The sleepy village of Browncliffe, a home of more than one thousand peace-loving people, surrounded by mountains on the north side and grasslands on the south side, dotted with sparkling lakes and endless fertile lands which produces abundant crops and livelihood for the village people all year round.
Browncliffe is a bountiful and peaceful village, scenery wise it was comparable to a paradise, a place that no one would ever want to leave.
There lives three beautiful blue eyed sisters...Ella 19 years old...Kate 20 years old and Ivy 21 years old. The girls were naturally gifted with expressive, sparkling blue eyes and alabaster skin. They have long wavy hair since they were young. The shade of Ivy and Kate's hair are of mahogany brown, while Ella's hair color was dark golden brown.
The sisters have similarity when it comes to facial appearance. The moment they're seen together, it's easy to identify right away that they're siblings.
Ivy is a mature young woman.
While Kate is playful, adventurous and easy going.
Ella has a world of her own, most of the time she's calm and quiet.
There's something unique about their beauty which doesn't belong to their village.
Their parents passed away when they were young and they were raised by their funny and petite Aunt Margie who never married and was just content with her life taking good care of the children raising them into fine young ladies.
One day...
A mysterious occurrence happens in the village, which only takes place once in every 100 years.
Many livestock died overnight. The next night the crops withered and multitudes of insects swarmed into the village, destroying and devouring everything in sight. The lake which is the villagers' only source of drinking water becomes muddy and murky.
Everything happened during the night when the village people were sleeping.
Then drought settled in.
Three months passed since the mysterious plague ravaged the village.
There was no rain.
The lakes were starting to dry up.
One week later, with the peoples' food stock nearing depletion.
A mysterious messenger suddenly arrived in the village announcing that the old castle in the hill located in the next village was looking for young housekeepers and male workers not older than 25 years old and not below 18 years old.
The salary is good and the board and lodging are free. The first batch of qualified applicants will be given 100 gold coins, a six months advance salary scheme to entice applicants and it's already considered a big fortune during the times of calamity and famine.
In dire need to bring some relief to their difficult situation, Ivy being the eldest, decided to apply for the job as a housekeeper. Her hands were itching to get hold of that 100 gold coins which would secure the food and livelihood of her aunt and her siblings. She just can't stay idle and not do something to alleviate their hardship.
"I'm going to apply on the job as a housekeeper," Ivy announced to her siblings.
"I wanna go with you, sister! I will apply as a housekeeper too!" Kate exclaimed excitedly looking for an adventure outside the village.
Ivy shook her head. "No. I'll go alone. You have to stay here to take care of Aunt Marge and Ella. Besides, the 100 gold coins can buy enough food that will last up to six months. By that time I have another salary coming, so I will be able to provide your monthly living allowance here so that you have nothing to worry about. I will come here to visit once a month," she explained.
Ella was silent, listening to her sister's conversation the whole time. She was knitting 2 shawls for her Aunt Margie and sister Ivy, she just finished knitting the shawl for her sister Kate yesterday. Her aunt was currently sleeping in her room. She roamed her eyes around their humble abode made of wood. Nothing special about the one-story house with its wooden furniture, it's the only home she had ever known.
"I'm going with you, sister, whether you like it or not!" Kate declared and sauntered towards the bedroom.
"Where are you going!?" Ivy raised her brows.
"I'm going to start packing my things!" Kate answered.
Ivy released a deep sigh. "I said you're not coming along with me! You stay here! Don't be stubborn!" she shouted at her sister's back.
"I'm old enough to decide for myself, I will apply for that job!" Kate insisted.
Aunt Margie came out of her room, she was awakened by the voice of the siblings having a screaming match. "Girls, what are you arguing about?" she inquired and sat on the chair beside Ella.
Kate went to her aunt's side and begged. "Aunt, please allow me to go with my sister. I want to work and earn my own money! I'm bored sitting here all day long. I want to do something worthwhile," she went on.
Aunt Margie shook her head. "Kate, listen carefully. I already allowed your elder sister to go to work, but you must remain here with us. Besides, if the weather will improve and the rain will start coming we can go back to planting crops. Then your sister can now leave her job from that house on the hill and return to us. Child, please, don't be stubborn, our situation is already hard. That's my final decision!" she said with finality in her voice.
