AVADORAVENUA

07

Tw: Child labour, Mines, dwarfism,

Star has known the world. And he does not wish for another girl's nativity to be ripped apart from her as a certain girl's once was. And her name starts with A.

"Whatever are you doing Prince?"

"Godmother?" He turned around to face his Godmother and there she sparkled.

She wore a long dress that was tightened around the waist and her dress was big and poofy. She had curly blonde hair and wore a kind kindred expression on her face. She was a kind spirit you could say. She was equipped with tiny silver wings on her back.

"Yes dear. It is I." She smiled.

"I've been thinking of being called Fairy Godmother now." She smiled.

"Alright then fairy godmother." Star smiled.

"That's more like it."

He peered in his star form to the little eighteen year old girl who had wondered into the house.

"It's sad that they treat children this way." Fairy Godmother admitted, her tone sad and monotone.

"I know." Star answered sadly.

"if I had a wish I wish this wretched business would end." She sighed.

"I know." Star answered sadly.

As Rosa wondered into the house she coughed at how dirty it was. Three rooms along with the middle of the room there was a long table. She curiously went inside one of the rooms and found there were seven little beds.

She yawned. She had crawled out of bed and found no luck in trying to go back to sleep until now. Then she joined all of them in one and when taking her slippers off, she fell deep in sleep, hoping that no one would be able to find her while she did.

~~~

They were all tied and were not let go until after 11:00. All of them were extremely tired and looked at their gray hair and sighed. Tomorrow they would have to wake up at 4:00 to make sure they mined once again. And then the cycle would continue over and over until they died.

"My stomach hurts." Hedi cried.

"I know. Mine as well." Harry agreed.

"Quit complainin'." Gabriel scoffed and swept the ash and dirt from his vest and looked at the sky.

"We're all sufferin' and you're no different."

Indeed, the three kids looked at their companions with gray hair and little to no height and nodded. Yes, life is very cruel.

"At least my pa was able to find me some employment." Gabriel grumpily said.

"Yeah, we should be a little bit more grateful." Harry admitted.

Perhaps they could steal from the local applegiver again? It was wrong but they were all hungry. And a hungry person is a crazy person.

"Maybe if we're lucky tomorrow we'll get a chicken leg." Hedi said.

As they all went inside their house they were hoping to eat some stale bread and get ready for the day ahead of them. When they went inside their room the seven kids looked at their beds.

"What is that?" Hedi asked, looking at the sheets.

Suddenly, a loud moaning noise came from them and the sheets started to pull themselves by themselves. Gh- gh-

"Ghost!" Arnold cried out in fear.

The kids then flew out of the room and fearfully hid under the table. Even the explosions in the mines would be less scary than this.

Arnold, Harry, Hedi, Gabriel, William, Katherine, and Thomas all looked as a pair of footsteps fell down heavy on the wooden floors. With any luck any of their neighbors would hear them and they would be safe from any harm that this ghost tried to do.

"What do we go?" Hedi asked.

Gabriel shushed her rather loudly. This caused everyone to snap at Gabriel and then shushed him very loudly.

Big mistake dummies.

The figure then pulled the mantle from the table and then looked down at the seven children. They all screamed in terror and then the fig- um actually it's a woman also shrieked in terror and everyone sneaked off into different places to hide.

"What do we do?" Hedi questioned.

Suddenly, they were met with the sight of a whimpering and crying sound. Everyone looked to see that the figure who had turned out to be the young girl had started to cry. She wore a white gown laced with gold and silver. Indeed, she had to be a noble of some kind.

"Ah geez, you made her cry!" Harry said.

"Me?" Gabriel stared at his mine-mate shocked and then crossed his arms.

"Guys, we all made her cry." Katherine intervened.

They all got from where they were and then circled in on the girl. She seemed to dry her eyes and then let out a yawn. Probably from sleepiness.

"Who are you?" Thomas asked.

"I'm Rosa." She said and dried her tears with her nightgown.

"And where are you from? Hm?" Gabriel questioned/interrogated the girl.

"I'm from a Kingdom called Rosas." She answered.

"Ro-sas." Arnold said, trying to spell it correctly. But his German got to him first.

"Thanks for trying." The girl from Rosas said.

"What are you doing here, your grace?" Hedi questioned.

Everyone looked at Hedi confused.

"What? Do you not know who she is? She's the Duchess!" Hedi said.

"That I am." The girl from Rosas said confidently and then faced the rest of them.

"Your grace, what are you doing here?" Arnold asked.

"Well my husband and his father were going hunting until I noticed that their hunting equipment was missing. I lost them and ended up here." She explained, trying to fight a yawn.

All the kids who had hats took them off and bowed down in respect for the young Duchess. Those who didn't merely bowed.

"Oh no, you do not need to do that." Rosa said and kindly shook her head.

"But we do your grace." Harry nodded his head as he spoke.

Your Grace still didn't feel like a fitting name for Rosa. She wasn't so used to it.

"There is no need." She replied.

She got up and crouched down to meet their eye level. Who cares if her robes got dirty?

"You guys are so lovely." She smiled.

"Miss, forgive us. We are dirty from a long nights mine-work for our Lord." Katherine said, apologetic as to their pathetic states,

"It is no problem you all." Rosa merrily smiled.

"You are good children."

"What if I come back tomorrow? To see you again?" Rosa merrily suggested.

"We would love that!"

"We would hate it!"