FLOWERS IN THE WILD (Discontinued)

I. The Sunflower People

"Nikam's biggest trading cities are situated on The Ferley's shore. This sea separates the two countries: Nikam and Forundan. It has been a popular trade route since the start of the 13th cycle and has made small towns into booming cities in less than a year. Some of these town-turned-cities are Rhywle (pronounced as 'Really',) a once popular fishing stop for both merchants and travellers alike. To the east of both Rhywle and the Capital, Glavni (refer to page 94), resides the second richest city of the North: Girasole, which in the common tongue translates to Sunflower. As of late, these towns and cities have been abandoned after getting torn down by Hurricane Kenny."

— J. Hockney's "Geography of the World | Volume 1: The First Continent" (Published on the 24th Cycle, by Hen's Workshop, in Glavni, Nikam. Edited by Gale Steward and K. K. Nine)

It was the afternoon before our annual village banquet, and this year, it was being held at our home. My ma' was preparing hundreds upon hundreds of dishes for the night, she'd been cooking for the past five days. Only yesterday, did some of the hillside ladies come up to help us, and now, we were nearly done.

I wasn't expected to help at all, as it was tradition for the mothers of the village to cook, the fathers to work and the children to play, but then that leaves the little grey area for the young and unmarried. So I just sat in some quiet corner, biting out of one of the red apples we'd received from Mr O'Brian earlier that morning.

I was figuring out the next best place to bite into without getting juice on my fingers when ma' called for me. I tossed the half-eaten apple aside and entered the chaotic mess that was my ma's kitchen, full of apron-clad middle-aged women. My mother was the first and only one to spot me.

"Luna, go pick up some eggs from Mr Murphy for me, will you?" She told me. Her long ash brown hair was tied into a neat bun at the back of her head with a blood red ribbon. Half her face was hilariously coated with flour.

"Okay, anything else?" I answered as I rinsed the juice off my hands. I violently shook my hands to be rid of the extra water, earning myself a sideways glare from my mother.

"Use towels for Christ's sake," She chastised me.

I rolled my eyes.

"Don't give me that attitude, Luna. Oh, and go check on your sister for me, make sure she hasn't run off with the boys again," she sighed tiredly. She was fatigued and suddenly any form of protest died, swallowed by a wave of guilt.

I cleaned my hands on the towel. "On it, ma'."

I grabbed my favourite denim jacket, the one that had sunflowers embroidered on the sleeves. I shoved my right hand into the pocket and fiddled with the velvet-red sack that held my monthly allowance. If I remembered correctly, I had exactly 30 Stones left, barely enough for a whole basket or two of eggs. I jogged onto the front-yard, passing the oak tree and flower gardens and crawling between the broken pine fences that surrounded the Sunflower Mansion. I ran to my green bicycle, picking it up from the withered blueberry bushes behind the fence. I rode down the hillside and into the village square, rushing over the worn cobble and dirt streets that led me to the markets. Crows flew overhead and for a second I imagined myself as one of those black-feathered devils, part of some flock, flying south for the Winter.

Even though it was already 5 in the afternoon, the markets were as crowded as ever, with the salespeople chatting about their day, and the customers laughing at some joke they told. However, no child was in sight. This was the best time to be out, if you despised kids, like me.

I skidded to a stop, sweeping some pebbles and dirt onto random shoes, pants and dresses, earning myself a couple of sneers and glares from the adults. Nevertheless, I had arrived at my destination. Mr Murphy sat at his usual splinter-plenty bench, juggling two eggs, with his legs propped up onto a stack of crates, with 'Murphy's Eggs' and 'This way up' scribbled in black marker on the side along with a messy arrow pointing upwards.! He wore a green military print cap, a pair of muddy cyan jeans and a thin white t-shirt. His red patched-up travelling cloak hung on his shoulders and spilt on the grass beneath. The man's face was scarred in a couple of places, but most of it was covered by his bushy blonde beard and curly moustache. The man had ash blonde strands that escaped the green cap and a crooked nose. He was a tall and burly man, the kind of guy who could lift a house without breaking a sweat.

"Mr Murphy?" I approached the man, my bike trailing by my side.

Mr Murphy momentarily paused from his egg juggling and looked over at me, "Hm? Oh, Luna! What brings ya down?"

"Yeah, ma' told me to come down to get stuff for the banquet."

"Ah, Eleanor, always hard-workin'. I pity the poor woman. How many?" He asked. He removed his feet from the crates and crossed his legs instead.

"Yeah," I said as I pulled out my money, "Two dozens please."

He nodded and stood up to open the first crate, full of feathers and cartons of fresh eggs. He grabbed two of the cartons and handed them to me.

"'Ere ya go, kid," he said as he took my allowance.

"Thanks, Sir."

"Yeh, yeh. Now go bother someone else, shoo. Don't keep Eleanor waitin'— y'know how she gets." He wore a tired smile as he rolled his grey eyes amusedly.

"Aight, well, thanks for the service." I nodded my head in respect and turned to leave with my bike, but before I swung my leg over my green bicycle, I turned around and asked, "Oh, before I go, Mr Murphy...have you seen my sis' anywhere? Ma' told me to check up on her."

"Y'mean rainbow-hair Elizabeth? Aint she older than y'? Why're y' checkin' on her, when it's supposed 'ta be the other way 'round?"

"Eh, we're not the traditional family, I guess." I shrugged, "So, have you seen her?"

"No, not really, kid. If I were y', I'd go check the edge, o'the Woods." He waved in the direction of the unexplored woods that bordered the east side of the town.

"Yeah. Well, thanks for your help, Mr Murphy. See ya 'round?" I smiled at the man and guided my bike on my way back home.

"Stay safe, kid," Mr Murphy
said. "Don't let the Aeries catch you."

I laughed.

I turned and walked through the now abandoned streets of the village, bike by my side and under my breath, for it was supposed to remain that way, I muttered to myself, "As if anyone could catch me."