as mean as the duchess.

 Chapter 4: Great Four

    The maid was in a happy mood as she helped me get ready for bed. I was very quiet and knew that it was expected that I fire her. I felt like it was my fault. If I didn''t help cooking, the duchess would be happy. I would feel lonely that I could be without some company, but I would not be destroying someone''s life!


    Wendy appeared next to my bed. She knew why I was sad and tried to cheer me up. When she failed to do this, she picked up a doll and started playing alone. Wendy kept telling me that I had her. We were friends and that is all that mattered. She told me that people come and go and at least she would have me.


    This made me snap at her and tell her that she was dead, so what did she know about friendship and what would happen if I fired the maid. This made her mad as she asked me how I could say such a thing? I asked her why she always wore the same dress, and where was her bedroom? Where were her parents? Then I put my hand through her and told her that she was a ghost. Wendy was now in tears and shouted at me that I was mean before she disappeared.


    The next day, I went down to the kitchen as the maid was making breakfast. I wanted to hug her and cry. However, I decided I needed to be brave. I told her bluntly that the duchess has decided to fire her. The maid and Diego were to leave the estate that day. The maid went pale and walked back and forth. Then after some time, she smiled and told me that she would finish my breakfast, and then she would leave. It would be better for Diego as well, as she wanted him in a better environment. Then the maid gave me a big hug and said that she was more worried about me. I had no escape.


    Wendy did not come to class, so I was alone with the ghost teacher. I did not hear a word the teacher said. All I could think about was how things changed a lot. It was so sad when the maid and Diego left. I felt all alone in the world.


    Wendy was not around and I could not find her. I knew that in some way, I hurt her but did not know what was so bad. I just told her the truth. I was so lonely that I sat with the duchess all day like a pet at her feet. It did help that she was not so evil when I was there. It was quite the opposite. She was nice and even smiled. She talked a lot, especially about her childhood. I wanted to ask so many questions. The most important one is now that the maid was gone, who made the food and who put clothes out so I could wear them the next day? I could not understand that they were still being done!


    The Duchess really did not answer anything. The only thing she would admit was that the huge house was so lively when she was a child. I got up and started to tidy the room. It was obvious that it was not tidied for years. At first, the duchess started to feel uncomfortable and tell me to stop. I told her that it needed to be tidied. It was gloomy and no one could be happy when they were in this room. The Duchess let me tidy up, but she demanded that the curtains or windows would not be opened. It would have been nice with some light, but I figured that I had enough to do. Duchess smiled at first, saying that the room was beginning to look cheerful. Then it seems as if she was tired because she advised me to take a break and walk in the garden.


    As I walked through the garden, I started crying. All the things that happened suddenly caught up with me. I ruined Diegos and his mom''s life. They were probably living in poverty and could not get a job. I was so lonely, not even Wendy wanted to be my friend again. I wondered if my parents were ghosts. I will always remember the last thing that I said to them. I told them that I hated them! I slumped down between overgrown bushes as I thought that the Duchess and I were similar. We pushed people away from us. My worse fear that I would be alone and bitter as the Duchess was suddenly coming true.


    Then I heard a small whimper. I looked under a bush and was a bit surprised when I saw two small puppies. I took the puppies and took them to the attic of the house. I gave the two puppies some milk and then just sat down and played with them. They were so cute, and yet so helpless. They were so alone. Then I felt bad. I should not feel sorry for myself. Others were worse off than me. These puppies needed me. The Duchess needed me. I needed them!


    I heard the doorbell. This was very strange. No one visited this place. When I rushed down the hundreds of steps and opened the door, it was my aunt that cried and cried at the hospital. She gave me a huge hug and asked why I was wearing a Victorian dress. She answered saying she wore the same dresses when she was a child.


    I took her to the duchess. My aunt and the Duchess just looked at each other without saying a word. It was a very awkward situation. The Duchess did not say a word and turned her head away from my aunt. She finally asked me to find my aunt a room.


    It was only the duchess and me that ate in the small room. The Duchess did not want my aunt there. She explained that she was my father''s sister. When my father left, he took my sister with him. He never got over when his older brother died by falling down from a tree. Since the two left, the duchess said that life was sad and very lonely. She admitted that she felt as if she was sitting in this room for centuries.


    Then the Duchess smiled and said that at least I came, which was the best that has happened in years. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    That night, Wendy appeared as I was getting in bed. She told me that she had to spend time trying to accept that she was a ghost. The worse thing was that she could not remember anything. She could not remember her name, her family, or even how she died. She was also afraid I would not be a friend with a ghost. She started talking like the duchess, that she was so lonely and sad before I came. I smiled at Wendy and said we were BFF, and of course, I had to explain what that was.


