Category : Books-Fiction

Sub Category : Adventure

*As a precaution I enjoy writing about realistic situations that may be more mature such as mental illness, abuse, death, suicide, etc. and try to as truthful and actuate as I can be in these situations while also trying being respectful. I do not going into gory or explicit details. While not every chapter may deal with one or more of these factors throughout the story they may come up. I personally understand that sometimes people do not want to suddenly be reading about more mature topic without any warning or that it may make some people feel uncomfortable so that is why I am including this message.* 

I decided to challenge myself to write 500 words a day. As I want to keep writing what I am posting is not edited and I fully intend to go back and add more details. I am using a fictional world with fictional character and religions. Lastly, I may go back and forth between 3rd and 1st person because I usually write in 1st person but wanted this story to be in 3rd. Enjoy and let me know what you think.

Sarah stood on the deck of the ship known as the Mary Ann. The water was calm and the wind was carrying the ship South. She pulled her shawl closer to her hoping for a bit more warmth. She would spend many months on board before they reached land again. The swaying of the ocean made her feel ill. It was the first time that she had ever been on a boat. 

Sarah grew up in Lenta. A small island kingdom where by standing in the center you could spend 12 hours walking in any direction and make it to the end of the island. Sarah lived in a small house with only four rooms, the main entrance/ kitchen, the privy, the master bedroom and the children's room. Four children shared the same room. From the eldest brother Theo at age 18 to the youngest Helen at age 5. Theo and Sarah were only a year apart and thick as thieves. When they were but ten and nine years old they would prank the neighbors even the lord who watched over their small little town. Their mother Grace, always to great care of her children. She would not allow Bell who was 5 years younger than Sarah to join Theo and Sarah. Grace bore one other son. Just a year before Helen, Cedric was truly the baby and demanded his mothers constant attention. They were a happy family. Even with their father whose high expectations of his children and wife led his to frequent his drink. It was not until after his drink that the name calling and belittling would occur. He never once hit any of his children not his wife. He merely threw what every he could get his hands on. Often throwing tantrums like a child. 
When he acted in this way mother would calmly usher all her children up the stairs. The three eldest children Theo, Sarah and Bell would watch from the top of the stairs their father throwing things and saying that it was not fair. How he worked hard to only have the others steak his money away. He often talked about being healthy enough to be a Lord. All the while mother would sit calmly listening to all the complaints that he made without saying a single word. He would stop his ranting and stare at her. She would look back with an almost uncaring, unsympathetic look. Then ask if he was quite done for she desired to sleep. This cause him to storm out of the house. 

Life went on like this for quite some time. Until an illness made it's way through the town. It stuck Grace first then Bell. They became very ill. Sweat covered their bodies but they were cold to the touch. Their bodies ached all over and they could not muster enough strength to get out of bed. They lost their appetites and near the end all semblance of the world around them. They were lost and they never found their ways back. 

They died within ten days of each other Grace went first, two days before Sarah's 17th birthday which was completely overlooked. The two along with some others who died in the town were burned as was tradition, their souls would rise up to great blue sky, now that they were released from their mortal bodies.  The ashes were spread over their favorite spots in life. So that they would be happy in the beyond. 

A month after his wife's death their father made plans to leave their small island town and kingdom for a brand new start. He planned on finding a better paying job. He took with him the youngest two Helen and Cedric. Cedric who was devastated over the death of his mother died on the five month boat trip over. 

Their father wrote to Theo and Sarah of the good job he found and how well that Helen was doing. He often sent a little bit of money for the two to get food. After six months he sent the money for Theo to join. That was when the letters stopped coming. Sarah's father had never been consistent in his letter sometimes writing twice a week sometimes once every month or two. But  after six months she had heard nothing not even from Theo who promised to send her letters often. Worry grew in her and her savings shrank. She found herself a low paying job as a scullery maid at a nobles estate. She was tasked with doing the dirty work, cleaning the fire place, cleaning the dishes and bed pans. 

Over the next year between waiting for new and working the made a plan. She saved up as much money as she could to buy a ticket to follow her father, sister and brother. She saved some extra money in order to be able to rent and room and get food for a time in the case it would take her some time to find her family. She spent the year eating what she could get away with from the Lord's Manor and stole some dried meats and fish. 

In a bag she packed all she possessed in the world. A single candle with a box of matches, three every day dresses, one fancy dress, two work dresses, two of her shawls, one of her mother's shawls that she favored and a book that her mother had given to her on her 16th birthday. She kept her money in various coins separated on her person. She kept a few coins in a small pocket of her dress, some in a secret pocket between her breasts as she had seen some ladies in town do and the rest she had beneath her skits. In this way if I've attempted to Rob her or pick pocket her she had some money hidden away to survive on. 

She went to the shipping dock and bought a ticket. She said her goodbyes to those she worked with on the estate who told her she would always have a job there and she made her leave.