I'm a little puzzle piece

A little link in the chain

a single bit of string

a single drop of rain

I'm a little puzzle piece

helping where I can

doing much with

each woman and each man

I'm a little puzzle piece

as the picture comes together

hoping we can change the world

or make it a little better

I'm a little puzzle piece

just like many others

painting a pretty picture

for our sisters and brothers

I'm a little puzzle piece

I'm ready to assist

It's no problem really

I truly do insist

I'm a little puzzle piece

doing what I know

you don't always see me

just the grand old show

I'm a little puzzle piece

I'm glad to be of service

I don't need my name shouted

I don't need it in a circus

I'm a little puzzle piece

just like you are

when we do what we know

we can make it far

I'm a little puzzle piece

one part of many

shout out to those others

who serve us daily

I'm a little puzzle piece

I know that it's true

and to all those other pieces

Thank you

She stood surveying the battlefield. The sky was as red as the ground below. She knew that it had to be her, she had to be the one who would fight the other side. They had a mysterious fighter, someone who had taken the lives of many on their side. They had a dragon with them. Her cousin had volunteered, but how could she let her fight, knowing that her cousin might not survive, knowing that her cousin had a young daughter. No one else could do it, only she could. And she finally might be able to find out who this monster was.

Suddenly she heard it, the flap of dragon wings, deafening in her ear. It was time. Slowly, the figure rose from the other side of the plain and gradually approached. The dragon landed nearby, and a figure approached her slowly. She readied herself for the fight... until she saw his face.

"No," she breathed, it couldn't be! Not her brother, anyone but he! She waited but knew what she had to do. They fought. She manged to get him on the ground and tore off his helmet and his armor. Then she took her knife and stabbed him. But he didn't die. Again and again, she stabbed him, tears streaming down her face. Cut after cut was made until his flesh become spongy and deteriorated. Finally, what was left of her brother stopped moving, and she sat down in the blood and sobbed.

This was a dream I had when I was 14 or 15, and it bugged me for the entire day afterward. I love my brother and we get along great, so this one hit hard. I have had other dreams, dreams where my entire family dies, but I was never the one doing it.

DIFFERENT NIGHTMARE:

Everything was on fire, again. This dream had happened several times over. Sometimes her family made it out, sometimes they didn't, and sometimes she was trapped beneath the flames. But it was always a dream...

Until the fire alarms went off.

(Turns out the alarms were just broken, and there was no real fire, but it took us a while to figure it out.)

Kingdoms may fall,

families may fail,

but there are a few things I know will stay

surely as the sun will rise,

there will still be taxes to pay!

Aye, the world may end,

but still, there be taxes,

and aye the birds may fall from the sky,

but there still be taxes to pay!

food may be gone,

no roof o’er my head,

all misfortune may be on the rise

but they will still say...

you’ve still got taxes to pay!

I'm screaming

right up in your face

I'm banging on the door

and all over the place

I just want a connection

a human touch

a word, a phrase

I'm not asking for much

We could talk

we could be friends

together we would laugh

and be ourselves again

But addiction has you

pulling you away

controlling your mind

the lies grow everyday

I wish no one gave it to you

it took away my dreams

of living with connection

it is pulling you from the seams

You're so young

your mind is to mold

There's so much I want to tell you

before you grow old

I just want to communicate

But it's the screens of today

that seem more important

than what I have to say

So I will keep trying

and I will hope and pray

that one day you will disconnect

so we could connect someday

I can see you,

through the glass

you're right there

I put my hand to it

but I can't touch you.

we are so close

yet miles apart

so I bang on the glass

and I scream your name

and your monster laughs

we both punch the cage

pounding over and over

in hopes of it shattering

but the only thing that breaks

are our hands

and our hearts.

I come to the cage

and we fight it

give it all we got

but every time we make a dent

your captive fills it again

it is a monster

a predator

and you are it's prey,

it's victim

But I pray

that one day

we will break the cage

leave your captive

and step into the day

though we be

bloody and bruised

and I could finally reach you

but until then

you're a prisoner to a monster

they call him, depression.

Clara crept away from the building, she had to go back, and the woman, no matter how kind she was, wouldn’t understand. When she judged she was far enough, she broke into a run, finding the woods that she had fled from her captors through. She grew tired quickly, too quickly for her. A few of her wounds had reopened, they would certainly find her now. Her breath came in quickly, and she found a spot to stop. It was hidden in some bushes. She pushed her way through and sat down, evaluating her options. She sat only for a few minutes when the bushes started to move, and Clara jumped to her feet. A head popped through the bushes, followed by a small body. Amelia, the girl from earlier, was standing there.

“Don’t tell anyone,” Clara instantly said, keeping her voice low, “please,” she added.

“But, Mother will be worried,” the girl protested,

“Look, you don’t understand, okay, I have to go back, alright?” Clara pleaded, “Go back to the orphanage, and forget about me,” she said again, Mia looked unconvinced. “Please, don’t tell anyone you saw me, alright? That’s all I need you to do,” Clara asked again, emphasizing every word.

“But, mother will be worried about you, you can’t just leave,” Mia tried again.

“Look, I am practically an adult, okay, I can take care of myself. If mother asks, then you tell her that, okay. But only if she asks.” Clara waited, biting her lip and staring at the little girl before her. Finally, the child nodded.

“I will go,” she said, and then she was gone.Clara waited a few minutes before heading out in a different direction. She then turned back to the path that she was on, and kept running further into the night.

“Make sure that no one goes outside alone, you know the rules. And be sure to get the little ones down for their nap time.” Autumn carefully instructed Johnathan as she prepared to leave.

“And, where will I tell the kids that you are going?” Jonathan said.

“To pick up another child, it’s partially the truth,” Autumn said.

“The older ones will figure out that you are going after Clara,” Jonathan said.

“Then let them know that they are not to tell the younger children, I don’t want to scare them.” Autumn responded, then glanced around the room. It was still dark out, and the children were all asleep in their beds, all but one. She had to double check all of the rooms, but she had counted all the heads quietly, there was someone in each one. Mia was still awake, but was pretending to be asleep. She only snored if she was pretending. Autumn shrugged and moved on, she was losing time.

“Send this to officer Randy,” she instructed Jonathan, handing him a note, and then she left. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she took her second form. As a wisp she could transform and become shadow-like, and she could move quickly. She didn’t know how long Clara had been gone for, but it was at least a few hours. She could have reached the docks by now if she had found a faster mode of transportation. She traveled down the path, searching. But she didn’t find the girl, she kept searching. Rushing over the trail, wondering if the youngster had gotten lost in the woods. Then she saw it, off to the side, barely visible and well hidden. She could see the poor souls on board, chained to the ship itself, she heard a child crying, then a man shouting at them. She had found the slave ship.

