a curse?

As the other girl led Andrina down the hall, she looked at her over her shoulder; her face illuminated by the light of the three candles. "My name is Madeline , by the way," a smile; seemingly well meant, yet secretive, smile crossing her lips. "Madeline ....Nevermore." With that, she continued on down the hall, her heavy skirts swishing slightly with each step.

Andrina nodded some, taking this is with only a soft bit of hesitation before she answered. "I'm Andrina...Winters," Her answer came with a pause, as she'd looked behind her when she went to say her last name. A shadow looked to be creeping along the floor a long way down the hall, though it had disappeared; she wasn't sure after that if she'd actually seen anything. Looking forwards to Madeline , she chewed at her lower lip. "Where are you taking me again?" She asked, her question a bit absent as she began to look around.

Madeline ; who had meanwhile been keeping a careful eye out for any of her trouble making brothers, only started a bit and shook her head, before turning to look back at Avalee again. "Hm?"

"Oh, sorry. I was making sure none of them were around," Madeline said as if hearing the question. She laughed a little then and cleared her throat, before reminding Andrina where they were headed. "I am taking you to my room to get you a dress; you cannot wander around like that, you know."

Andrina's attention was caught on who the 'them' was, though she snapped to again, and smiled, nodding as she habitually scratched her head. "Oh, yeah...right," she said, chewing her lip.

"It's perfectly fine," Madeline said, shaking her head as she turned towards a door and took a key out of the front of her dress; the door unlocked seconds later.

"Follow me."

The room that Marcilene led Andrina into was a nice room, much of it suggesting the fact that she was important somehow; as if living in a mansion alone were not proof. Along the wall when you first entered the room, there was a huge, old oak wood wardrobe. It was carved intricately, as if it held some sort of mystery itself. Besides it, there was the window, which had wispy looking curtains of a lilac color waving in the slight breeze. The closer Andrina came to the window, she could see just what a beautiful view it had.

As she stepped closer, Marcilene had been making her way to the great wardrobe; presumably filled to the brim with nice clothes, ones that Andrina could never have dreamed to have--should she actually be from this time--whenever it was. Her attention was taken from the view by the brunette once more, when she heard the soft clearing of a throat. She turned, only to have her eyes widen; the assumption about nice clothes being shattered by what she saw. 'Nice' seemed more an insult than a description. Marcilene simply smiled to her expression, before she motioned towards the many garments.

"Do you see anything that holds your favor?" She tilted her head, blinking a few times. Andrina just swallowed a few times and went to the wardrobe without answer, running her fingers over expensive fabric after expensive fabric. As if in a trance; before she finally tore her eyes away and towards her company.

"Before I answer...Can you tell me now why you have brought me here? You know, before I ended up here, I was kinda on a walk..." she frowned, her voice trailed off before she cleared her throat "And I wasn't supposed to go up to the mansion..."

As if already knowing, Marcilene sighed and nodded, before looking around. "I know. No one should have come. " her voice pinched, then she sat in a chair set not too far from the wardrobe. "No one should, " she repeated "and many haven't. You would not believe how many people I have tried to get to before you, Andrina." With this, her eyes met Andrina's in almost an alarming way. This took her aback; she took a step or two away with her uncertainty showing on her face.

Seeing this made Marcilene a bit more defeated looking. She bit her lip, before looking to Andrina abruptly. "We are cursed. Our entire family. No one will talk to me about it, but I know it." she said urgently, her eyes darting around. "I can feel it, it is in our home. It is in the grounds, it is in the servants. You said where you come from, our home is in ruin, did you not?"

Andrina listened with an unusual skepticism; the words of the frightened girl making her want to help, yet also hesitate. So far, this place seemed to be the same as the one she had entered before; minus the being in ruins part. Yet, she could not be sure it was exactly the same place. She was careful with her next answer, trying to choose her words wisely. "The place I went to was in ruins, yeah." she nodded slowly.

"Did it appear to be.. burnt? Was our home burnt?" Marcilene asked rushedly, sitting forwards. The air of the room seemed darker; heavier almost, with her question.

The new questions drew a blank, shivers running along Andrina's skin; from where, she didn't know. She closed her eyes, thinking back. The place she had been to was indeed, burnt looking. It looked as if many people had once lived there, and like it may have been abandoned for a very long time.

"Yes." she finally said, looking back to Marcilene, who's face paled. "It looked burnt. Why do you ask..?" Andrina tilted her head, watching the other girl's reactions. Before she answered, the curtains started to wave at a more erratic rate; seeming to only concern her more.

"We cannot talk about anymore...it is not wise..." her voice quieted and she looked around, before looking back to Andrina and drew a tight-lipped smile. "Please, do pick a dress...I am certain we are around the same size.." she turned, motioning to the wardrobe again; a visible layer of nervous sweat beaded on her face. Andrina slowly nodded and approached the wardrobe to look, when her arm was suddenly gripped from the side. "I need you to help us...please...I will tell you more later, but please, say you will stay?"

Marcilene's voice came as a semi-hissed, desperate whisper. The real fear in her eyes mixed with fact that Andrina was certain she couldn't leave on her own anyway, drew a slow nod. It felt dark here; it chilled Andrina down to the bone just by the atmosphere--and yet, she could feel something else. Urging her to help. "I'll stay.."