~ Chapter 3 ~

     As was the practice, when mother was finished braiding my hair, I'd absentmindedly move it over my shoulder and play with the ends that escaped the tie. Mother tired to break me of that habit. I flicked it back and forth from finger to finger. It was smooth and wet. My hair had never been cut and so the stream of gold went past my thighs. A drop of water trickled down my knuckle and then I realized. Wet. My hair was wet. My body dry, my heels from the wall, yet my long braid was devoured behind me. I had not escaped the rain. 
     I gasped, then groaned, then flopped face first into the sofa. I breathed heavily into the cushion, which contributed to my red hot cheeks. Red as the fabric squished against my nose. I could hear my mother’s muffled singing from the kitchen. 
	
“Elora and Layne, 
Racing the rain, 
All the way home to eat. 

With brothers like bears, 
It wouldn’t be fairs, 
Cause we know they’d eat all the meat. 

Quick run quick!
Faster they came. 
Quick run quick! 
Faster than rain.

‘Silly.’ They say. 
‘They play all day. 
It’s just a few drops of water.” 

Well fools aren't fun.
Play, don’t be done! 
I love you, my little wet daughters.”
 
	Usually I adored my mothers song, but not that time. I didn’t want to be a little wet daughter! I was eight. My friend Eli could beat the rain and he’s five whole days younger than me. Eli doesn’t have a stupid braid behind him. I thought. Then paused. Eli doesn’t have a stupid braid behind him…
	There were footsteps at the door. Speak of the devil. 
	“Hello Eli darling. Elora, your friend is here.” She glanced out the window, “Oh, and your father and brothers are coming up the hill.” 
	“Happy birthday, Elora!” Elisaid, standing stupidly in the doorway.
	I sprang up from my sulking sofa, marched over to him, groaned in annoyance, then slapped him across his dirty little face. 
“Hey! What did I do?” He cried.
Then I stormed to the kitchen, grabbed a pair of scissors, and placed my golden downfall in its iron jaws. Just as my mother looked up, twenty-three inches of braided curl dropped to the wood. Rightfully beheaded in my opinion. What was left hung below my collar bone. 
Mother’s eyes went wide. Eli’s jaw dropped. I was satisfied. 
Mark, my older brother, came up behind Eli smiling with a sack over his shoulder. 
“Hey!…Woah what happened to you?” Mark gestured to Eli’s cheek. 
“She-”
“I slapped him.” I said proudly, with my chin slightly inclined.
Mark laughed, “You got slapped by a girl! Aw man, her hand print’s still there, nice job Elor…” He stopped, looked at the hair on the floor, then at me. “Woah! What happened to you?” He pointed. 
He sat the sack down at the door and slowly circled me, bewildered and amused. 
“Mama did you see this?” He turned to our mother, but she was still frozen. 
Then the rest of my brothers entered the house, and when I saw my bear-like father, my cheeks were brighter and hotter than fire itself.


					                              ***

     And the fire was hot. The smell of burnt fish stung my nose. The smoke flew upwards,  carrying my offering high up the cliff and past the clouds to the dwellings of Tempestatis, the rain god. I watched as the reflecting flame danced in my fathers dark eyes. It was the most beautiful and biggest fish I had ever seen him catch, with blue glassy scales the size of leaves; intended to be a present for me, birthday dinner. Instead, it became a rug of which my father so desperately tried to sweep my sin under. A tear streamed down my cheek. 
     I wore a shawl over my head, hiding my hair and part of my face in a hood. I didn’t understand why. Mother cut her hair before. Mother cut Layneys hair before. What was the big deal about me? Never before did she cut mine, and never before did a day pass where she didn’t brush it. I didn’t think anything of it, but looking back, it was noticeably strange. 
     The High Priest, Levi, stood in front of me, the fire set between us. I could feel his gaze through the flames and it burned so very hot. If I could switch places with the fish and escape the guilt searing into me by his eyes, I would without hesitation. Levi was the kind of man who wrinkled his nose at spontaneous people. He was the kind of man who (if he had such power) would demand flowers to bloom the moment spring arrived, or cause leaves to turn red and die when the clock struck autumn. Levi was a tall man, closer to the stars and heaven than the rest of us, yet he never looked up. This is why he became the priest. I didn’t like him at all. 
     He considered my headcovering, then turned his attention to my father. Levi smirked. 
“It’s not a cold day.” 
“Pardon?” My father looked up from the fire. 
Levi gestured to me. 
“Oh,” Said father. “She’s caught a fever.” 
“The fever will only get worse with that thing on her head.” Levi shifted closer to me.
     I stepped closer to Father and hugged his arm. I remember his hand was sweaty. I remember seeing him having trouble swallowing. I remember Father started Priest Levi down like he wanted to punch him. 
“That's what we told her, but she wants to keep it on.” He gave a forced chuckle.
I could see the disgust on Levis face. 
	“You’re the man of the house, Jack. It does not please our god to let our wives and children rule over us. No wonder you have such a pretty offering tonight.”
Fathers jaw clenched and his fists tightened. 

                                                                    ***

	Later that night, w had a surprisingly happy birthday dinner. After a festive dinner of soft cheeses, fruit, slices of smoked meat, crusty sourdough, honey and wine, mother had a surprise for me. After we finished she dimmed all the lights and ran off to the kitchen with Layney, and after a few moments came out singing, holding a beautiful cake lit with eight pink candles she made for me. It wasn't just any cake, it was CHOCOLATE cake. Mother had ground wheat from our field, gathered eggs, milked the cow, and somehow found chocolate from the market. That was very well one of the happiest moments of my life. I blew out my candles. 
     After that we played a little then it was time for bed. My parents thought they put us all to sleep, but not me. It's always taken me so long to switch my brain off. So, as I laid there staring at the stars through the window in my room, I heard their voices. Being the nosey little girl I was...is...I slowly stepped out of my warm quilts and crept down the hallway.
     I pressed my face against the door of my parents bedroom. Fathers calming voice was clear through the wood. 
“Darling, it’ll be alright.” 
“No, no, It won’t be.” Mama was crying. I couldn’t see them, but I knew my father, he was holding her tight. 
“H-he’s going to find her.” She sobbed the whisper. 
Find who? I thought.
“No he won’t. I won’t let him. I didn’t let him have you. I won’t let him.” 
I heard Mother gasp.
“Jack, the atonement. It’s in seven days, what are we going to-”
I was yanked away from the door by a strong hand. I jumped. In the dark was my oldest brother Gabriel. 
“What are you doing?” He whispered angrily. 
“I was just listening!” I whispered back.
“Yeah well stop it.” 
He tugged me back to my room and put me in bed next to Layney. Gabriel hardly ever hugged me, but that night he held me so tight and so long that my lungs nearly popped. 
     "I love you, Elora."