She clutched her side, and slowed down. She couldn’t keep running like this. She kicked the ground and grunted,

“Why am I so slow?” she asked herself, but she knew. She wasn’t fully recovered from her ordeal, and she had moved too soon. “Don’t stop now, they will get away if you stop” she said, and gritted her teeth as she walked forward.

She must have been walking for about an hour, when she heard it, someone else was on the path. They would surely recognise her as someone who shouldn’t be on the road. Trying to stay casual, she looked behind her, pretending to look at the stars. But she saw no one. She had time to get away, time to hide. She ran, trying to find a good spot to lay low. There! A large tree with a hole on the other side, and she had almost missed it. She slipped into it, and drew into the shadows, waiting for whatever was approaching to pass. She didn’t have to wait long. A man was walking hurriedly down the path, staring at the ground. He looked up quickly, scanning the horizon, then kept walking, looking at the dirt. As he drew closer Clara held her breath, not wanting to be found. Then she couldn’t see him. He must have moved on, must have passed by her hiding place.

“What are you doing?” Said a low and intimidating voice. Clara’s heart leapt to her throat, and pounded furiously. The man stood in front of the tree and stared right at her. He was young, a little older than Clara, and wearing an officer uniform. He held out a rope.

“What are you doing here?” the man asked again, Clara averted her eyes. “Fine, come with me,” he said. Clara stepped out from her hiding spot. “Hold out your hands,” the man demanded, Clara obeyed, and was quickly tied up. She was then led back up the path, away from her destination.

Autumn didn’t hesitate, she wasn’t afraid. She rushed at the ship, and attacked. Punching, kicking, elbowing, biting, everything she could. The guards never stood a chance. They fell before her one by one, they barely even saw her before she came at them. A few bolder fighters came forward, and used their whips against her. They only scored a few hits before she came at them. She was now bleeding in a few spots, but she ignored it, and continued at the slavers. She didn’t stop until the last one fell, they were all either dead or unconscious. It was over before it had really started. She then rolled her eyes, and turned back to her solid form, examining their cuts. Those enslaved cheered, seeing their freedom. Autumn smiled at them.

“Is there a girl named Clara here?” she asked them. A male centaur stepped forward. He was muscular, but thin, too thin.

“No, but there were a few new additions recently, and I don’t know their names. They are downstairs,” the man said. Autumn nodded her thanks, then moved downstairs, searching. Below Deck it was dark, and there were others there, in cells. They pulled away from the bars, away from her. She walked up to one of the cages.

“You’re okay now, I am here to set you free,” she said, which was greeted with a round of cheers. “Now, does anyone know where the key is?” She asked, turning around to see some of the other cells. The other prisoners had approached the bars. Some were holding the bars, others were just smiling.

“Over there,” said one voice, “by the captain's quarters.” Autumn hurried over and grabbed the keys, and began unlocking the doors, one by one. She searched among the faces for Clara, but didn’t see her.

“Where could she be?” she wondered.

Clara sat in the room, staring at bars in the cell and sighed. She stood up and began pacing, her hands fidgeting with the new bandages on her wounds. She sat down for a moment, then got back up again a second later. She was still pacing when she heard it, the opening of the outer door. A man walked in, different from the one who had captured her.

“Come with me,” he said gruffly, opening the rusty door. Clara quickly followed him to another room. The man who had brought her in earlier was standing there, watching. His hands were crossed against his chest. “Have a seat,” he gestured at one of the chairs in the room. They stared at each other for a moment, then Clara looked away.

“Are you alright?” he said with a sudden kindness. Clara blinked, taken aback.

“Yes, I’m fine,” she replied. He nodded, then continued on.

“Okay then, I have a few questions for you,” he began, “what is your name?”

“Clara,” she replied.

“Do you know why you are here?” he said.

“No, sir, I wasn’t doing anything illegal, I don’t know why I was taken in,” she explained.

“You are here because you demonstrated suspicious activity. So, why were you hiding in a tree?” he stated.

“I was, or at least I thought that I was being followed. I didn’t want to take a chance of being kidnapped, so I hid,” she said, biting her lip.

“So you were traveling?” the man said.

“Yeah, like I said, nothing illegal, just traveling,” Clara let out her breath a little.

“Where were you going?” he asked. Clara met his eyes, barely.

“To the docks,” she said truthfully.

“And where did you come from?” he inquired.

“Um-I came from the next town over,” she said hesitantly, her thumbs rolling around each other quickly.

“What were you going to do when you got to the docks?” he leaned back in his seat.

“I was going to look for a family member of mine. We were separated, and I heard a rumor that they might be there,” she said, still keeping eye contact.

“I see, and where did you get those marks from?” he said, Clara again bit her lip, and dropped her eyes, silent.

“Were you enslaved?” he asked, again, no answer.

“Clara, did you happen to have escaped from an orphanage recently?” he said, leaning forward. Clara’s eyes widened.

“Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe I know your story. You were enslaved, and you just escaped.” he paused, looking for confirmation. “You have not corrected me yet, so let’s move on. Autumn found you with a knife on your side and chains on your hands. She nursed you back to health, or at least was trying to when you decided to leave. Then, when you heard pursuit, you hid, until Junior Officer Imela found you hiding and took you in, and that led us here,” he said, gesturing to the officer behind him. Clara stared at him.

“You are correct, now, can I go?” she said carefully. The officer shook his head.

“I am going to keep you here until we find Autumn and decide what to do with you,” he said.

“You can’t keep me here!” she said hysterically, standing up.

“You are a child, meaning that, legally, I can keep you here. Now sit down, child,” his voice softened a little. Clara sat. “Now why did you run from the orphanage? They took you in, treated you well, healed you, and you left. Now, I get it, you have someone or something that you feel like you have to pursue. Something that you left behind. But you are a child, and an Atoninasian citizen, the adults will help you. Why didn’t you ask for help?” He spoke with a calming, but scolding voice. His eyes widened when Clara actually answered his question.

“Because, sir, the last time I asked an adult for help, I got these,” she said, showing the scars on her arms.

“I see,” he said, “But don’t you think that you could trust Autumn? She took you in, without knowing who you were, or what your story was. All she knew is that you needed help. Shouldn’t that kind of a person warrant your trust?” He scolded again. Clara looked at the ground, there was silence for a long moment.

“What are you going to do with me?” she finally said.

“We are going to wait for Autumn to return. She is currently out looking for you,” he replied. They waited for a while, the young man who brought her in earlier brought her a drink of water. They waited still. Clara began fidgeting, while the officer remained motionless. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Clara flinched, and the Junior officer went to go get the door. Autumn came in, looking at Clara. She had a few cuts on her arm, Clara caught her breath.

