Somehow, she felt dirty just looking at so grand a house.
It spoke of nobility that her own homeland abandoned more than fifty years prior, of something too pristine for her long, ugly hands. The woman stared from the road, breath caught in her throat, trying to take in the enormity of the estate before her, how even in disarray it could have such presence. In her wildest dreams, she could not have imagined such a place.
The shadow of the mansion lay long against her delicate figure, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, Julia felt awfully small.
Her first step was a hesitant thing, disturbing the little nest of leaves that littered the walkway. The natural carpeting crunched under her boots, announcing her every step. This was not how she wanted it to be. She had always been an observer, perhaps always would be, and she had meant to creep up on this monolith, on its inhabitants. Anyone on the grounds would hear her coming even from a distance, no matter how she tried to muffle her footfall.
Anyone would hear her, if they were really there.
She knew there ought to be others inside -- no one would be so cruel as to lie about this, no one hated her enough to spread false hope.Even so, the reality of it seemed so suspect. She had gone her whole life living by one law -- Trust, but verify. Who could verify such an earthly delight to her?
She was getting ahead of herself. She did not even know if these people would allow her in, let alone accept her. Perhaps she would be a freak among freaks, mistrusted, disliked, always second-guessed for her abilities. Maybe others of her kind did not have such invasive capabilities.
Before she could think up some pretty lie for her trespassing, some way to enter without announcing herself some ugly thing, she was at the door. I could run, she thought, no one must have seen me, or they would be here by now. The whole land seemed to hold its breath, silent as a grave. Even from behind the door, there was silence. Had everyone inside gone on some trip? Was the building closed for some American holiday she had yet to discover?
Instead, bony knuckles came down hard against the front door, even as the rest of her seemed to shrink back.
