The Curse of the Gift

Part 5

A middle-aged woman was already waiting for us outside, and there were several other young girls beside her. I bowed immediately, and stood, because I had no idea what I was supposed to do or say. I waited a few feet away from her, and tried not to stare at her too much, but my interest took over. There was a plump woman standing in front of me, her cheeks rosy, as if she had just stepped off the stove or run a few kilometers. She was wearing a loose, light gray dress that reached almost to her ankles. On top she wore a snow-white apron with ruffles on her chest that made her look like a puffy bun. Her sparse dark hair was tightly braided in the back. Her face was kind and pleasant, and I think that even if she got angry, it would still look nice. Her eyes went over me quickly and carefully, and then turned toward my traveling companion again.

Kyler took my things out silently, then bowed and got back in the carriage. Before I could say a word, he was walking away, and a second later he was gone around the corner.

What a heartless stump!

I turn my attention back to the woman. She came up to me and tapped me lightly on the shoulder with a smile.

"What's your name? "

"Tayana," I said in a slightly uncertain voice. "Tayana Wood. "

"Well, Tayana Wood, let's go. " The woman turned to the other girls and told them to keep working, and she told me to follow her.

I didn't get a good look at where they were taking me. Apparently, I was in the backyard. I didn't have time to explore anything, as the woman immediately rushed out of her spot. Wasting no time, I grab my bags and run after her. We go inside the building through a small wooden door and immediately find ourselves in darkness. But the woman was in no way distracted by this, and she briskly hurried past me to the left. I quickly oriented myself by the noise and almost fell over, because a narrow wooden staircase met us on the left. It wasn't as dark upstairs as it was on the first floor, but still the atmosphere wasn't very cheerful. The woman went to the right and I followed her. After walking a couple of meters forward, she stopped in front of a white door, of which there were a dozen, and began to look through a bunch of iron keys, which by the way rattled a lot as she walked, which helped me to follow her very easily.

When the woman finally found the right key and opened the door, I was greeted by a small room where only one person could fit. And it reminded me very much of the one in the old woman's house. Without giving me a good idea of where I was and what I should do, the woman told me to put my things and follow her. So, without even looking around, I dumped my bags on the dusty floor and ran after her.

When I go outside, I squint my eyes and stop for a moment. The contrast between darkness and light is too stark. As soon as I can see again, I notice that the woman has already moved a fair distance away from me. So I quickly rush out of my seat and run after her.

My God, where did she get so much energy?

But now we were walking along a narrow path, with a beautifully tended garden to our right and left. I kept bouncing, trying to see exactly where we were going. After walking forward, we came to a large meadow, with an evenly trimmed lawn. A little farther on, I noticed a small orchard of secluded apple trees. And what a scent it was! Everything is so bright and attractive that I have to make an effort not to stop at every step. On the way we met a boy wearing a stretched shirt and dirty pants. He was carrying several sandbags in his hands. He didn't look older than twelve.

"Hey!" The woman waved her hand in front of her and called the boy over to her. "Where's Ryan?"

"In the first greenhouse, Mrs. Berkley." The boy bowed quickly and hurried away.