“What were you thinking?!” Autumn said, her voice very close to shouting, and her hair tangled up in a mess. Clara leaned back, and stared at her lap.

“You could have been hurt again, or worse. So what were you thinking?” She restated. Randy touched her on the shoulder, and whispered something into her ear. She took a deep breath and took a long look at Clara. In a calmer, but still firm voice, she spoke,

“Clara, why did you have to leave? What is the whole story? I want you to start from the beginning,” she said. Clara tapped her fingers against the table, and looked down. She breathed deeply, then began to tell her tale of woe.

“2 years ago, my tribe caught a sickness. It was only a few people at first, but gradually it spread to almost the whole tribe. We were a smaller tribe, but we couldn’t get help. We had to quarantine the virus for fear of it reaching other parts of Atonisasia. We think that it originated from the traders and merchants that came to our village. They didn’t stay long, we didn’t trust them. But we did buy a few of their goods. Even though they were only there for a little while, the damage had already been done. When they left, people started to get sick and die. It spread so fast, and no magic seemed to be able to stop it. No medicine was able to cure it, and it was deadly,” tears welled in her eyes, but they didn’t fall.

“Which tribe?” Autumn interrupted.

“[insert tribe name]” Autumn’s eyebrows drew together,

“I don’t remember hearing about it,” she said, “but continue on,”

“We had enough time to deal with our dead. My mother died due to the sickness as did my sister, but my little brother and father made it through. There were only a handful of us left, and we made the decision to continue to quarantine for a little while, in order to make sure that the disease doesn’t spread anymore. We were almost finished with our timeframe, when they came.” her voice quivered and tears began to stream down her cheeks. “They came with their whips and their swords, and easily overtook us. None of the powerful magics had survived, and they enslaved us." She was looking at a spot on the wall, unfocused.

“We decided, all of us from our tribe, that we needed to stick together. For a while, it worked. We were all put on this land to do various work. It was hard, and we were starving, but we still had the comfort of each other. Then they started to sell us off. We lost almost everyone. We tried to stop them, and tried to fight. That’s how I got my first set of scars.” she paused for a moment, rubbing her arms. Her voice grew a little stronger.

“Then, I was resold. They put me on a ship to send me to another master, further away from my tribe. At first, I was devastated, then I realized that I got lucky. The captain’s quarters held all the records to for the slave trade in those docks for the past 5 years. I know because he wrote all my information down when he saw me. So, when we set sail, I made a plan to steal those records, and find my tribe. We were supposed to just go to where I was to be resold, but then Dark Leave happened, and Atoninasia was nearby. They decided to stop to see if they could catch any more magics before heading to the next market. Most of them were ashore one night, we were all chained to make sure that no one would escape. I went into the captain's quarters to find the documents, but I was caught. Those still on duty dragged me out, and whipped me. I was put in isolation for the next day. But I was too close to those papers, I was too close to knowing where they were. I could not give it up, so I tried again. I didn’t take them, I just looked at them. I had to see where the rest of my tribe was. But before I could find anything useful, I was betrayed. Another slave woman ratted me out, and again they caught me. I had told her to cover for me, and she had agreed, but then she betrayed me,” Clara spoke harshly,

“But I ran. They threw a knife at me, but I had to keep going. I guess I lost them, but I don’t remember much after that. And then I woke up in your orphanage.” She looked back at Autumn for a minute. “That is why I have to go back, to keep my tribe from going extinct.” She finished, biting her lip and looking from Randy to Autumn. For a while, neither of them spoke. Then, Autumn touched her shoulder, and looked her in the eye.

“Look, I understand that you may have been on your own for a while. And I understand that you have been betrayed by others. But we can help you. Randy has put down 7 different slave trade routes. And I am always willing to help. We can help you, and we will help you. But you have to let us?” the woman said compassionately. “Do you understand?” she said.

“I understand,” she said. Autumn turned to Randy.

“I found the slave ship, and defeated the slavers.” Clara’s eyes widened. “You may want to go over there and do damage control. I had the local law enforcement contacted, but you know how to handle these situations. Then, see if you can get a hold of those records.” Clara looked up hopefully.

“Come one Clara,” Autumn said, getting up, “Let’s go home,”

Autumn picked up an apple and walked over to the girl.

“Here,” she offered. Clara reached out and took it. Clara nervously tapped her fingers again, then took a bite into the apple. She smiled at the teen.

“Where did everyone go?” Clara asked.

“In town, Jonathan is taking them. He’s a great help. I don’t know what I am going to do when he decides to leave.” she said.

“So, you could leave whenever you want to? No one would stop me?” Clara said.

“Well, if you were about to do something that could get you hurt, I would stop you. What are you thinking?” Autumn said, slightly suspicious.

“I-n-nothing. It’s nothing.” She said finally. Autumn left for a minute and came right back with some ointments, Clara had finished her apple, and thrown it out the window.

“Let’s take care of those cuts so they don’t get infected,” she said as she gestured for the girl to roll up her sleeves. Underneath Clara’s sleeves were a few more cuts. Her face was slightly red as the woman worked quietly, gently putting ointments on each. She shook her head when she saw the burn branding mark on her arm. But she continued working, rubbing in different gauzes and oils.

“I am going to assume these are whip marks?” she asked, looking for confirmation. Clara dipped her head. “You don’t have to tell me what happened, but I need to know how they were treated,” she said.

“The newer ones weren’t treated, but the older ones I was able to get bandages for.” she responded simply. Autumn finished working on her arms.

“And the burns? How were they treated?” She looked deep into the green eyes of the teen.

“They weren't,” she said.

“Okay, Don’t let your arms hit anything until the ointments dry.” she instructed. “Are there any on your legs?”

“A few, and they were treated the same way.”

“Are there some anywhere else? Your back?” Again Clara nodded.

“Can I put the ointments on your back? I will need to lift up your tunic to do it.” She didn’t want to push too far.

“Yes,” was all she said, standing up compliantly. When she saw the damage, Autumn quietly sucked in her breath, and she shook her head sorrowfully. The scars on her back were twice as bad as her arms and legs. Some of them had clearly not healed right, leaving deformed parts of skin on. She then began to apply more medicine to the wounds. Some of them seemed already infected. There was silence for a while, when Clara spoke.

“I didn’t get to thank you for saving me.” she said. “So, thank you.”

“It’s what I do, and you are very welcome,” again, silence, until, “there, all done.” said Autumn. She put away the medication, then rejoined Clara, sitting next to her.

“I was wondering,” she took a deep breath. “It’s not that I’m ungrateful but-” she paused again.

