Literature
Origin of the Pleiades
Origin of the Pleiades Part 1
Seven-year-old Cecelia Montclair sat cross-legged on a thick silk rug, her clear blue eyes fixed on the new doll in her lap. It was a gift from her father. She smoothed its lace dress and hummed the soft, wordless lullaby her mother had taught her. Long blonde curls fell over her shoulders as she bent closer to inspect the doll’s tiny porcelain shoes.
Up to this point, her childhood had been gentle.
That was about to change.
A thunderous boom shook the house.
The floorboards trembled beneath her. The doll slipped from her fingers and struck the stone hearth. Its porcelain head shattered with a sharp crack, scattering white fragments across the carpet.
[DEVIATION]
From downstairs came the sound of splintering wood, followed by the heavy thud of boots and a burst of angry shouting.
Cecelia rose slowly. She crept out of the nursery and gripped the polished mahogany banister. Below, the gas-lit foyer had filled with strangers.
The front doors hung
