The Writing of Fates Design

I sat glaring daggers at my computer screen the words barring themselves into my eyes like hot embers. It was another one from my astringed mother, begging me to enter some poetry contest called fates design.
Humph.
Fate was a cruel uncaring mistress with the worst since of hummer. Why would I, a victim to her cruel hands, want to write about her “Grand Design”.
The mere thought was laughable.
Deciding, against my better judgment I decided to look into this Fate’s Design contest and see if it was at all worth my time. The mandates only made me cringed even more.
It stated that I had to mention tombstones, angles and death. A topic that bothered me to no end, and not for the one facing it for the ones that are left behind. Being able to taste, feel, and read the emotions of others made life hard enough already. But being around those in morning made me physically ill.
The strength of the emotions seems to intensify when the events around you feed it, and then the mass feeding of it makes it almost impossible for one to breath. That is if that someone was like me.
I never bothered to learn what my gift was called. I just knew it made acting “normal” difficult in every since of the word. I could not have a job where I was meeting to many new people at once. I had to avoid crowds. And it made living with anyone unbearable.
While anyone but Evelyn, who I’m sure is not even human.
His a strange man, came into my life when I was only say about 7 our 8 and his been around ever since. When his with me it’s easier to be in large crowds, like he dulls out the emotions around me.
“Lady Iris.”
Jumping I turn to the man that had just crossed my mind. It was an unconscious habit of his to scare the living daylights out of me. Not to mention he was the only person I could not since coming up behind me. Another little perks of my gifts.
I glared at him taking every little detail that hadn’t changed since the day I meet him. His hair was cropped in some old fashioned style with long bangs in the front. That he would comp to the side. Sort of 50’s cut our one you would see on a conservative Baptist our something. He never bothered to style it though allowing the bangs to frame his long face and ruby eyes.
He was tall about oh say 6ft something our other with skin that resembled a dry erase board. And he was always warring some kind of suite and thigh outfit. Witch made me want to stay inside more because it was hard to go any where with him with him dressed like he was going to biasness’ meeting.
I had come to live with him only after meeting into him by accident the few times I had to be hospitalized for a “stresses disorder” as the doctors called in not really consoling my gift and I not really telling them. It’s not like I was scared, I just did not want to end up a lab rat.
“What Evelyn?” I asked my ton hard because of the smirk that was playing across his pouting lips.
“That’s Lord Evelyn,” He started and me rolling my eyes. I had only found out after moving here that he was related to the Queen of England our some shit like that.
“I could not help but notice that you’ve left the curtains shut in here today and I came up to see if anything is bothering you.”
I studied his face, wishing I could read him for a change, knowing there was more to what he was saying. He was always like this, as I found out not long after moving here, and he always had something up his sleeve.
“It’s nothing. Now go away.”
I said turning to hopefully get the page I was looking at down before he noticed it, he always encouraged me to write like my mother. He also encouraged me to keep in contact with her even though she let me move with him after they talked once. Sure my being here was better but that doesn’t mean that I felt at least a little betrayed when she just packed my up and shipped me off. Then signed her rights over to him a few weeks later, but I would never tell her that. He paid to fly her over every summer and fly her back. So it wasn’t like I never get to see her.
I don’t know. I just feel betrayed is all by her. That was all.
Evelyn’s cool hand was on the mouse before I could even turn around completely and his eyes seemed to absorb what the screen said. As my eyes bore hard into him, with a cold hard look.
“I think would be an excellent contest for you to enter. And with your gifts you have a better understanding of the subject than anyone else.” He said with a sly smirk. “It would also make your mother very happy.”
That was another thing; he knew about my abilities and seemed to know of what I was capable of understanding our even controlling. But I could do something that even surprised him at times.
“She called you didn’t she?” I said my eyes never leaving their hardened state.
“Emailed, actually. I check it on my phone.”
“… You have an email account?”
“Yes with you being so computer savvy I thought I would bring myself up to date. So when I bought you the desktop, laptop, and IPad I got a phone. I also found various programs that catch you up to date on the latest technology. Perhaps I should put it in with your other privet studies?”
Yes I’m spoiled, and home schooled. I don’t know what Evelyn dose for money but his rich. And some of the things he dose and knows kind of scares me at times. But I had to admit that I was impressed with this. Because when I moved here he did not even have a touch dial phone, so this was a major advancement for him.
“I still don’t want to.” I said in defiance, crossing my arms and turning away form him.
I heard the rustle of fabric as he crossed his arms to study me, something that he often did. He would always cross his arms and title his head slightly to the side. The first few times he did it I found it very amusing, now I just found it annoying.