“Spit it out,” said the woman impatiently, but not unkindly.

“When am I allowed to leave?” she asked. “I mean..” again she paused.

“Where would you go?” the woman said, Clara looked down at her arms, not meeting her gaze. Autumn gasped, realizing what she meant. “You want to go back?” She replied, confused.

“I have to go back.” Clara clarified. The woman looked at her sympathetically.

“You are safe here, no one is going to hurt you, no one is going to find you. It is not your job. You do not have to go back.” she echoed.

“Yes I do,” Clara insisted.

“Why?” She challenged.

“I- I just do, and you can’t keep me here,” she stated, fear creeping into her voice, worrying that she may not be able to leave. Keeping her voice quiet, she replied,

“I can’t let you go until you are fully healed,” Autumn stated, buying time.

“I’m fine,” Clara said automatically.

“But are you fully healed?” Clara didn’t answer. “Then that settles it, you are staying here until you are fully healed. Understand?” She insisted, Clara, regarded her for a moment.

“I understand,” she conceded after a long moment.

“Good. The medicine should be dry now, so you don’t have to keep your hands up.” Clara lowered her arms. They both turned as they heard noise by the door, laughing and cheering. The other children had returned.

They returned loudly, talking, laughing, and running. A few of the older children held baskets with some berries and flowers. Autumn quickly shushed them, telling them not to interrupt nap time. Some of the children went to do chores, others were sent outside to play. She went around, attending to some of the younger children who had woken up from their nap. A red-haired dwarf walked up to the woman as she was helping a fairy toddler into some shoes so they could join the other children outside.

“Yes, Alexandra?” she said.

“Can I help in the kitchen today?” she wondered, rocking on her heels as she wanted for an answer. “I really want to help, and I will listen to Emain,” she promised.

“Okay, but if I hear of you causing trouble again, you will not be allowed to work in the kitchen.” the woman warned. The girl skipped off happily in the direction of the kitchen.

“Mother! Mother! Look what I got!” Amelia came rushing into the room. Proudly she brandished a wand, holding it up.

“Where did you get this?” Autumn asked, but before Amelia could answer, there was a knock on the door. She walked over and opened it. A watchman stood outside the door. He was wearing a chain mail tunic over a white undershirt and brown trousers, the traditional uniform.

“Randy? Can I help you?” she said, recognizing the man.

“Yes,” he began, “A wand recently went missing from the markets, and we have reason to suspect it was one of your children,” he stated.

“I’ll be right back,” she responded, closing the door as she turned around. “Amelia,” she called, the girl came up at once.

“Where did you get that wand?” she asked again, sternly.

“It was on the ground, honest!” the child pleaded.

“It wasn’t yours, okay, you can’t take things that aren’t yours. Mr. Randy is here because someone thinks that you stole it. I’m going to give it back to him, do you understand?” The girl’s lip began to tremble, but she nodded, handing the wand to Mother.

“Thank you, I understand you didn’t know it was for sale, but no more taking things that aren’t yours. You may go play now.” She nodded and walked off. Autumn went to open the door.

“Sorry about that,” she said, handing him the wand, “Whose stand did she steal it from?”

“It was Joseph’s, and he understands children, so he will understand this,” Autumn breathed a sigh of relief.

“Tell him I apologize for the trouble,” she finished, but Randy didn’t move. “Is there something else?” she asked.

“There is,” he lowered his voice. Autumn stepped out of the doorway and shut the door behind her, understanding.

“I have a new apprentice,” he began, “my nephew.” Autumn laughed slightly.

“Have fun with that… but why does that need to be a secret?” she replied.

“Because he found a blood trail, and then he found a knife, right near here. We aren’t sure if it is a criminal or not, but you should stay alert until-” she cut him off.

“It’s not a criminal,” she stated, he raised his eyebrows “I found a girl last night with that knife in her side, and chains on her hands. She’s clearly on the run from slavery,” Randy sighed, a fist formed at his side.

“Cut them off in one place and they pop up in another,” he mused. “But how are they finding the island? I mean, it moves every month.” The woman could only shrug to that. “How is she?”

“I had Hailey patch her up, so physically she is recovering, but she is still uneasy, and maybe a little scared. She seems desperate to get out of here.”

“Why?” he wondered. Autumn took a deep breath,

“I suspect she is being blackmailed, or that she left someone behind. Maybe family, maybe friends, whatever it is. I told her she can’t leave until she is better, which should buy me some time to earn her trust.” Randy nodded.

“Perhaps, if she is feeling up to it, she could answer some questions, maybe we can get some clarity on the situation, and how they are still here.”

“That sounds like a good idea. And maybe knowing that there are people dealing with the situation would help ease her conscience. What should I tell your nephew if he comes around?” she asked.

“Tell him what he needs to know, and feel free to mess with him a little bit.” he smiled coyly.

“Wouldn’t miss that chance,” she smiled back, “I should get back inside, it’s never a good idea to leave little ones alone.” She said as she reopened the door and headed back inside.

“Mother! Mother!” said Nudge, a while later, as he leaped over one of the babies.

“Nudge, no leaping over others, it’s not nice.” she scolded gently. “Now, what did you want to tell me?”

“There’s a man coming! He was walking up our path!”

“What man?” she inquired, curious.

“I dunno, just a man,” he said with a shrug. “He should be here in a little while.”

“Thank you for telling me,” then she paused. “Nudge, did you finish your chores?” He didn't answer immediately. “Why didn’t you finish them?”

“Well, you see, the sheets are too heavy for me.” he complained.

“Did you ask for help?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said dramatically.

“Did you ask specifically, or just shouted that you need help?” again he didn’t answer. “Nudge, you need to ask someone specifically.” He began to look around, and Clara walked up to them.

“I can help, I’m not one to sit idle.” she said. Autumn agreed, it would be good for the girl.

“This WAY! Shouted Nudge as he leaped again.

“Nudge,” said Autumn warningly. He landed and didn’t leap up again. There was a knock on the door, and she answered it. A man was standing there with a note in his hand, he gave it to her.

“You are the orphan mother?” he said. Autumn nodded as he constantly shifted his weight from one leg to the other. She opened up the note, reading. It was a letter of recommendation, from a woman who adopted a girl a few years ago.

“When my wife and I said that we planned to adopt, our neighbor suggested this place,” he said. Autumn smiled at him.

“You are here to adopt?” she confirmed. “Good,” she said when he nodded his ascent. “You can come in and interact with the kids, but keep in mind that a lot of these kids have seen trauma, so I need you to be gentle,” she cautioned, then led him inside.

“Why is your wife not here? She asked as she led him through the building.

