Retribution

Rosie made a trench in the parched earth with her shovel and planted seeds in the hole.

“I don’t know why you bother,” her sister Lily said. “They’re not going to grow.” She sat on the wall dividing their garden from their neighbours, her thin bare legs swinging; they were so thin that the definition of her bones could be seen through her pale skin. “Nothing grows around here anymore.” She looked up at the grey sky, “I can’t even remember when it last rained.”

“I have to do something, Lily,” Rosie said, she covered the seeds with the dusty soil and continued to dig.

Lily jumped off the wall and landed deliberately on top of the recently planted seeds. “It’s a waste of time,” she told her sister.

“Any other ideas?”

Lily thought for a moment she bit her lip and tilted her head to the side. “Not really, no.”

“Why don’t you find something useful to do? Help Mother with food or something? Father will be home soon.”

Lily inhaled loudly through her nose and exhaled with a sigh. “Mmm, water and old veg my favourite.”

“That’s all we have. Be grateful!”

Lily stared at her older sister so hard that Rosie stopped what she was doing and looked back into Lily’s black eyes.

“I know,” Lily said, as though it was stupid for Rosie to suggest otherwise. She sat down on the dusty soil and rested her chin in her hands.

“Is your mother home?”

Rosie turned to see the speaker; a tall man dressed in dirt covered work clothes, the same as her father’s. She nodded and leant the shovel against the wall.

“I’ll take you inside,” she said.

She wiped her hands on the apron tied around her waist and led the man inside the small house.

Her mother Poppy stood by the stove stirring a watery mixture with a chipped wooden spoon. She stopped what she was doing and turned to face her visitor, taking off her apron which barely reached around her pregnant stomach.

“Mrs. Sparrow,” he held out his hand. “I’m Mr. Edgar Harrison.”

Poppy smiled and shook the large grimy hand. “Do you work with my husband?”

Mr. Harrison nodded. “I’ve come because of your husband.” He hesitated and glanced towards the sofa at the other side of the room, the one room served as kitchen, living and dining area the house being small.

Poppy took the hint. “Lets sit down, my feet are aching. “

“Are you well?” Mr. Harrison asked, sitting down on the sofa opposite Poppy.

“Yes, thank you,” Poppy said. Rosie stood by her side; Lily had crept in behind Mr Harrison and stood in the shadow of the doorway.

Mr. Harrison’s gaze wandered around the small room, then he smiled at Poppy and finally spoke. “I’m sorry to have to tell you this.” He drew a hand through his dirt dusted hair leaving more soil behind. He took a deep breath and continued: “Your husband was caught stealing produce from Lord Abraham- our employer.”

“Oh,” Poppy looked down at her calloused hands.

“I was asked to tell you that he has been imprisoned in the cells in the Lord’s home, for an undetermined sentence.”

Poppy nodded. Her face had grown paler throughout the conversation but she remained calm. “Thank you for coming to tell me. Would you like a drink? You must have just finished work?”

“No, thank you. That’s very generous but I’ve got to go, my wife will be waiting.” He stood up.

Poppy got to her feet and shook his hand again. “I know your husband, he’s a good man.” Mr Harrison said holding Poppy’s hand for a moment before letting it go. “If I can help you in anyway?”

“Thank you Mr Harrison, you’re a gentleman but I have my girls and we’ll be fine.”

“Alright then. But if you do need anything.” He turned to go, lingering by the door for a moment before leaving.

Poppy sat back down with a sigh. The tears she’d been holding back rolled down her pale cheeks.

“There must be something we can do,” Lily moved from the doorway and sat down opposite her mother.

Poppy didn’t reply for a moment, she got up and went into one of the cupboards next to the stove, the simmering food forgotten. She took out a small fabric bag and opened it for her daughters to see the glint of coins inside.

“Maybe if we take this to Lord Abraham he might accept it as payment,” she didn’t sound convinced.

“We could try,” Rosie encouraged. “I’ll go right now. I’m not hungry, I won’t be long.”

“You don’t know the way,” Lily said folding her arms. “I’ll go with you.”

“I don’t blame him,” Lily said with a resolute expression. “He was only trying to keep us from starving.”

