Just the countryside

Chapter 1

6:00 am

Ellies POV

I felt someone shaking my shoulders on my small mattress up in the loft of the barn. A small, terrified voice was droning in my ear. "Wake up Ellie, they're here."

I knew that voice quite well. It was my ten-year-old sister, Lila. Her voice was a whisper.

"Who is here?" I moaned as I slowly sat up.

"Shush shush! You're too loud..."

I finally understood the situation. "What? It's too early... They shouldn't be here until the afternoon." I said in a shocked voice. Lila looked up at me with the gentle blue eyes she shared with my mother.

My mind started to wander. My father died about two years after Lila was born...four years later my mom died from a shot in a fierce attack in the town market.

"Ellie snapped out of it." I heard a loud, stern voice that was too firm to be Lila's. Then I felt Amare's hand connect with the side of my face.

"What was that for!" I yelled after snapping out of my trance.

"Shh. You're too loud!!" Amare snapped in a loud whisper.

"What are we going to do about the taxes?" Lila said in her quiet frightened voice.

"Um... We'll figure something out. Don't worry Lila." I said trying to convince myself at the same time.

"Go to your room, Lila. Wait for us and hug Mr. Snuggles... okay?" Amare said in a calm soothing voice with a small smile on her face.

"Ok," Lila said in a small whisper. Lila walked over to the other side of the loft where a small area was blocked off by a chestnut curtain. She seemed calmer than she was, and Amare calmed her down.

"How did you do that?" I questioned Amare I had never understood how she could just calm us all down in no time when she needed to.

"Nevermind that Ellie. How much money do we have from last month's sale?" Amare asked worried about the same thing that I was.

"About enough for three-fourths of the taxes," I said frantically. I recollected myself. Then I looked up and sighed. "We'll have to use some of the money we have been saving to get out of this place," I said.

"Ok. Only if we need to. You go get the money. I will take care of the tax collectors" Amare said and I nodded at her. I then went to the area we used as a bathroom and put on my green and brown farm dress and went over to the safe that we kept the money in and got the money we needed to pay the taxes.

Then I started to climb down the ladder. I heard Amare talking to the man that had come to collect the taxes from us. Then I felt my foot miss a step on the ladder about halfway down.

I felt myself fall and then I hit the ground with a thud. I let out a loud moan and then everything started to blur I heard Lila yell and Amare said something but it was all just a blur. Then I managed to let out the words "I am fine" as I blocked out in pain.

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