I was running through a forest. Heart pounding, hands shaking. My straight brown hair tied up. My strong arms pumping at my sides. I hurtled a fallen tree,dodged a limb and slowed to a stop. Something didn't feel right... Something wasn't right. I was dreaming. I was sure of it. How did I know? Because Heaten didn't have woods. It didn't have trees, grass, or anything green really. Heaten was one of the five Capitols of Eska. Heaten produced, bread, grain and bakery products. And that's all. I'd never eaten anything else.
I woke dazily. It was still dark, but I was used to waking up to that. I pulled my legs off of the small cushion I slept on. I lived by myself, in a small one room mud house. My mom and little brother had died during child birth. My dad, was murdered after refusing to produce any more wheat for the Kal.
A pulled out a slice of bread for breakfast. Plain. Bread. I had it yesterday, and the day before that, and the day- yeah, you get it right?
I stepped outside into the humid air, looking out over the 4 acres of land I'd inherited from my parents... I'd been spending the last four days plowing. I was due for another week or two.
I grabbed the hoe and set to work, barely able to see what I was doing. I worked for what seemed like hours, when the sun finally decided to make it's star (haha punny) appearance... I'd been waking up at 3 in the morning everyday since I was 7, when my father was killed. I'd been helping my dad in the field since I could walk. I'd never been girly. Never been prissy. I hadn't cried in three years. Well, because of pain or emotions. I often got things in my eyes, which made them water... But that's not the point.
I turned around to plow the row behind me. A few minutes later the hoe had been snatched from my hands and a cobras head was lying on the ground, next to his body. Wicken stood next to me, grinning.
" Will you get off my case!" I yelled at him, snatching back my plowing tool.
Wicken was sort of my arch nemisis. He was my best friends brother. He was sun tanned, like me, sandy blond hair, blue eyes, perfect teeth, sort of like dreamy to some girls. But I never thought of him like that. Like I said... I hated him. He hated me.
" It would be my delight, but I think Stella would probably kill me if she knew I hadn't saved your life when I had a chance. You don't even know how tempting it was. " he said kicking the dead snake with his shoe.
" Get out of here!" I said swatting him with the back of my hand.
" Ha! Your accent is hysterical!" He sprinted off back to the main road.
" Shut up!" I called after him. Yeah, I had a pretty funny accent. What you would call British actually. I don't know why I had it. Nobody else in Eska had it... But I did. Just a unique feature I guess... I hated that part about me... Made me stand out... I hated attention.
Let me explain Heaten's layout to you. All four sides are surrounded by rivers... So it's always like 110% humidity. All the time. There are no trees for shade. You can see almost all of Heaten from wherever you stand. It's all open field or houses. and two roads. Almost every house has a outdoor brick oven for making their bread. Except mine. I had sold it to a near by family, because I didn't have a clue how to make bread... Or an interest. How did I eat then you ask? Well, that's where Stella comes in.
Stella has been my best friend since I was six. She's two years younger than me, 15. She has dark hair, dark eyes, pretty pale skin. She's a delicacy. She's beautiful. She spends all day inside baking, reading, learning. She's prissy and fragile. We are complete opposites. Yet we get along so well...
Anyway, back to the story. Stella's dad left her family after their 7th child was born. Wicken, being the oldest/only son, 18, now supported the family buy farming. I, not knowing anything about baking to support myself, give the Siedel's the grain I produce. In return they give me all the bread I need.
Mrs. Siedel has proposed adopting me multiple times... I've refused... I just, I like being independent. Not having people tell me what to do. Not having to be a lady. Just, being free. You don't know how many times I've cursed the seagulls for lusting in the glory of the sky while I was stuck on the ground, slaving away to the Kal... But honestly I don't know what I would do with my life if I didn't have the farm. I would probably be forced to ask civil. To learn, to make clothes, to live like a woman.
