I was abandoned by my mother as a baby. I'd never really known love, as I was found by a farmer who only knew punishment. We had lived by the forest, but I was never allowed to go near. I always wondered what lies beyond the horrible smell of animals, and alcholic beverages. It seems like something every young human goes through, a longing to go where they've never been allowed to, to know the outside world their commanders hid from them. But, this? This felt different, like it was calling me. As a human being does with ones voice. I needed to know what was beyond this dreary old farm and it's inhumane inhabitants. "Get back in here and clean up this pig pin, you useless hag!" I was torn away from the forest, and back into my reality. I slung a barrel of hay over my shoulder, and walked back to the farmhouse. Wonderful, I thought, absolutely wonderful. I sat the hay down next to the open front door, and could hear papi and nana (that's what I was told to address them by, I never grew fond of it, but they loved it.) screaming at each other. They never got along well, and it always made me wonder why they stayed together in the beginning. When I was younger, I thought that yelling and screaming and throwing things at each other meant love, that everyone did that. As I grew, I learned that was not the idea of 'love', but of the opposite. I had never been hit, by papi and nana at least. Farmhands would get restless, tired, crabby, and would lose their temper. I tended few fields where dirt lay, so I would cover my face and open skin with the dirt, to hide the bruises and cuts I had suffered from other farmhands. I don't know why I would cover them, papi and nana never gave me the time of day, they mostly spent their days yelling about whom was more useless, papi or nana. I was to cook and clean the house, never expected to get anything in return, as I was found homeless, I was to be treated as if I were still homeless. And that, they acheived quickly. "Stop telling what I need to do!!" I heard nana yell. Crash BANG Cling Glasses had been broken, once again. I'd need to clean that up once they moved onto another room. Bang. Someone slammed their fist into a wall, most likely papi, as nana was too weak to throw a punch into the wall. I hung my head low, and stayed out of their way. A farmhand called my name, and I sighed, turned around and walked back out of the door. I look to my right, and see someone waving their hand in my direction. What? I signal with my arms. "Come here!" I sigh and step off the porch into the field, slightly shaking my head. I swear all of you act like you can't live without me. You're grown people, act like it. I thought. "What tis' the problem?" I asked, slightly more annoyed then I had meant it to sound. "Lookie here! I might have found somethin' rich!" Yeah, and I am a queen, I thought. I looked down to see what the fuss was about, and all I see is giant root to a cabbage. I smiled as I leaned down to catch the root in my hand, where did these people come from? "It'd be a mighty favor of you to get it for me. Thank you, lassie!"
I smiled up at the farm hand, glad to be of help, but also entertained by the fact that he seemed so enthused over a root. But I guess when you harvest all day, you look for even the tinest of things to entertain yourself. I yanked the root from the ground, and holding it tightly, I stood back up from the dirt. I held out the root, "Here ya are! One giant root requested, one giant root delivered!" Silence. I looked up from the oddly shaped hole. There was no one to be seen. "Allo?" I called. Still nothing. I could have sworn.. I stopped and listened. There was not a sound to be heard, not even yelling. That's odd isn't it? "Allo, is anyone there?" I called out to myself it seemed. My voice echoed off of the trees and buildings, but no other voice arised. I grew concerned, where did everyone go? Were they bored and thought up a joke on me for their amusement? I forgot the root in my hand and walked back to the farmhouse. Silence still held the air, it was eerie. Never had it been this quiet, not even animals could manage this stillness. The door was open, as it had been for fresh air. Papi and nanas voices could not be heard, they had been screaming at each other for hours. Maybe they had given it a rest? I walked about the house, but saw no one. The farmhands' vehicles still visible on the walkway, but no one occupied them. The rooms sat bare of human life, and the television lay dark. I stood in the gathering room, unsure of what my next course of action was to be. "Come." A tiny voice chirped. I paid no attention, as I had thought I'd heard it out of imagination."Come." I heard again. This time, I slumped my head against my arm, have I gone bonkers? I questioned myself. "Come." I slowly looked up to find a tiny bluebird, perched in the window. W-was it looking at me? "Ello, small creature. What be on yer mind today?" I acted as if it would speak back. How silly of me. The bluebird chirped happily at me, flapping its wings and fluttering about. The black, white, and blue specks scattered about its tiny little frame had given it the look of a flower with wings. The bird seemed to dance as it fluttered, momentarily mesmerizing me. I felt silly for being so worried, the farmhands and Papi and nana were sure to come back. They'd never leave me here, alone.
Would they?
They loved me, or at the very least cared for me. Otherwise, I would have been long gone. Flesh picked at by scavangers, hungry for any scrap they could muster up. The bird had stopped singing, it had stopped dancing. It seemed, almost, sad now, as it pirched in the open window. I tilted my head slightly to the side, confused by the sudden change of attitude the bird had gained. "What is wrong? Have you fallen hungry, little one?" I, again, asked the bluebird. It shook it's black and blue lined head. The action further fueled my curiousty. "Come here!" A drab little voice called. I jumped a bit at the sudden noise. I looked out of the door that still hung open, facing the forest. There seemed nothing but the wind that was picking up. I looked back to the window, where the bird sat, only to find it gone. I suddenly felt sad, like I needed the bird with me. I needed someone, so I wouldn't feel so... Scared? Why had I felt scared? I'd not been threatened by anything, nor had I felt threatened. Unable to stand it much longer, I stood up from the wooden chair that sat in the gathering room. My long dress had caught the corner of the chair, and dragged the chair behind me as I walked towards the door. The loud Scraaaaapppppppeeeee that followed nearly gave my heart a studder. I pursed my lips and pulled the dress from the chair. I continued my walk towards the door, occasionally glancing to my side, hoping for a sign of someone else, another human. And of course, found none. Just inside the door, I had found glass of which I could gaze upon my reflection. My pale skin made me look frail and sickly. My eyes had a sad, tired look to them, and I looked years older. My hair draped down my back, resembling a midnight waterfall. The dress I had on was covered in dirt and sweat from days of work and heartache. It was something far from formal, but it was enough to endure the tasks I was given, and that was all I needed. "Come hereeeeee!" I jumped back because I was tangled in my own thoughts about where my caretakers went. I could not find my voice, so I did not bother to speak. I simply looked out the door, half-hidden by the wall inside. I looked around the field again. Expecting to find nothing again, I quickly looked and hid again. Something had caught my eye this time, a shadow. After hiding under the window, I wanted to look again. I still saw the same shadow over by the fence that seperates the goat from the horses. What was that? I pondered, not daring to move. I stared a while longer, wondering what creature could possibly look like that. It was shaped like a human, but had the hands of wolf, claws a mile long, and as hairy as a cat. It waved, just as the farmhand did- Why was it waving? Was it waving at me? I waited for the creature to stop waving, but it didn't. It was trying to get me to come over. "Come here!" The drab little creature called to me. I started towards him, and then stopped. Without thinking, I walked toward him again. I came upon the fence the creature stood. And he seemed to disappear, he was gone.
