'This is my new home,' Illena thought, 'and yet I don't feel welcome here.' Even though she was welcomed into her brother's house, the rest of his family looked at her like she was intruding on their property.
"So, my dear sister, let me show you to your room." her brother said as he started up the stairs. Illena followed him, still feeling the stares of her brothers sons and daughter burning into her.
Soft footsteps followed her down the hall, but she didn't let it bother her. Illena stepped into the room. Her new room, although somewhat small, was still lovely. It had two windows, lace curtains, a chest with drawers for her clothes, and a puffy white bed. Sitting down on it, she put down her suitcase and smiled at her brother.
"Thank you so much, Calvin." She said. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't said that you'd let me stay here." Calvin nodded, and walked over to the window, opening it.
"Well, sister, what else should I have done. We have no other family now that our parents are dead. You have no one else to turn to, and what kind of brother would I be if I let you catch your death out in the cold roadside."
The mention of their parents' death made her flinch. The only other people that she had ever loved were now rotting in some coffin under a patch of dirt. The worst part of it was, it was all her fault. She should have just let him go on his way, instead of chasing after the man who stole her purse. Now her parents were dead, most of her money was gone, and she didn't have any idea of what was to happen next.
Illena felt the bed dip beside her as Calvin sat down. "Illena." Calvin began. "I know what you're thinking. Really, nobody blames you. You aren't the one who shot them. We all would have done the same and tried to get our belongings back, but nobody could have known that man would get so cross about it." This made Illena feel a little better, but she still felt bad about it.
Calvin patted Illenas back before getting up and heading down the hall, leaving her all alone in her new room. 'Why me?' Illena thought, 'Why am I so useless? I have no clue as of what to do. I should probably ask around about what jobs are open. Yes...' She unpacked her things as she thought, unaware of the three children watching her from her doorway.
The oldest one, a boy named Michael, motioned to the others to back away. "Come on you guys, we shouldn't bother her on her first day here. Let's not stress her out." Michael said. The middle child, the daughter Laura, frowned at this. She really wanted to find out what kind of lady their aunt was. Their father never mentioned them ever having an aunt, so when he said that his sister was coming over to stay with them, she was slightly suspicious.
"Michael, can I please go in and talk to her just once?" Laura pleaded. Michael shook his head no and turned to walk away, with Jed, the youngest one of the three, following after him. Sighing, Laura reluctantly followed too. It might be awhile until she would get to talk to her aunt. The only thing left to do now was to wait and hope for that time to come sooner rather than later.
Finally, after an hour of unpacking, Illena was finished. 'Now what should I do?' She thought. 'It's not as if I have anything to do except wait until dinner. I might as well get to know my family, seeing as I'll be here awhile.' Illena headed down the hallway and stopped at the top off the stairs. She could hear her niece talking, and heard her name mentioned.
"Why won't father let me talk to Illena." Illena heard Laura say. "I want to ask her how she got that bruise on her arm."
The older brother, Michael she remembered his name was, sighed. "Laura, you shouldn't ask people about their past if it's something that they don't want to remember."