Well whether I have the farm or not I would still be forced to marry when I turned 18 in six months. I am dreading that. I've been dreading it for years. I don't get to choose who I marry. The guy does. The guy can be any age. But he has to ask the day I turn 18. Which doesn't make sense since I don't have any say in it anyway. I wish I could never grow up. Just stay 17 forever.
I looked down at the rough skin on my hands, my farmers tan. Which actually was a tan, not a sunburn. I wasn't beautiful, my hair was dull and life less. I was tall and lean. If that means anything. I was strong, from working for ten years straight. I had big feet, I never dressed up, my finger nails weren't long, and they never had pretty colors on them like Stella. Stella has tried to convince me that I am beautiful, that boys actually do like me. Usually I roll my eyes.
" Will you get off my case!" I yelled at him, snatching back my plowing tool.
Wicken was sort of my arch nemisis. He was my best friends brother. He was sun tanned, like me, sandy blond hair, blue eyes, perfect teeth, sort of like dreamy to some girls. But I never thought of him like that. Like I said... I hated him. He hated me.
" It would be my delight, but I think Stella would probably kill me if she knew I hadn't saved your life when I had a chance. You don't even know how tempting it was. " he said kicking the dead snake with his shoe.
" Get out of here!" I said swatting him with the back of my hand.
" Ha! Your accent is hysterical!" He sprinted off back to the main road.
" Shut up!" I called after him. Yeah, I had a pretty funny accent. What you would call British actually. I don't know why I had it. Nobody else in Eska had it... But I did. Just a unique feature I guess... I hated that part about me... Made me stand out... I hated attention.
Let me explain Heaten's layout to you. All four sides are surrounded by rivers... So it's always like 110% humidity. All the time. There are no trees for shade. You can see almost all of Heaten from wherever you stand. It's all open field or houses. and two roads. Almost every house has a outdoor brick oven for making their bread. Except mine. I had sold it to a near by family, because I didn't have a clue how to make bread... Or an interest. How did I eat then you ask? Well, that's where Stella comes in.
Stella has been my best friend since I was six. She's two years younger than me, 15. She has dark hair, dark eyes, pretty pale skin. She's a delicacy. She's beautiful. She spends all day inside baking, reading, learning. She's prissy and fragile. We are complete opposites. Yet we get along so well...
Anyway, back to the story. Stella's dad left her family after their 7th child was born. Wicken, being the oldest/only son, 18, now supported the family buy farming. I, not knowing anything about baking to support myself, give the Siedel's the grain I produce. In return they give me all the bread I need.
Mrs. Siedel has proposed adopting me multiple times... I've refused... I just, I like being independent. Not having people tell me what to do. Not having to be a lady. Just, being free. You don't know how many times I've cursed the seagulls for lusting in the glory of the sky while I was stuck on the ground, slaving away to the Kal... But honestly I don't know what I would do with my life if I didn't have the farm. I would probably be forced to ask civil. To learn, to make clothes, to live like a woman.
Well whether I have the farm or not I would still be forced to marry when I turned 18 in six months. I am dreading that. I've been dreading it for years. I don't get to choose who I marry. The guy does. The guy can be any age. But he has to ask the day I turn 18. Which doesn't make sense since I don't have any say in it anyway. I wish I could never grow up. Just stay 17 forever.
I looked down at the rough skin on my hands, my farmers tan. Which actually was a tan, not a sunburn. I wasn't beautiful, my hair was dull and life less. I was tall and lean. If that means anything. I was strong, from working for ten years straight. I had big feet, I never dressed up, my finger nails weren't long, and they never had pretty colors on them like Stella. Stella has tried to convince me that I am beautiful, that boys actually do like me. Usually I roll my eyes.
“ Hi!” Stella yelled. “ How was your day?”
“ Good I guess, normal.” I said blankly.
“ You know Wren… Your days are always normal.”
I laughed. “ Probably because I have to work to eat.”
“ Take a day off! Wren I swear to you mom won’t care!” She laughed.
“ I can’t! That would be like breaking the ‘Wren Code’!” I grinned.
She rolled her eyes and smiled. Gosh, I loved her to death.
