I gazed about the grounds. Rushing rivers of cool rain ran down the glass windows of the cab and the outside view of the area was blurred, but there was no mistaking the towering, creamy - white image of the institute. The cab driver, Jonathan something, looked back at me and grinned at the nervous expression on my face. Today was the first day I would meet my Uncle Don, who I would be living with until I was old enough to care for myself. Although it was storming violently outside I was dreading the humid atmosphere. My sandy-blond hair stuck to the sweat on my back and my cheeks were a warm red colour in the mirror.

"Well this is it", Jonathan turned toward me, "You ready?"

Jonathan was my uncle's chauffer. He was an older man, his face like a puckered old apple with sagging wrinkles and his thin wisps of grey hair were tucked behind his ear with sticky, clear gel.

"Well out you get", he said irritated, "I don't have all day!"

I stepped out in the crisp, cool air with my umbrella, sheltering me from the thrashing rain that beat on the concrete path before me. The rain slashed at the windows of the institute and bucketed from the roof's gutter. Minute cubes of hail smashed into tiny, crystallized pieces on the path but the building of white now seemed more visible. It wasn’t exactly tall but better described as wide, stretching right along the well manicured grounds. At the front, where the gravel road had begun, were the towering wrought-iron gates. There were neatly kept shrubs and chalk statues of naked angels along the path to were the ivy-coloured walls of the building began.

Jonathan came up beside me with my only bag, a small blue patterned one with spirals and wheels at the bottom.

“Thank-you”, I said quietly. We walked along hurriedly together out of the rain to the glass door. Strange, I thought, while the door was glass nothing could be seen from the inside. Jonathan pulled the door, the wrinkles around his neck stretched out and face showed a tinge of red.

I blinked in disbelief, it was like nothing I had seen before.