    The next day, I told Wendy that I had to show her something. When she saw the puppies, she was clearly afraid. I smiled and said that the puppies were harmless and they could not hurt her. She was already dead, so what could two puppies do? This did not help Mandy. She was very afraid and shivering as she looked at the puppies.


    I heard Aunt''s voice. Mandy disappeared as my aunt found me in the attic.


    "I found you," My aunt said, " You are probably wondering why I am here. I am here to save you from this place. It is an evil house and the Duchess is evil. You are also the firstborn, so your life is in danger. I was too afraid to let you live with me when I have seen you in the hospital. However, now I am ready. We leave tomorrow evening. We can sneak out"


    I told my aunt that the Duchess expected me to come down to her.


    When I came down to the duchess, she was in the worse mood I ever seen her. She was shouting at me that I was like the others. She knew that I would end up hating her and leaving her all alone. When she told me that she did not want to see me anymore and to leave her alone. I fell on my knees and started to cry. I shouted that I did not want to leave. I wanted to stay with the Duchess. The others may see her as some evil demon, but I have seen her smile and heard her tell stories. I knew in a way that she loved me.


    Wendy also was sad when she visited me that night. She asked if I was really leaving. Wendy admitted that it was strange being dead and yet she could feel sadness. I was the only friend that she ever had. She did not want to leave me.


    "If you asked me this morning, I would have gone with her, " I said, "My aunt did not care about me in the hospital. I do not trust her. I do trust the Duchess and you. I am staying here."


    The next day, I was once again in the attic. The puppies were asleep and Wendy was far away from them. I saw a box of photos behind her. I told her that we should look at them. After I went through a lot of old photos I found one of the teacher. I showed it to Wendy and she was shocked that it had the year 1907 on it. I told her that it meant the teacher must be a ghost as well. We went back to looking at the pictures. I picked one up from 1864 and told Wendy that the girl in it looked like her. Wendy looked at it but did not say anything. After some time, she asked me could I put the picture in my room.


    I could not answer, as I heard my aunt come up. Wendy disappeared. My Aunt said that it was time to leave. I told her that I did not want to go. She did not care. She grabbed my hand and dragged me to the stairs. I screamed that I did not want to go and the only response I got was to be quiet. I shouted that I would run away and that I did not like her. I cried for the duchess to help me. Then Aunt and I were nearly blinded by a white light. It was the same one that killed my parents. I could also see the old lady in the white light. She looked very much like the duchess.


    I started struggling as my aunt screamed when she saw the white light. She lost her balance, She fell over the railings and fell down to the ground floor. I knew that she could never survive this. I ran down the stairs and rushed into the small room. I shouted that I did not want to go. I jumped to give her a hug but went right through her. I screamed when I realized that the duchess was also a ghost. I ran out of the room.


    I didn''t see the Duchess for a few days, I was so confused.


    We had to bury my aunt. I looked at the other graves. Then Wendy appeared and pointed to a grave where a child of 9 was buried. Her name was Victoria.


    "This is my grave," Many announced, " I remember everything now. I was 9 when I died. I was bit by a stray dog and he gave me rabies. How was I to know that this dog would kill me? He looked so sad and lonely. I just petted him and he bit me. Why did I not go to heaven?"


    I told Wendy that we should go and see the duchess. I knew she was a ghost and they were most likely relatives. So I led Wendy towards the small room, Wendy told me she never went into this part of the house as it always made her want to cry.


    When the Duchess saw Wendy, she just sat and looked at her. This silence was unbearable. Wendy was finally the one that said something.


    "Mamma!"


    The Duchess started crying as she held on to Wendy.


    "Victoria!" she cried, "My dear Victoria. Now I am beginning to remember things. You died after some dog bit you. I was so much in grief over losing you! My family and town wanted me to act like a lady. Accept your death as God''s will and smile. I became so bitter that I started hating everyone. I cursed this family by saying that the firstborn will die every generation."


    The Duchess started crying asking everyone to forgive her. She even asked if God would forgive her.


    Then everything started shaking. Pictures were falling from the walls and furniture was falling over. Then bits of the ceiling was coming down. I couldn''t keep my balance and hid under a table. I was so afraid and crying. I called out for the Duchess to help me. The only thing I could see was falling bricks, wood, and a lot of dust. There was a lot of noise.


    Then everything went black.


    I woke up when someone shouted, "There is someone under this table". I heard people around me and finally, I was pulled out.


    As I was on the stretcher, I looked up. I could see a cloud with the Duchess on it. She was smiling and Mandy was standing next to her. The duchess was giving mom and dad a hug. I didn''t know the others that were there. There were so many! I smiled as I realized that they all found peace and were now going to heaven.


    A few days later, I was in the hospital. The Maid and Diego were there. Diego told me the big house was destroyed and they could not find the body of the Duchess. They found me and two puppies.


    Diego said that I did not have to be alone.


    " You can be my sister if you want," he said in a hopeful voice.


    The End