Chapter 2, new place
I just stared, I was in an incredibly run down town, or was it a village? All my bags from the day shopping had disappeared and I wasn't wearing jeans, flip-flops and a cute top anymore. God knows where my Starbucks had gone too. I was in rags to put it bluntly. I was in these disgusting brown with grime trousers that clung to my legs and a baggy t-shirt that was also so flattering and had a funky smell to it. Great I was already tired now I'm in a muddy paradise I thought as I assessed my surroundings. All the buildings were run down and looked like they once were brilliant and now were piles of wood and stone held up by rusty steel poles or intertwined trees. I was just about to start walking somewhere to get a clue of where I was when I heard a voice "girl" I looked around, I didn't see anyone. "GIRL" it was a strained whisper. I span around until I saw a crippled old woman in a doorway, she beckoned me to her, as she was the first person I'd seen in this weird place I went towards her. Tediously of course my mother had taught me not to speak to strangers but I was curious, if I just kept my wits about me I might be ok. She gave me a sad smile and led me into one of the broken buildings. It was more disgusting than the clothes I wore. Children were curled up in corners crying with obvious malnutrition from the bones showing through their skin. I tried not to look as I knew there was nothing I could do. I had no food on me and I wasn't skilled at all in the art of healing. I just kept following the woman who patted a child's head as she went by, they all looked up to her "I'm sorry children, I have nothing today" but she rummaged inside the worn out bag she carried and came across a badly bruised apple. "Aha!" she said with pure surprise of finding the fruit. Their eyes lit up at the sight of it and I nearly cried at their desperation and continued hope. The old woman pulled out a knife and put the apple into equal slices, she then took the time to walk around to each child and give them a piece "What is this place?" I asked, it slipped out before I could stop it and every pair of eyes landed on me. "This is where every child without a home or parents goes, everyone in the district tries to pitch in for their survival" a young woman said from across the room, I just nodded to stop further conversation with the stern looking woman, she had been preoccupied with a baby but was now moving onto calming a toddler who was bawling their eyes out. I didn't know what this 'district' was and clearly this 'district' wasn't trying very hard to look after these kids but from the withered look of the old woman I had a feeling that no-one had any food here.
"Come along girl" the old woman muttered as she gave a child the last slither of apple, I had a feeling it was directed at me so I followed her out of this building and into the next that was held up by the first. It looked like this was her home, it had a meager amount of possessions consisting of a photo of man in miner's uniform and a battered armchair which she settled into. She gestured towards a stool by a fireplace, I headed towards it while she breathed a huge sigh of relief. I think she might've been a very bad asthmatic. "Right girl, I knew you would be coming" I just looked at her confused, "the fates informed me child" as if that cleared up everything. It didn't. "Now I understand that you are probably very confused but you must let me explain some things to you. You have a quest and you cannot do it clueless" she breathed heavily afterwards as if it took much out of her to even talk. "I just want to go home" I said and I was completely honest. I did want to go home desperately. This place was terrible and didn't even know how I'd ended up here instead of inside my house. I want to get away from this dusty rickety house and the mental old woman talking about the fates, I wanted to run away from the children who were dying from hunger that I couldn't do anything to help in the long term. She gave me yet another sad smile and said "I know, of course you do but you have business you must complete here before you can return" I just nodded, clearly I wasn't going to be leaving here for a while. "Just listen, and you might understand everything a little better" She coughed to clear her throat and began with a story that I never wanted to hear.
A/N see the first chapter for all my disclaimers :)