A prayer

Somerset was a rustic little town of cobblestone paved streets, gas powered streetlamps and mom and pop owned and operated stores  that filled the business section of the town. There was also a lesser known side of this picture perfect little village, a darker more seeder side called ‘Hemlock Lane’. The lane was nothing more than a simple dirt track,  dozen or so poorly built public houses and alehouses lined the often muddy and deeply rutted trail. Raw sewage often flowed from these places of visit and formed puddles and sometimes marshlands.

The lane was a blight on the town, a blight and to many tarnished the wholesome image the town was trying to project to the outside word. But the ward provided a steady flow of hard coins to coffers of the ‘Chamber of Public Works’ and thus many elected official turned a blind eye and advised the chief of police to do the same.  Thus the place was almost lawless

***

Sunflower took a deep breath as she listened to the old school bell ring up and down the hallway of small school house. All around her one could see her classmates where in the process of packing away there books, papers, pencils, pens and finally there homework booklets. The young lass shook her head as she noticed groups of students where starting to form, everybody seemed to belong to there own little social group. The popular girls formed there own little circle, each one fawning other the others dress, purse or new hairstyle.  Sunflower quickly shifted her eyes away from the gathering.

“Must be hard being popular,” Came a mocking tone of voice to the side of Sunflower.  The voice belonged to a girl around Sunflowers age. The girl had been blessed with golden locks of hair, pale blue eyes and heart shape face.  Like Sunflower she wore a simple dress, nothing fancy, nothing trimmed with lace, nothing fancy, just a simple plain Jane dress.

“I know right,” Said Sunflower looking up from her packing and offering the girl a smile.  The girl was a friend of hers and one of the few people beside her family she felt she could really confine in. Once she was done packing, she picked up the straps of her backpack and started toward the door.

The girl took a deep breath and rolled her eyes. Quickly she finished packing and with a sudden fling of the wrist she tossed her caring case over her shoulder and gave chase, Sunflower and her had been friend since the start of there formal education. But still there where days when she could not help but wonder about the girl.

Halfway out of the school house, Sunflower heard the heavy footsteps of somebody giving chase to something. Quickly she looked over her shoulders, only to notice the nimble frame of her friend rushing to catch up with her. Shaking her head a little she paused, thinking it only right to give the girl some time to catch up with her.

“Hey, Brat!” Called out the girl, as she finally caught up to Sunflower. She took a deep breath and peered into her friends deep blue eyes. Releasing her breath and clearing her mind she returned to her previews frame of mind.  “I was wondering if you’ll like to visit The Bubble. You know get a malted milk, shake or maybe a quick bite to eat.” She offered.

Sunflower blinked and blinked again, “Sure Rachel,” She said blushing a little as she reached up and starting to rub her forehead . “Sorry for kind of running off on you back there. “ She said offering the girl a soft smile. And in truth she did feel sorry for running off on her, looking back it made her seem a bit like a brat, so maybe was justified in calling her a brat a few minutes ago.

Rachel smirked a little as she noticed her friend blushing, there was something sweet about seeing a girl blush. Once the question of them going out had been settled she reached into her pockets and pulled out a neon pink coin purse. Once the zipper was pulled back, she dipped her hand into the confines and pulled out a handful of round silvery coins.

“We might need to go half and half on things,” She said counting the coins. Sunflower took a deep breath as she reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out her own pastel blue coin purse. A quick dip into the confines of the purse reveled she had only a dozen round silvery coins, the polished silver seemed to shimmer in the setting sun. A queer look crossed the girls face as she felt the silver slipping through her fingers as she poured the coins back into her purse.

“Okay, I think I have enough to cover it.” She said slipping her purse back into her pocket.

Rachel blinked and blinked again and soon the two where making there way through the doorway of the school and strolling across the common. Another minute passed before they found themselves walking upon the square, brown cobblestones that paved the main thoroughfare of the village.  As the pair they made there way down the road they passed several noticeable village landmarks.

One of those included the Masonic Hall, located in the upper level of a large building that housed the ‘Chamber of Defense’ and the local police station on the bottom floor was taking in. From there vantage point on the sidewalk below they could peer into the windows and make out a few of the faces of those in council. Both where wary of the masons, for a cloud of rumors surrounded them. Some older men in the village blamed them for the Republican Defeat at Farmer Joes forded some  ears ago, noting that one of the order had passed along key information to the attacking Capital Rifleman.

The children did not terry long, for one of them caught sight of the two little ones, the man a balding middle age fellow, gave the little ones a hard look and mouthed something the two could not understand. Despite the fact the message was lost in translation the meaning was not and the two little ones quickly carry one, one did not play with those kind of people. They where well connected within the community and many did not mind using those connections to further there own cause or to take a terrible vantages on those who had wronged them or stood in there way.

