13 My sweet little baby

Beth leaned forward, licking her lips nervously. The man's back was wide and well built. It was easy to guess that he had a muscled body- a very good one at that. When someone said that it is hard to erase someone's basic nature, they were talking about Beth, for she was drooling, hiding behind the tree even though she had no memories of her lonely life with imaginary make-out sessions with fantastical heroes. Nothing changed even if she was in the body of a ten-year-old.

The man continued watering the plants, humming to himself, completely ignorant of her presence. His voice was melodious, of the kind that would send anyone swooning. His black robes were light and fluttered around him like the caress of a subtle wind. Given that she couldn't even get a glimpse of his hair, let alone his face, a lot was left up to her imagination. Beth fanned herself with her hand, smiling at the back of the man like a fool.

Her gaze traveled down his body at his perfectly shaped behind. "I could stare at you all day." She murmured to herself.

Suddenly the music stopped. "How long are you planning to hide there?" The man's musical voice reached to her, almost like a sweet whisper.

Beth gasped, quickly sticking herself to the tree. If she got caught, she was going to get in huge trouble. She cursed her straying mind. Not only had she not gotten what she had come here for, but she had also managed to land herself in trouble.

"My sweet little baby." The man cooed.

Beth's jaw dropped in shock. What?! Did he just call her his sweet little baby?

"I'll keep you safe." He said, his voice dropping seductively.

Beth's heartbeat skyrocketed. What was this man rambling about? Was he a pedophile? Had she been admiring a pedophile for so long?! The hair on the back of her neck stood up as horror washed over her. What had she gotten herself into? She cried inside her head.

"There, let me water you a bit more so that you grow up well." The man cooed.

Huh? What now? Gathering her courage, Beth peeked at the man from behind the tree. What she saw made her want to slap herself. All this time, the man had been talking to a flower bud. He poured water over the bud, whispering sweet, sweet words to it as if it heard everything he said.

Beth laughed, holding her hand above her mouth to suppress her voice. She sat down, making herself sparse. She watched him water the plants for a while more until he finally left the building, leaving her all alone to do her work. She got up, dusting off the dry leaves from her dress.

She didn't have to search too much in the place before she got to the little cupboard that stored seeds. Each bunch of seeds was stored in little jars and their names were written on a slip pasted on its surface. She didn't understand half the names that she read. Nothing seemed familiar to her.

"Hey, you. Which seed do I take?" She asked, tapping on her bracelet.

No reply came from the metallic ornament like usual. With a sigh, she did what was apt. She played inky-pinky-ponky until her finger landed on a tinted glass jar. It was the only tinted glass jar among the whole bunch. The label on it read 'winged golden pear tree'. Beth didn't think too much before opening the lid and grabbing a fistful of seeds from inside the jar.

Without wasting any time, she slipped out of the building, making her way past the wide street and the alley quickly. She looked up at the sky as she kept walking through the busy streets filled with minor gods and free gods once again. This time she was careful to walk through the darker corners and not attract any attention.

The outermost layer of the upper city was still in their merry-making session, the sounds of their laughter and their drunken confessions filling the air. Beth sighed sadly. The gods were living a good life knowingly ignoring the pathetic life that the slaves and the servants in the lower city lived. For people like Three and Five, her existence was just a pitiable one- something that they didn't bother to even think much about.

It seems like heaven was a realm of inequity and misery for most while those in the upper rungs of the hierarchy lived a life that she could only covet from far, just like today. Unlike her, none of the other slaves would have even seen what the upper town looked like.

As she walked forward, her mind kept drifting back to the man in black. He must be a god too. How high up in the hierarchy would one have to be to wear black robes? She wondered. Though she regretted ever fancying the unknown god even for a few minutes, her perverted mind kept telling her how much she would enjoy herself if she could see more of that hotness. It was not like there were any drool-worthy men in the lower town. Everyone there was in the body of a child and she certainly didn't feel like one inside.

Soon she left behind the lights and splendor of the upper town to reach the bridge that connected the two towns. Looking around to make sure that her path was clear, she quickly crossed over.

"Goodbye, for now." She said, looking back with a sigh, her hair shining like polished silver in the light of the moon that hung high above in the sky.

Retrieving her broom and equipments that she had left behind, Beth searched for a spot for her to plant the seeds. The place where she stood was perfect for the job. If she planted the seeds at the edge of the town, it would be easier for her to sneak in and water it every day. The plant would even grow without anyone suspecting her, she thought.

Taking a sharp stone, she dug a small pit right next to the sewage canal. Dropping all the seeds in it she covered them with sol and poured all the water from her beaker on it. Giving the spot a final pat with her hands, she smiled. Very soon, she'd be done with her first task.

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