Months ago, about the time that I started this blog, I had a weird dream that was hard to explain, and the details of the dream faded quickly. I wrote down the main concept of the dream before I forgot it. A group of kids were kidnapped and given new identities. I was sure that I would be able to make this idea into a book, or even a series of books. I choose to take my time writing out details. I wanted to write character descriptions, backstories and have an outline prepared before I officially started writing the story out. This proved to be too difficult for me. I lost focus since I also needed to keep up on writing stories to post each week. But I couldn’t get this idea out of my head. The writer’s block I have had hasn’t helped any because “Amy” the main character of this story just wanted to tell her story. So, I threw my whole plan out the window of planning everything out and I just started writing. Before I knew it, I had the first rough draft of the first two chapters. I have decided to share this first draft with you. No updated versions will ever be posted, but I plan on putting in detail later on that will take this from armature story to a novel worth trying to publish. I hope you enjoy this for now though. I will post chapters as they are written.
A month later Amy was lined up again with the rest of the household staff to greet these visitors for the weeklong stay. Each family coming to visit had decided to bring their own maids because the Burgandy household had not been able to provide ample help the previous year. It was agreed that each brought four of their own to help to tend to the families and the Crimson’s staff would be free to maintain the standards of the manor.
Amy had been selected to serve the visitors by Lady Crimson. Though only after her and Matilda had had a meeting about the attributes of each maid available. As such Amy was to serve refreshments during social gatherings in the men’s parlor and then clean it after.
It turns out that that role started the same afternoon. Once the families were settled into their rooms the men, women, and children went to different areas of the manor for the standard greetings and catchup. Amy, due to her age, didn’t know the names of drinks so she busied herself by picking up the empty glasses. She also made note of which man belonged to which household. If she was told to get something she wanted to know who it was for.
The conversations that the men where having seemed superficial at best, in Amy’s opinion. She listened all the same.
“The factory production is up 5% from last year” Lord Maroon boasted.
“This spring has been wet and has delayed the planting of crops” Lord Scarlet commented.
“Yes, my eldest will be overseeing the trade routes through our land starting next month” Lord Sangria said.
After about an hour of this Bennett, the head butler, came in to call everyone to the garden for lunch. While most of the maids also went out to help with service Amy and another maid stayed inside to clean the parlor. Maddison had been one of the few maids that hadn’t belittled Amy for her tears when Amy first arrived. Maddison looked to be about 18 and tried to also push the limits against Lord and Lady Crimson. However, there was one day she had pushed too far when it pertained to the youngest Crimson daughter. Amy didn’t know what punishment Madison had received, there were no marks, but she had been taken away for three days. When she returned, Madison didn’t speak anymore. She kept her eyes on the floor and did her work better than anyone ever could.
The two girls skirted around the room and had it cleaned in half an hour. To fill the void in her mind Amy had started her mantra again. She must not have kept it silent though because for the first time in a while Maddison looked up and stared at Amy.
“Maddison is everything alright? You look startled” Amy asked concerned.
“Names” whispered Maddison. Amy’s heart raced. If someone knew she was using her old name, even to herself, she didn’t know what could happen. But a beating would be the best she could ask for.
“I’m sorry? What name?” Amy tried to play it off. “Did you forget the names of the guests? I think I figured all of them out. I could help you.”
Maddison shook her head and went back to her task. Amy was cautious the rest of the day. She looked straight ahead, afraid of looking guilty. Though in reality the inhabitants of Crimson Manor were getting so intoxicated none of them were paying attention to any of the help.
Bedtime hadn’t come fast enough for Amy. And being as stubborn as she was, she still looked in the mirror in the bathroom and reminded herself of her friends and herself again.
A Writer's Starting Line 
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