Hello! I know I said that on the weekends I couldn't update because I work, but I've gotten very sick, so I couldn't work. And what else can one do when you're sick but read, watch television, and write? Not a whole lot! Lol. Anyway, I've gotten a lot of very good reviews, and I'm quite surprised. To be quite honest I started this story because I felt that I couldn't finish my novel without having some practice first. That's what this was supposed to be for, and I expected really bad reviews on it. It's really been a confidence booster to know that I'm not a completely horrible writer, so to those of who have reviewed so far, thank you very much, and this story's dedicated to you all.



Johnny



When I woke up the next morning I was still feeling especially good. I wondered for a moment at the wonders a good deed could produce. Then I realized that it wasn't only emotionally that I felt good. My back didn't hurt this morning, and the coat actually seemed comfortable. I looked down and saw that all of the bear fat had shrunk somewhat. Excitedly I got up and started to examine this new affect. I finally realized that it was no magic that had made this happen. Eventually the fat would rot away. Meanwhile it would shrink smaller each day. And I also realized that keeping the coat on didn't mean that I had to keep it closed. I could open it and expose the fat to the sun. It would smell horrible certainly, but the fat would shrink faster, and I could deal with that.

With this purpose in mind I walked out onto the roof. As soon as I stepped out though, there came a noise from down below. It grew louder and louder. I couldn't place it. Curiously I stepped toward the edge of the roof.

Imagine my surprise when I saw a crowd of people waiting by my door! They were cheering, and calling up to me. Pleading to help them in their dire need. Leading them was a small, well dressed boy. He looked very refined, yet somehow familiar. I couldn't place him for a moment, and then slowly comprehension dawned. It was the little boy from the street the day before. But what was he doing here? I wondered. He was certainly rich now, what more could he need from me? I saw mostly drunks, and richly dressed people below. I shook my head in wonder. Apparently the boy had told them of the stranger that had handed him piles of gold, and everybody decided that, instead of working for their money, they'd rather implore a stranger to wave a magic wand and make all of their troubles go away. Well, no sir! I refused to sink that low. I had money enough sure, but these people had brought the troubles on themselves, and if they thought that I would support them when there were people who needed it much more, they had another thing coming!

A man walked through the crowd toward my door. I was startled to realize that it was the mayor! What could he need with more money? Apparently he was going to be the spokesperson.

"Oh glorious stranger!" he started. I almost laughed. This coming from the person who had been tempted to force me to leave the city after he had seem me! I practically saw the honey dripping from his mouth as he said the words, but it was poisoned, and I didn't trust him. I saw the way people pointed at me, and the giggles of rich girls in the crowd. "I'm sure some magnificent force has sent you to our humble town to restore us to prosperity. I thank you sir, for long have I waited to be full at dinner." From the look of him he'd been full at dinner a few too many times. He was nothing short of obese! I looked at him disgustedly. Apparently my beard covered the expression, for he continued in his oily-sweet voice. "If you will simply give the money that you have prepared for the town to me, I will see that each of my subjects-"here he realized he'd made a mistake, "I mean...uh...friends, will get their equal share."

I laughed at him, the sound rich and deep with my amusement. "Will you now?" I asked him, content dripping from my voice as much as honey had dripped from his, "I don't think so. You're kidding yourself if you think that I would hand you piles of gold just so that you can oppress these people even more. I'm not going to give you anything, nor anybody who is here now. And you will all deal with it, because I don't give handouts. I'm disgusted that you would try to rob the poor to support your own selfish needs. Go home, you'll find nothing for you here."

The crowd began to laugh, not in the pleasant way though. The mayor spoke up. "I'm sorry, did it sound like I was giving you a choice? Let me rectify that hasty judgment on my part. If you don't give it willingly, we'll take it by force."

I was disgusted. How many times had I heard similar sentences come from my brother's mouths? These people were led by their greed, and they were willing to do anything to feed it. I shook my head, wondering when people would get a clue, when someone would finally realize that they were wrong, admit it, and change themselves. How many people had to die before they realized that they were the killers? How many people would they steal from to achieve their own ends? I would try to help, but it wasn't enough to hand out money I realized, I had to give of myself, mind body, and soul. To help the people. Money wouldn't solve all of their problems, sometimes it would only make a situation worse. As in this incident. If I had observed the boy like I had planned I would have seen this, I would have been able to help him some other way. But would he have let me? These thoughts required pondering, and quiet. Something I wouldn't get from here, not with the crowd so noisy of their protests about my decision. I wanted to scream in frustration, but I wanted peace, not more arguments.

