You can read the previous chapter here!
“No, mister officer sir, I haven’t been to the market today,” lied Heather. She stretched in the noonday sun and held her hand above her to shade her face.
“Well, a little girl matching your description snatched a purse in the market this morning,” said the guard. He scratched his belly and snorted. “They said it was a little halfling girl with brown hair and a yellow dress.”
Heather scowled at the guard. She had changed since snatching the purse. The description given should have been “blue dress with a white smock.” He wasn’t playing by their rules. Neither will I.
“I was helping my mom all morning,” said Heather cheerfully. “She’s stuck at work, so I was cleaning up around the house. I was too busy to go to the market.”
The guard eyed her suspiciously. “Ain’t you the Turnkey kid? Your mum said to look out for you, not trust you and such.”
Heather couldn’t help it–her face soured. “Yeah, she adores me,” she said dryly.
“So, you expect me to believe that someone whose own parent calls them a liar isn’t the little halfling girl I’m looking for?” He placed a hand on the haft of his club, perhaps unconsciously.
“Look, mister officer sir,” she said, “I don’t have any expectations about what you believe. I’m just telling you the truth. Yes, I have gotten into trouble. But my mom exaggerates. She’s being overprotective. I really did spend the day cleaning. I know it looks bad, but I’m telling you the truth.” She finished speaking and put her hands on her hips.
The guard considered her for a moment, then frowned. “Ain’t gonna work on me. Sorry, sister, let’s go.”
Heather shrugged and took a step forward, then suddenly cut to the side and ran from the officer. She made it to the end of the block before running into a second guard, a nimble woman who cornered her. Heather struggled all the way back to the first guard.
“You lookin’ for this?” asked the guard holding Heather.
“You always know just what to get me, Zenna,” said the male guard. “We’re headed downtown; where are you off to?”
“The very same,” said Zenna. “Mind if I accompany you?”
“Please do,” said the man. “It’ll save me listening to this one,” he added, forcing Heather a step forward.
Zenna turned while they walked and examined Heather. “What did you do to get on Darrell’s bad side?” she asked.
Heather opened her mouth to speak but got stared down by Darrell.
“She’s a liar and a thief, and she’s slipped through justice’s clutches too many times,” he said.
“Damn, Darrell, she’s a kid,” said Zenna.
“Her own mom sold her out!” said Darrell. “She’s one of those demon kids from the stories when you’re young.”
Zenna turned and examined Heather a second time. “Kid, did you do it? Whatever you’re in trouble for?” she asked.
“No,” said Heather. “I was doing cleaning all morning. I have calluses starting to form already,” she said mournfully, holding out her hands.
Zenna frowned and looked at Darrell. A moment later, she turned back and smiled at Heather. As they walked on, Heather remembered that downtown was about as far a trip as they could make and stay in the city proper. She’d be dragged through town by two guards when everybody was in the streets. She gritted her teeth and trudged forward.
—
Heather walked between Zenna and Darrell, she ahead and he behind. As they walked, people would crane their necks and try to see who was being taken away. The sting from their disapproving faces got worse with each passing face. She saw a girl about her age with a pretty haircut who folded her arms and nodded as if to say, “Serves her right.” This hurt most of all, though Heather couldn’t have explained why.
They passed the marketplace, and the leatherworker who had seen Heather snatch his customer’s purse came running over to them.
“You caught her!” he cried.
“I did,” said Darrell. “We’re off for lockup.”
“She’ll spend a few nights in jail?” asked the leatherworker.
“Absolutely,” said Darrell, smiling at Heather. “She’ll get what she deserves.”
Zenna turned to Heather. “So it was you. He recognizes you.”
“I was at home doing cleaning,” said Heather. “He saw someone who looks like me, or maybe he’s trying to frame me. I didn’t do it.”
Zenna looked at Heather closely. Darrell and the leatherworker were still loudly discussing exactly how ghoulish Heather’s fate would be. Zenna interrupted just as Darrell suggested the public stocks with, “We should get going.”
Darrell nodded and turned to the leatherworker. “Rest assured, sir, she’ll regret the day she was born.”
Heather swallowed hard and tried to walk in a straight line.
Zenna led the way out of the marketplace. They came to a thoroughfare that separated the government sector of downtown Thistlewade from the private sectors of the city.