“She wanted to come, but she was very busy working today.” the man explained. “But, we’ve always wanted a child, but have never been able to have any of our own, so we came to the decision to adopt.”

“Well, if you do find a child whom you want, we have a procedure. First, I will go and visit the house itself, to make sure that it is safe for the children. Then they may visit with you for a while, to make sure that everything goes smoothly, and finally, you may adopt.” The man shrugged, just then Nudge leaped back into the room.

“I’M DONE!” he announced, bouncing on his feet, then he noticed the man.

“I told you that there was someone coming up the path,” he said proudly.

“And what is your name?” the man said.

“I’m Nudge!” he said, unable to keep his voice down. “Do you want to go play outside?” he asked directly.

“Outside it is,” the man said with a chuckle, and they departed.

The stars were just appearing out of the sky when the dinner bell rang and the children all gathered, holding out their bowls to be filled with soup. Autumn handed Clara a bowl, and she was also served, joining the children on the floor where they ate. They talked and laughed, one boy was recounting the epic game of hide and seek. She ate quickly and quietly, watching, enjoying their conversation. They were all curious about the new girl, and began to pester her.

“How old are you?” asked one,

“Do you like soup?” said another. They bombarded her with question after question.

“Hey,” said Autumn, “That’s enough questions for Clara for one day, okay?” she said, she saw Clara breathe a sigh of relief. “Now, clean up your dishes, get ready for bed, and settle down for a story.” The children dispersed, doing as they were told, “Clara?” She called, the girl turned to her, “the younger children stay for story, but the older ones go either quietly read or tal. They are allowed to be up later, you can go with them if you want,” she explained.Clara nodded and turned to where the older children had gone. Satisfied, the woman turned her attention back to the younger children, helping them get ready for bed, and had them sit for story time. They were squirrely at first, but gradually dropped off to sleep, and placed in beds, a few of them waking up and having to be put back to sleep. Then she went to send the older children to bed.

“It’s time to sleep now,” she said after knocking on the girl’s room doorway. Her eyes searched for Clara, but she didn’t see her. “Alexandrea?” she said, choosing the girl closest to her.

“Yes?” said the girl.

“Did Clara come in here?” Alexandrea shook her head.

“No, I haven’t seen her,” the other girls added in mumbles of agreement.

“Okay, maybe she went to the spare bed, now it’s time to go to sleep, girls.” They all bedded down, “And no staying up and talking like last night,” she said, a few of the girls giggled. Autumn shook her head with a smile on her face. She went to the spare bed, but Clara wasn’t there. She started searching through the house, looking for the girl, but she knew in her heart the truth, Clara was gone.Autumn picked up an apple and walked over to the girl.

“Here,” she offered. Clara reached out and took it. Clara nervously tapped her fingers again, then took a bite into the apple. She smiled at the teen.

“Where did everyone go?” Clara asked.

“In town, Jonathan is taking them. He’s a great help. I don’t know what I am going to do when he decides to leave.” she said.

“So, you could leave whenever you want to? No one would stop me?” Clara said.

“Well, if you were about to do something that could get you hurt, I would stop you. What are you thinking?” Autumn said, slightly suspicious.

“I-n-nothing. It’s nothing.” She said finally. Autumn left for a minute, and came right back with some ointments, Clara had finished her apple, and thrown it out the window.

“Let’s take care of those cuts so they don’t get infected.” she said as she gestured for the girl to roll up her sleeves. Underneath Clara’s sleeves were a few more cuts. Her face was slightly red as the woman worked quietly, gently putting ointments on each. She shook her head where she saw the burn branding mark on her arm. But she continued working, rubbing in different gauzes and oils.

“I am going to assume these are whip marks?” she asked, looking for confirmation. Clara dipped her head. “You don’t have to tell me what happened, but I need to know how they were treated.” she said.

“The newer ones weren’t treated, but the older ones I was able to get bandages for.” she responded simply. Autumn finished working on her arms.

“And the burns? How were they treated?” She looked deep into the green eyes of the teen.

“They weren't,” she said.

“Okay, Don’t let your arms hit anything until the ointments dry.” she instructed. “Are there any on your legs?”

“A few, and they were treated the same way.”

“Are there some anywhere else? Your back?” Again Clara nodded.

“Can I put the ointments on your back? I will need to lift up your tunic to do it.” She didn’t want to push too far.

“Yes,” was all she said, standing up compliantly. When she saw the damage, Autumn quietly sucked in her breath, and she shook her head sorrowfully. The scars on her back were twice as bad as her arms and legs. Some of them had clearly not healed right, leaving deformed parts of skin on. She then began to apply more medicine to the wounds. Some of them seemed already infected. There was silence for a while, when Clara spoke.

“I didn’t get to thank you for saving me.” she said. “So, thank you.”

“It’s what I do, and you are very welcome,” again, silence, until, “there, all done.” said Autumn. She put away the medication, then rejoined Clara, sitting next to her.

“I was wondering,” she took a deep breath. “It’s not that I’m ungrateful but-” she paused again.

“Spit it out,” said the woman impatiently, but not unkindly.

“When am I allowed to leave?” she asked. “I mean..” again she paused.

“Where would you go?” the woman said, Clara looked down at her arms, not meeting her gaze. Autumn gasped, realizing what she meant. “You want to go back?” She replied, confused.

“I have to go back.” Clara clarified. The woman looked at her sympathetically.

“You are safe here, no one is going to hurt you, no one is going to find you. It is not your job. You do not have to go back.” she echoed.

“Yes I do,” Clara insisted.

“Why?” She challenged.

“I- I just do, and you can’t keep me here.” she stated, fear creeping into her voice, worrying that she may not be able to leave. Keeping her voice quiet, she replied,

“I can’t let you go until you are fully healed.” Autumn stated, buying time.

“I’m fine,” Clara said automatically.

“But are you fully healed?” Clara didn’t answer. “Then that settles it, you are staying here until you are fully healed. Understand?” She insisted, Clara regarded her for a moment.

“I understand,” she conceded after a long moment.

“Good. The medicine should be dry now, so you don’t have to keep your hands up.” Clara lowered her arms. They both turned as they heard noise by the door, laughing and cheering. The other children had returned.

They returned loudly, talking, laughing, and running. A few of the older children held baskets with some berries and flowers. Autumn quickly shushed them, telling them not to interrupt nap time. Some of the children went to do chores, others were sent outside to play. She went around, attending to some of the younger children who had woken up from their nap. A red-haired dwarf walked up to the woman as she was helping a fairy toddler into some shoes so they could join the other children outside.

“Yes, Alexandra?” she said.

“Can I help in the kitchen today?” she wondered, rocking on her heels as she wanted for an answer. “I really want to help, and I will listen to Emain,” she promised.