"You'll get nothing from me," I repeated slowly, enunciating every word carefully so that nobody would miss them, "Now, go home. If you try to take by force what I would give willingly you will have nothing but empty purses and bloody hands. Don't condemn me to an early death so that you can be happy in your greed." These words swayed some, but too many people were left behind, the mayor included. He glared at me, gave a wave of his hand, and the rest of the crowd dispersed. I sighed. I might as well have been speaking to a wall for all of the good my words had done. I decided that I couldn't stay there for too much longer. I would have to move on soon. But I would be a coward to only help one person when there were obviously many more that needed me.

I went back inside, all thoughts of shrinking bear fat gone from my mind. I sat down in a chair and thought about what I would do. Well, my first mistake had been made when I went out in daylight. Nobody could sneak around in daylight, especially one as interesting looking as I was. So I would go out at night. My second mistake had been to let my compassion get the best of me. I had thrown all of my planning out of the window the moment I had seen somebody in trouble. Obviously that had not been a good idea, look how badly that had turned out to be. Oh what a mess, I thought despairingly. But I would figure it out. I refused to let the little green man win. I could make it. I would have to. My salvation depended on it.



Sabina



It only took one more day to finish my tapestry. I sighed in relief at its completion. It was beautiful, and though it tore at me to part with it, I rejoiced that it would buy many important things for my family. Namely, food, clothing, and it would pay for house related bills.

This was the day that I was going to sell it. Anna was going to come with me for moral support, and I was very glad of her presence. I packed it carefully, locking into memory all of the beautiful lines, colors, and effects. But I couldn't delay selling it. My family needed the money too badly. I slowly began to walk the few miles toward the city market.

It took a few hours to walk there, mostly because I dragged my feet heavily. Anna tried to cheer me up, and she was a big help, but I felt like, once again, I was chipping away at myself. Not a very pleasant feeling I can assure you. But finally we were there, and I could put it off no longer. I spread out a blanket, sat on it, and put my tapestry in front, spread out, and beautiful for all the world to see.

Many people stopped to admire it, but they always passed on. I was wondering what could possibly cause this lack of interest. I didn't have to wait long for the answer. A stately lady, and her splendid daughter stopped to admire it.

"Oh Julie, it's beautiful! Wouldn't it look fabulous in our hallway at home. Look, the colors would match beautifully, and the effect of the houses is so warm and friendly."

"Mother please!" her daughter started scornfully. "It's a picture of simpleton homes. We couldn't put that on our wall, people would think we were simpletons as well. Come on, it's not fit for a grand house such as our own." She smiled at me maliciously and dragged her mother away.

I must've looked like I was going to cry, for Anna put a hand on my arm sympathetically.

"They don't know what they're talking about," She said firmly, "They're just snobs with nothing better to do but criticize obviously beautiful work. Don't let them get to you. Somebody will buy this today, how can they not? It's wonderful." I felt slightly better at her words, but she was wrong.

Several more people made comments like the first one, and the tapestry was neglected. I sat out there for many hours, and the sun slowly sank below the horizon. Finally I couldn't stay out there any longer. Slowly I began to pack up the tapestry, but I felt horrible. Like Anna said, I poured out my entire being into my work, and when people insulted it, they insulted me to the core. I was a simpleton and not worthy of any grand establishments. I was nothing, pretty to look at but beyond that I was nobody. I finished packing and began to walk.

Anna tried a few times to start a conversation but I was unresponsive, and eventually she stopped trying. A few minutes later I realized that my cheeks were cold. I put my hands up to them and was startled to find that they were wet. I was crying. Once realized I couldn't ignore it any more and great sobs wracked my body. I began to walk faster and faster until I was running. I nearly flew over the roads, a long, long time until I couldn't stand on my two feet anymore. I collapsed and let my sorrow overcome me. What use was there for me any more? It began to rain, and I looked up startled. Suddenly I heard a noise behind me and I turned around quickly...just to discover Anna, soaking wet, and panting. She stopped beside me and started to cough. I got up, concerned for my friend, and realized how inconsiderate I had been, and how silly. I was acting like a little girl. I shook my head and began to walk, supporting Anna, towards home.

