June 7'th, 2005,
So, this morning, I was sitting in the kitchen, my little shoulder bag slung over my shoulder, holding my diary in case I had time to write, working on scrubbing the floor, when Jade walked in.
"Rose," she began. "Mr. McLaken has some work for you to do in his garden."
"What?" I asked, getting up from the floor, re-positioning my bag.
"I talked to him yesterday, and he says that he'd be delighted to have you over to work in his garden. There are some extra flowers and weeds he'd like you to pick for him," Jade answered.
"Okay, I guess," I said. "I'll head over there right now."
"Perfect," Jade answered, walking back upstairs.
So, I walked next door, and knocked on the door. Mr. McLaken came to the door at once, and invited me into his flowerbed.
I have never seen a more beautiful thing. Mr. McLaken's flowerbed has every flower in the world: daffodils, roses, daisies, petunias, etc. He showed me where to pick weeds and flowers, and I began work.
I stood on my knees, pulling weeds from the rich soil, while Mr. McLaken watched me work.
But after a while, I saw a scary shadow covering the space where I was working. I looked up, and saw Mr. McLaken, a knife in his hand, poised to strike at my chest!
My heart raced as soon as I saw the knife. My life flashed before my very eyes as I backed against the bushes, the knife about to come down on me at lightning speed.
And just when I thought he was about to stab me, I heard sobbing.
"I can't kill you!" he said, bending down at my feet. "I really want you to forgive me for that! I beg of you!"
"What's going on?" I asked, half frightened.
"It's Jade," Mr. McLaken said, getting up. "She's jealous of you. She wanted me to kill you so she could be the most beautiful woman in the city. I don't know how she found out you were the most beautiful, but I can't do that. I'd be arrested for sure."
I was on the verge of crying of fright and sadness.
"So, see here my dear girl," he continued. "You must run away. You have to leave this place. Go somewhere where she'll never find you! Now!"
"Where will I go?" I asked between tears.
"Anywhere but here!" Mr. McLaken answered. "Now go! I'll do something to cover for you. Hurry up now, or she'll see you!"
Immediately, I ran out of the yard, and into the woods behind Mr. McLaken's house. I ran as fast as my legs could go, hoping they would take me somewhere safe. But since the woods are really dark, I couldn't tell where I was going, but I knew at least that would lead me somewhere away from Jade's plot.
As I ran, I listened to the sounds of the animals making their sounds. But the sound that was loudest of all was the beating of my heart. Never before had I been so scared. It was so dark, and the surfaces of the trees looked like monster faces, ready to gobble me up like a roasted turkey.
I ran for what seemed like an hour, until I finally collapsed beside a tree. I lay there for a minute, and then looked up. Right in front of me, was a small house. I got up, and raced to the house. Perhaps the people who lived there would let me stay with them, I thought optimistically.
I ran, and knocked on the door. No one answered.
I tried again. Still no answer.
I reasoned that there was no one home, but I decided to go inside anyway.
It was dark inside, like it had been in the forest. And it smelled really funny.
"Anyone home?" I called out one last time.
No answer to that one either.
I walked inside and saw there was a small kitchen just ahead of me. I walked into the room, and hoped to find some food in the pantry. I found some bread in the pantry, and some jelly in the fridge, so I fixed myself a jelly sandwich.
Once I finished, I noticed that the house wasn't very clean. The furniture was dusty, the dishes weren't clean, and the garden outside was full of overgrown grass and weeds.
I got an idea right away. If I impressed the family with a clean house, maybe they would allow me to stay with them!
At that instant, I found an old dusty rag, mixed together some soap and water in a bucket from the bathroom, and scrubbed the kitchen floor until it shown like water in the sun.
I dusted the furniture with a rag until they too shone prettily.
I washed the windows, fixed the garden, beat the rugs, and swept the floors of the house until it was clean as a brand new whistle!
