Broken Age (The Novel)

1 (Vella)

My back is leaned against the oak tree near my house. I sleep, desperately trying to relieve my stress. I wake to my young sister, Rocky, calling my name; "Vellaaaaaaaa! Where are you?" I get up and hurry over to her. She notices me and hops up and down, being the energetic little kid she is. "There you are! I was getting worried," she smiles, and I see my father's eyes, and my mother's beautiful smile. When I look in the mirror I see my grandfather, with his big, strong eyes and determined jaw.

"Worried I chickened out?" I cross my arms with mock offense, dropping my jaw like I couldn't believe it.

"No!" Rocky blurts, then quiets, "I know you're not afraid of anything."

I'm flattered, and there's an awkward pause between us. I break the tension,
"Well, there is one thing I'm afraid of...," I trail off.

"What's that?" My little sister is eager to hear what I have to say.

"I'm worried that you won't get any food because I'm gonna beat you to the Maiden's Feast!" I shout, and Rocky zooms off, faster than I'll ever be, but I'm close behind.

She slams our front door in my face and I hear her hiss, "Shut up guys, she's coming!" I open the door, and everything is completely dark.

"Uhh...Hello?" I speak into the darkness. Hearing nothing, I step away from the door, letting the hand that was on the knob fall to my side.

"Surprise!" My parents, and sister shout. I think my Grandfather mutters it, but I can't be sure.

"Oh, she's not even dressed yet?!" Levina, the annual Maiden's Feast Planner, frets. I think Levina has planned every Sugar Bunting Maiden's Feast ever, I mean, she IS pretty old looking! I look down at my plain white clothes covered in frosting, I can't believe that I'm going to be in a cake dress soon.

"She'll get dressed after we have cake! C'mon, cake first!" Rocky grabs my wrist and pulls me towards the huge cake that sits on the table in the middle of the room. The cake is decorated to look like me in my cake dress.

"No one is having cake until I find the ceremonial knife!" My Mother says firmly to us. While my mother's back is turned, Rocky sneaks up to the cake and reaches for it. "Rocky!" My mother doesn't even look behind her. Rocky makes a face, and I giggle. My Mother is muttering about where she put the knife, pulling things away from the counters and peeking behind them, but she can't seem to find it.

"Never gonna find it!" Grandpa Beastender grumbles from his chair by the window.

"Dad, I hope you're not hiding that knife for your own good!" My mother frowns. My Grandfather grumbles. I decide to talk to him.

"Grandpa Beastender?" I say when I walk up to him. His one good eye looks up at me, the other covered with an eyepatch. "Why do you hate the Maiden's Feast, Grandpa?" I ask him, curious.

"Because this used to be a town of warriors!" He says to me, leaning forward. I remember him telling me stories of our town when I was younger, they fascinated me a lot then, now I'm just mildly interested. The little kid in me still wants to know more, though.

"Why don't we just fight Mog Chothera instead of feeding it?" I begin to ask everyone in the room, and all I get are giggles. I decide to keep talking to Grandpa, HE'S not laughing at me.

I don't know how to continue the conversation, so I just say, "Hey Gramps, want a cupcake?"

My Grandfather grumbles a little, but slips in a "yes".

"I better go find that knife," I say, about to turn away.

"Don't you dare! I hid it for a reason!" Grandpa Beastender growls.

"You did what?" I ask. Grandpa doesn't answer. I have no idea where the cupcakes are, so I just wander to the far counters in the corner. There's a towel covering something, so I pick it up. "Maybe the knife is under this towel?" I think aloud, pulling it away. No knife, but there are cupcakes! I grab one for Grandpa, then turn away.

I hurry back over to Grandpa Beastender's chair, and hold out the cupcake. "For me?" He asks, looking eager.

I'm kinda hungry, now that I think about it, so I say, "Split it with you?"

"Deal!" Gramps blurts, pulling out a knife from his pocket. The ceremonial knife! He gives the cupcake a clean slice, then tosses the knife to the side. It flies in the air, then sticks into the windowsill. I grab it before Grandpa sees, and stick it in my pocket, along with the towel.

"On second thought, you can have the whole thing," I say. Right when the words leave my mouth, Gramps stuffs it in his mouth. I didn't need the cupcake anyway, I was going to have cake now. I hurry over to Mom at the counter, where she's still searching for the knife. I pull it out and give it to her. "It's time to serve this girl up!" I say loudly, then I can't resist slipping in, "but please, can I ask just one more time? Why don't we just KILL Mog Chothera?"

Everyone in the room bursts into chuckles. "Hear, hear!" My Grandfather cries. Levena frowns at him.

"Oh, we're going to miss your sense of humor," my Mother smooths my hair.