Unspoken Intentions(ON HOLD)

Preface

~Leonora's POV~

   I tried catching myself but I landed face first into the muddy puddle. I kept my mouth closed so I wouldn't eat the mud. The group of people around me were laughing as they walked away just like they do everyday. I hated my life here, no one understood me and for that I was a freak. The village didn't have to say it directly but I know they wanted me gone. I pushed myself off my knees and tried brushing off the mud. Mother was going to be furious with me for ruining another dress she made. I sighed as I felt tears well up in my eyes but I wouldn't let them fall. I wasn't that weak. I made my way around to the bookshop to find something that would distract me. I kept my eyes down as I walked through the throng of people who were here for the market. I smiled as I opened the wooden door of the shop. I could smell the scent of old paper and the perfume the old woman always wore.

"Ah, Leonora! How are you today?" I placed my basket on the table and shrugged.

"Still getting picked on but it wasn't too bad today. Anything new?" The older woman chuckled and motioned for her to follow. We went over to the fantasy section and she pulled out a brand new book called Cinderella.

"Did they write another one?" I've read this one at least a dozen times and it was always a favorite of mine. She opened the book to the first page and there was something new on the page.

"What's that?" The page was marked with two swans facing each other of different colors and the letters s, g, and e underneath of them.

"It's a where, not a what. The School for Good and Evil. It's where all these stories come from." She motioned to the whole fantasy section. I was in awe that such a place did all these.

"Where is it?" Maybe I could get out of Gavaldon for good.

"No one knows. Another time, another world perhaps. Keep this." She handed me said book with the marking and I profusely thanked her.

"Now, you better run on home before it gets dark." I noticed it was past noon and knew I would get home by dusk at this point. I hurried out of the shop and just about ran all the way home. Father wouldn't like me to get home after dark. He always warned me about creatures that lurked in the trees. They would catch anyone that was in the woods and they wouldn't return.

   I got home right before the sun could start descending past the hills of the valley. I opened the door and my mother was stirring the pot of stew for dinner.

"Where have you been? I told you to come straight home after school." I bit my lip and put the book behind my back.

"I'm sorry, mother. The other kids were picking on me again. I couldn't get away for a while." She didn't need to know about my detour through the village. I shifted under her harsh gaze until she sighed in defeat.

"What did they do this time?" I put everything in my basket and walked over to her. I showed her my dress and she shook her head. She lifted the skirt a little and saw all the brown stains and some green streaks.

"I can make you another one in a few days. Go wash up for dinner." I nodded and took my basket into my bedroom. I was lucky enough not to have to share a room with my parents like others did. Maybe that's why I was picked on; the other kids were jealous. I pushed the thought away cause I knew that wasn't true. I took an old rag and used new water to wet it. I wrung it out and went to wipe away the mud that was around my face. I got the best of it out of my skin and it was red with all the rubbing I did. I gasped when I saw red eyes staring at me. The eyes vanished but I could still feel a rush of confidence run through my veins.

   The next day I kept feeling a pair of eyes on me. I felt disgust when I saw the bullies and then anger as they got closer.

"Aww, I thought you would actually get prettier from the mud bath you got. Apparently not, haha!" Everyone laughed and I clenched my fist as my anger rose.