“Can we stop here?” asked Zenna. She pointed to a bakery. “I want some seed bread, and this place has the best stuff. If I buy, will you get us both one? I’ll watch the brat.”
Darrell patted his stomach. “Yeah, I could use a snack.”
Zenna held out a few copper coins, which Darrell took. He headed inside the bakery. Zenna turned to Heather. “Why do you insist that you were at home cleaning when it’s pretty obvious that you did it? You were identified, and you have a reputation.”
Heather sighed. “You don’t care,” she said quietly.
Zenna furrowed her brow. “Why not? What makes you think that?”
Heather shrugged quickly. “Adults don’t really care about kids. They just say that you’re a problem or a disappointment or whatever. They just try to control you, and they make mistakes that ruin your life, and when they ask questions, it’s just so they know what to yell at you for!” Her voice had crept higher and higher, and she was nearly yelling by the end.
Zenna frowned. “You don’t know any adults who are nice?” she asked.
“Sometimes,” said Heather. “Sometimes, adults talk to you like you’re an adult too, and you can learn good things. But I don’t really know anybody like that.”
Zenna nodded, frowning slightly. “I guess I don’t know that many people like that either,” she said.
Heather looked at her directly. “Is the world always terrible?” she asked. “Or does it get better when you’re an adult?”
Zenna stood, eyes wide, for a moment. She collected herself and said, “I’m so sorry, sugar. You shouldn’t think the world is terrible.”
Heather kicked at the ground absently. “I guess,” she said. “But it is.”
Zenna knelt down to Heather’s eye level. Heather noticed that Zenna had tears in her eyes. “It’s gonna get better,” said Zenna. “It might take a while, but it’s gonna get better.” She stood, wiping her eyes. “Here comes Darrell. Look alive.” Darrell returned, handing one roll to Zenna, the other half-eaten in his other hand. Zenna placed the roll in her bag.
“Not gonna eat it?” asked Darrell.
“In a bit,” said Zenna. “I want to deal with this first.”
“This way, then,” said Darrell, pointing down the road. “Just a few more minutes, and we’ll be there!” He cackled a bit, saying, “Soak up the fresh air, girl–it’ll be your last for a while.”
Heather kept her eyes down and tried to ignore the shouts of the people passing by, shouting judgements and threats at her as she went.
—
The three marched up to the doors of an imposing building, square and old-looking. Zenna pushed the front door open and held it for Heather and Darrell.
“Don’t try to run in here,” said Darrell. “That’ll only make it worse.”
They led Heather to a desk, behind which sat an old halfling woman with a withering gaze. “Who’s doing the paperwork?” she asked.
“Me,” said both Darrell and Zenna simultaneously. Darrell raised an eyebrow at her in curiosity. “Why would you do it?” he asked. “I found her.”
“Oh, I’ll give you credit for it, of course,” said Zenna. “I just figured I could do it since we’re here a bit early, and you could just call it a day. I'll be here a while anyway."
Darrell nodded appreciatively. “That would be great! Thanks, Zenna.” He immediately turned and departed.
Heather looked at Zenna curiously. What is she going to do to me that no one can know about?
The old woman tapped the desk. “Let’s get started. Name of offender?”
Zenna turned to Heather. “Well, kid, what’s your name?” she asked.
“Hea–” began Heather.
Zenna loudly and suddenly sneezed. “I’m sorry, your legal name,” she said.
Heather squinted at Zenna, unsure of what she was expected to do. Then, after an excruciating moment, she said, “Blossom.” She smiled weakly. “Blossom Goodfield.” She curtsied limply.
“Okay, Blossom Goodfield,” repeated the old woman behind the desk, scribbling furiously. “Crime?”
Zenna shook her head. “No, no, this is a complaint case. Someone stole a coinpurse from Miss Goodfield here.”
“Oh, my apologies,” said the old woman. “How much was in it?”
Heather tried not to look surprised to be spoken to. “Uh, fi–” she began, but stopped when Zenna thrust her thumb upward twice. “Seven s–” she began again, but stopped when Zenna thumbed up once more. “Seven gold, I mean,” said Heather spiritedly, then looked dour when she realized she was supposed to have lost that money.
“We’ll have it taken out of the evidence fund,” said the old woman. “You can process that, right?”