It took a while to reach home, and I was glad for the time. It was easier to reflect and think while walking. I decided that if people didn't like my tapestries I could make a dress. Certainly nobody could turn away from unique, beautiful dresses, and I could make them according to the fashion. This resolve strengthened me, and we reached home soon after. I dropped Anna off with a heartfelt apology but she shrugged it off and said that if it had been her she'd have done the same. I walked off to my house.

The rain was still pouring, and I was soaked to the bone. I opened the door and found two very angry faces waiting for me.

"Why weren't you home sooner!" Kitaya screamed at me.

"While you were gone, having fun at the market, we had to make dinner, and clean the house. Oh you nasty little girl, you disgust me! Oh my beautiful hands, they're so raw." Melina lamented. She glared at me again and backhanded me hard across the face.

"The next time you sell your wares at the market make sure you come home in time to make dinner!" Kitaya yelled before she slapped me on the other cheek. I caught myself from crying out but my cheeks stung from the blows. They began to heat up from all the blood rushing to my ears. I lost all sense of sound for a few seconds. I blinked, looked down, and realized I was dripping water onto the floor. Mud was resulting from where the water dripped and I looked at my sisters disgustedly. They cleaned? What liars! The floors were all dirty, there were things piled helter-skelter every which way, dishes were piled in the kitchen, and there were clothes strewn everywhere.

"A present from us, for forcing us to make dinner and clean." My sister Melina sneered. Kitaya and her turned their backs on me, but Kitaya turned around to look at me.

"And make sure this house is cleaned before you go to bed." She said sweetly before turning around again, yawning hugely for my benefit, and then walking to the bedroom. She slammed the door behind her.

I wanted to scream in frustration. Couldn't they, for one second, swallow their hate and do something kind for me, or for my father? But they never would, they were too consumed by their own 'beauty' and charms to care about how much they hurt others. I would have went straight to the bedroom and slept without doing what they had told me, but I didn't want my father to have to wake up to this mess. So, tiredly, I began to work.

It took a long, long time to finish that work, and by the end I could barely stand. I could see the sky starting to lighten before I dragged myself over to my bed. I fell upon it and was asleep almost before my head hit the pillow.

It seemed like five minutes later that I was awakened by my sister's screeching. Dawn had just barely come, and I wanted to go back to sleep, but my sisters poked at me until I was forced to get up. I felt like my entire head was swollen, and I could barely see. They shoved something into my hands and I looked down with a sigh and saw that my sisters had shoved my tapestry into my arms.

"What is this still doing here!" Kitaya shrieked, "You were supposed to sell it yesterday, it shouldn't be here. Where's our money?!" her hand shot out, and before I could move she had it around my throat. Painfully she began to squeeze. I gasped for breath but could find none. I looked around wildly, but there was no help to come from Melina.

Suddenly, mercifully, she stopped squeezing and I took in a few shuddering breaths. "Answer me!" Kitaya screamed shrilly.

"The ladies at the market didn't want it. They said it wasn't fit to grace anybody's hall."

"And they were right." Melina said softly, maliciously, "This is only fit for a pigsty. It's a horrible piece, and I can't believe you would even try to sell it. I want you to clean with this rag, scrub the floors with lye, and use this to do the scrubbing." I took a deep breath before I could look up. I believed them, my piece, my soul, wasn't fit for anything but a pigsty. A sob escaped me, but I covered it up with a cough.

"You will begin some other piece today," Melina went on, still in that dangerously soft tone, "and you will finish it tomorrow. The day after you will sell it, and I don't want you to come home until it is sold. And I don't want to see you talking with that simpleton girl, she just distracts you. Now get up, get dressed, and begin your work." With that they walked out of the room, and I began to breathe easily again. I touched my throat where, just minutes ago, Kitaya could have taken my life. I shuddered and began to get dressed.

Oh so sad! Ack! How can I do this to my own character? Well, I hope you enjoyed this very depressing chapter. I promise it will get better. And don't forget to review. It makes me very happy when I get reviews!