Finished draft one

Somerset was a rustic little town of cobblestone paved streets, gas powered streetlamps and a wide selection of mom and pop owned and operated stories that lined the Rue Principale of the village. There was also a lesser known side to this picture perfect settlement, a darker more seeder side called ‘Hemlock Lane’. The Lane was nothing more than a simple dirt track, a dozen or so poorly built public houses, alehouses and cathouses lined the often muddy and deeply rutted trail. Raw sewage often flowed from theses place of vice and formed puddles and sometimes pools.

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 the 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 listed to the old brass school bell ring up and down the hallway of the small schoolhouse all around her one could see her classmates where in the process of packing away there books, paper, pencils and finally there all important homework booklets. The young lass shook her head as she noticed groups of students where already starting to form, everybody seemed too belong to there own little social group. The popular girls formed there own little circle each one them seemed to fawn over each others dress, purse or new hairstyle. Sunflower quickly shifted her eyes away from the gathering.

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

“I know right,” Said Sunflower looking up from her packing long enough to offer the girl a smile. The girl was one of her few friend and one of select few people beside her family she felt she could really confine in. Once she was done packing, she picked up the bag by its straps and started toward the door.

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

Halfway out of the schoolhouse, 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 was 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 then returned to her previews frame of mind. “I was wondering if you’ll like to visit  Joann’s Malt Shop. You know get a malted milk,, shake, hamburger or maybe even a corndog.” Offered Rachel.

Sunflower blinked and blinked again, “Sure Rachel,” She said blushing a little as she reached up and started 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. Maybe she was justified in calling her a brat just a minute ago.

Rachel smirked a little as she noticed her friend blushing, there was something sweet about seening a girl blush. Once the question of them going out for the afternoon had been settled, she reached into her dress pocket and pulled out a neon pink coin purse. Once the zipper was pulled back, she dipped her hands into the confines and quickly pulled a handful of round silver shillings.

“We might need to go half an’ half on it.” 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. Quickly she dipped into the confines of the poach, a quick second or two of fishing around reveled she held only a dozen or so round silvery coins to her name.

“I think we have enough to cover it.” Said Sunflower as she slipped 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 made there way down the road they passed several noticeable village landmarks.

One of those included the local 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 level. One could deduce from the large number of buggies and horses stabled nearby that a meeting among the Masonic Order was in progress. 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 very wary of the masons, for a cloud of rumor and fear surrounded them. Some of the older men in the village blamed them for the Jacobites defeat at Johnston Landing some thirty years ago. Noting that one of the order had been spotted crossing the enemy lines before the battle.

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 make tracks, one did not play games with those kinds of people. They where all well connected within the community and many if rumor was to believed did not mind using those connections to further there own cause or release a terrible wrath upon the heads of 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 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 gently rolling her shoulders.

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

“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 have them a good running start.” She said with a little laugh. “But I gotta warn you too, being a bullhead comes with a price, just be sure your writing a check you tush can cash.” She offered, her voice had taken on a very sage like tone, one that lent credence to the fact she was offering to her friend.

“Wait what do you mean, ‘Writing a check your tush can cash’?” Asked Sunflower, confusion was thick in her voice. So lost was the girl she stopped walking and stood there rooted in the same spot for a minute or two. Sun the sun was starting to dip below the snow capped mountains that stood mere six 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 a 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, other times Rachel just confused the living heck out of her.

“Your honesty going to sit there and 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 out of 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 the title once or twice, of course I’m to old for that that 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 her lips.

Rachel blinked and titled her head as she peered toward her friends. Once she caught sight of her smirk a quick 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 things to come, more often than not it was a foretelling of a prank, scheme or something along that nature.

“I’m Sure you’ve heard of the fable, ‘Hemlock Lane’ that collection of poorly built alehouses, old run down pubs called ‘Hells; by some of the older generations of the villager. And please let us not forget the many poorly run and often  cathouses.” Started Sunflower, trying her best to a 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 tailored, trimmed and fitted.

Rachel felt her jaw drop a little as she peered toward her friend. Why in the word would her friend bring up something like that now. Nobody who valued there own personal health or social statues would dare venture down the darken, overgrown path that lead to mouth of the hard packed dirt 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 you thinking about going down into that snake pit.” She pleaded, her mind was now going a mile a minute, sure she wanted add a splash of color to the dull color of gray that colored village life. But venturing down into a lions den of sin, vice and human waste as appealing as it sounded was not on her bucket list.

“I’ve been thinking about it, I mean that place can’t be that bad after all.” She said peering toward the setting sun that was slowly starting to dip below the tall mountain peaks of the Mutton Mountain rang. The shadow of night was quickly starting to fall all around them, and the drunken whispers of the Lamplighter, the fellow employed to light the many gas powered streetlights that dotted the city 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 upon her lips she placed her hands 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 a bad place, people end up dead in places like that. Scum gathers there, you know thugs, highwaymen, old Jacobites still fighting to war of Southern Succession.”