Her Flux

There was never much to tell about the Providence family, except that they were a rich, aristocrat family that lived on the unspoilt countryside of South Shropshire. Situated on the borders of England and Wales, Ludlow was the place where their castle resided for years. Their bloodline history was simple: one or two kids per generation who would eventually grow into decent heirs that wore the family name with pride up to the very end of their lives. They were the kind of people to whom manners, social status and family fortune meant everything. Every generation was more spoiled than the last one, but let us be honest; has it not been the same for every family in England?

You could see them on charity events, giving away money they had too much of to the ones in need. The presence of the young men of the family, who were educated by the best teachers in the lands, was often required everywhere and they traveled through England constantly. The girls, whose hands were sought by the richest dukes, counts, earls, knights in the lands, were beautiful beyond imagine. The family was so well known that they even R.S.V.P to tea parties hosted by the Queen herself. In couple of words, they were South Shropshire’s royalty and they were proud with what they had accomplished. Gossip rarely targeted their respectful family. Very rarely, because you see, the Providence family was all about reserving their privacy. That way, with their name clear from scandals, they could and would gain the respect of others for centuries to come.

Yes, there was not much to tell about the Providence family up to the year of 1700. It was the last year of the 17th century, the time when the vast reach of renaissance slowly faded away. It all happened on that rainy night, when the name of Erica Providence was written down in the family tree. Suddenly, after the birth of the small girl, everything changed about the Providence family. They stopped going to charity events and mingling with people, which was the one thing they were best at. The strangest part was when their castle, the original home for all the members of this family, was sold to an unknown newcomer nobody seemed to be fond of.

Slowly, the name of the family was coiled in gossips that spread out through Ludlow like the sound of a thunder storm. But no one dared to ask their reason for selling out the priceless family legacy for they were still respected as one of the most influential families in England. Thomas Providence, the father of the girl, bought a new place for his family; a mansion up on the hills, close to the border with Wales, away from any population that might intervene with his family. The place he bought was at the very end of Clun, a small town in Shropshire. Luscious green grasses, vast forests, and the splashing waters of the River Clun were the new surroundings for the rich Providence family.

Occasionally, Thomas or his wife, Addison Providence, had the habit of making a brief appearance in their old hometown Ludlow. In the end, it was one of England’s biggest market places and was stoked with... well everything. But they never lingered in Ludlow. As soon as business was done, they would enter their carriage and hurry back to their new, hidden estate. The most peculiar thing about these visits was the absence of little Erica Providence. By the year of 1717 she was no longer a girl, but a young woman who should soon be arranged to marry another great man. But how were these great men supposed to seek Erica’s hand in marriage, when nobody had ever seen her? Why was she kept so hidden from the world?

Many vicious and jealous people started their own theories based on the absence of Erica. Some said she was probably very ugly and they had to keep her hidden from the eyes of strangers. But that theory was far from possible. In the end, Thomas had been one of the most attractive bachelors in his time. With his light blond hair and his gray eyes, he was ‘Prince Charming’ to any girl who saw him walking down the streets, passing the bridge of river Teme and entering Ludlow through the gate in the old town walls. His wife, Addison, the daughter of a famous count, also possessed great beauty. With her long, curly brown hair, dashing light blue eyes, and silky fair skin she was the mere picture of an angel. It was no wonder these two beautiful humans found each other and that was why no one believed that Erica, the child of two angels, was not beautiful. That was simply preposterous and utterly impossible.

Others said that the girl was suffering from a strange and rare illness and that when the government found out about it, they banished the family from Ludlow in fear of plague. But of course, they said that Thomas bribed the people on high positions, so he could leave Ludlow soundlessly, in attempt to keep his reputation and family name clean. There were even those who believed that the girl died and along with her passed away the last heir of the Providence family. They said that sadness was what pushed Thomas and Addison to live the rest of their unsocial lives away, on the boarders of the small town of Clun.

But Erica Providence was far from dead. She was as alive as a person her age could be and even more. She was alive in such a way that no human in England was aware of. Her heart glowed with such incandescence, it was blinding for anyone that was around her. She was not ugly, ill, or dead.

She was just different and that was why Thomas and Addison had to protect her. That was why she was kept secret from the wandering eyes of England. But their attempts were in vain. In the end she got hurt in the worst way possible.
She got broken.