Chapter 1: Parents always have secrets
19th-century Adroile
The sky had fallen dark yet the steam-covered sky doesn’t make much of a difference on whether it was night or day. Central Adroile still stayed as gloomy as ever. People still swarmed the streets even at an ungodly hour. There was no time for sleep, you’ll get plenty of time to do so when you’re dead. It was common to hear such words from the workers who slaved away their lives just to put food on the table. It was a highly unjust world. Those below the poverty line stayed below, no matter how hard they tried. While those that were above that, did everything they could to stay above.
Those that were fortunate enough to be born into a family who could provide for their needs... well, they at least experienced some sort of freedom. They were the ones blessed enough to be given the freedom to decide what to do with their own lives. At least… that was what it seemed like from a spectator’s view. However, it wasn’t the case for Audrey Greames. No, not at all. Even at an age of 9, she experienced none of that freedom she was said to have. A fixed routine set up by her mother was all that greeted her from the moment she and her brother, Tinble, awakened, to until they lay their heads to sleep.
There was no time to play, they were only ever allowed to read and study whilst their parents worked their lives away at the mechanical parts shop they owned. Well, their mother did, anyway. Yes, their mother, Petula Greames basically ran the store by herself ever since their father became occupied with other things. Their father, Chandler Greames, was always the curious one. An inventor was what he was called by their colleagues. He spent most of his days in his study whilst they, the children, stayed in their rooms. Sometimes, they would be allowed to go around to help out their parents with the shop, and sometimes with deliveries. They were only ever allowed in their father’s study when he needed the extra hand. Or he simply wanted to show them something. Perhaps the only times they ever really get to see their parents were during meals. Mostly, it would be around breakfast and supper time. And if Audrey was to be quite frank, supper time was one of the most exciting hours of her day. Around those times, their father would make a grand unveiling of his latest inventions or ideas before they would start on their meal.
A number of those inventions would always end creating a mess and some of those may have caused a few minor explosions which they would have to clean up after their meals. But on the rare times that his inventions did work. It simply leaves Them in awe. Like the first fully mechanical doll their father made for her. It was amongst his most prized possessions. Yet why he continued to build despite the failures was beyond all of them.
Whenever Audrey and Tinble would ask their father why he built and invented, he would always state that they were still quite young to understand some things. When they hoped to get an answer from their mother, she would simply redirect the question or they would be answered with a question of her own. The avoidance made them conclude that, so their, parents were hiding something. And whatever it was they hid from them was something that was either too terrifying or it could be a surprise for them. For a few days, Audrey talked Tinble into watching their parents whenever they had the chance to. Out of sheer curiosity, Tinble agreed. Each of them marked a parent that they would watch. For Audrey, it was her task to keep an eye on their father while Tinble would be with their mother in the shop.
Since that agreement, they would often carry the books they needed to study where their parents were. And for Audrey, she started spending an ample amount of time in her father’s study. For the first few days, she would just watch him tinker with some of his old machinery and inventions that ended in a disaster.
“Daddy, why do you build machines?” Audrey asks as she places the book she was reading onto her lap.
“Because I want to,” Her father said bluntly as he was putting in the last few pieces of screws on the newest contraption he was building “And it’s fun”
“Is it?” She soon jumped off the chair she sat upon and made her way to her father’s side where she was handed the screwdriver he was using
“Give it a try” He urged her
She looked at the item curiously before she did as her father was doing previously. After some minutes, she had finished and she handed him back the screwdriver “It didn’t feel all too fun, Daddy”
“That’s because you don’t know what they’re for” He ushered her to take a few steps back while he lit up something at the side of the machine.
Once done, he took a few steps back. In a matter of minutes, wheezing and hissing sounds came from the machine. And a few more moments later, some of the cogs started turning and the piece that Audrey had helped assemble was now in rotation, as well as the other small boxes that were fixed onto a rotating wheel. “You see that? It’s the piece you helped with. Look at it go”
She watched with wide awe-filled eyes, as the wheel rotated “I see it! But what’s it used for, Daddy?”
It will be for lifting things. From a low place to a high place. It looks like it would be good for small things though” he muttered as he scratched the side of his head. Maybe if it was bigger, it could carry bigger things”
“Then you can just build something bigger! I’ll help!” She was beaming as she picked up the tool she previously had, back in her hands
“Now that’s an idea.” He was grinning from ear to ear at the sight of the overly-enthusiastic Audrey being ready to build alongside him “Or we could try building something you want!”
“I want to make that doll you gave me before. I think she needs a friend” She said with a wide, cheeky grin stretched on her lips.
“Let me just find the prints for that” He turned to a bookcase at the far end of the room where rolled-up papers were stacked neatly on each shelf.
“What’s that? What are all those papers for?” She followed after him yet her question remained unanswered so she decided to pull out some of the rolled-up paper as well “Oh you were making people, Daddy? What’s an animato-”
Before she could finish her words, her mouth was immediately covered with his hand and she was met with the most terrifying look she’s ever seen of her father “Don’t touch those. I think you should wait by the table while I look for the plans.” he told her sternly while he pointed to his drawing table.
Without a word, she just nodded almost instantly and rushed back to the drawing table that was on one end of the room. Shivers ran down her spine upon recalling the look she was given. She had never seen her father so terrifying yet it somehow confirmed that he was hiding something. Her thoughts became too occupied with the events from moments ago that she didn’t even notice when her father started calling out to her. She only snapped out of her train of thoughts when her father poked her side with the roll of paper in his hands.
“I’m sorry for scaring you earlier, darling. Those were just important plans. Didn’t want them ruined” He said as he offered an apologetic smile “Shall we get building?” He laid out the plans over the drawing table and taped them into place.
“Where do we start?”
“We’ll have to start here…” He points to the small box figure that was in the middle of the paper “Then maybe… the body?”
“What about the head?”
He had already gone about to collect the materials they would be needing “That can be next” He assured her before placing the materials on a table beside where she stood “Now come here so I can teach you”
For the entire day, The pair spent their entire afternoon locked up in the study. Luckily, Tinble was enough to keep their mother occupied as well, else, the both of them would have had an earful from her. By the time it was supper time, Their father was ready to call it a day while Audrey, on the other hand, wasn’t quite willing to leave her small doll alone just yet. It was just a few pieces away from completion.
“Daddy, can’t we just finish this?” She gave her one of her best pouts yet it didn’t seem to affect him in the slightest that time.
“You know how your mother gets when someone’s late for supper. Come on” He ushered her away from the table and out the room.
I had to cut this into parts because the full chapter was apparently 3,500 words and it would have been an overwhelming read. So this might actually turn into 20 chapters after all OnO
That full mechanical doll, why am I remembering R.E.D from it, or maybe it was actually R.E.D's design that Aubrey saw on the paper!
Anyways it was a good read, the secret of the parents is intriguing. you always make me curious as to what will happen next huh, resulting in the urge to quickly read the next chapter.