“Man that was creepy.” Said Sunflower at last as she peered over to Rachel. Ten minutes or so had passed since there encounter with the hard nose fellow. There was a clear sense of tension in her voice as she spoke those words.

“Nan, just one of those middle age, old farts that smell like bacon grease and day old pizza. Thinks he’s hot stuff cause he belongs to some so called secret society. I mean come on Sun, you don’t need to be afraid of those guys. Hell if one tries to take hold of you, just stand your ground and stomp upon his toes,” She said rolling his shoulders.

“I need your courage,” Commented Sunflower smiling softy toward Rachel. “I mean honesty, I don’t think I could get away with half the things you do, I mean you take crap from nobody. And me, I don’t know, just sometimes I think I let people walk over me.” She commented a frown darken her lips.

“Its not courage girl, its being bullheaded. I get it from my mum and dad, both are so bullheaded you think they could break down walls if you gave them a good head start.” She said with a laugh. “But I gotta warn you too, being a bullhead comes at a price, just be sure your writing a check your tush can cash.” Offered Rachel in a sage tone of voice, one that gave credence to the fact the was offering

“Wait what do you mean, ‘Writing a check your tush can cash’?” Said Sunflower, confusion thick in her voice. So lost was the girl she stopped in walking and stood rooted in the same spot for a minute or two. The sun was starting to dip below the tall snow capped mountain that stood a mere half dozen leagues away.

Rachel could not help but roll her eyes, “Bloody hell Sun.” Said Rachel reaching up and placing her open palm upon her face. “I honesty worry about you sometimes.” She said removing her hands from her face, there was little doubt in her mind that her friend was a little too naïve at times.


“What?” Said Sunflower titling her head to the side, a clear sign of confusion from the young tween  Sometimes her friend worried her, and other time Rachel just confused the living heck out of her.

“Your honesty going to sit there tell me that you’ve never been spanked before? Not even once in your whole life, not even a quick smack on the bottom as a warning?” Asked Rachel, a total deadpan facial expression graced her face as she sat there and peered toward her friend.  Then before she could catch herself she found these words rushing from her mouth, “And I bet you’ve also been award the Somerset Good Girl Reward too right?” She said with a sign.

Sunflower blushed a little as her ears drank in her friends teasing remarks. “Well, I might have been award that title once or twice, course I’m way to old for it now anyways. I think they cut you out once you enter into the ninth grade.” She said peering into the darkling night sky.  Then a odd thought popped into her head, slowly a rare smirk formed upon the bow of Sunflowers lips.

Rachel blinked and titled her head as she peered toward her friend. Then the caught sight of her smirk and quickly a eyebrow was raised. A good season or two had passed since she saw her friend give her a smirk, that was always a sign of thing to come, often a foretelling of  some prank , scheme or something of that nature.

“I’m sure you’ve heard of the fable, ‘Hemlock Lane’ that collection of poorly built alehouses, public houses called ‘Hell’s’ by some of the older generation. And let us not forget the many poorly built and often run cathouses.” Started Sunflower, trying her best to paint a complete picture of the area.  Using words to paint a picture was a hell of a lot harder than using the brush.  As each word had to be tailored, trimmed and fitted.

Rachel Jaw dropped a little as she peered toward her friend. Why in the hell would her friend bring up something like that now. Nobody how valued there personal health or social grace would dare venture down the darken, overgrown path that lead to the dirty road that snaked its way into the heart of the beast.

“Come on Sun…” Said Rachel peering toward her friend, concern was thick in her voice. “Please don’t tell me your thinking about going down into that snake pit.” She pleaded, her mind was now racing a mile a minute, sure she wanted to add a little spice to the dull gray that colored life in the village. But venturing into a den of sin and vice as appealing as it sounded was not on her list of thing to do.

“I’ve been thinking about, I mean that place can’t be so bad after all.” She said peering toward setting sun that was slowly dipping below the tall mountain peaks of the Mutton Mountains. The shadows of night where starting to fall all around them and the drunken whispers to the light-men, the fellow that light the gas powered street lambs could be heard as the ragged fellow appeared before the girls.

  Taking a deep breath, Rachel moved slowly toward her friend, then with a half formed smile she placed her hand upon her shoulder. A minute or two passed before the young women found the words she needed. “Sun, don’t do it now, I’m telling you this as your friend, That the kind of place peeps are killed you understand, thugs, highwaymen and old brigandage still fighting the war of succession.”