Family secrets are something that every family has, some more twisted and dangerous than others. Some families have criminals, double lives, or even just a bakery recipe, but mine has a secret garden. The secrets in my family run back generations, and even though I didn't know it yet, I was going to uncover them all.
Avery turned to look out of the car window as they drove through the winding roads and thick trees that made up the rural city of Ravenwood. It was so different than anything she was used to back home in New York, where her apartment was small and the buildings towered over her. Now it was the trees that towered over her, and their car was the only one they had seen in miles. It gave her a feeling of unease, she did not know what she should expect from this new house and new life she was about to begin.
The divorce of her parents had been hard on her, shaking her to the core as it uprooted her from everything she knew and loved. She used to think that her parents and the life they gave her were the most stable things in her life, yet that perfect life had fractured in an instant. Her dad moved out, flying across the country to start a new job in Nevada. Her mom threw herself into work and was now going to leave for Europe for a summer business trip tomorrow, leaving Avery stuck moving in with her grandmother. Grandma Jane was her father's mother who lived in Pennsylvania, and rarely ever left her old home, meaning Avery had only ever met her a few times. She couldn't even picture the woman's face in her head.
Avery turned to look at her mom, studying her face as they pulled onto a side road that took them deeper into the forest. The houses out here were far and few in between, making Avery's anxiety leap. She already felt abandoned by her parents, her father did not want her to live with him during the summer, and now she wouldn't have anyone to keep her company over the summer.
When her mom did not turn to look at Avery despite her pleading stare, Avery sighed, "Why can't I just go out to Europe with you? I can be good and stay in the hotel room all day, keeping myself company. And then I won't be alone, I will have you."
Avery's mom just gave her a soft smile, "We already talked about this, that is not an option. And you will not be alone here, Your grandmother will take good care of you. I know you may not think it now, but you really will love your Grandma Jane. Promise to behave, will you?"
"Yeah, sure, I promise," Avery grumbled, her arms crossed. The car passed a large Victorian house, the thick trees perfectly trimmed, and a huge pool on the side of the yard. Avery started to perk up, imagining the days she could spend sunbathing and swimming. Maybe the summer wouldn't be so bad after all. "That is Grandma Jane's house?"
"Oh, no it isn't. That must be her neighbor. This is Grandma Jane's house." About a quarter of a mile up the road, the car pulled up to the entrance of a large Victorian house, the edge of a garden peaking around the back. Avery could just barely see the edge of the trees and vines before a wall completely closed it off to the outside of the house. Avery had to admit that the mansion was huge, but it had definitely seen better days. The paint was chipped and falling off, and the front yard was overgrown with weeds and dirt patches.
Avery let out a shiver, looking at the house and its surroundings, "I think you made a mistake, this house looks abandoned. Maybe those nice people down the road will take me in for the summer.
Her mom shushed her as they drove up the long driveway to the front of the house. An older lady in a flowing dress stood at the front door, watching them as they arrived. Her gray hair was pulled into a bun atop her head, flour coating the bottom half of her dress as if she had been baking. Avery's mom smiled a bit when she saw the older lady, though Avery could not be sure why, she never seemed sad that she hadn't seen her mother in so long.
Her mom parked the car and they both slowly made their way out. Avery avoided the awkward introduction by ducking to the back of the car to get her things. She could hear the faint chatter of her mom and grandmother as they were greeting each other, but she did not care enough to listen. She lugged her suitcases out of the trunk, letting them hit the gravel with a loud thunk.
She didn't notice the presence behind her until it was too late to run. "Hello, Avery. I am so glad you are here, welcome to the Ravenwood house."
Avery forced a smile as she turned to look her grandmother in the face. It was hard not to see how old she was, her hair thin and completely grey, her face overrun with wrinkles. She fought back a wince and kept her forced smile, "Thank you for having me."
Avery's mother walked over, checking her watch, "I have to head back to New York, I have a flight to catch early in the morning. I want to make it out of Pennsylvania before the sun goes down." She pulled Avery into a bone-crushing hug before placing a kiss on her forehead, "Be good for your grandmother, promise? I love you, and I will see you soon when the summer ends."
Avery just watched in silence as her mom rushed back into the car and drove off, leaving Avery, Grandma Jane, and her suitcases abandoned on the gravel driveway. Grandma Jane turned to Avery and motioned to the door, "Well, let's get you inside. I can show you around and you can start to unpack before dinner."
Avery's nervousness made her stomach twist as she grabbed her suitcases, lugging them inside. She didn't know how to feel, her father abandoned her to the other side of the country and her mom just left her in a state she had never been to before with a woman she had only met a handful of times. She felt miserable on the inside, like she was unwanted, a burden that had to be pushed around from person to person because no one wanted her.
The house was grand, with high ceilings and chandeliers. A huge staircase led up to the second floor right at the main entrance, with a huge living room on one side of the staircase and the dining room on the other. A marvelous kitchen could be seen just past the dining room, food spread across the counters as if it was being prepared for dinner. They must have interrupted her prep time.
Avery couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by it all, the size and the amount of money a house like this must have cost. She was used to a small apartment in New York City, having to walk to the laundry mat to wash her clothes or cook dinner in a cramped kitchen. They didn't have a dining room, their living room took up all the space and they often ate on the couch in front of the tv. Now she was living in a house that probably had three laundry rooms and could feed fifty in the dining room. It made her feel small, worthless, and insignificant.
Grandma Jane led her up the grand staircase to the second floor, leading her down the hall to the left. This hallway had many doors, she lost count as they walked past them all. Finally, they stopped in front of one and Grandma Jane pushed it open. She stared at the bedroom in awe, it looked as if the bedroom could fit the entirety of her old apartment back in New York inside of it.
It may have been big, but the room was almost completely bare. There was a large four-poster bed in the middle of the room with a trunk for storage at the foot of the bed. On one side of the room was a small desk and a door that led to the bathroom, on the other side was a dresser and a door that led to the closet.
Grandma Jane watched as Avery explored the room, settling her suitcases at the front of the bed right next to the trunk, "I hope you like it."
Avery nodded as she took in the room, not wanting to sound ungrateful but also feeling like a bit of a prisoner in the bland room, "The room is nice, just a bit... bare."
