Forgotten by Fortune

Entry One

     Entry One

    February 19th, 1618

     I am often asked if I miss my true family - but how can I miss something I have never known? I suppose it is not surprising that I was unwanted since birth; I was born just after the stroke of midnight in the midst of a raging blizzard, on Friday the 13th of January, 1606, on a night of a new moon. My mother could not keep me in fear that she would be accused of witchcraft, so I was left in the forests surrounding the village, only to be found the next day by a woman who was out picking mushrooms.

     I do not remember this - instead, when I go to sleep, I am sometimes told the story of how I was found.

     'I was just going into the forest to gather food for the winter,' says Joan sometimes, 'when I heard a sound. I didn't know what it was, at first - that was why I wandered towards it. As I got closer to the source of the noise, it began to sound a little like crying. Finally, when I reached the source of the sound, I looked down, and saw a little babe, just lying on the ground. I wondered what it was doing there, and so I took it to a little village near the woods. I was going to ask if anybody knew who it was, or if anybody wanted it; I did not know what to do with a child. God knows how I've managed to raise it this long.'

At this, Joan often smiles and looks at me, before refocusing on her story.

     'It turned out that you were left there on purpose - you were born at the worst time possible, and your parents feared they would be accused of being witches. They said they were sorry, but they couldn't keep you. Nobody else wanted you, either, but I could not just leave you, so I decided to take you in. I would not have been able to live with myself if I had left a small child to die, and in my opinion, superstitions are less important than a life - but only a little, mind you.'

     I know that I was very lucky to have been found - if Joan had not heard my crying, I would have been long dead. However, I sometimes worry that I am too much of a burden for Joan, and if the witch hunters come, she could be put in trouble that she does not deserve.

     I am 12 years old now. I help Joan with the housework - she says I need to be prepared for when I grow older. I am content with my life so far; I am generally happy, if not a little busy. I do not go to school. School is only for the very rich, and I am not ashamed to say that Joan and I are poor.

     Joan hasn't moved out of the hut in the forest, even if it is very small for the two of us. When I ask her why, she replies,

     'This house holds many good memories. Why would I wish to leave?' However we both know the real reason is because we do not have enough money. Joan is a seamstress, and she gets little pay from the job. I sometimes help her to make the clothes; she taught me how to when I was nine years old. Sometimes, though, I wonder if there is a small amount of truth in what she says; whether even if we could leave, she would allow it.

     At times, I wonder what would happen if one day, things happened differently. It is not that I resent the simplicity of my life - quite the opposite, but there is still a voice in the back of my head saying, what if there was change? However, I do not, and will not, wish for that change to happen. I believe wishes are powerful, and you will never know in what ways they will come true.

—

A.N. Thank you to everyone who's reading this. I hope it was interesting, and more importantly, enjoyable, for you. 

If you enjoyed it, voting would show it and help me feel appreciated. It would also allow me to check out your stories and vote on them. (You don't have to, though)

On a separate note, feel free to suggest anything I could improve - I'm open to (constructive) criticism!

Thank you again to everyone reading!

- Sylvia_Nightshade