“Oay, but if I hear of you causing trouble again, you will not be allowed to work in the kitchen.” the woman warned. The girl skipped off happily in the direction of the kitchen.

“Mother! Mother! Look what I got!” Amelia came rushing into the room. Proudly she brandished a wand, holding it up.

“Where did you get this?” Autumn asked, but before Amelia could answer, there was a knock on the door. She walked over and opened it. A watchman stood outside the door. He was wearing a chain mail tunic over a white undershirt and brown trousers, the traditional uniform.

“Randy? Can I help you?” she said, recognizing the man.

“Yes,” he began, “A wand recently went missing from the markets, and we have reason to suspect it was one of your children,” he stated.

“I’ll be right back,” she responded, closing the door as she turned around. “Amelia,” she called, the girl came up at once.

“Where did you get that wand?” she asked again, sternly.

“It was on the ground, honest!” the child pleaded.

“It wasn’t yours, okay, you can’t take things that aren’t yours. Mr. Randy is here because someone thinks that you stole it. I’m going to give it back to him, do you understand?” The girl’s lip began to tremble, but she nodded, handing the wand to Mother.

“Thank you, I understand you didn’t know it was for sale, but no more taking things that aren’t yours. You may go play now.” She nodded and walked off. Autumn went to open the door.

“Sorry about that,” she said, handing him the wand, “Whose stand did she steal it from?”

“It was Joseph’s, and he understands children, so he will understand this,” Autumn breathed a sigh of relief.

“Tell him I apologize for the trouble,” she finished, but Randy didn’t move. “Is there something else?” she asked.

“There is,” he lowered his voice. Autumn stepped out of the doorway and shut the door behind her, understanding.

“I have a new apprentice,” he began, “my nephew.” Autumn laughed slightly.

“Have fun with that… but why does that need to be a secret?” she replied.

“Because he found a blood trail, and then he found a knife, right near here. We aren’t sure if it is a criminal or not, but you should stay alert until-” she cut him off.

“It’s not a criminal,” she stated, he raised his eyebrows “I found a girl last night with that knife in her side, and chains on her hands. She’s clearly on the run from slavery,” Randy sighed, a fist formed at his side.

“Cut them off in one place and they pop up in another,” he mused. “But how are they finding the island? I mean, it moves every month.” The woman could only shrug to that. “How is she?”

“I had Hailey patch her up, so physically she is recovering, but she is still uneasy, and maybe a little scared. She seems desperate to get out of here.”

“Why?” he wondered. Autumn took a deep breath,

“I suspect she is being blackmailed, or that she left someone behind. Maybe family, maybe friends, whatever it is. I told her she can’t leave until she is better, which should buy me some time to earn her trust.” Randy nodded.

“Perhaps, if she is feeling up to it, she could answer some questions, maybe we can get some clarity on the situation, and how they are still here.”

“That sounds like a good idea. And maybe knowing that there are people dealing with the situation would help ease her conscience. What should I tell your nephew if he comes around?” she asked.

“Tell him what he needs to know, and feel free to mess with him a little bit.” he smiled coyly.

“Wouldn’t miss that chance,” she smiled back, “I should get back inside, it’s never a good idea to leave little ones alone.” She said as she reopened the door and headed back inside.

“Mother! Mother!” said Nudge, a while later, as he leaped over one of the babies.

“Nudge, no leaping over others, it’s not nice.” she scolded gently. “Now, what did you want to tell me?”

“There’s a man coming! He was walking up our path!”

“What man?” she inquired, curious.

“I dunno, just a man,” he said with a shrug. “He should be here in a little while.”

“Thank you for telling me,” then she paused. “Nudge, did you finish your chores?” He didn't answer immediately. “Why didn’t you finish them?”

“Well, you see, the sheets are too heavy for me.” he complained.

“Did you ask for help?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said dramatically.

“Did you ask specifically, or just shouted that you need help?” again he didn’t answer. “Nudge, you need to ask someone specifically.” He began to look around, and Clara walked up to them.

“I can help, I’m not one to sit idle.” she said. Autumn agreed, it would be good for the girl.

“This WAY! Shouted Nudge as he leaped again.

“Nudge,” said Autumn warningly. He landed and didn’t leap up again. There was a knock on the door, and she answered it. A man was standing there with a note in his hand, he gave it to her.

“You are the orphan mother?” he said. Autumn nodded as he constantly shifted his weight from one leg to the other. She opened up the note, reading. It was a letter of recommendation, from a woman who adopted a girl a few years ago.

“When my wife and I said that we planned to adopt, our neighbor suggested this place,” he said. Autumn smiled at him.

“You are here to adopt?” she confirmed. “Good,” she said when he nodded his ascent. “You can come in and interact with the kids, but keep in mind that a lot of these kids have seen trauma, so I need you to be gentle,” she cautioned, then led him inside.

“Why is your wife not here? She asked as she led him through the building.

“She wanted to come, but she was very busy working today.” the man explained. “But, we’ve always wanted a child, but have never been able to have any of our own, so we came to the decision to adopt.”

“Well, if you do find a child whom you want, we have a procedure. First, I will go and visit the house itself, to make sure that it is safe for the children. Then they may visit with you for a while, to make sure that everything goes smoothly, and finally, you may adopt.” The man shrugged, just then Nudge leaped back into the room.

“I’M DONE!” he announced, bouncing on his feet, then he noticed the man.

“I told you that there was someone coming up the path,” he said proudly.

“And what is your name?” the man said.

“I’m Nudge!” he said, unable to keep his voice down. “Do you want to go play outside?” he asked directly.

“Outside it is,” the man said with a chuckle, and they departed.

The stars were just appearing out of the sky when the dinner bell rang and the children all gathered, holding out their bowls to be filled with soup. Autumn handed Clara a bowl, and she was also served, joining the children on the floor where they ate. They talked and laughed, one boy was recounting the epic game of hide and seek. She ate quickly and quietly, watching, enjoying their conversation. They were all curious about the new girl, and began to pester her.

“How old are you?” asked one,

“Do you like soup?” said another. They bombarded her with question after question.

“Hey,” said Autumn, “That’s enough questions for Clara for one day, okay?” she said, she saw Clara sigh of relief. “Now, clean up your dishes, get ready for bed, and settle down for a story.” The children dispersed, doing as they were told, “Clara?” She called, the girl turned to her, “the younger children stay for story, but the older ones go either quietly read or tal. They are allowed to be up later, you can go with them if you want,” she explained.Clara nodded and turned to where the older children had gone. Satisfied, the woman turned her attention back to the younger children, helping them get ready for bed, and had them sit for story time. They were squirrely at first, but gradually dropped off to sleep, and placed in beds, a few of them waking up and having to be put back to sleep. Then she went to send the older children to bed.