“I’ll take care of it,” said Zenna cheerfully. “You relax.” She waved Heather towards her, and they headed down a hallway to the evidence room. Zenna locked them inside.
“Why did you . . . ?” said Heather.
“Why did I just lie to every guard we encountered to get you out of trouble and steal money from the city to give to you?” asked Zenna. “Why would I risk getting the worst punishments you can imagine for . . . you?”
Heather considered, then nodded.
“You remind me of me at your age,” Zenna said. “You seem to be unhappy in a way that you take for granted. Maybe I’m wrong to tell you to break rules when they don’t suit you, but I have to be right to tell you that you can take control of your life and escape some of that pain. Oh,” she said, putting a hand to her forehead. “Are you even old enough to know what I mean?”
Heather scowled. “It’s not old enough,” she said. “It’s smart enough. And I’m smart enough. I usually talk dumb to make people think I don’t understand them. Then they’ll say anything.”
Zenna blinked at her a few times. “The new name trick only works so many times. You should really look into keeping your own name as clean as can be.”
“Maybe a better change of costume,” said Heather, wanting to impress Zenna. “Change my hair or something.”
Zenna smiled at her. “You were working me the whole damn time. You actually had me going there for a minute. Damn. You’re good. I hope I don’t run into you as an adult.”
Heather winced.
“No! Not like that,” said Zenna, opening a small safe and counting seven gold pieces into a cheap burlap bag. “Like, I do still have to investigate crimes and such. And I would not be a happy detective if I had to go up against you. You’re a natural. Like, I bet you could just do an emotion on command. Look sad.”
Heather curled her lower lip down, and her eyes were both hollow and pained.
“Yep,” said Zenna. “That’s good stuff. Look, promise me something. You take this money. You take this seed bread,” she said, pulling the roll out of her bag and offering it, “and you start over as somebody new. You do that, and I bet you that you’ll stop thinking that the world is so terrible.”
Heather thought about this.
“It’s time to go, Blossom,” said Zenna, pushing open the door to the evidence room. “Back out into the world where you can start over!”
Heather followed her, the bag of gold clinking in her hands. “Thanks,” she whispered to Zenna as she passed by her at the front desk, headed for the doors out.
“Don’t mention it!” cried Zenna. “Every citizen is entitled to justice!”
Heather smiled and laughed to herself. She dashed from downtown to a clothing store and bought a few new dresses–ones that fit her better, at that–and headed home, aiming to arrive just before her parents got home.
—
Heather ran into the house, slamming the door behind her, and hauled her new clothes to her room. She shoved the seed bread roll into a drawer and turned her attention on her closet. She stuck the new dresses into the back of the closet and heaped older clothes on top of them. She judged the pile satisfactorily concealing just as the front door slammed. She walked casually out into the kitchen to see her mother.
“Oh, hello, Heather,” Lily said. “Did you get arrested today?”
Heather sighed. “Almost.”
Lily looked away from the meager bag of groceries she was unloading. “Almost?”
Heather shrugged. “What do you want me to say?”
“I want you to say, ‘No, Mom, I didn’t break any laws today,’ and I want you to mean it,” said Lily, her voice rising.
“I thought you didn’t want me to lie to you,” said Heather sourly.
“You’re impossible!” shouted Lily. “I come in here and say hello and you try to break my heart.”
“You’re the one who asked if I got arrested instead of asking how my day was,” said Heather. “You don’t even give me a chance. You hate me.”
“I hate being the one who tries to keep you in line!” shouted Lily. “You seem to only be happy when I’m not.”
“What makes you think I’m happy?!” screamed Heather. “Why would I be happy? I have a dad I don’t see anymore and a mom who thinks I’m horrible, and we never have enough to eat, and I’m not allowed to do anything, so why would I be happy?!”
“Oh, so I work all day for you, and it’s not enough?” said Lily. “You expect to have everything just given to you, and you get happiness for nothing? You have to work for it, you ungrateful brat!”
“If you’ve worked for it, why aren’t you happy, then?” demanded Heather. “Tell me why you aren’t happy.”
“Because of you!” shouted Lily. She threw a carrot to the floor. “Because no matter what I do, you just keep being . . . wrong.” Her body shook, and her voice quivered.
There was a tense silence as Heather and Lily stared at each other.
“You . . .” said Heather. “You don’t want me, you don’t have to have me.”
