House of Charity

Chapter 3: The Lower River

In a deep and dark soul dream, Emily saw the fingernails of the river shine a blue and green. Both shone a blue and green. This made emily think if Blue and Green were really the same colours. In her dream, she held on tightly as her raft tippled and flashed over the river against the wind that whistled through the Bushes and Trees. Tipping over, she felt the water of the river on her face, sparkling and tingling against her skin when she swap deeper and closer to the Fingernails that shone brighter, and brighter, and as she clawed against the mud of the rivers bottom to grasp the fingernails, The sound of Carillon's rang through her eyes, out-of-tune, from somewhere very near.

A chain of Carillon bells rang full of life. The repeating cascade of clanging bells rang over each-other for a good few minutes, and although not particularly tuned, was much enjoyed by the children, who woke up with curious eyes and ears. The cats woke up, too, and walked with their own little bells to the window. They both looked expectantly at little Emily, who got up and opened the window for them and watched with glee as they jumped out and walked towards a little stone bell tower - The source of the noise - that sat across the river.

Emily smiled wide to boy Leo. "Leo, you lazy boy. Don't you want to get up and see the world?"
"Ohh, Emily, my dear sister. It would be be nice to go to the bell tower, wouldn't it? But I reckon the forest is full of mud from last nights storm."
Emily challenged, "If you would have looked outside instead of staying in bed, you would have known the sun shining on the river, the birds flying from the leaves, and the warm, gentle air."

Curiosity took Leo's face as he slodged to the window with aching feet from last night. Looking outside at all that beheld him, though, the pursuit of adventure entered his heart and healed his aching bones. The siblings looked to each other and span around, with joy in their hearts, singing to eachother jovially: "Chappies! Chappies and Bubblegum! Chappies! Chappies and Bubblegum!" as they started to get rowdy with it, taking their pillows and beginning to lob them at eachother, Miss Rala knocked and walked in to meet the two smiling children.

"Good morning, children! Breakfast is ready! Come down and eat."
"But Miss Tala, we would like to go outside now! We can't wait!" the siblings said, jumping on the spot. Miss Tala folded her arms together, ready to give out the business. "But how will you have the energy to run around and play with empty tummies?"

Miss Tala packed strawberry jam and cream buns in a woven basket, lined with a soft red-and-white checkered linen. She tied a little red bow on top and handed the basket to Leo.

"Here is the m

Thank you miss tala

Leo and Emily ran outside and held hands as they skipped towards the river bank - Hearing closer the cascading waters and seeing the sun light the river a bright, clear orange.
"Mom always told me the rivers were orange because they're made of Rooibos tea."

Emily was enamoured with a bush of a peculiar flower - Of frosty lavender petals with a bright yellow hand coming out of the middle - Stretching out into a pinch of lady fingers. Emily thought about picking lady fingers into a jar, and bringing them to her room where she could grow more and more, enchanted by the way the colours popped against each other. Maybe she could make a bed of lady fingers, and they would tickle her when she laid on top of them as she slept in the warm, forest sun.

Coming towards the river bank, they saw closer the cascading water, and how the sun shone into water and made it a bright, clear orange, like Rooibos tea. The bridge to cross was a drawbridge - Drawn downwards into the water rendering it uncrossable. There was a big wooden crank which would not turn no matter how hard they pushed and pulled - Leo coming to a revelation.

"It must be key operated..." he noticed, after saying this, a comically large key-hole. He felt a bit silly.

"Terrible news... My hands could have caught a splinter, My hands are now dirty. When you're telling me my effort is wasted, It's enough to make me want to weep. We CANT venture down the bank and find a way across, its way too big and muddy by the bank - If we fall into the water we are in deep trouble. We need the bridgemaster, but WHERE will we find them, Leo?"