EPISODE TWELVE

Katie had dozed off without realizing it. She sat up, rubbing her eyes sleepily. She had a dull headache and wished that things could just be a little easier, even if it was just one less burden on her shoulders.

But she was probably just complaining too much. She stood, stretching a little and walking back out to the kitchen.

Carl was baking something, she could tell by the smell. Her stomach growled. She really needed to eat. For a moment, she remembered Ronald's sandwiches. Those would be really good right now, she thought. But I can't call him just for a sandwich.

She saw the bowl had moved on the shelf again, but didn't say anything about it, only knowing that this would probably keep Carl all night trying to fix it. She smiled a little, but shook her head a little.

"What are you making?" she asked, leaning on one of the counters. Carl was just opening the oven.

"Apple Pie," he answered. "You want some? Or maybe something else to eat?"

"How about…a Sandwich and some Yogurt?"

---

Dia was running through the forest. It was natural to her now that she barely noticed it. She was instead focused on her destination. If Martha wouldn't answer her, she'd find out herself. She knew that this time she'd reach the end of the dream for sure.

She practically pulled the woman to face her, but the woman still moved slowly, as if Dia's hand had no affect on her. Dia stared into the woman's face. It was like looking into a mirror, except that her reflection had longer hair and a freckled face.

Dia quickly turned around, seeing the Harvest Goddess. And then everything went white.

It was strange. It was like she'd stepped outside her body for a moment. Her head felt fuzzy, and she couldn't move her limbs. She was forced to watch the scene in front of her play out like a film in her mind.

The Harvest Goddess was purple like Jamie, but softer. Not as harsh as the clash of pinks and purples like Jamie's poncho. She was a blurred purple, a relaxed purple. But she was still powerful.

The Goddess' lips moved, and the woman answered, still crying a little, but Dia couldn't hear a sound. The Goddess held out her hands, and the woman hesitantly handed her the infant in her arms. It seemed motionless. The Goddess cradled it for a moment before lowering it into the water.

Dia winced, feeling a wave of sickness. What could they possibly be doing? Drowning it? But she continued to watch.

The baby was raised out of the water and was handed back to the woman. It gave a slow, weak kick underneath its blankets, and suddenly the woman was crying hysterically (although it was soundless) and hugged the baby to her chest, looking up at the Goddess gratefully. The Goddess nodded, smiling kindly before fading.

It was black, and Dia could feel the fuzziness lift as she regained consciousness. She lay there for a moment, her eyes closed, before suddenly going into a fit of coughing, feeling a hand on her shoulder.

"Dia…Dia, it's all right now. You're awake."

But she ignored the voice, struggling to turn her head to look at Jamie's bed. Even this motion was nearly impossible, but when she finally focused, she saw the blue curtains drawn tightly around the bed.

"Jamie," she said in a low voice.

"What's that, dear?"

The voice was Martha's. This somehow comforted Dia a little, and she tried to form her words.

"Jamie," she said again, a little louder.

"Don't worry, dear, she's fine."

"No," Dia said firmly. "Check." Something was wrong. She turned back and saw Martha's concerned face, but the older woman still smiled and nodded.

"Of course."

Martha moved across the room and over to the curtains, pulling them open. Dia tried to see around Martha and saw Jamie's limp form. Asleep, Dia thought as Martha walked back over to Dia, leaving the curtain open.

"See? She's fine."

Dia took a deep breath in, trying to clear her mind. "Martha. We need to talk."

---

Katie was sitting next to Carl at the counter. She'd been surprised that Carl had all the ingredients for the perfect Sandwich: Tomatoes, Cheese, and Hardboiled Eggs. An odd combination, maybe, but Carl had prepared it anyway. He'd also had Yogurt in the fridge.

It didn't taste the same as Ronald's, but it was still good. Now they were just hanging out, talking to pass the time.

"Carl, do you have a Phone I can use?" Katie asked suddenly, when a silence had fallen between them. Carl shook his head.

"Nope. The Perch Inn and the Clinic are the only places with Phones in this town."

