The Key to Her Mind

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

            Robegz was all a bustle. People were buying and selling their goods and crowds of people gathered to watch demonstrations of the newest devices and handy tools. Everyone was laughing and talking and the whole market place smelled of fresh bread and delicious stews. Jillian wandered around stopping to watch people work and to sample the foods but although she was enjoying the little village very much she knew that she should keep going. There were several roads that branched off from the town so she stopped to ask a woman which way would be best to go.

            “Excuse me”, said Jillian. “Could you tell me were these roads lead to”?

            “Of course”, answered the woman. “That road to the far left will take you to the city of Kingleburg. To the right is the famer’s trail that will take you back to the fields. The far right turns into the main street of Compebblie, a small village. The left road takes you to the capitol of Gantailzia and the middle road will lead you to the Western Ocean of Gorbron”.

            “What is in the capitol of Gantailzia”, asked Jillian?

            “The capitol, why you aren’t seriously considering going there”, replied the woman? “The capitol is where the witch Loukraiza resides. Long ago she did away with our sweet Queen Lorraliell and took over our kingdom. We who live in the small villages outside of the capitol are not usually bothered by her but we all feel sorry for those who have to live in her city. We have heard many a tale about the things that she does to those who upset her”.

            “I have heard of your good queen before from a giant in the forest but I did not know of this witch, however I must continue that way for I feel that it could help to return me to my beloved farm”, replied Jillian. “Thank you and goodbye”.

            “Goodbye and good luck to you miss, and be careful”, said the woman as she walked back down the busy street.

            Jillian started walking down the left path. She could see that the path went on for miles ahead of her. It went up and down and all around the rolling hills. She stopped to admire the scenery but only for a moment. She had to keep going. If she was ever going to find her way home again she knew that she needed to know more about the witch and the disappearing queen. It was all so strange, for the real world at least, but then on the other hand this place did not seem much like the real world to Jillian. Witches and giants, it was like a fairy tale land. Jillian continued to think of the things she had heard about that day. As she did this the land around her started to become more and more desolate. The trees and the grass got scarcer and scarcer as she walked on. It was like a huge desert. As Jillian looked ahead all she could see was barren wastelands everywhere. But wait, there was something up ahead. Jillian couldn’t tell what it was from this distance. Maybe it was a town, no, maybe a person? Jillian was starting to get very hot in the sun and she hoped that there might be water. She started running but stopped short when she realized that it was just a tree, a sad, sad little tree. Its leaves were wilted and Jillian thought that it looked absolutely forlorn.

            “Jillian”, said a voice. “Jillian, come here”.

            “Who is it, where are you”, Jillian replied? “How do you know my name”?

            “Jillian”, the voice said again. “Help me”.

            “Where are you”, Jillian asked again? “Help you with what”?

            “Jillian, help me”, said the voice. “You must find me. Please Jillian. I am in the tree. Find me”.

            Jillian was very confused. She seemed to hear the voice every time a little breeze rustled the leaves on the tree. It was a girl’s voice, quiet and unhappy sounding.

            “I don’t see you in the tree”, said Jillian, looking up. “Where exactly are you”?

            “I am a leaf Jillian, in the tree”, answered the voice. “Find me”.

            Jillian looked up into the tree again. There were so many leaves. The voice could have been coming from any one of them if there even really was a voice. Jillian looked long and hard into the tree. Finally she picked one leaf and pulled it off the tree. The tree shook.

            “That’s not me Jillian”, said the voice. “Be careful. Don’t make too many mistakes. You‘ll regret it if you do”.

            Jillian looked at all the leaves once more. Suddenly she noticed something that she hadn’t before. There was one little yellow leaf among hundreds of green ones. She reached up and picked it gently off the tree. All at once the leaf changed into a lovely young woman with pretty red hair and green eyes like Jillian’s.

            “Thank you so much”, said the girl. “I have been stuck as a sad leaf in that tree for years. It was my punishment for taking vegetables from Loukraiza’s garden. We had better run before she finds out that you saved me.”

            “That might be a good idea”, answered Jillian.

            “There is an old cottage, down that road there where we could spend the night”, said the girl pointing and the two took off running into the sunset.