Chapter 5: The Girl With Apples
Evaline:
The sun was hanging high in the sky, casting golden rays over the back garden of the mansion.
But despite its warmth, I felt nothing but the cold emptiness that had taken root inside me. My hands were sore from scrubbing floors, my legs ached from hours of standing, and my stomach twisted painfully in hunger.
I had checked the servant kitchen after finishing my tasks, but there was nothing left - no scraps, no leftovers, not even a stale piece of bread. It didn’t surprise me. I was the lowest of the low here, an enemy in the eyes of everyone. If they had the choice, they would let me starve.
And maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
I exhaled softly and trudged toward the stables. The heavy scent of hay and horses was filling the air, mixed with the faint scent of rain that lingered from last night’s storm.
The stables stood at the farthest end of the mansion’s grounds, past the lush back garden.
As I stepped through the stone path leading to the stables, a small figure caught my attention.
It was a little girl, no older than seven or eight, sitting on the edge of a flower bed. She had golden-brown curls that tumbled past her shoulders, and her chubby hands were clutching a small wicker basket filled with bright red apples. Her tiny legs swung as she hummed to herself, completely unaware of my presence.
Just as I was about to walk past her, she looked up, and her big, innocent green eyes met mine.
My body stiffened, instinctively preparing for the worst. She would scream for a guard, call me names, or throw something at me - just like the others did.