"Oh…" Katie said, a little disappointed. She'd wanted to contact Ronald, but seeing as how every place in town would be closed for the Races, it would have to wait until tomorrow.

"The Perch Inn is pretty close," Carl continued. "It's just down the road. 3 Flower Bud Riverside."

"Oh. Thanks."

There was a pause, and Katie expected Carl to ask her why she wanted to use the Phone. But he didn't. At least not everyone in this town is nosy.

---

Maria, Lyla, and Nina gathered at the Spring Farm for their too-late-for-breakfast, too-early-for-lunch meal.

Lyla had wrinkled her nose at the Veggie Juice that Nina had pulled out for them. "Liz is on another health kick," Nina explained quickly, and Lyla and Maria nodded knowingly. They were used to Liz's Matikins diets and new recipes that changed fairly often.

They exchanged a little more gossip over Boiled Spinach (which, Maria commented, was possibly the worst tasting food ever) and Stewed Eggplant (that soon proved to definitely be the worst tasting food ever), but there were long stretches where they ate in silence, each lost in thought.

"Well, I'm going back to the Library," Maria said finally, standing up. Lyla also stood.

"And I should get back to my shop. There's lots of valuable stuff that I don't want stolen."

"Okay. See you later guys," Nina said, and the girls waved good-bye before leaving the store, the door shutting behind them.

Everything grew quiet, and Nina felt a little lonely. But she felt a lot better after talking with Maria and Lyla.

Maybe things will get better faster than I thought…

---

Dia sat up, pushing away her dizziness. She desperately needed answers.

"Martha. Tell me about…Mother," she said, trying to control her breathing.

Martha looked at her worriedly, but didn't make a move to make her lie back. "Your mother really loved you, you know."

Dia rolled her eyes at this. "Enough to put me into a Sanatorium," she muttered darkly. "Enough to reject me. To never visit me."

Martha sighed, and Dia knew she shouldn't talk like this about Mother. Martha was good friend with her. But Dia hated Mother for what she'd done.

"She loved you," Martha said again. "Dia, do you know why she gave you to me and Gina to take care of? Why you had to be put in this Sanatorium?"

Dia didn't say anything. She never knew the real answer, but she never had to ask. It was obvious. Mother hated her just like she hated Mother.

"It was because as baby, you were born weak. Frail. Sick," Martha continued. "Your father and mother, and even the doctors couldn't do anything for you. You would have died."

Martha paused for a moment, and Dia thought about this. Why was Martha telling her this?

"But your mother never gave up, even when your father left her." Dia shut her eyes tightly. She hated Father, too.

"She asked the Harvest Goddess to save you. To give you life. The Harvest Goddess healed you, and you lived. But you were still weak. Your mother couldn't do much for you. She was scared that you'd get sick again."

Dia didn't say anything; she was too shocked. It was one thing that Mother had tried to save her, but the Harvest Goddess. She suddenly felt the room shift again, taking in a deep breath. But if it were true, the little voice in her head said, then it would make sense.

"But the Harvest Goddess isn't real," Dia said to the voice in her head, realizing she'd just spoken out loud. "And if she were real, why would she save someone like me?"

Dia knew that her words would've shocked or offended anyone else, but Martha only continued to smile. "Dia, the Goddess is incredibly generous. She is willing to help others. Your mother was generous, too."

"No," Dia said, shaking her head. She didn't want to believe that Mother was so kind, and so good, and so---ugh, it made her angry just at the thought of Mother taking credit for her being alive. "No! She dumped me here, because she got bored of me, didn't she! She couldn't love me anymore!" The shrillness of her voice surprised her, but she was so upset she didn't care.

"Dia, are you unhappy being here?" Martha asked quietly. "Your mother put you here because she knew that she couldn't risk your health just to be with you, and she knew you'd be happy."

Dia was crying again, tears overflowing her eyes as she lay back on her pillows. Everything had started to make perfect sense and she hated it. Besides, if the Harvest Goddess was turned to stone, who could save her now?

---