Her mother having died in child-birth and her father too disparaged by the drink to properly raise her, Anastasia spent her early years passed to and fro between poor relations, none of whom were in a position to take on the care and feeding of an all but orphaned child.

When the Sisters originally informed her of the Grimbly’s desire to adopt her, she was consumed with fear. They were strangers to her, not only in that they had barely been introduced, but also in the way they dressed, spoke, even carried themselves. She had heard tell of their ilk.

Well-to-do prominent families that scoured orphanages for children they would subsequently adopt- only to relegate the unfortunate child into lifelong servitude- in repayment, as it were, for their kindness. Thankless children found unable or unwilling to sufficiently work out their gratitude… The conceivable possibilities were too gruesome to even imagine.

Envisioning herself in rags, scrubbing floors for crusts of bread, Anastasia climbed the carved mahogany staircase, which led no doubt to the locked attic room where she would live out her subjugation- when Mrs. Grimbly stopped before an opened door, and gently whispered, “We thought this could be your room.”

Anastasia paused at the threshold, her eyes wide, her breath welled-up inside her- quite afraid that if she exhaled everything beyond the door frame would disappear. She had looked on so many unlovely places in her life, poor child; but this was as lovely as anything she had ever dreamed.

This is written in 50 word increments, and includes the literary quote offered this week on 50 word Thursday.

The quote was, “She had looked on so many unlovely places in her life, poor child; but this was as lovely as anything she had ever dreamed.” – Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery