Status: Going through extreme editing... haha
Beastly Beautiful
Chapter 2: Just Another Day
Ten Years Later...
*Sage*
The sweet autumn breeze trickles in through the slightly cracked window. The smell of ink on paper lights up the room letting me escape into a world where I am free. And the gallant prince kisses the sleeping princess waking her from her long slumber...
"Sage! Stop reading this instant!" I jump at the shrill tone of Flora, my eldest sister. "I’ve got my hands full, and Margie and Penelope need help hanging up clothes."
I sigh and close my book, setting it on the windowsill. I go to join my other two sisters in the back. Relief crosses their face as they see me appear.
"Thank God you came to help us. It would have taken us till sun down to finish hanging all these clothes." Penelope smiles brightly at me. I start to hang the endless shirts and dresses on the line. With 8 sisters, you can just imagine how many clothes we have.
"I'm happy to help." I say absentmindedly. My mind is still away thinking about the prince in my story. "I was just reading this really great book and I think that you should read it! It's so amazing and the main guy is so--"
"Fictional?" Penelope says sarcastically.
"Exactly. The best kind because they’re perfect.” A smile appears on my face just thinking about it. “He risked his life for the girl he loved even though he could have lost everything.”
I hear sighs coming from both of them. The village we live in is pretty small so the realistic choices for husbands are quite few and not very good. That’s why as soon as I turn 18, I’m leaving to travel around the world and see new sights. I will make money doing odd jobs and hopefully someday will be able to come back and help support my parents in their old age. I’m not too worried about leaving because it’s just one less mouth they have to feed. Plus maybe I’ll find a husband, too.
"Hey, didn’t Camden do something similar for you, Sage? When you were out in the woods and a bear came charging at you?” Penelope casually says.
The wind picks up and the air brings goosebumps to the surface. I try to avoid those memories with him; the happy ones. I don’t want to remember how he looks or how he sounds. Just the betrayal. The betrayal when he left me for her My voice sounds soft against the wind.“Yes, but those days are gone now.”
Silence rolls in and I concentrate on the damp clothes instead of past memories. Finally, she breaks the silence by saying, "Typical men aren't that bad. Sometimes you just have to settle."
Margie starts chittering and chatting away about the boy she met in the market. Penelope just laughs and giggles along. Settling? Is that really all there is to life? Maybe I don't want to settle... These thoughts trap me in my own world, wondering about what life really is about.
By the time the sun reaches the center of the sky, we finish. A chill goes through my body, "I'm going to get a jacket. Lunch must almost be ready."
They nod and mutter something about coming in soon. In my room, I pull out a light jacket letting its warmth caress my cold and bare arms. My mother rings the lunchtime bell as I take a seat and wait for the others to come.
Flora and Louisa take a seat next to me. Bailey, the youngest, starts throwing food everywhere as Margie starts arguing with Louisa about borrowing clothes. I sit there quietly taking all of this in. Sometimes I wish I had a smaller family or that I was an only child. Having noise and people around me all the time is overwhelming.
I jump at the sound of a high pitch whistle coming from mother. Getting all our attention she announces, "I was in town today, shopping for our food, and the price for everything has gone up at least 50 copper pieces! As you all know money is tight and Papa is already working day and night to provide for us. I think that those of you that are 10 and older must seek jobs to help with all the expenses."
Talia who has just turned ten in the last month groans with detest. The other four of us who are eligible aren't looking too happy either.
She continues on her speech, "I am trying very hard to find a job as well, but even that won’t be enough to support us anymore. Tomorrow I expect Penelope, Louisa, Margie, Talia, Flora and Sage to be looking for some work."
She is right. We need money and it’d be nice to get away from the craziness here. I excuse myself from dinner and go back to my window to finish my book.
*~*
As soon as the sun rises, I grab my satchel and immediately go to town, trying not to waste a second of my time. Going from shop to shop, I try to find some work, but it’s always the same. “I don’t have enough silver to hire anyone right now” or its “I already have enough people working for me.”
“Times sure are hard.” I mutter under my breath.
I wander off to the last little shop in the square. I look into the dirty window and see potion bottles everywhere. Most everyone in the village is frightened by the lady that owns this shop. They say that she deals black magic. Sighing, I realize how desperate I really am. The bell rings as I enter and a fragile old woman comes out smiling at me.
“May I help you deary?” Her voice sounds frail and weak as if she’s going to keel over any second now.
“Yes ma’am. Do you have any employment for me?” I ask reluctantly. If I get a job it'll be pointless anyways because she’s just going to die any second now.
She looks around at the dusty shop and declares, “Not for a young girl like you. The work I do is dangerous.”
Well, I could always quit if I decide it’s too dangerous after today. It’s not like I’m bound her forever or anything. Besides, I’m capable of handling myself. I haven’t met anything I couldn’t handle. Might as well try...
“Please ma’am. I’ll do anything. I need the pay to help support my family. Please...“
She looks deep into my eyes and finally nods. “Okay child, but you must be very careful. You will be collecting a basket of cordalia flowers for a potion I’m brewing. Bring me this and I will give you 40 silver pieces in return. You can find them on that cliff side.”
Her shaky old finger points towards the steep cliff side. There are rumors of a monster living up there, but all that is just folk tales. Unafraid I nodded and replied, “Okay. Do you happen to have a basket I could borrow?”
She smiles and vanishes into the back room coming out with a basket and a hand mirror. “Take this basket and fill it to the brim. Bring this too and keep it in your satchel.”
“A mirror? What do I do with it?” I ask a bit confused, but still trying to sound polite.
She glares at me like I’ve just called her old. “It’s not just a mirror. If you run into trouble just say my name, Isis, and I will appear in the mirror. Now go and don’t waste time.”
I nod and head off on my way. How would that help? At the door I turn around and say, “Thank you so much!”
With 40 silver pieces I could save at least a couple, which will bring me closer to freedom; where my life really begins.
*Sage*
The sweet autumn breeze trickles in through the slightly cracked window. The smell of ink on paper lights up the room letting me escape into a world where I am free. And the gallant prince kisses the sleeping princess waking her from her long slumber...
"Sage! Stop reading this instant!" I jump at the shrill tone of Flora, my eldest sister. "I’ve got my hands full, and Margie and Penelope need help hanging up clothes."
I sigh and close my book, setting it on the windowsill. I go to join my other two sisters in the back. Relief crosses their face as they see me appear.
"Thank God you came to help us. It would have taken us till sun down to finish hanging all these clothes." Penelope smiles brightly at me. I start to hang the endless shirts and dresses on the line. With 8 sisters, you can just imagine how many clothes we have.
"I'm happy to help." I say absentmindedly. My mind is still away thinking about the prince in my story. "I was just reading this really great book and I think that you should read it! It's so amazing and the main guy is so--"
"Fictional?" Penelope says sarcastically.
"Exactly. The best kind because they’re perfect.” A smile appears on my face just thinking about it. “He risked his life for the girl he loved even though he could have lost everything.”
I hear sighs coming from both of them. The village we live in is pretty small so the realistic choices for husbands are quite few and not very good. That’s why as soon as I turn 18, I’m leaving to travel around the world and see new sights. I will make money doing odd jobs and hopefully someday will be able to come back and help support my parents in their old age. I’m not too worried about leaving because it’s just one less mouth they have to feed. Plus maybe I’ll find a husband, too.
"Hey, didn’t Camden do something similar for you, Sage? When you were out in the woods and a bear came charging at you?” Penelope casually says.
The wind picks up and the air brings goosebumps to the surface. I try to avoid those memories with him; the happy ones. I don’t want to remember how he looks or how he sounds. Just the betrayal. The betrayal when he left me for her My voice sounds soft against the wind.“Yes, but those days are gone now.”
Silence rolls in and I concentrate on the damp clothes instead of past memories. Finally, she breaks the silence by saying, "Typical men aren't that bad. Sometimes you just have to settle."
Margie starts chittering and chatting away about the boy she met in the market. Penelope just laughs and giggles along. Settling? Is that really all there is to life? Maybe I don't want to settle... These thoughts trap me in my own world, wondering about what life really is about.
By the time the sun reaches the center of the sky, we finish. A chill goes through my body, "I'm going to get a jacket. Lunch must almost be ready."
They nod and mutter something about coming in soon. In my room, I pull out a light jacket letting its warmth caress my cold and bare arms. My mother rings the lunchtime bell as I take a seat and wait for the others to come.
Flora and Louisa take a seat next to me. Bailey, the youngest, starts throwing food everywhere as Margie starts arguing with Louisa about borrowing clothes. I sit there quietly taking all of this in. Sometimes I wish I had a smaller family or that I was an only child. Having noise and people around me all the time is overwhelming.
I jump at the sound of a high pitch whistle coming from mother. Getting all our attention she announces, "I was in town today, shopping for our food, and the price for everything has gone up at least 50 copper pieces! As you all know money is tight and Papa is already working day and night to provide for us. I think that those of you that are 10 and older must seek jobs to help with all the expenses."
Talia who has just turned ten in the last month groans with detest. The other four of us who are eligible aren't looking too happy either.
She continues on her speech, "I am trying very hard to find a job as well, but even that won’t be enough to support us anymore. Tomorrow I expect Penelope, Louisa, Margie, Talia, Flora and Sage to be looking for some work."
She is right. We need money and it’d be nice to get away from the craziness here. I excuse myself from dinner and go back to my window to finish my book.
*~*
As soon as the sun rises, I grab my satchel and immediately go to town, trying not to waste a second of my time. Going from shop to shop, I try to find some work, but it’s always the same. “I don’t have enough silver to hire anyone right now” or its “I already have enough people working for me.”
“Times sure are hard.” I mutter under my breath.
I wander off to the last little shop in the square. I look into the dirty window and see potion bottles everywhere. Most everyone in the village is frightened by the lady that owns this shop. They say that she deals black magic. Sighing, I realize how desperate I really am. The bell rings as I enter and a fragile old woman comes out smiling at me.
“May I help you deary?” Her voice sounds frail and weak as if she’s going to keel over any second now.
“Yes ma’am. Do you have any employment for me?” I ask reluctantly. If I get a job it'll be pointless anyways because she’s just going to die any second now.
She looks around at the dusty shop and declares, “Not for a young girl like you. The work I do is dangerous.”
Well, I could always quit if I decide it’s too dangerous after today. It’s not like I’m bound her forever or anything. Besides, I’m capable of handling myself. I haven’t met anything I couldn’t handle. Might as well try...
“Please ma’am. I’ll do anything. I need the pay to help support my family. Please...“
She looks deep into my eyes and finally nods. “Okay child, but you must be very careful. You will be collecting a basket of cordalia flowers for a potion I’m brewing. Bring me this and I will give you 40 silver pieces in return. You can find them on that cliff side.”
Her shaky old finger points towards the steep cliff side. There are rumors of a monster living up there, but all that is just folk tales. Unafraid I nodded and replied, “Okay. Do you happen to have a basket I could borrow?”
She smiles and vanishes into the back room coming out with a basket and a hand mirror. “Take this basket and fill it to the brim. Bring this too and keep it in your satchel.”
“A mirror? What do I do with it?” I ask a bit confused, but still trying to sound polite.
She glares at me like I’ve just called her old. “It’s not just a mirror. If you run into trouble just say my name, Isis, and I will appear in the mirror. Now go and don’t waste time.”
I nod and head off on my way. How would that help? At the door I turn around and say, “Thank you so much!”
With 40 silver pieces I could save at least a couple, which will bring me closer to freedom; where my life really begins.
♠ ♠ ♠
Hope you enjoyed :)