Eleanor looked startled and rushed over to a large golden yellow chaise-longue beside an ornate coffee table in a dark hardwood.
As the others looked at each other, wondering what was going on, Eleanor said quickly, 'After the fifth chime, I will cry out in pain. Do not worry, this happens to me every day. Just bare with me for a moment while I change,' she said with a smile.
With no clue as to what was going on, the group stayed where they were, some sat on chairs around the room, others stood facing each other, chatting. But true to form, as the clock chimed its fifth chime, Eleanor let out a deep throaty cry that seemed to echo from the deepest depths of her body.
Emma was about to rush to her side, but Wilbur stepped forward and shook his head, with a smile. 'No need,' he whispered before he stepped back into the dark corner from where he'd appeared.
Her cries of pain went on for what seemed like ages. Yet in truth, it was merely seconds. As they watched her writhe on the chaise-longue alone, shocked gasps could be heard throughout the room as Eleanor physically changed right in front of their eyes.
Emma's hand was being gripped tightly by Lana.
After a few more moments, Eleanor turned to face them and stood up with a huge grin plastered across her face. A face that was no longer that of an elderly lady, but of a beautiful, youthful person more akin to that of a 20 year old. Eleanor was young again.
'There, that's better,' she exclaimed to the group of shocked faces. 'Oh don't worry, I'm fine. In fact, I'm better than fine. I always feel so much better at this time of day. It's good to be young again.'
'What? Why? But..... How?' asked Lana, unable to put together a full sentence.
Eleanor laughed as Wilbur stepped forward with a handful of clothes.
As she took them gratefully, Eleanor stepped behind a large dressing screen that stood in the corner of the room, speaking as she changed out of her old clothes.
'I am a little different to all of you. I was once a fully fledged angel, but I made a decision that they didn't like upstairs and so they banished me to this strange life, half young, half old yet never really ageing, if you know what I mean,' she said as she finally stepped out from the screen wearing skinny jeans, black knee high boots and a tight bright pink T-shirt.
'That's better,' she smiled as Wilbur took away the other clothes.
'So how old are you, exactly?' asked Cassie.
'Quite old,' she smiled.
'Aww come on, Miss Hayden-Jones. Do tell us,' asked Elliott shyly.
'Let's just say I've been around a long, long, long, long time.'
'What, like hundreds and hundreds of years?' asked Nisha.
'That, and more,' she answered, 'But that's enough about my age,' she laughed as she took the brush being handed to her by Wilbur and brushed through her long thick mane of wavy blonde hair.
'Why did they banish you, Eleanor? What did you do?' asked Emma.
Turning to face the young girl, the look on Eleanor's face changed slightly and the happiness disappeared from her eyes. 'I fell in love, choosing him over my work as an angel. I told them I didn't want to return back there, that I was staying with him and they weren't happy, so this is what they did to me.'
'What happened to the man you fell in love with?' Lana asked curiously.
Again, her eyes seemed to glaze over as she continued, 'His name was Tarquin. We stayed together and I watched as he aged and eventually died. It broke my heart.'
'I'm so sorry, Eleanor,' whispered Emma, 'That must have been horrendous.'
The smile returned to Eleanor's face as she looked at the group with warmth, 'Thank you, but it was an awfully long time ago. I let him go many centuries ago. My only wish is that I had a photograph of him, but such things weren't in existence back then,' she chuckled as she walked across the room towards the door.
'Come on, everyone. There are people waiting for us,' she said with a twinkle in her eyes.
As they walked out of the large living room
As the others looked at each other, wondering what was going on, Eleanor said quickly, 'After the fifth chime, I will cry out in pain. Do not worry, this happens to me every day. Just bare with me for a moment while I change,' she said with a smile.
With no clue as to what was going on, the group stayed where they were, some sat on chairs around the room, others stood facing each other, chatting. But true to form, as the clock chimed its fifth chime, Eleanor let out a deep throaty cry that seemed to echo from the deepest depths of her body.
Emma was about to rush to her side, but Wilbur stepped forward and shook his head, with a smile. 'No need,' he whispered before he stepped back into the dark corner from where he'd appeared.
Her cries of pain went on for what seemed like ages. Yet in truth, it was merely seconds. As they watched her writhe on the chaise-longue alone, shocked gasps could be heard throughout the room as Eleanor physically changed right in front of their eyes.
Emma's hand was being gripped tightly by Lana.
After a few more moments, Eleanor turned to face them and stood up with a huge grin plastered across her face. A face that was no longer that of an elderly lady, but of a beautiful, youthful person more akin to that of a 20 year old. Eleanor was young again.
'There, that's better,' she exclaimed to the group of shocked faces. 'Oh don't worry, I'm fine. In fact, I'm better than fine. I always feel so much better at this time of day. It's good to be young again.'
'What? Why? But..... How?' asked Lana, unable to put together a full sentence.
Eleanor laughed as Wilbur stepped forward with a handful of clothes.
As she took them gratefully, Eleanor stepped behind a large dressing screen that stood in the corner of the room, speaking as she changed out of her old clothes.
'I am a little different to all of you. I was once a fully fledged angel, but I made a decision that they didn't like upstairs and so they banished me to this strange life, half young, half old yet never really ageing, if you know what I mean,' she said as she finally stepped out from the screen wearing skinny jeans, black knee high boots and a tight bright pink T-shirt.
'That's better,' she smiled as Wilbur took away the other clothes.
'So how old are you, exactly?' asked Cassie.
'Quite old,' she smiled.
'Aww come on, Miss Hayden-Jones. Do tell us,' asked Elliott shyly.
'Let's just say I've been around a long, long, long, long time.'
'What, like hundreds and hundreds of years?' asked Nisha.
'That, and more,' she answered, 'But that's enough about my age,' she laughed as she took the brush being handed to her by Wilbur and brushed through her long thick mane of wavy blonde hair.
'Why did they banish you, Eleanor? What did you do?' asked Emma.
Turning to face the young girl, the look on Eleanor's face changed slightly and the happiness disappeared from her eyes. 'I fell in love, choosing him over my work as an angel. I told them I didn't want to return back there, that I was staying with him and they weren't happy, so this is what they did to me.'
'What happened to the man you fell in love with?' Lana asked curiously.
Again, her eyes seemed to glaze over as she continued, 'His name was Tarquin. We stayed together and I watched as he aged and eventually died. It broke my heart.'
'I'm so sorry, Eleanor,' whispered Emma, 'That must have been horrendous.'
The smile returned to Eleanor's face as she looked at the group with warmth, 'Thank you, but it was an awfully long time ago. I let him go many centuries ago. My only wish is that I had a photograph of him, but such things weren't in existence back then,' she chuckled as she walked across the room towards the door.
'Come on, everyone. There are people waiting for us,' she said with a twinkle in her eyes.
As they walked out of the large living room
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