REED

The land of peace was known to be the most peaceful place on earth, after so many years. The people were hardworking, good in communication, and in producing food.

In the land, there was a small house located at the mountain of strength in peace land. A young girl lived there with her step mother and step sister. Her name is DEBORAH.

She is a beauty in the eyes of men, but a threat in her step mother and sister's eyes.

Her step mother AGNES, hated Deborah with passion, due to the fact that she was both her father and grandfather's favorite.

After the death of the both of them, Agnes took control over the house and turned Deborah into a slave.

Her daughter LUCY, hated Deborah too. She always made sure she got Deborah into trouble.

One day,Deborah was washing the clothes, belonging to her step sister,outside. She saw the king's guards and his son the prince, training at a field with their swords.

Deborah love watching them, because it reminded her of her grandfather. Her grandfather was both a blacksmith, warrior, an artist and a story writer.

She remembered when she was little and he told her a story about a powerful man named REED. He talked about how brave and powerful he was, and she fell in love with him.

"Really grandfather?" Deborah had asked her grandfather then.

" Yes my dear. Reed killed all the Demons that came his way. He was really powerful ," John answered her.

" Wow! I like Reed. He's my hero," she had said, carrying her grandfather's sword up, trying to be like Reed.

And it's because of him that Deborah began to train herself on how to fight with a sword, with the help of her grandfather.

Looking at the prince made her happy thinking of her childhood. Seeing that she was almost done with her work, she stood up quietly, tiptoed out of the compound and quickly straight to the field.

She ran like a child looking so happy to be out of the compound. She got to a tree which was close to the field and she could see some people watching the prince.

"Impressive!"

" Wonderful! "

" Amazing! "

Those were the words Deborah could hear from the people. She became eager and desperate to see the prince clearly. She moved closer, then in no seconds, she was at the front.

Watching the prince train made everyone cheer and clap for him.

Deborah too was very happy. She was so engrossed in the training, that she didn't notice her step sister Lucy beside her.

Lucy's agenda at the field was to gain the prince's attention. She had applied so much make-up on her face, that she almost looked like a clown. She was with her friends.

They were all admiring the handsome prince as he trained.

Suddenly, as Lucy was showcasing herself in front of the prince, her eyes came across Deborah, who was cheering for the prince.

" What...what are you doing here?"Lucy shouted. Dragging the attention of both the prince and the crowds.

Deborah turned and became stunned on seeing her step sister.

"Oh no! I'm in trouble," Deborah panicked in fear.

Lucy became very angry to see Deborah on the field. She was yelling at her. " I said what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be working at home?".

"Well, I...I was..." Deborah stammered.

"You were what Deborah? Running away from home right?" Lucy accused.

Deborah was feeling unhappy with the way Lucy was treating her. To the extent that she couldn't bear it.

Lucy noticed the prince coming towards her direction. This amused her to increase her voice even more.

"Don't tell me you stole my mother's expensive necklace, because nowadays her things are always missing. You must be a thief!" Lucy accused openly.

"No, I didn't steal anything, I promise!" Deborah cried out loud.

That's when they heard the prince's voice.

"What's going on here?" the prince asked,looking at the both of them.

Lucy greeted him and said, "My prince!"

She blushed before changing her face expression into an evil one, after glaring at Deborah.

"This thief stole my mother's expensive necklace. Now she's making a run for it. Since you're here, please be kind to this helpless Damsel and punish this thief."

Lucy frowned at Deborah, and stared at the prince, so that he would see how beautiful she looks.

The prince gazed at Deborah, who was looking scared. Then he questioned her, " Did you steal anything from her mother?".

"No my prince? I didn't ," Deborah responded. Defending her innocence.

All the crowds were gazing at Deborah and Lucy as the prince was busy settling the matter.

All of a sudden, someone among the crowds, said out loud, " Hey! Isn't that Deborah? The grand daughter of that evil man that tried to destroy this town?"

"Yeah!!,you're right! What is she doing here? "

The crowds began to notice her.

They all began to bully and insult her. Making the poor girl feel scared.

"You wretched girl. After everything your grandfather did, you still have the guts to show your face? Get out of here!" they roared at her.