“Very will.” He started as he crossed the room to open the curtains, “I guess I have no chose but to make that contest your English assignment.”
My eyes opened wide with shock, yes I may be home schooled but that dose not mean that I can just not do my assignments. And not doing them would mean punishment. The punishment was never really cruel our anything but they were still very extreme. One time he had not only taken away the computers and IPad but he also took my phone game systems and all outside privileges. I was only allowed to go from my room to the dining hall to the library, and only when he came and got me. The door to my room was locked from the outside and I was glad for a change that I had a room that connects to a bathroom.
I never got in that much trouble again.
“Please say your joking.” I squeaked, turning to look at him. His back was to me so I could not see the look on his face as he toughed the curtain into place.
The sky outside was gray and the heavy with the threat of rain that lay over everything out side.
“I’m afraid not.” He said finally turning to look at me. “Iris you’ve ignored several contest that your mother has sent your way and has really upset her. So if it takes me forcing you to at least do this one then that is what I’m prepared to do.”
I was about to retaliate with how my mother did not seem to upset about shipping me off to live with him but he cut me off.
“And yes your mother was very upset that she had to send you to live with me, and knew it was for you will being that she sign her rights away. She has only every done what’s in her power to protect and love you. So get off your high horse and try to do something nice for her.”
His face had the cold scolding look, and his eyes although they were hard held some softness in them. The look that I knew meant just do what he says and get it over with.
“Whatever.” I pouted turning to glare at the screen.
His hand touched my shoulder and I did my best not to jump, he just moved so quietly at times. His eyes had gone form hard to completely soft, and held something in them that he only ever looked at me with. Love? Maybe. All I knew was that from the first time we meet he was cryptic and he smelled of starch and blood. I often wondered if he was a vampire.
“Your mother will not always be around. So don’t hate her, try to at least forgive. Trust me this life I’ve given you is to long for hate. I speak from experience.”
I squinted up at him, what did he mean by ‘this life I’ve given you’? Another riddle I guess our, I was right about him being some sort of immortal.
“Lets go to the grocery. Were running out of your snack foods, plus an outing would help you gather some inspiration.”
“Your crazy, it could rain any second out there and you want to go buy grocers.”
“Of course. It’s the best time to go. The store should be completely deserted.”
“But we have to walk from here to the store and back.”
“Yes I know, and we have umbrellas. So we will be fine.”
I wanted to ask him for the hundredth time why he never just hired someone to do this for him. But I knew that would only prolong the inevitable and there was always something about stormy days that calmed me.
Sighing loudly I got up and followed him to my room, knowing that he would want me to change from my favorite sleep pants and sleeveless shirt. To some sort of dress our at least jeans when I would be stubborn.
I let him pick a spaghetti strap black dress and white button up blows to go under it., with white stockings. Ugh. He wanted to dress me like a doll again. Another one of his many hobbies that I’ve never understood.
Heaving another sigh I dressed myself in the outfit and looked into the floor length moiré that was pined to the door to the bathroom. I looked like a little schoolgirl our something and I was almost 16. I glared at my reflection hating the fact that I had always looked way younger than I actually was. In this outfit I looked 10 or 12.
I watched as Evelyn entered the room caring the brush that he always liked to use on my hair. He had to hide it because I had threatened all to often to break our hide the stupid thing.
“When am I supposed to start developing?” I demanded not turning to look at him. “I look like a little kid.”
He walked up behind me warring that kind yet evil type smile that he always wore when he was keeping secrets. “You will develop when your body is ready. For now enjoy your youth.”
“I hate you.”
“I know.”
With that he brushed my hair back and put it into a low ponytail with a bow. He smiled when he was ‘satisfied’ with his work then turned to leave.
“I will meet you in the front parlor after I’ve put this away.” He said holding the offensive comb. “Your shoos are already by the door. Tell Geron and Fraser that we will need our umbrellas and that to stand by for a call in case we need them to send Dexter with the car.”
Geron, Fraser, and Dexter were the only three that I had ever seen work here, and they were loyal to Evelyn. And unlike Evelyn I could read their emotions, although that did not make me avoid them. I actually enjoyed their company for the most part.
I met Dexter first when came to pick up Evelyn after he got done doing some sort of ‘charity work’ at the hospital and he was loads of fun. He was smart funny and very caring. He turned into the big brother I never had, our ever thought I wonted.
Fraser I met after I moved here and had been here for some time. It was a chance meeting really. I ran away into the woods that’s behind the manner and kind of ran into him. Latterly. I found out latter that he was the grounds keeper, and he did not like to live in the main house and he lived in a smaller two-bedroom house a little ways off into the woods. We got along immediately. Both with our love of the outdoors and all, the only problem I’ve ever had with him is to remind him not to hug me because it intensifies their emotions around me and I have a bad habit of passing out.