“It’s time to sleep now,” she said after knocking on the girl’s room doorway. Her eyes searched for Clara, but she didn’t see her. “Alexandrea?” she said, choosing the girl closest to her.

“Yes?” said the girl.

“Did Clara come in here?” Alexandrea shook her head.

“No, I haven’t seen her,” the other girls added in mumbles of agreement.

“Okay, maybe she went to the spare bed, now it’s time to go to sleep, girls.” They all bedded down, “And no staying up and talking like last night,” she said, a few of the girls giggled. Autumn shook her head with a smile on her face. She went to the spare bed, but Clara wasn’t there. She started searching through the house, looking for the girl, but she knew in her heart the truth, Clara was gone.

"Thanks, Hailey." the woman said as she picked up the small baby in her arm. The doctor nodded, then waved the woman away, brushing aside her short dark brown hair. The woman departed, her black dress bouncing against her knees. The stars shone above her as she exited the building and began walking home, and then she saw it, her keen eyes picking it out in the dark. A figure, laying against the bottom of the hill that she was on, and it didn't appear to be moving. Cautiously, she moved towards it. The woman saw that it was a girl, most likely in her teen years, with a knife stuck in her side. Her hand was on top of the wound, with a chain around her wrist. It was connected to her other hand, wrapped tightly around her wrists. The woman wondered if she was still alive until the girl took in a deep shuddering breath. Then she rushed off, careful of the baby in her arm, and came back with the healer. Hailey brought her emergency kit and began to work her magic, healing her wound. The woman put down the baby and started to remove the chains from her wrists, the chain and her hand both sticky with blood.

“That should do it,” said Hailey. The girl’s eyes fluttered open, and she looked at them blankly. Slowly she sat up, feeling her side.

“Take it easy,” the woman cautioned. She picked up the baby again and pocketed the chain. Hailey helped the girl to stand. “This way, one foot in front of the other,” the woman with the baby said. She led the girl inside a quiet building and led her to a small section that was out of the way. The girl just stood there while the woman set the baby back into a crib the next room over. Then she returned and led the girl to the bed. “Hailey’s spells always leave them so dazed.” she mused to herself. She lit a candle to find an extra blanket. Looking over the girl, she had a brown shirt on, though it was stained with blood, and all over her arms were cuts and scars, whip marks. She could see her pointed ears, declaring her elven species. Her wrists still had the chain marks on them. She shook her head, marveling at the abuse that girl had gone through. Then she covered her with a blanket, but the girl was already asleep.

A few hours later, she moaned and turned in the bed, then lay still. Suddenly, she sat up quickly, hitting her head on the low ceiling.

“Ow,” she quietly said as she rubbed her head. She felt her side, then slowly looked down at her hands, her mouth agape.

“Are you alright?” the girl flinched, startled. The woman sat in the chair, there was a book in her lap, and a candle providing light. She regarded the girl sitting up in the bed. “Are you alright?” the woman repeated.

“Y-yes, I-um-” she hesitated.

“We healed the most threatening wounds, but the smaller ones will have to heal on their own. I can’t pay our healer for more than that.” the woman said. The girl nodded.

“Thank you,” she said. She slid off the bed and walked slowly to where the woman was. “Where am I?” she asked.

“You are safe, that is all you need to know right now.” the woman kindly replied. “I will tell you more when you are aware enough to remember it.” again the girl nodded.

“Do you need anything?”

“No, I’m fine thank you.” there was silence between them.

“What’s the last thing you remember?” the woman added after a moment.

“I was running from, um…” she stuttered, “my vision was getting blurry, when I felt extreme pain in my side. More running, and then-I was here,” she said gesturing to the room around them.

“You are safe here,” she reassured, “even from slave masters.” she glanced at the girl, who dropped her eyes and crossed her scarred arms. The woman knew she had guessed right. She sighed inwardly. “Are you sure I can’t get you anything? Food, water?” the girl shook her head, then yawned. “Get some rest, answers will come later.” the girl got up and complied, laying down again, and eventually fell asleep.

The girl was up this time, to the sounds of a child speaking. She sat up and looked at the scene before her. There was a little girl fiddling with her long dark brown hair, and her face was red. The woman she met last night was standing over her.

“Well, I was hungry.” said the girl's voice, the woman sighed.

“Hey sister?” said a male voice.

“Yeah Johnathan?” the woman from earlier replied.

“Um, we seem to be short on bacon, but I thought for sure that we had more for today, but maybe I miscounted,” he explained.

“Nope, you didn’t miscalculate. Little miss midnight snack here ate it, raw.”

“You ate it, raw?” he repeated, then sighed a moment later when she nodded.

“You don’t get any more bacon today then.” the woman said, the little girl groaned.

“Johnathan, could you please go to the market quickly and see if you could scrounge something up?” He nodded and then left, a small bag in his hands. The woman left her line of sight, but the little girl spotted her. She walked up to her, and blatantly asked,

“I’m Mia, Who are you?” she turned her head slightly to the left, but kept her dark eyes on the teen.

“I’m Clara,” she replied.

“What happened to you? Where did you get all those marks on your arm?” she asked.

“That’s a long story, that I don’t feel like telling,” Clara replied, looking down at herself for a second.

“Why-” she began again,

“Leave our guest alone, Amelia,” said the woman, interrupting the child.

“Fine,” she said as she stomped off.

“Nicely, please that’s not how we respond.” the girl stopped stomping.

“This is an orphanage or something like that, isn’t it?” the teen asked the woman as the girl stalked off.

“Yes, it is.” again there was silence. “You wait right here.” the woman left and then came back with clothes. “I don’t know how well they will fit you, but at least it doesn’t have blood stains. There is a privacy room right there so you can change,” she said as she pointed. Clara nodded, grabbed the clothes, and headed off in the indicated direction. The clothes were just a simple brown tunic that went almost to her knees and some woolen trousers. She looked to where the knife wound was, but there were no marks. She still had the marks on her arms, legs, and back. She took a deep breath and got dressed.

Jonathan was cooking in the kitchen, working on making the bacon. The kids loved it when they had meat, which wasn’t that often.

“I don’t consider myself a kid anymore huh?” he mused to himself, he began whistling a tune while working.

“When is the food going to be done?” a voice behind him asked. It was Nudge, a Frog Faunly.

“Soon, now get out of the kitchen, or else it will take longer.” he replied.

“Oh-kay,” he said exaggeratingly, but the boy left. He glanced back and saw that Sister was standing in the doorway. He motioned her to forward a little bit.

“I found some sugar for a cheap price,” he said and they both smiled.