“It’s not right,” Rosie said to her sister as they walked out of the garden. “Stealing is wrong but … We are starving and mother’s pregnant. Shouldn’t this Lord Abraham care and help?”

Lily shrugged. “That’s people for you.” She walked ahead of Rosie, down the path leading away from their house and towards the other side of the village.

“How is he a Lord anyway?” Rosie wondered.

“He doesn’t deserve the title. Someone told me it’s because he inherited all these lands given to his ancestor by the king,” Lily shrugged not really interested. “They won’t let father out.” She kicked at the dusty soil that covered the path.

“Why come if you think that?”

“I want to see you try,” Lily said with a strange smile.

They passed houses as small as their own, with the same dirt filled gardens where not even a weed grew. Rosie’s eye lingered on a tree stump sticking out of the ground; she wrinkled her nose at the stench of rot it emitted.

“You should get out more,” Lily said. “You should see the forest. There’s just holes where the trees used to be.”

“It’s strange how it happened. How everything just stopped growing.” Rosie shook her head, remembering the slow decline in plants and food, hardly remembering what it was like before.

“Not if you believe that a witch made it happen when she was imprisoned by the Lord for practising the dark arts.”

“Where did you hear that nonsense?”

Lily shrugged, “I wander. I get out more than you do and you’re older than me. Besides I heard there’s a woman in the cells.”

“It’s just a coincidence,” Rosie said. She gazed at the barren hills surrounding the village. Eventually the land changed and the hills were replaced by fertile fields. Rosie gasped as she saw all the crops swaying in the fields.

“If you think that’s strange, look!” Lily pointed at a house ahead of them, she’d seem the fields before and they didn’t surprise her.

Rosie gaped, staring at the large house ahead of them, surrounded by a garden full of flowers and vegetables. She’d never seen it before, always helping out at home and never going far away.
“All that food! And everyone in the village is starving.” She shook her head. “I don’t understand it. Did you know?”

“Of course I knew.” Lily replied. “How can anyone resist stealing from them?”

Rosie carried on walking, pushing through the garden gate, her eyes on the vegetables. “That cucumber is huge! Look at that tomato. They haven’t just got food; they’re the biggest vegetables I’ve ever seen. How?”

They followed the decorative mosaic path to the large front door and pulled the bell. A thin man answered, he wore a fine suit which was too loose for his slim frame.

“Can I help you?” He cast his eyes over the girl’s thin frames, finding it hard to look away.

“We’d like to speak with the Lord Abraham,” Rosie said.

“He is having lunch at present.”

“Please, it’s urgent.” Rosie said.

The man sighed and his tone softened: “Follow me.”
They stepped into a large hall, wider than their entire house, with high ceilings and wood panelled walls. Lily’s eyes took in the surroundings; she looked around as though in a daze. The servant led them down a bright corridor with the same wood panelling on the wall decorated with paintings.
He stopped outside a pair of dark wooden doors, knocked and led them inside. As soon as they door opened they could smell the food. A long table filled the centre of the room, burdened with full dishes and plates. Only two people sat at the table- the Lord Abraham and his wife. Rosie tried not to stare at the food, her stomach groaning at the smell.

“What’s this?” the lord demanded his double chin wobbling as he spoke.

“Apologies, my lord, these ladies wished to see you directly.” The servant bowed and stepped aside.

Rosie’s legs wobbled slightly as she stepped forward, aware of the Lord’s angry eyes upon her. “Our father has recently been imprisoned here for theft; we’ve come to negotiate his release.”

“Release?” The Landlord snorted and shook his head. “He’s committed a crime and he needs to be punished.” He picked up a fat tomato and bit into it; the juices covered his lips and rolled down his chins. “Is that all?”

“We’re prepared to pay for the items he stole in order for him to be released.” Rosie held out the bag of money she had concealed in her pocket. “We need him, our mother’s pregnant. He only took food to feed us, he couldn’t see us starve.”
The lord looked and raised his eyebrows; he glanced at his wife but continued to eat small morsels of food and paid no attention. “He’s committed a crime; it’s his fault he’s locked up. Not mine. And it’s certainly not my fault that his family lacks food. Now leave me in peace to eat mine.”

