The exorcism

                                    

                                          
I was playing outside with the toy horse my aunt had got for me long ago.
I played with it just outside the castle where the stone statues of two great lions were holding our family crest.
My horse was friends with the one on the right, but not the one on the left.
Because the one on the left had been mean, saying that they would eat my horse.

As I hear the hooves of horses approach I stop to look.
Out of the heavy grey fog a carriage appears.
That must be Étienne! I think and decide to run back into the castle to tell everyone.

I bang loudly on the door and my grandfather opens it.
"What is it Adeleen?"
"Grandfather, the carriage! I think it's Étienne!"
He smiles kindly at me.
"Dear girl, please go inside and let the others know. I shall go to see him now." And then he walks off.
I rush inside and start yelling towards anyone I meet about the news.

Étienne is a cousin of mine, he's slightly older and lived pretty far away from the castle.
This was because his parents wanted to live elsewhere with him, not believing the castle to be a right place to raise a child.
Or well that's what one of the maids told me.
I asked my mother, but she didn't want to speak about it.

Even though they lived far away, I did see them every year during Christmas and during the summer.
As you might have already understood, Étienne came way too early for Christmas this year.
It happened because his parents had recently passed away from an accident.
We, his then closest family, live here in the castle, so my cousin had to be brought here.
Part of me feels excited, but another part still feels sad that I won't ever see my aunt and uncle ever again.
The funeral happened just yesterday.


As I tell some of the maids the news, they start running to get everything ready and tell me that I can do something for myself.

Still I feel like I should tell someone else too.
Right! Jan, the butler from downstairs!
He is one of the people working here that always makes time for me.
He's really nice!

I take the stairs to the basement.

"Jan!" I call out to the butler.
"Yes, Miss Adeleen?" He asks as I see him appear before me.
"My cousin, Étienne, is coming over right now."
"I see." He smiles: "I shall help to prepare his room for him."
"Thank you!" I say and then run upstairs again.