Dreaming of Stars

Mystery Man

"But who was that guy?" I wondered aloud as the man walked away through the crowd of people walking frantically between carts. 

"I don't know but now we a basically rich!" Onca shouted as she held up the basket full of food. 

"Well that's nice but we don't know why that man would want to give two little girls a bushel of wheat!" I shouted hoping that Onca would pick up  on the urgency of the situation.

"Don't worry about it! Let's just get back to the house before the Bringer of Grieve finds out we left!" Onca shouted as she held up her hand in a way to try to give the name more evil.

"Ok and if she finds out we stole her money get ready to run." I said as we started walking out of the market and towards the deserted dirt path leading up the hill to the orphanage for girls. As we walked I watched all the little bugs and flowers move in the wind on the side of the path. As I watched all of the plants sway in the wind I noticed a beautiful red flower flowing in the wind. For some reason I had always felt a connection between flowers and me that seemed to never leave my mind. It was like I was always searching for the most beautiful flower while I frolicked outside. 

"Come little  children and make us bread!" Onca shouted as we walked into the kitchen. Quickly I handed out the wheat then took the basket to Onca's and my room. Soon the basket of eggs was stuffed safely under our bunk bed. 

"Why did you do that?" Onca asked as she walked in with a grainy piece of bread in her hand obviously from one of the kids who had surprisingly cooked pretty fast. 

"Do you really want someone to know we have eggs?" 

"No, I guess not." Onca said but was quickly interrupted by a shout. 

"Onca! Vela! I have a chore for you!" The Keeper shouted as Onca and I ran to her room knowing what would happen if she got cranky.

"I need both of you to go clean the kitchen one of the girls had a little mishap." The Keeper said as she handed Onca a mop that looked more like a piece of wood with rope attached to it than a real mop. Then she gave me a bucket that I would have to go fill in the pond next to the woods.

"Yes ma'am." Onca and I both recited at the same time as we both went our separate ways. Onca would inspect the scene until I came back with the newly filled bucket. Soon I was pushing open the breaking wooden door to the path leading to the pond not far away. I quietly walked across the brown ground as I closed in on the pond. As I reached the mass of water I dipped the bucket in to fill only to hear the sound of moving water mixed with the sound of a breaking branch. 

"Who is there?" I shouted as I whipped my head back to observe the still woods to find the source of the sound and judge if it was dangerous or not. As I sat there for a good minute and saw nothing I decided I had just been overly conscious. I quickly finished filling the bucket as I started rushing my way back keeping extra vigilant to make sure no one really was following me. 

Finally I made it back through the same wooden door I had left through. I quickly made it to the kitchen to find Onca staring at the floor with a greenish look on her pale face. "What is it?" I asked her as I finally followed her glare and saw the most disgusting pile of thrown up material I had ever seen.

"Just dump the entire bucket on it!" Onca said as she picked up the mop with a determined look in her eyes. "Ok, here's the game plan. I start scrubbing and you dump water whenever I say water got it?" Onca asked as she looked at me with the same determined look.

"Yeah, sure general." I answered as I pulled the bucket I had set down back to my waist. 

"Water." Onca whispered as she started scrubbing the vile slop. I quickly dumped some of the water straight onto the drying liquid as Onca swept it from its position and up into the mop's absorbent layers. 

"Water, just dump all of it." She said as she nearly finished liquefying the the crispy digested slop. Soon a little girl came to the rescue with two towels and washed up the rest of what Onca had not been able to get.   

"Finally! Ok I am going to go to bed and try to get this out of my head." Onca said as we put away the supplies then with a joyous look on her face she opened back up her mouth "That rhymed! Hey, I'm a poet and I didn't know it!" Onca shouted as she smiled proudly at her two successful rhymes. 

"Great! Maybe now when we get out of here we won't be poor since we have the great poet Miss Onca!" I shouted as I did a dramatic gesture towards her highness. 

"Yes, yes, but you mustn't bow my peasant." Onca answered as she waved me back up from my curtsy.  

"Ok, but I am seriously going to sleep now and you better not wake me again!" I shouted to Onca as we slammed our bedroom door after stealing some bread from some kids for our early dinner. 

"Ok I won't unless if that girl does it again!" Onca shouted as she pointed her finger at the wall.

"She isn't even in there right now!" I shouted as I flopped down on the top of the bunk only to find my back meet the uncomfortable wood.

"Oh yes I am!" the little girl shouted devilishly from the other side of the wall as she banged on it.

"No!" I shouted as I bundled up into the blankets and forced myself into a sleep that came easier than expected.