“Fantastic, and right in time for Marlea’s birthday. But don’t tell the other children, you know how they are.” they were silent for a moment, and the woman turned to go.

“Sister?” he began, and she turned back to him. “Who’s the new girl?” The smile disappeared from her face, and seriousness replaced it.

“I don’t know, yet.” said the woman. “I found her last night, while I was taking Bella to Hailey’s. The girl was injured.”

“Can I talk to her?” he ventured.

“Um, sure,” she hesitated, “but be gentle, I don’t know her story, but whatever it is, it’s a lot.” Jonathan nodded. “What am I going to do without you?” she smiled at him.

Clara sat, watching the proceedings of the house, from what she could see, which was only the main entrance, and a main room. Mostly she saw kids, running around, being kids. Mia, the girl from earlier was drawing and seemed very intent on it. There were all sorts of ages and species. A couple of Faunlys, a centaur, an elf, a merman, a mimic, and a dragon trainer were just a few of them that she saw. A boy began to approach her, most likely a teen as well. He was a Forger, she knew because he was playing with a small flame around his finger. He extinguished it when he came near.

“I’m Johnathan,” he said.

“Clara,” she replied. They paused. “So, I have a few questions, if you don’t mind.” Clara began.

“Go ahead.” he said gently.

“Where are we?” she asked.

“Ghuandalasia, It’s small so you may not have heard of it. We’re in domain 7 if that helps.” Clara nodded.

“It does,” she replied. “So, how many kids are here?”

“18, 19 including you, but as you can imagine, some days it feels like triple that.” Clara smiled a small smile.

“Anyways. Who runs this place?”

“Sister.”

“Sister?” she echoed.

“Oh, right. The woman who runs this place, everyone just calls her sister or mother. The younger ones call her mother, but to those of us who are older, she is more like a sister, so we call her as such.”

“Does she have a name?”

“Autumn, no known last name.” Clara again nodded her understanding. “She runs this place out of her own pocket, the only money she makes is from older kids doing jobs, donations, and adoption fees.”

“Um,” she hesitated. “Are you guys kept here? I mean, would she let you leave if you really wanted to?” she said, wringing her hands.

“I guess, she isn’t unreasonable,” he replied. “Why, do you have someplace you need to be?” he inquired.

“I’m just, getting a feel for the place,” she replied.

“Well, if you have any more questions, you can come and talk to me,” he said, and he turned to go. Behind him, Clara nervously tapped her fingers on her knee.

“Hey, sister?” Jonathan asked. She looked up at him.

“I talked with her, and she seems to feel unsafe, and nervous,” he reported. “You were right when you said to go gently.”

“Did you get a name?”

“Clara.” She paused for a moment, considering.

“Could you and some of the older ones take the kids out? They could go berry picking during nap time, and it will just be the really little kids with me. It will give me a chance to get to know Clara, without distractions.” Jonathan agreed.

“We might be able to stop in the village on the way,” he mentioned, they began to walk towards the door, heading to tell the children. They were near where Clara was sitting.

“Sure,” Autumn said, then she smiled jokingly, “make sure you behave,” she said in a sing-song voice. Jonathan chuckled.

“What are you going to do if I don’t?” he responded in the same manner.

“You might be 17, but I can still whip you!” she said, referring to the classic punishment, usually with a wooden spoon. Johnathan laughed, and ran out the door, but out of the corner of her eye, Autumn saw Clara flinch. She sighed inwardly, this wasn’t going to be easy.

Would you read this piece if it was the beginning of a book? Is the easy to follow? What changes should be made?

The teen shivered in the snowstorm and held her baby sister closer to her, trying to keep her warm. The wind was fierce cutting through her cloak and chilling her to the bone. She looked up and saw a building, it looked like it could be an inn, or a tavern, or something. But there was smoke coming through the chimney and light in the window. She didn't know if she had enough money to pay for anything much, but it would be warm inside, she had to try. She went inside and was greeted by the warmth of the fire. She stared at the fire for a moment, mesmerized, when a man, presumably the owner walked over. He was a burly man with an untrimmed beard, wearing a white shirt that was slightly stained with a brown smock over it. He regarded her for a moment. She was covered in snow, with a black cloak around her. Her hazel eyes looked up slowly at him.

"We're closed." He said gruffly.

"Please sir, it's cold outside and my baby sister can't survive the night, she's sick... I can pay." She added as a last-minute throw. The man considered for a moment.

"How much do you have?" He said as he held out his hand. She pulled out her bag of money. He looked inside.

"Not enough." He said. "Not even close to enough." Her face fell.

"Please sir, I can work off any debt, but, my sister, she'll die" The man put his hand up.

"Not my probl-" they both turned suddenly when they heard footsteps on the stairs. It was another teen. She had brown hair and green eyes, which were sunken in their sockets. She was wearing a simple tan dress with a long sleeve white shirt underneath, with a dark brown overskirt and a light brown vest. She looked at the situation for a moment.

"What is going on sir?” She inquired. The man curled his lip.

“It does not concern you.” his voice as cold as the storm outside. She took a long look at the other girl.

“If you need somewhere to stay, you can stay with me.” She said a small smile on her lips. The man considered for a moment.

“More for her to stay, and keep the baby quiet.” The green-eyed teen paused, then rushed upstairs. The first teen slumped her shoulders and put her head down. She looked up just as quickly when she heard more steps, the other girl had returned.

“Here.” She said, shoving some money into the man's hands, he kept them open. The exasperated girl sighed and pulled out a little more, and fearfully eyed his hands, but they closed around the coins. Silently, the 2 teens and the baby made their way up the stairs. They entered a small room that was made of wooden walls, which were slightly rotting. In the corner was a bed with 2 blankets and a pillow. There was a cabinet on the left side of the door, and on the right, there was a small table, about the size of a dog. At the far end of the room was a fireplace, with a small fire inside it. Both girls were silent for a moment. Then the baby began to cry. The first girl went to comfort her, and the second girl just watched for a moment. The girls locked eyes with one another, and the hazel-eyed teen spoke.

"Not that I'm not grateful, because I am, but why help me?" She said, gently rocking the baby.

"Oh, well, three reasons I guess." The green-eyed teen replied "The first is that the 2 of you would have definitely died in the cold and I couldn't have that on my conscience. Second, my parents taught me to always help others when I can, and thirdly, I like to annoy the innkeeper as much as possible...without getting kicked out." They both laughed gently at that, and again silence fell. "So, what's your name?" said the green-eyed girl.

"M-my name?" the first girl echoed, clutching the baby closer.

"Yeah, what people refer to you by?" said the first with a little bit of sarcasm.

"Oh, my name is Anna."

"Well, Anna, I'm Louise"