But after a while, I found it was near sunset, so I made myself another jelly sandwich, and then decided to see what was upstairs.
I found a large landing with a couch, a TV, and some bookshelves that were a little untidy, so I put the out-of-place books on the shelves in their proper places. I saw one door at one end of the landing, and another on the other. I walked to the nearest one, and peeked inside. I saw a large bed, a computer, a large window, and a door, probably to a closet or a bathroom.
I tried the other room. It had three 3-person bunk beds, and a small bed in the corner, two bookshelves, a dresser, and a door, leading to a closet or bathroom.
I felt pretty tired. So, I lay down on the small corner bed to sleep.
The next thing I knew, I was being awakened by a small boy.
I looked around and saw that there were seven little boys, each about eleven years old or older.
I gasped, and pulled the covers all around me.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"Who are you?" asked the boy.
"Please, you answer first," I said insistently.
The boys lined up, tallest to shortest.
The tallest spoke first. "I'm Robby."
Here's how it went, going tallest to shortest after Robby.
"Jason"
"Jerry"
"David"
"Matt"
"Peter"
"Kenny"
"Pleased to meet all of you," I said, feeling a bit more at ease with them.
"Who are you?" asked Matt. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm Rose White," I answered. But then, remembering where I was, I shot up further in the bed, and tried to be casual. I hoped I didn't scare them. "I'm sorry that I barged in, I was just scared and lost, in the woods, that's all."
"Wait a minute," Robby said. "Are you the mayor's daughter?"
"Yes, I am," I answered.
"Is there anything we can do?" asked Matt, smiling his best.
"I'm fine, but thank you anyway," I answered.
"Well, we can still help if you want us to," David said in a little voice.
"I'm honored to be looking at the mayor's daughter," Jason said. "But I'm not ready to serve a conceited princess."
"Don't be a grump!" Jerry said giving his brother a slap on the back.
"She's not like that!" David said, defending me.
"How do you know she's not going to take off that mask of hers and start giving us orders?" Jason said, snarling at me.
"Just shut up!" Robby snapped at him. Then he turned back to me. "So, why are you here?" he asked me.
"My stepmother tried to kill me," I answered solemnly.
All seven of the boys gasped loudly.
"I'm not surprised," said Jason. "I heard rumors going around in our school that she was the one who killed the mayor. People around here know how cruel she is!"
"Yeah," said Peter. "She's bad."
"Well, she can't get you in our house!" Jerry said, winking at Robby.
"But if she does find her here," Jason continued. "She'll kill us too!"
"How do you know she'll find Rose here?" David asked.
"There have been stories about a fortune-teller going to her house every day," Jason said. "Who knows? Maybe that fortune-teller could tell her where Rose is hiding."
"Fortune-telling isn't true. You know that," Robby scolded.
"It's true," Jason said. "I even heard Dad talking about it before he and Mom left for England. He said he read about it in the newspaper about the killing of the mayor. Now do you believe me?"
"Sorta," said Peter.
"I don't think she'll find me here," I said. "And if you say your parents are out of town, I'll take care of you. I know how to cook and clean."
"You suppose you could make burgers for us on the grill?" Kenny asked in his little voice.
"Of course. My specialties are cookies, muffins, and especially burgers and fruit salad," I explained to the boys.
"I say she stays with us, definitely!" Robby said. "What do you say, boys!"
"She stays!" the rest of the boys shouted.
At that moment, I got out of bed, led the boys downstairs, and went to the fridge to get some burger patties and buns.
The boys sat at the table, awaiting their burgers.
I went outside to the grill, and began grilling.
Once they were all done, I called for the boys to come, and get their burgers.
And here I am, writing all this down while the boys are eating their dinner.
I think they might really like having me as their babysitter. But, I wonder why their parents left them here all alone, when Robby is only 14. Even in my eyes, that's not old enough to be left alone with for a long time.
Anyway, the boys are almost done, so I really ought to stop writing for now. I'll come back later.