Rosie gasped unable to speak.

“If you won’t release him can we at least visit him?” Lily asked.

“Please,” Rosie added earnestly, finding her voice.

“If that’s what it takes to get you to leave.” The lord said no more, his attention returned to his food and he didn’t even notice them leave the room.

“I told you it wouldn’t work,” Lily said.

Rosie didn’t reply. The servant led them down another corridor with paintings hanging on the walls.

“All that food for just two people,” Lily muttered shaking her head.

They turned a corner and the corridor became narrower and darker. The servant took a lantern out of a nearby broom cupboard and they carried on.

Lily looked at her surroundings, noticing that there were no windows in the corridor. Although as they got to the end she noticed a door to the left. “Is that used?” she asked.

“That’s the door the prisoners come in through and the servants use, so as not to disturb the lord and lady of the house,” the servant explained. “Careful now, here’s the stairs to the cells.”

They walked cautiously down the steps, hardly seeing what was in front of them in the poor light of the lantern. Rosie held onto the wall but Lily walked slowly without aid, looking all around her as well as ahead. She grimaced at the stench of human sweat and excrement that reached them before they came to the last step.

At the bottom of the stairs the servant placed the lantern on an iron peg, which had been fitted there for that purpose and he proceed to light similar lanterns fixed onto the wall.
In the light from the lanterns they could see three cells, each filled with straw and old ragged blankets. The sisters passed each cell and peered in trying to see their father. The first cell held a woman, she stood next to the bars staring at them with black eyes, Rosie avoided her gaze but Lily found it hard to look away. The second cell housed a young man who sat babbling by the door and an elderly man who snored loudly in a corner. Their father sat in the last cell.

“Father,” Rosie called.

Their father Tom got up and came to the door of his cell; he held his hands out to his daughters. “My brave girls, how are you here? How’s your mother?”

“She’s fine,” Rosie said trying not to cry.

“Rosie asked the Landlord to let you out but he wouldn’t,” Lily said in a matter of fact tone.

Tom cupped Rosie’s cheek in his palm. “Thank you.” He smiled. “You shouldn’t have come here; it’s no place for you.” He looked around him as though to illustrate how bad the place really was. “You have to go home and take care of your mother; you’ll have two new brothers or sisters soon to take care of.” He forced a wide smile but it faded quickly.

“How long will you be here for?” Rosie asked.

Their father tried to smile again. “I don’t know.”

“It’s not right; you only stole to stop us from starving to death.” Lily shook her head. “Have you seen how much food they have? And the whole village is starving.”

Tom’s smile was grave, he squeezed her hand. “Keep hoping, Lily. All we can do is hope that things will change. “Go on now girls. Go home and look after your mother for me. I’ll see you soon.” He sounded hopeful and his eyes urged them to go. Rosie obeyed but Lily didn’t move.

“Don’t worry, Father, everything will be alright,” Lily said looking at him with her large dark eyes. She smiled at him and walked away. She glanced at the woman as she passed her cell, stopped and then followed her sister and the servant back up the stairs.

Rosie hardly slept that night, when she eventually managed to she was woken up by movement in the room.

“What are you doing?”

Lily glared as she pulled on her shoes. “I’m going to get father, be quiet.”

“What? How? Don’t be reckless, Lily.”

Lily shrugged. “However I can. Now don’t say anything.”

Rosie shook her head and sat up in bed. “I’m coming.” She got up and found some clothes.

Lily groaned. “If you have to, but do exactly what I say. I’m in charge now.”

Rosie followed Lily trying not to make a sound. She guessed that Lily sneaked out at night sometimes because she knew the way in the darkness and she knew when they could risk using the small lantern they carried. Rosie’s heart resounded in her ears. She flinched at every sound, sure they’d been caught, but if there were any other people out at that time, they were as clever at concealing themselves and sneaking around in the darkness as Lily.

“How are we going to do this?” Rosie asked. They stood outside the gate of the Lord Abraham’s house and Lily blew out the lantern.

“Just follow me, keep quiet and do what I say.”
Lily opened the gate and crept around the left side of the building, Rosie followed close behind her sister so she wouldn’t lose her in the darkness.

