Ensorcellors: The Tales of Encrest

[ETOEB1//02//] Welcome to Meverly!

Chapter 02

Welcome to Meverly!

Carter's POV:

"I told you, Carter, this is a shortcut!" Auselle, my Step-Mom's voice rose upward as if she was singing with a constant tone added with a hum as she happily gave out her statement, glancing back to assure herself that we were listening.

You heard me loud and clear. She is not my real mother. And that is to say...

Yes. You probably figured that out.

A newborn orphan, a homeless child who looked like a sheepskin, lying in a warm basket, covering my fragile, bare, pinkish skin with large banana leaves.

By the time I was nine, my mother had already enlightened me and told me about my unknown past. She found me outside their house. She felt bad seeing me at the time, so she had no choice but to embrace me.

And yet here I stand, Living my life to this day!

What about Ricky and Sandra? They are my siblings, of course. Not by blood, but by heart.

The two of them?

They're the real official siblings, and I'm just a kid who has no place in this family.

I look upon them as my true family. These people take good care of me. I don't have a clue who my real parents are.

I just didn't think about it.

I've stopped asking questions, and I don't intend to pursue them anymore.

But watching the tense woman looking for her son, it reminded me of...

Myself.

What if my birth parents were trying to find me all this time?

What do you think my expression would be? Or how would I go about it?

Honestly, I'm not sure how I feel.

I still cannot deny the little fact that a spark of curiosity remains in the farthest corner of my heart, hiding deep within the shadows, searching for clues and answers about my whole identity.

Even though my mom and my siblings were the ones who raised me and completed the missing pieces of myself, I was still gaining some sense of self as to who I am today.

But what really worried me was, "How come I always feel so lost, like I'm not a part of this world?"

Something doesn't feel right. It's like I have a deep desire for someone or something that I don't even know how to explain. I don't know. Perhaps that's just-

"You were saying, Carter? What were you mumbling about?" Sandra asked out of the blue.

My elbows that were placed on the glass window of the caravan and my wrist supporting my left cheek fell the moment she questioned me, which took my attention and focus away from thinking about my life and my existence.

"W-what!? Have I said anything? No, I-"

"Ugh, I hate the news!" growled Ricky. He took the remote and shut down the TV that annoyed him.

"Are we even there yet?" Ricky impatiently asked and at the same time stopped my dialogue, which prevented me from explaining my excuses to Sandra.

Mother didn't say a word. She was holding the steering wheel and driving seriously when I noticed we were crossing a big black gate. At the end of the road there was a big manor house.

It seemed kind of Gothic. Like a scary haunted house that can be inhabited by strange creatures like scary monsters or scary ghosts, just like you would normally see in horror movies. Sounds that way if I describe it.

The caravan stopped and parked close to the great fountain of the pond. Sandra and Carter drove the door out.

"Welcome to Meverly!" A butler stood up and waited at the door. He began by welcoming us with a warm and luminous smile. He wore a classic beige suit, his red tie was firmly fastened, and he even had a pointed cinnamon mustache under his nose.

"My name is Lincoln, the housekeeper of this manor. It is a pleasure to meet you! -" He presented himself sincerely.

"And it is my pleasure to serve you at all costs!" He bowed politely and treated us as though we were a sort of fanciful royalty.

I suddenly had goosebumps the minute he showed up.

His smiles were wide and long and as he gazed his sight towards my direction, the way he looked at me seemed weird in a sense that the moment he stood in front of the entrance gate to open it, he still managed to maintain his composure of wearing a smirk on his face. My internal organs were shaking, but I tried to regain control.

"Thank you!" Mom sends her regards.

I don't know if I was the only one who noticed his odd demeanor, but the way Lincoln smile seemed very unnatural, as if it wasn't human.

Mom and Sandra got all the stuff out of the caravan. Lincoln lent us a hand, bringing the things inside the manor.

I muttered, "M-ma-" The weight of the boxes I was carrying was heavy while Sandra purposely added more weight above it with the things she was getting from the back of the caravan.

I wanted to pester Sandra, but I couldn't talk because of the pile of things I was carrying just to put it inside the manor. As I looked at Sandra, I saw her malicious grin. I grimaced slightly toward her and rolled my eyes as my answer and intentionally stepped upon her foot as my vengeance.

"Ow!" Sandra shrieked. She glared at me, but I replied with a taunt and continually ignored her arrogance after that.

The boxes were so heavy, I couldn't help but bring them to the ground. I went back and forth to pick up and carry some of our precious stuff that was still left in the back of the caravan.

When I finished unloading it all, I sighed and sat on a chair, wiping my face in sweat.

"I decided to take you here," Mom said as she lowered the things she was carrying on the table, and then she turned her body to look in our direction.

"And I know it's not new for you to hear this, but-" she paused, wiped the sweat on her forehead and then kept talking.

"From now on, we'll stay here." Mother's deposition ended.