Sunday, July 17, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Room number Three
Veronica gathered her strength as she walked to the next room, she thought of her catholic school teachings and mass services now to gather her spiritual strength in order to deal with this situation properly. This had served her rightly with her husband and children during many a situation with your regular everyday family bickering or bullying of each other or even herself at times. To face any and all situation no matter how cruel or wicked as if God were there in it too, and to know God were inside herself as well to do as he would want to be done. She knew she could have this whole house cleansed and blessed by her priest with nobody the wiser she opened the third door secure in her faith and renewed of courage now. This room had a crib in it and shelves on the walls with toys, she had hoped not to find a child skeleton but felt now after the first two rooms she could just about handle anything that came her way. She looked side ways out of the corner of her eye towards the bed, not really wanting to know what lay there but knew that she would any way. The same big bed with curtains drawn, there were chests and a rocking horse and chair. Pictures of ponies and children riding them covered the walls. A big wooden cabinet in one corner of the room opened to show children's clothes for both a boy and a girl. Her heart sunk, there were dead children's skeleton's in her very own home with her living and thriving family, insane to her that much she knew to be clear now. She pulled back the curtains of pale dust covered yellow to see a very large lump in the bed, when she pulled down the covers she had to look away quickly from the horror and gather herself again. Two small children dressed in full riding clothes and boots lay there as skeleton's holding onto the pony skeleton that lay between them.
The six skeleton closets
These rooms she visited, after the first room with the Lady in her bed of jewels. It was a bit less of a shock what she ended up finding, but just as horrifying all the same. The second room was emptier and had no such finery every where, there were dust covered books on a desk in the corner and many small taxadermy pets around. Butterfly's and flower pressings framed, with some amature oil paintings, this seemed quite the students room indeed. By the bed were rows of journals, and self made scrap books with photo's and other momento's inside. There was a hope chest again here, and a large mirrored vanity dresser with many pressed dried roses placed atop it. A sewing machine in the corner, suggested yet another hobby of choice and some books on cooking with canned fruits and veggies another field of study. There was a very old music player and, a very small closet compared to the first room. Inside she found, one side with clothes, shoes, and hats. The other side with shelves of more books, and what seemed to be old game playing items. Such as jacks, checkers, cards and a big bag of marbles. Even a very old crokque set, still in good condition. Everything covered in so much dust though, who knew for sure. Then she reluctently walked over to the bed and pulled aside the curtains of pale dusty violet with tiny flowers. In the bed another lump, this one smaller she pulled down the blankets. There lay another skeleton dressed in pink with little yellow flowers, long cotton night gown. She had the sense that this person was younger than the other, but had a very mature soul for her age. No jewelry here around this one, but what appeared to be dried flowers and butterflys all around her. Still very disturbing and strange, again she ran out and locked the door this time panting and sweating of fear. She looked down the big long hall with disgust and confusion now. She was sure now of what more lay ahead, she hated and feared it inside at the same time she knew to protect her children, family, and home that she must know what was in there own home. If not only to get rid of it and cleanse this part of the house completely of it all.
You would think she would not be able to keep such big secrets
Laying inside the bed was what appeared to be a very small mound, again she had to see what this mound was in her home. So she pulled back the covers to uncover the shock of her life, a skeleton dressed in a white silk night gown with a diamond covered crown and jewels all over and around her body. Veronica wanted to scream, but instead suddenly an overwhelming sense of protection swept over her whole being to protect her family from ever seeing this or anyone else! Just imagine the Town's people's gossip at this one, and her poor Vincent this could very well be a distant family member of his how awful!! Then another stranger thought crept into her mind, the bragging he had always done. One time she had remembered him saying, very proudly. My skeletons run so deep in my family, we don't even put them in graves just keep them right at home for everybody to see. Then he and other town members had all laughed very long and loudly at there little joke telling. Now, this joke seemed like a terrible horrifying nightmare to her. Did her husband in fact, already know this body was laying inside there home with there children around? Her mind wouldn't except such a practical level headed man, being so thoughtless or cruel to do such a thing. Of course he didn't know, and he never will. It seemed crazy especailly to Veronica but, this thought in her mind about him never knowing about this body. It really didn't seem to come from inside her but from the body laying in the bed. Then she felt such a big feeling of dispair and fear, she turned quickly and ran out of that room locking the door again behind her. Her feelings were that nobody must know of this, she was just thankful then that these old rooms had all been locked up. What if her children had found this horrifying sight, they would be terrified forever of there own home most likely. She then thought, just what is in those other five rooms? Her hand holding the big ring full of keys, began to shake just a little at this thought.
