I had been doing all of the chores that my dreadful stepmother was making me do. I cooked. I cleaned up after them. I washed their laundry. And I slept in the barn. I wasn't allowed to eat 'their food' at all. I had to forage in the woods for things to eat every day.
The problem with me foraging was that I didn't know what was edible and what wasn't. I had to try and guess what I could and could not eat and what would and would not make me sick. It was hard, that was for sure.
I had, so far, managed to get myself some herbs, mushrooms and fruit from trees. And one time, just the once, I managed to catch a fish and eat that for my dinner. The problem was, catching any animal would result in me needing to clean them and then cook them. That was too time consuming for someone that didn't have much time left in the day. Because of that, I was left looking for more vegetarian meals.
If I were to say that I missed the food in my world it would be an understatement. I mean, this place was literally hell for me. Not only was there only so much that I could find, but I was also not allowed to eat real food. I missed eating. I missed feeling full. And I now knew how those starving kids on TV felt. It was not pleasant at all.
One day, when I was searching for some berries and other items that I would be able to eat for my dinner that night and possibly my breakfast the next morning, I heard someone call out to me.
"What are you doing!?" The girl sounded panicked as she ran over to me.
"What? What are you talking about? I'm just collecting berries." I threw another handful into the basket that I was filling with them.
"To poison someone else or yourself?" She looked at me in shock as she knelt next to the basket. I could see that she was about my age, twenty or twenty-two maybe. She had bright blonde hair and eyes that were so blue they sparkled and shined with the little light that was filtering to where we were. She was dressed like she did a lot of manual labor and that she was strong. Kind of like me, I guess.
"I am not trying to kill anyone. Though I wouldn't mind giving my stepmother a bit of pain from some bad berries. She could use some punishment with what she has done to me."
"This wouldn't just make her sick. These could kill you, or her." The girl picked up the basket now, looking at the berries that I had tossed in. "These here are OK. They won't make you sick at all. As are these ones." She was separating them into piles for me as she sorted the berries. "These ones here are poisonous though. They are called Moonseed. This one is Lily of the Valley. And this one is Flax Daphne. They are all poisonous and will kill anyone that eats them. Just a handful of berries would be enough to kill you. You need to be more careful."
I watched as the girl wrapped the berries that were bad up in a cloth and then started to bury them in the dirt. Her slim looking hands were working dexterously as she accomplished the task.
"There, now no animals or children will eat them by accident." With a smile, she looked back up at me. "You know the woods, but not the berries. That tells me that you have never had the occasion to need them before. Is something the matter? Are you OK?" I could tell that she was worried about me. It was instantly clear to me.
"Well, my stepmother makes me cook, clean, and do everything for them. However, my father is out of town, so I am forced to sleep in the barn and forbidden to eat the food in the house. I am very hungry, and I don't know what else to do."
"Come with me. I will give you some food. My name is Elin. I live on the edge of town."
"Oh, are you in the house across from mine?" I jolted in shock when I heard where she said that she lived.
"If you mean the house that is close to the woods that you do not live in, then possibly. I do not know for certain as I am not sure where you live."
"Ah, yes, that would be hard for you to know, wouldn't it? I can point it out to you, but I don't think that I should take food from you. Do you not need it for your family?"
"We are fine. My husband is very generous and kind. And we are just trying to start a family. The home we have was inherited by my husband when his father died. He had no other family. So, it is just us. You should come with me. I will feed you. What is your name?"
"Ashenella." I didn't hesitate to tell her. She was the first nice person that I had met since coming here. She was sweet, kind, and offered to help me. I should go with her. If not, it is possible that I would end up dying.
"Come with me, Ashenella. I will get you some food. And if you need some help with some of the chores that you have, I will gladly help. If I can't come into the house, then perhaps I can help you with the washing. Laundry can take a long time. If I help with that, then you will be able to take that out of your day."
"I..I can't ask you to do that." I shook my head. This was unbelievable. Why was she offering to help me?
"I want to help you, Ashenella. You're not asking me to do anything. I am offering to help you. Now, come on."
Just then, Elin took my hand and the berries that were safe. She ran me back to her house, which was indeed right across from my storybook family's home. That would be easy for me. I mean, if I were to rely on her that is. I still didn't know if I was going to or not.