1 1 The start of something horrible

Our shop is empty this morning. The thick summer air was getting to my head. I smiled to myself as I peeled potatoes, the kitchen smelled of herb and tomato soup. Grandma was in the garden picking vegetables with dean. I has been working in the kitchen all day. Beads of sweat dripped down my forehead. I heard the chirps of Byrd's outside. Cutting potatoes is one of the most time consuming jobs, it takes patience. I flinched as the knife I had been peeling with cut into my skin. Blood started to ooze from the cut...well not regular blood, gold blood. I always wondered why my blood was so oddly coloured. My grandma just said it was my DNA but I never believed that for one second. My grandma walked in her face full of dirt and a basket full of carrots in one hand. Just then I hear a horn being blowed and everything stops. The chirping of birds, the bustle of the village outside, even my grandma stops in her tracks. I hear the noise of hooves stopping outside our doorstep. Just then a tall man walks in, he has a uniform of what a soldier in high league would wear. I can tell straight away he's a demon because of his horns and sharp eyes. I stared in panic. His eyes went straight to my finger. He squinted, I threw my arms behind my back before he could see. "Hello, What brings you here?" He holds up a sheet to his face and squints, "Are you Nkomo?" "Y-yes" "your presence has been requested by the prince. He requests we take you to his hidden palace of vasqu immediately." "What? What kind of request? "He has chosen you and several other women to become his paper girls. He specifically requested your name out of them all." "Well I'm not leaving my family." "This is a rare opportunity that brings the few chosen women much honour. Any women would kill for this opportunity!" "Well I don't" "Well you don't have a choice so it doesn't matter what you think." Just as he moves towards me my grandma speaks. The soldier backs away from me. "What's this all about?" Tears start to well in my eyes, "He says the prince has requested me to become one of his paper girls." "I probably should have told you..." my grandmas face crinkles up in the way that lets you know shes hiding something. "A letter came in two weeks ago saying you have been requested to go to the vasqu kingdom. 12 girls are chosen every 10 years its a very... rare opportunity. He promised payments of 100"000 chits per year. I couldn't tell you so I decided to wait. I had no idea they would come this soon though". "I'm not leaving my family, you know how horribly they'll treat me?" The soldier spoke up just as tears started to well in my eyes "She'll live in the hidden palace of vasqu, lead a provleged life of service to our gracious leader.... outside of and in the royal bed. Itd be better if you said your good byes now and get packed." I turned around and looked at my grandma, "Your not serous are you?" "I'm afraid I have no choice, we can't disobey the prince. I thought you would be more appreciative than this." "Don't you remember when they took mom! And now there back for me." I look back at the soldier "When would I return?" The soldier grinned "You wouldn't."