Skeletons in the Closets
The Witmore's like any other "normal" family had skeletons in there closets or family history they world rather remain kept secret. Yet, Vincent Witmore always seemed overly proud of even this side of his family even to the point of bragging. This had worried and scared Veronica at first, then she was reasured by his Mother and other town folks. That this was simply a country charm way, just a cultural difference from her City life that she was not yet used to. Give it time and you will come to understand all of this they had told her, matter of factlly. So, in her hopeful and ever opptomist ways she did just that. After there children had gotten to be about up to the age of ten the eldest one, anyway more things even more disturbing begin to surface that she was just unable to let go any longer. She had opened up one of the old guests rooms they hadn't even yet opened to even clean up as long as they had lived there, there were at least six other rooms like this one. She just had been so busy with the kids and the house servants, everything her nursery projects outside and in. Until now, then she had thought her family would someday perhaps change there minds and come visit there Grandchildren, so best to have there rooms ready and clean enough for them. She had insisted to be let to clean these rooms herself alone, whatever family secrets she found in them she knew that Vincent secretly would not want for anymore Town gossips going around with it at all. She wanted for it to quiet down some more herself too, secretly. As she opened the first of the six doors there could have never been anyway she would be able to prepare herself for what lay inside. She looked into a dust filled very large room, much like her own. Hardwood floors, tall ceiling, king size four poster bed, sheets covered in layers of dust with fine ornamented wood carved furniture under them being protected from age and time. The poster bed was encased in curtains all around of red ruffly velvet. She started the removal of the sheets from a vanity dresser with a very large mirror, and two chais lounger sofa's, a hope chest, a very large jewelery box, vanity and shoe stools, victorian pink velvet chairs. This had obviously been a ladies room, with very fine tastes for more expensive things. She then went to a far wall were two wooden doors stood with golden handles, she opened them. Inside, were rows and rows of clothes in a closet almost as big as the bedroom itself, and shelves built to encase many hats and shoes of all kinds. Every shelf still filled with the hats and shoes now covered in layers of dust and probably all ruined. The moths had eaten holes in most of the dresses she saw hanging near here, which was a shame since they were clearly antique and well made lovely ball room style and some garden party. All ornate with gemstones and flowing or ruffly very feminine, of every colors of the rainbow and flower gardens, it was an impressive wardrobe indeed. Her work her was going to be tough she already knew this, she would need a few trucks she thought to haul this all out of her home, but she closed the doors of the closet to go make the calls to the local men in town she knew who did just such moving jobs for people. As she turned around there stood that beautiful big old bed wrapped in very dusty red velvet. She felt a strange strong urge to go look inside the curtains at just what the bed did look like inside, it was silly to her but she couldn't help herself and went over and very quickly with one fluid motion opened the curtains.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
The Children Were All Much Too Young Still
The Witmore children were all home schooled, and would be until off to college days. Even then each child had a personal tutor that would be sent off to college with them to complete there education and inform there parents of there well being, grades in studies, and of a proper environment for a higher education for them. The Witmore's had covered all there bases when it came to there children, for they needed to be wise enough to handle the stress of business either with the farm or the town's stores. Or if they choose, wise enough still to venture away from family owned things to start there very own life and all the hard work and stress this takes as well. The Witmore's usually in agreement when it came to these matters for the most part, they wanted there children to have everything they had been able to have if not even more if possible, like any other parent they just wanted the best for there family so they could be happy enough in there lives. Most people however in town thought that they went much too far with all of this, and perhaps thought they were too good for there children to attend the schools of Echo, and too good to even think that there children could ever possibly handle there education without the constant watch of Mother and Father around. The town gossiped once again, the Witmore's were secretly becoming a very big oddity to the towns folk there eclectic ways that they were very much so not used to a big