Harsh winds whipped against Adelaide's soft face and blew her fiery red waves wildly, as she stood gazing out across the gloomy skies of Northern Ireland. The weather seemed to have matched her somber mood as she stood waiting on a train platform.

Adelaide's aunt, standing next to her, had woken her up in the early hours of the morning so they could begin their journey to Adelaide's new boarding school. First taking a cab, followed by a ferry, and now a train.

Quite frankly Adelaide wasn't upset to be leaving her Aunt's. Ms. Aileen, as she liked to be addressed, was in all honesty a very uptight woman. There was nothing against being proper, but she took being a snob to the extreme. Always concerned with what other people thought of their image and what people would be thinking or saying about them. She was always making sure to have her opinion of other people known as well. She could be quite blunt, one might even say insensitive. It was exhausting. Adelaide had only lived with her for upwards of four months before she was aching to leave. She couldn't imagine living there for the rest of the school year.

To say Adelaide and her aunt didn't get along wouldn't be true either, however. Adelaide was always on the shy side and had never been the type to go around causing trouble. Ms. Aileen would've had her hands full if Adelaide's brother was still in the picture. He was five years older than her and had a knack for causing a ruckus.

Sadly, he had gone off to America a few years before and Adelaide and him had lost touch. She wasn't even sure if he knew of their parents recent death. It was a tragic accident. Car crash. Neither parties in either car had survived. They say the driver of the other car had been drunk and swerved into the Abernathy's while they were going down an unlit street. It broke Adelaide's heart when the police showed up with the news. The poor girl didn't even get the time to properly grieve before they shipped her off to her aunt.

"About time." Her aunt's nasally voice met her ears, pulling Adelaide out of her bleak thoughts. Redirecting her attention to the train tracks, the one they had been waiting for had just began to pull in. It was the second to last leg of their journey before Adelaide would be at her new home. She may have been happy to leave her aunt's but that in no way meant she was excited to be going to this unknown place. Her home had always been Scotland and she was scared to be leaving it.

Ms. Aileen led the way as they stepped onto the train, taking seats in a compartment near the front. Adelaide made sure to take the window seat so she'd be able to get lost in the scenery of the new landscape. A young couple had joined them in the compartment a few moments before the train started moving, yet nobody spoke a word.

The train ride had felt endless as Adelaide got lost in thoughts about what this new school would have in store for her. She had never been the best at making friends. Nothing was inherently wrong with her, but her interactions with kids her age in the countryside had been limited so it was natural that she was a little awkward.

~

The train slowed before coming to a stop at the station a few hours later. Ms. Aileen yet again led the way. Adelaide had to make quick steps at an almost jog in order to keep up with her aunts fast pace. Her aunt's long and lean form allowed her to weave swiftly through the crowd, leaving Adelaide's much shorter one to struggle in staying close by.

Adelaide let out an unconscious sigh of relief once they had made their way out of the crowd and into the fresh air of the outside. It was still cloudy but felt brighter as the sun began to peak through in the distance.

"Come." Ms. Aileen ordered curtly, directing her to a sleek black car with a plump man standing in front of it. He was clearly the driver of the vehicle and held the sign Abernathy in front of his chest. Of course this meant the car was for them and must have been provided by the school. Ms. Aileen clearly knew that already, though, as she most likely had been given all the necessary information about their journey. Adelaide hadn't given it much thought before but she had been used to being left in the dark in her aunt's home so it wasn't all that surprising.

"Abernathy?" The man asked once Adelaide and her aunt approached him. He gave a warm, friendly smile that made Adelaide's nerves ease but only slightly. If everyone at this new school was as approachable and welcoming as him then she would turn out just fine. The unnamed man helped put Adelaide's luggage into the back of the car as she and her aunt got settled in the back seat.

"How long is the drive?" Adelaide asked Ms. Aileen, gripping onto the soft leather seats in an effort to grasp her new reality. Her nerves were beginning to show and grew stronger as the situation she was in seemed to finally dawn on her.

"Not long. 20...30 minutes at most." Her aunt hadn't even bothered to glance at her, instead searching for something in her purse.

~

The drive was a little bumpy as they had to take private back roads to get to the secluded school. The driver, who introduced himself as Charleston, was very talkative. Ms. Aileen and him were engaged in an animated conversation about Scotland as Charleston mentioned growing up there as well. Adelaide hardly paid much attention, zoning out as her anxiety grew.

Eventually arriving, Adelaide couldn't help but gaze in wonder. The school was gorgeous. There were multiple small castle-like structures spread throughout the campus, each as beautiful as the next. A giant stone wall separated the grounds from a dense forest that prevented Adelaide from seeing any of the surrounding landscape.

Charleston had already got out of the car and began unloading her bags onto the front steps of the main building. Adelaide stepped out of the cab on wobbly legs, she had never been in a place as nice as this which only succeeded to further intimidate her.

"Ah..." Adelaide's head snapped up to see a frail woman with greying hair making her way down the steps. "Its good to see you arrived safely." She must have been the headmaster as Charleston sent her a small salute before stepping back into the cab.

"Fiona, how are you?" Ms. Aileen gushed, giving the warmest smile Adelaide had ever witnessed from her aunt. Adelaide was not aware her aunt was capable of smiling that genuinely, so the action greatly surprised her.

"Couldn't be better. Its so nice to be seeing you again." Fiona gave her a polite smile before turning to Adelaide." Adelaide, I'm assuming. Come dear, we must get you settled in to your room."

Adelaide glanced back at Ms. Aileen as she followed the new woman in thought the grand doors. Her aunt had stayed back, clearly planning to leave for home right away. She only gave the girl one small nod of acknowledgment as her goodbye. Adelaide had expected no less from her cold aunt, but still she felt a sharp pain in her chest as she realized just how unwanted she truly was.

Adelaide tried not to dwell on the thought, instead trying to take in all the glory of her new home as she followed Fiona through the castle. It was strangely quiet for such a large, clearly very populated, school. Adelaide came to the conclusion that students must be in their final class of the day as she had arrived in the afternoon on a Friday. She was thankful she wouldn't need to start until Monday, having the whole weekend to settle in and try to find her bearings.

She would need it.