“Where are we going?” Rosie asked.

“Ssssh,” Lily said. She led her sister close to the wall of the building, right towards the end. Then she stopped, looked around and carried on with her hands feeling the wall. Then she stopped again.

“That’s the door they bring the prisoners in,” Lily said, pointing at the wall. She relit the lantern and Rosie could see the door for herself.

“What now?”

Lily didn’t reply she took a pin out of her long black hair. Rosie watched as Lily placed the pin into the lock and moved it around.

“What are you doing?” Rosie asked.

“Unlocking the door, obviously.”

“With a hair pin?”

“Yes!”

“How can you do that?”

“I saw a thief do it, he promised to show me how if I didn’t grass on him.”

Rosie gaped, “What!? When?”

“Oh, ages ago. It doesn’t matter.”

Lily opened the door and led her sister in. “If you’d paid attention when the servant led us to the cells you would have realised that the door was on the left hand side of the building. I just felt the walls for a door, knowing it was the only one.”

Rosie held onto the wall as they walked down the stairs. Her foot slipped and Lily grasped her arm to prevent her from falling. When they reached the bottom Lily used the lantern to light the others on the walls.
They heard movement in the cells as Lily lit the lanterns, the woman didn’t seemed to have moved since the last time they had been there, she looked out at them with keen black eyes. Lily opened her father’s cell using the same method she used to open the door.

“Lily?” her father looked stunned, he stood still for a moment.

“Come on,” Rosie urged.

“They’ll know I’m gone,” he protested, unsure of what to do.

Lily looked around at the other cells and wondered what the other people’s crimes had been. She unlocked the cell next to Tom’s, the inmates were already roused, and they wasted no time in getting out of their cell.

“Wait,” Lily said to them. “I’ll lead you out.” She turned to her father, “Won’t it look odd if you’re the only prisoner left?”

Tom looked at Rosie who kept looking back up the stairs sure they’d be caught.

“Shouldn’t we hurry?” Rosie said.

“Go,” Lily said to her. “Take the lantern and lead them to the door. I’ll follow. Father, are you going?”

Rosie led the others up the stairs, there was only one lantern and the stairs were steep.

“What about you?” Tom asked Lily.

“Hurry up and go, you’re wasting time,” she unlocked the final cell. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Tom finally listened; she waited for him to go up the stairs. The woman hadn’t left her cell.

“Go on,” Lily said to the woman.

The woman smiled and shook her head slowly, a strange spark in her dark eyes. “What’s your plan, girl?”

Lily was not in her bed. Rosie ran into the kitchen/living room. Lily sat at the table with no expression on her face, her black eyes met her sister blue ones as Rosie sat down. Rosie only managed to look away when the door opened and her mother’s gasped.

“They let you go. The girls’ said they wouldn’t.”

Tom put his arm around his wife. “They planned to let me out this morning...” he began but didn’t have a chance to finished as Poppy hugged him as tightly as her stomach would allow.

“There was a fire in the landlord’s house last night,” he said once Poppy had calmed down. “We managed to escape before the fire reached us, there’s a door close to the cells. But the lord and his wife...” he paused and looked at Lily as he spoke. “They were burnt alive in their beds.”

“Oh,” their mother gasped. “How did it happen?”

He shook his head. “I’m not sure if I’m meant to work today. But all the workers are going up to the house to find out.”

“What will happen now?” Rosie asked.

“The land will pass to the heir, if they have one. I’d better go.”

Poppy followed her husband outside leaving her daughters alone.
Rosie looked at Lily whose expression hadn’t changed.

“Where were you last night?” Rosie said. “We thought you were behind us the whole time, I thought I saw you.” Lily didn’t reply. “When we got home we realised you’d been left behind.”

“I let them woman out and helped her find her way home,” Lily said, she smiled, got up and walked towards the door.

“I saw you behind us.”

Lily smiled. “It must have been an illusion.” She got of her chair and walked towards the door.

“Did you start the fire?” Rosie was shaking as she asked her.

“Of course not. I would never do that.” Lily said with a strange spark in her dark eyes and a smile on her face. “It was just a coincidence.”