culture shock, really. For the Town's people this went far beyond simple envy into the realms of now legend and folk lore, and to even some songs were written and jokes told in fantasy. It was as if they were no longer members of the Town's community but now more already gone on to another place or time of living from them altogether. Like as with talks of myth or make believe, were they even real people at all or just characters in stories and that's all. Some tourists from the Cities would here the Town's talk, and drive by there home taking pictures and hoping to get a glance of these fabulous sounding people as proof to share back at home with others. The Witmore's were already well used to the picture's, and gapping tourist's and all the Town's wild stories and gossip they actually sat by the fire at nights after supper and laughed for hours sometimes about all of this silliness, again in the great hopes of preparing there children for this very same thing.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Mother Witmore's love of Nature
Veronica or as she had now been dubbed lovingly by Cripple Creek and the town of Echo as "Mother Witmore", had become famous with the people for her small nursery projects at Cripple Creek. First her great rose gardens, then came all the other variety of flowers. Then she brought in the petting zoo for her children and there friends to enjoy whenever they liked. Of course she had a professional gardener and keepers for the animals. She still supervised everything and loved it all so very much, that the town's people called her Mother Witmore as in the likeness of Mother nature herself. She was very honored and flattered at this, and proudly took the name from them. There small petting zoo consisted of shetlynn Ponies, rabbits, goats, sheep, lama's, a pond with ducks and swans, some barn cats, and toy poodles. There was also another section with more wild animals for observation and nature learning, a baby cougar, deer,an owl, field mice, even a coyote and a wolf. They of course had a marvelous hen house with roosters too. So that her children may experience collecting there very own eggs for breakfast to eat. The atrium she had built onto the house was in fact a hot house for plants, like a rain forest in the middle of the country full of all sorts of exotic plants. Plus she had there home library stocked with all the best books for teaching children on these subjects of plants and animals and nature's world around them. She wanted her children to not only be free to have a fun, exciting and great childhood but one that they could learn and grow to be adults that knew there world and surroundings well and were comfortable enough in them. Another thing she herself never had, she wanted for not only her children to have but believed everybody should have this knowledge. So that they may grow to love and respect there world and care for it just as greatly as they do there own homes. She had always feared the pollutions and other chemical waste from her big city childhood and she knew very well just how unsafe and unclean this world really could be. She hoped they would change this one day, by starting to turn it around for the better now with our children as she and her husband were trying to do. Mother Witmore, full of hope and optimism her husband went along with it all a bit reluctanly but seemed sort of bothered by all of this most of the time somehow.
The Lay of the Old Lands of Cripple Creek Farm
There was of course one main house larger than any other building, except for the barn. This barn housed no animals it was used only for harvest times of there fields. Then the bunk houses and a few other out buildings for other storage and family and friend guests. Veronica had noticed right away her husbands seemingly anti socail behaviors. He sent field workers to town to pick up there personal supplies at times paying them extra. She thought he was still embarrased or had wounded pride from her families viscous gossip of him not being of her or there class enough. The whole town had been talking of this for years now, they had found this out just after there first Daughter Sasha was born. They said, that all of there children would be so uneducated living out away from the real world and spoiled that way, that one day they would be forced to work for there own father on the farm just to survive and keep the farm going. All untrue of course both Veronica and Vincent had already put college funds together for all eight children, and would see them all go to do whatever they wished for there own lives to make a living and a home. If they wanted they were always welcome back to Cripple Creek. The one main house was more than a mansion like, anybody could easily be lost in it. Bigger than the towns hospital even, the West side was were the girls slept and the North side the boys. Mother and Father Witmore slept on the East and only bedroom on this side, the largest one too just past there library. Everything the town could offer they seemed to already have at home or could just send a worker to fetch easily for them.