Kate's face turned sour. She was disappointed with her aunt's decision, but she won't insist anymore. She doesn't like arguing with her aunt who is like a mother figure to her. "Okay fine!" she scoffed and left the house.
Aunt Margie massages her temple. If not for the famine that was going on, she wouldn't allow Ivy to work far away from home. Her late sister always told her not to allow the girls to venture outside the village. But this time, she has no choice, she can't stop Ivy from leaving the village, they will starve to death if they have no money to buy food to help them survive in the coming months amidst the ravaging drought.
"Aunt, the wagon will leave tomorrow afternoon. You have to be there to send me away," Ivy said sadly. She doesn't want to go and leave her aunt and siblings behind but she has to, it's for the family's long term survival.
Aunt Margie nods her head. "Of course, we'll be there to send you off," she replied.
Ivy proceeds to the bedroom to pack her things for the long journey tomorrow.
Ella continues her silence, deep inside she was already feeling the sadness, she's going to miss her sister terribly. She continues her knitting and focusing on the shawl she made for her sister Ivy. She must finish it before her eldest sister will go away tomorrow afternoon. The shawl is the only thing she can give to Ivy as a parting gift for making the big sacrifice for their family.
~~~0~~~
The next day.
In the clearing near the village's entrance.
Several wagons were already lining up. The women will board the wagon while the men will walk on foot until they reach the next village where the castle in the hill was located.
A total of 100 young women and men were hired.
The caravan people lined up the applicants and started handing them a pouch containing 100 gold coins as their advance salary for six months.
Ivy smiled broadly when the pouch of gold was handed to her. She immediately sprinted towards her Aunt and siblings waiting nearby.
"Aunt, I'm leaving now. Here's my six month's salary. I will come back here for a visit once a month," she said.
Aunt Margie hugged her niece tightly. "You take care of yourself, Ivy."
"Yes, I will, Aunt Margie," Ivy answered.
"Bye sister, I'm going to miss you terribly!" Ella wiped the tears from her eyes.
Ivy hugged her youngest sister. "Thank you for this beautiful shawl that you knitted for me, sister! I love it!" she said grinning.
Then she shifted to her sister Kate wearing a scowl on her face. She whispered something on her sister's ears. 'If my work condition is great I will ask Aunt to allow you to work with me there in the castle,' she said.
Kate's somber face brightened up instantly. "Thanks sister! I'll be looking forward to it," she hugged her elder sister with excitement glowing in her eyes.
After a few minutes.
The leader of the caravan was calling the attention of all the hired applicants to get inside the wagon so that they can start their journey.
The women boarded the wagon excitedly and the men walked on foot, the caravan was moving smoothly out of the village's entrance.
Ivy waved her hand frantically at her aunt and sisters, they waved back at her.
The families that were left behind started to disperse and went back to their homes.
Aunt Margie, Kate, and Ella remained rooted on the spot looking at the caravan that was slowly fading away from their eyes.
It's the first time that one of the members of their family was gone, their hearts were gripped with sadness and longing for Ivy's presence.
Aunt Margie gripped hard the pouch of gold coins with her fingers. "Let's go home now children," she said softly.
The trio went home.
That night they gathered around the dining table to eat dinner together, it was just a simple dish consist of rice and salted eggs which was Ivy's favorite food. The women were enveloped with uncomfortable silence that hung heavily in the air.
They began eating their meals while trying hard not to stare at the vacant chair that Ivy used to occupy.
They start missing her already.
~~~0~~~
A few miles from the Browncliffe village, the caravan was progressing smoothly.
By night time, the caravan stopped in a wide clearing to rest and spend the night away, their location was surrounded by vast forest at every turn.
The leader of the caravan, Ricardo, a middle-aged man sent a message to the people in the castle up in the hill using a pigeon as a message carrier.
He wrote a short message on a piece of paper.
'Goodies are coming...100 blossoming bodies and souls perfect for the celebration!'
He was smirking while rolling the piece of paper and tied it on the pigeon's right leg using a rope. "Go now and deliver the good news!" he said to the pigeon.
The messenger bird flew away and disappeared behind the towering mountain in the dead of the night.