“Don’t say things you don’t mean,” said Lily.
“I mean it, Mom,” said Heather. “If you don’t want me around, I’ll leave.”
“And where will you go?” demanded Lily. “Who’s gonna take care of you?”
“I will!” shouted Heather. “I’ll take care of myself.”
“You’ll commit a dozen crimes, is what you’ll do,” said Lily. “You’ll be locked up before your next birthday.”
“At least I won’t be a failure to my family like you!” shouted Heather.
“You stupid child,” said Lily bitterly, “that’s exactly what you are.”
Heather burst into tears and ran to her room. She grabbed her knapsack and stuffed it full of clothes old and new. She shoved every coin she had managed to save into the front pocket. Then, as quickly as she could, she dashed out of her room, down the hall, and out the front door, slamming into her father as he entered the house.
“Whoa, there, sweetheart, where are you going in such a hurry?” he asked, his voice playful until he saw the tear streaks on her face. She sobbed again and ran off into the night.
—
Heather had been pacing the same block over and over for nearly two hours now. She had memorized the street: seaside across the way, quaint houses along the opposite edge; their colors ranged from beige to earthy red. She was particularly interested in a small tan house halfway down the street with no lights on. As she passed it for perhaps the fiftieth time, she moaned. When is she coming home? She reached the end of the street and turned around as though performing a military march. She started back again, her eyes stuck to the darkened tan house.
As she passed it again, she heard a splashing come from the other side of the road. Surprised, she walked cautiously over to investigate. Water lapped against the stone pier, and a shape under a canvas was being pushed against the edge. Heather reached out and pulled the canvas, and she found it was quite heavy. She managed to pull it to the edge completely when she realized the canvas was flapped over. She grabbed the flap and pulled it to reveal the dead body of a middle-aged halfling man. She recoiled, falling on the street behind her. The low light of the moon glinted on something on the man’s chest. She looked closer; it was a medal of some sort. She reached out, unfastened it, and watched as the body sank down beneath the surface, slowly, as though being pulled down by some patient denizen of the deep.
Heather inspected the medallion. It looked very official. It was bronze with burnished details, depicting three thistles in front of a lake in fine smithing. This could be useful. I could sell it. She laughed and slapped her forehead. I could do a lot more with it than sell it. But no one will believe I’m an official of the city. Yet. Just gotta be patient. She slipped the medallion into her knapsack and resumed her marching up and down the street.
Half an hour later, Heather turned around at the end of the block and saw who she was waiting for. She hurried down the street to intercept the guard.
“Zenna!” said Heather excitedly. “I’m gonna do it!”
Zenna looked surprised, then concerned. “Heather! Do what?”
“I’m starting over!” said Heather. “As someone new!”
“And who are you?” asked Zenna, cautious.
“I’m your sidekick!” said Heather happily. “I can help with your work!”
Zenna held her hands up in front of her. “Whoa, hold on there! I don’t really have room for a partner.”
Heather’s face fell. “But you helped me, and you’re basically the first adult to ever help me, and you said to start over, and I thought you meant . . . with you.”
Zenna laughed, then tried to stifle it. “Oh, look, kid, like I said, I helped you ‘cause you reminded me of myself. I didn’t say, ‘come live with me and be my sidekick.’ You gotta go, or else both of us could get in trouble.” She looked around nervously. “Come on, get.”
“But–” began Heather.
“No! You’re a liability,” said Zenna. “You gotta go!”
Heather tried not to look hurt and scurried away, holding her bag close. She heard Zenna’s door close behind her as she walked.
Heather tried to smile in the darkness as she wandered. After a ways, she noticed a hollow in a huge tree. She climbed into it and, using her knapsack as a pillow, tried to make herself comfortable.
It’s gonna be a while before it’s worth trying to go home again. She leaned into the curve of the hollow. If it’s ever worth it. She looked up at the moon. I feel like everything I’m supposed to do is right in front of me, but it’s just not the right time yet. When is it going to be time? She followed the moon’s light down to the reflection on the surface of the water. And if it’s not time yet, then what do I do until then? Heather closed her eyes and tried to sleep. I’ll learn to do as much as I can now, and I’ll be ready. She pulled her knapsack tight as though it would help with the cold. I’ll be ready for everything.
You can read the next chapter here!
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