Deborah wasn't only suffering in the hands of her stepmother and stepsister, the town people were included.

The prince had heard about her grandfather, but never seen his family before. He glanced at Deborah, who had tears in her eyes, then asked, " Is this true?"

Deborah couldn't even speak at all. The voice of the people and their insults towards her and her grandfather, made her to run away in tears.

Lucy became glad that Deborah was out of the picture. Giving her the chance to relate with the prince even more.

The prince watched Deborah, as she ran away from the field, back home without looking back at all.

.

Meanwhile, Agnes, Deborah's stepmother, was busy talking to one of the Town's, well-known and trusted elder, OLD MAN PETER. That was what they called him.

They were both discussing something secretly about a book.

"I've searched the entire house for it, but no sign at all".

"It must be here somewhere. Still check properly. You may still find it," Old man peter said out angrily.

Agnes was tired of searching for the book. All she wanted was for Old man peter to help her daughter to get closer to the prince. But if it means searching for a meaningless book, no problem.

She smiled at old man peter, then said, "OK, i'll still check."

Old man peter looked at Agnes with a coldly. He decided to leave since there was nothing else he needed from her aside from the book in question.

Just as he was about walking to the door, Deborah came in cleaning her eyes. She saw him and became afraid.

Among all the people in the town, Old man peter was the only person she was mostly afraid of. His face,action, behavior... Everything feared her.

Old man Peter's eyes met with hers as he frowned at her saying, "Rubbish. Both granddaughter and grandfather." He walked out.

Deborah moved out of the way for him to pass. Then he passed and left.

Agnes was tired of stressing herself out just because of a stupid book. She looked at Deborah, who was still standing at the door,and she shouted at her. Telling her to go and clean up the mess in her grandfather's room.

Deborah quickly rushed into the room and saw the mess made by her stepmother.

" What has she done?" she asked rhetorically in a low tone of voice. Picking up all her grandfather's things.

As she was picking them up,she came across somethings that reminded her of her childhood. His drawings, pictures and old story books.

She took them to a shelf and placed them properly well. She was about to carry a book from the ground,when she came across an old trunk belonging to her grandfather.

"Hey! This is grandfather's special trunk. All his important things are kept here. Let me open it and see if I can find anything from my childhood."

She opened the trunk and was about to search,when she heard her name.

" Deborah!" The voice sounded angry.

Deborah quickly recognized the owner of the voice and became afraid.

" Lucy! Now I'm dead," Deborah panicked. Rising from the ground, leaving the trunk opened.

Unknown to Agnes, the book she has been looking for all this time,was inside the trunk.

Deborah rushed out, only for her to receive a hot slap on her face from Agnes. She held her face and looked at her stepmother.

Agnes grabbed her by the neck,and felt like strangling her.

"You witch! So you want to spoil my daughter's chance of getting married to the prince, that's why you showed your ugly face at the field!" she roared at her. Tossing Deborah to the ground.

Deborah became frightened of her Agnes. Her furious stepmother turned to Lucy, who was shedding crocodile tears,saying, " He didn't even look at me. But stared at her!"

Agnes grew even more angry.

She turned to look at Deborah, who was getting scared of her. She walked up to her, dragged her up, and landed beaten on her.

As if beating her wasn't enough. Agnes cursed both Deborah and her grandfather.

"If not because of the evil deed your grandfather did many years ago, by now people would be showing so much respect to me. Oh why? I curse the day your grandfather was born till his death, and now you are taking from him. The more people see you,the more they begin to disrespect me."

Filled with rage and anger, Agnes dragged Deborah outside and locked the door behind her.

Deborah was sad and also fed up of the bullying.

" What did my grandfather do that all these people are venting their anger on me? All I know is that he was so nice and good to people. He would never think of destroying his people." Deborah wondered.

This question ran through her head, as she decided to find out the truth herself.

At least,she was glad that Agnes her thrown her outside, now she could find her answer, by visiting a friend at the next town.

The next town and her town, shared a very good relationship together. If you ask anyone in the next town what happened many years ago, they'll tell you everything, even the one you didn't ask them to tell.

So Deborah set out to meet this friend of hers,hoping She'll find some answer.