Geron I met as soon as I moved in with Evelyn. His Evelyn’s cook, our so that’s what Evelyn’s told me. I was catch Evelyn doing the entire house work and all the cooking. Strange for someone calming to be a lord but Evelyn’s told me every time I’ve brought it up that it keeps him busy and he enjoys it. What ever makes him happy, I guess?
But anyway about Geron, his funny, kind and somewhat wired. He seems to know things our since them is more like it. He can be as cryptic as Evelyn at times but for the most part his a pretty easy read, for me that is.
And all three of them don’t look like they’ve aged a day since I came here. Witch is very odd, but the seem human enough.
I allowed my thoughts to consume me as I walked down the grand staircase to the front parlor not taking in all the particular rich and lavish decorations that surrounded me. I had grown used to them by now, and I was no longer found gawking at one random pic of art our another. But to anyone else this place looked like a grand museum with all of it’s rich decorum and what not. Heck it even had the ‘Blue boy’ painting.
My mind was else where, how to get out of writing for that stupid contest. Fate was never really kind even when it was. There always seemed to be a hidden agenda in everything that Fate touched. And yet most wanted to make it seem like some grand scheme for the better.
“Lost again in thought my lady.” Came Geron’s voice from my right out of my profiler vision and making me jump.
“Yah Iris you look like someone’s gone and stolen your favorite toy. Yah do.” Fraser said in his British type cocky accent as he rubbed my back to help my hart to start betting.
“I would be fine if I had been paying attention and not let you and Geron sneak up one me.” I said grasping the sold oak banister for support.
“Yah with your little emotion senses right?” Fraser asked his cocked to one side and a puppy look on his face. “Sorry love it don’t seem to work that great when your mind is else where it seems.”
“What ever.” I mumbled. “Evelyn wished for me to tell you that you need to stand by in case we buy to much our it’s raining to hard to send Dexter with the car oh and he said that we would need our umbrellas.”
“I’ve already got them set out along with your shoos my lady.” Geron said, his voice always reminded me of those butlers you would see in a rich fancy house. It often disguised his true personality.
“Gone grocery shopping in this wetther. I wonder what Evelyn’s thinking.” Fraser said crossing his arms behind his head a worried look on his face.
“He said that the gloomy atmosphere outside would help me come up with inspiration for a contest that his forcing me to enter for my English assignment.”
As I said this I went to one of the two roman style couches and sat down to put my shoos on that Geron had gone to get the look of pure annoyance of my face.
Fraser was putting off an atmosphere of pure worry and excite, and it was all aimed at me.
“Blocks gone off his rocker, but at least you would be able to write a smashing uh… What kind of contest was it?”
“A poetry contest called Fates Design. And you have to include tombstones, and angles.”
“Right then.” Fraser said flinching back a little my tone had been a little harsh but he knew how I felt about ‘Fate’.
“Come on then. I can’t be all that bad. You’re the best poet I know.”
“I’m the only one you know.”
“Hehe… Yah, your right but you’ll be smashing in it. Evelyn would never set you up for failure. So why not try to buck up and take it stride.”
“Tell that to a slave about to get lashes.”
“My lady.” Geron said sitting next to me on the couch, “You may not understand now but I assure you that Lord Evelyn would never set you up for failure. Nor would he ask you to do something that is not within your power to do. I know you may not be pleased with the assignment but you will do excellent in it. Besides you’re always typing away in the study on that computer that the Master has bought you.”
I wanted to retaliate to this but Evelyn interrupted the pet talk by picking me up from behind bridal style, of course making squeak in surprise.
“While I see your ready to go and look at you complaining about you’re homework already hoping to get a symphonic ear.”
I glared at him demanding in my eyes that he put me down NOW! He only smiled knowingly as he set me gently on my feet and turned to address both Geron and Fraser.
“Now I’m sure she delivered my message. Good.”
“Uh sir.” Fraser started, “about going out right now. I don’t think now’s the best time.”
“Oh and why not was I expecting guest for tea?”
“No sir. The weather…”
“I believe what Fraser is trying to say is the weather looks a tad dangerous for lady Iris and his concerned for her will being.” Geron finished for Fraser and encoring the dirty look from me, as far as I was concerned I did not need protection and I certainly would not melt in a little rainwater.
“That’s precisely why I want you to stand by to send Dexter with the car. Besides a little rain water wont hurt anyone.”
“Yes sir.” Both men said in unison as I was pushed out the large solid oak French style doors with an umbrella in hand.