Patches of dark and ominous clouds hovered over the vast sky of Blue Moon Village. Tiny droplets of rain began to fall, quickly turning into heavy rains. Loud thunderstorms echoed through the village as bright streaks of lightning painted the night skies, causing chaos amongst the villagers. Young children who were playing outside, and women and men who were chatting with neighbors were forced to cease their activities and return to their homes for shelter.
Among these panicked bodies, stood a young woman. Her frail body was drenched in the rainwater along with her tattered clothes. The young woman darted her eyes around, taking in her surroundings with hopes that she could find a place to hide from the rain. Spotting a rock that was large enough for her to hide under, she sped up her steps to seek shelter. Squatting underneath the rock, there was barely enough space to cover her body from the brutal cold winds that blew along with the harsh rain. Pushing aside her soaked red locks of hair which covered her face, she cupped her two hands together, blowing on them to provide her fingers some warmth.
The young woman peeked her head out to look at the dark clouds above. She was wondering when the rain would stop. Will I have to sit here all night? The woman thought to herself. She had no home to go to. The only solution she could think of was to try to brave the rain and return to the cave she usually slept in. But the winds can be especially harsh if she were to try to climb up to the cave. She would be better off sitting here all night. Otherwise, tomorrow she would be nothing more than a corpse for a poor wood or herb gatherer to discover.
As she continued to ponder on what she could do instead of freezing here the entire night, a pair of nicely polished shoes appeared in front of her. Lifting her head up, the young woman saw a beautiful woman holding an umbrella in front of her. She could tell this woman was much older than her, but the elder woman had preserved her youth well. Looking at the way the elder woman was dressed, the young woman thought of her own tattered clothes, and she blushed with embarrassment.
The elder woman was dressed in a dark blue laced corset dress, decorated in numerous intricate embroideries and multiple layers of petticoats. The young woman had never seen such beautiful clothing before. Even if she included the number of times she has passed by the tailor shop in town, there has never been a display of clothing that is of the same quality as the dress this woman wore.
"Hello, dear." The elder woman said distracting the younger woman from her thoughts. "What is your name?" The woman continued.
"I-I do not have a name Madam." The young woman responded as she bit her lower lips in nervousness.
"You must have a name. What do they call you?" The woman questioned as she tilted her head towards the group of houses in the village, letting the young girl know she was referring to the town's people.
"The people of the town do not wish to interact with me. Therefore, I have never been given a name." The young woman responded with a disappointed sigh. It has always been her hope to befriend the people of the town, however, no one from the village wants to interact with someone who has been abandoned. She was the village outcast. The town's people never spared her a glance, as if she was so insignificant that she did not deserve to occupy a second of their time. On the rare occasion where the villagers would speak in her direction, they spoke at her, not with her.
"If I were to give you the opportunity, would you like to leave this place?" The elder woman inquired.
"Pardon?" The younger woman replied with surprise in her eyes. A place away from the one she knows now is something she has never dreamed of. Blue Moon Village had been her life ever since she could remember.
A spark of interest flashed in the young girl's eyes as the elder lady made her proposal. Would it really be possible for her to leave here?
"Join me in my carriage." The elder woman said as she gestured her hands toward the carriage. "I suppose it could provide you better shelter than the rock." The woman continued, reaching her hands out to the younger woman.
"I am but a lone woman. I cannot enter a carriage with a stranger." The younger woman said with hesitation. The proposal sounds tempting, but she knows it will not be safe for her to enter a carriage with an unknown person.
"My name is Marion dear. I am no longer a stranger now, am I? Do not worry, I will not hurt you. You would not mind a chat, would you?" The elder woman replied, continuing to gesture her hands to the nervous girl in front of her.
The younger girl reached out her hands and accepted Marion's offer. Marion pulled the girl up, sharing her umbrella with the girl to shield her from the heavy rain. The two women made their way to the carriage as Marion helped the younger girl up into the carriage, reminding the girl to watch her step before she entered the carriage herself.
"So, have you ever considered leaving this place?" Marion questioned.
"No." The young girl shook her head. "For as long as I can remember, I have always lived here, in Blue Moon Village. Even though the villagers may not enjoy my presence, I have never desired to live elsewhere." The girl responded. Although her life in Blue Moon Village is not a great life, she has grown familiar with the town. The thought to migrate elsewhere had never crossed her mind as it was normal for anyone to be afraid of the unknown.
"What if I tell you that the place I propose will provide you with a much better life than the one you have now, would you consider it? You will be well fed, have a roof to shield your head, and be around people who will speak with you and have mutual respect towards you. Would you consider this place?" Marion spoke with raised brows. She was sure it would not take much effort to convince the young girl. Similar to the abandoned girls Marion has persuaded in the past, she saw the sparks of hope in the young girl's eye before the girl ascended the carriage.
"I suppose you would like something in return for the food and home you will provide me. What is it that you require of me?" The young girl questioned. She knew this sort of offer was too good to be true. There is not a soul in this word that would give without wanting something in return.
"Your service." Marion responded with a slight smirk. "You will be serving my master, dear." Marion was impressed that the girl was at least aware enough to question what she must provide in return. The young girls that Marion had encountered in the past were so eager to take her offer that they never bothered with what they had to lose. Seeing the girl's furrowed brows and deep frown, Marion understood what the girl was thinking and continued, "Worry not my dear. My master is no beast. He will not require you to perform any vulgar activities. We have lost a good servant recently, so we are in search of a new one. Your duties will be cooking and cleaning."
After hearing Marion's reassurance, the young girl was in deep thought. She was truly considering this offer. She supposed anywhere would be better than here. The weather has been getting cold recently. Winter is on its way. Perhaps, if she chose to stay in the cave, she may not even survive the upcoming winter storms.
Marion observed the young girl, and she knew the girl was tempted by the offer. In order to help the girl decide, Marion spoke, "Well, I suppose you are not interested in the proposal, is that right dear? I guess I will have to continue with my search then, else I would have to face my master's fury. Would you like to be let off here darling?"
Peeking out the carriage window, the young girl saw the dark skies and rain that had begun to lighten up. Looking in the opposite direction the carriage was facing, Blue Moon Village was nowhere to be seen. Not a single house or town can be seen, there was nothing but a road, trees, and darkness around. Marion continued to look at the young girl with a knowing smile.
"I suppose I could give it a try." The girl said with a soft but determined sigh.
The girl's greatest fear had been being away from Blue Moon Village. She was afraid that if she ever ventured out to a different town, she would never be able to find shelter in the same way Blue Moon Village had provided her. However, when the girl looked out the carriage and saw that the village was gone, she realized there was absolutely nothing from that village that she would miss. Whatever future the woman sitting next to her could provide, the young girl felt in her heart that it would be better than the life she had now.