Transformation: Day 14

Word Count: 84,067

Summary of Events:

Elianne went out and rode Enya around while some people came to view the house and thought about what little she remembered of her mom's parents, whom she hadn't seen in about three years. Taylor went on some errands, still seething about Whitney's nephew's unpunished cheating. Ian was invited over to Ms. Carlyle's parents' house to meet her parents and children, who had gone down for a swim in the Tasman Sea for a bit . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

“Oh, here they are,” Ms. Carlyle said.

Ian looked up and saw two adults and two children in beach clothes walking toward the house. The adults looked older than Mum and Da, the man having mostly grey hair and the woman’s hair quite obviously having been dyed an auburn colour.

The children both had brown hair, like Ms. Carlyle, and looked to be missing a liveliness that most children about their age had. They did look like they were happy, but there was something missing in their happiness, it wasn’t true happiness, it was forced.

As they got closer the foursome disappeared behind the corner of the main body of the house.

After a long time Ian heard a child’s feet quickly hurrying across the floor. He turned to the corridor.

“Mummy! Mummy! We–”

The girl had started crying out before she’d come into view, but as soon as she laid eyes on Ian she stopped short in speech and motion.

“What Piper?” Ms. Carlyle asked.

She looked warily between Ian and her mother, Ian felt badly and looked away to Ms. Carlyle, who was still waiting for an answer.

“Piper, tell Mummy,” Ms. Carlyle urged.

“Nothing,” Piper said subduedly.

Ian looked over his shoulder. Piper trudged over to the door in the wall directly across from the windows and disappeared into the room.

“She’s just shy,” Ms. Carlyle said cheerily.

Sliding his gaze over to Ms. Carlyle, Ian didn’t think that Piper was shy, she hadn’t looked shy, she’d looked upset, as if some hope she’d held had been dashed, and he felt like a leaden blanket of guilt had been placed over his chest.

Not so hurried footsteps, but yet footsteps that were still clearly those of a child sounded again and Ian glanced toward the corridor.

The boy emerged without a word and stopped. He stared at Ian, shocked at first, but his whole countenance slowly cooled and hardened until he was glaring savagely at Ian.

Pricked again by guilt, Ian looked away at the Tasman Sea, it’s cold water rippling, but not rising close enough to pick him up and pull him under.

He heard the feet — harder in their striking of the floor than before — walk away.

“They’ll get more comfortable in time,” Ms. Carlyle said brightly.

Ian had severe misgivings about such things, if he was honest, but he said nothing, sure that Ms. Carlyle would only get upset with him and argue.