Veronic's new Life and Home Cripple Creek Farm
Veronica in her city was always known as simply and average girl next door kind of pretty no real beauty, boys were always satisfied to just be her friend. Yet her in her husband's home town of Echo, Wisconsin they all seemed to adore her endless beauties with never ending and even embaresing compliments at times. She took it lightly as small town country kindness and nothing more. Her In-laws were the worst with all of this vain flattery. Again, she just thought it a cultural difference in oppinons and simply laughed every time. She also assumed most were out to be extra nice in fear of loosing work, since the Witmore's owned half the bussiness's in town already. They had thought to sell the old family farm, it didn't do much business anymore but still held much too many fond childhood memories for Vincent her new husband. So there they put up roots and had there first three sons the first three years they lived there. There fourth, boy came two years later. Then the girls one every year for four years. Veronica had made it her mission to give all her children a great country experience for there childhood memories. She had the best counrty tailor come and sew them all baby clothes, and diaper's quilts, pillow cases, coats, hats, mittens everything they needed was just sewn right up by the house tailor. Never anything store bought, her children could pick whatever they choose from the catologs, magazines,the highest of fashions and have it made right from home. That's how skilled her tailor was. There cook was the same any meat dish from the fields or the oceans prepared with ease whenever they liked, and all variety of fruits and veggies were always kept stocked well in there very large panty's straight from there own fields. Veronica and Vincent never did any of this work them selves of course, much to busy with the families book work and the children. Vincent had been the first of his family to graduate college or even to go at all, with his business degree. He was smart enough now to not only run the farm but a couple town hardware shops as well and a restaurant, and two grocery stores.He owned them and managed them he wasn't home allot at first but then he found the right people he trusted so he could be more at home with his wife and children. Then he seemed to hardly never want to leave the farm at all, he said this is how life was meant to be lived in the great outdoors having fun enjoying yourself, not always clouded with too many thoughts and worries behind desks somewhere. Veronica did agree with her husband, she too loved there life at Cripple Creek.
The Famous or Infamous Witmore family
The Witmore's always knew that they were a family of high class and priviledge in there small and very poor community. There were those who disliked them in there town simply because they had more than they did, then there were the families that disliked them for far more scandalous reason's all together. They wanted what they had and tried to befriend or even seduce members of the Witmore clan to get at what they had. All was in vain every time however, nobody could ever quite understand it. They only stayed with each other never made any outside friends or dates even. The girls were beautiful by the towns standered and the boys quite handsome too. There were eight children in all, four boys and four girls all very close in age. There Mother had always been sickly like for many years now, she wasn't always that way however just since she desided to raise her family it seemed her parents had been known to say often. They blamed it on her Husband's bad jugement living so far out in the country, away from good medical care. Her family were from a long line of what is known today as old money, doctor's and lawyer's, Mother's who held oppinions on PTA school board meetings and healthcare functions. She married against her families wishes into new money and even worse a farming family. They would never again give her one dime of support she was cut out completely. She was a true dreamer and optomist, however and never could foresee any harm coming there way she just wanted a nice big family out in the counrty were her children wouldn't have all the cares and worries of city life, cleaner air fresh food, and always active outdoor times a real childhood she herself never had. Yes, they were newer money, but many times over richer than her own parents yet another reason for there distain. This family had just won a very large lottery, they never really worked for there money her parents would argue, She simply had to remind them that they had always worked every day of there lives hard in the fields what more could be asked of them. So, it was Veronica Smith became Veronica Witmore.
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