The Twisted Tale of Saffron Schmidt Read online

  “It’s a bank,” Mia said. “It’s where the City people keep their money.”

  “But how do they know whose is whose? Do they all share it?”

  Mia giggled. “No. It’s much more complicated than that. You’ll learn about it soon enough.”

  The street alongside the bank was very quiet, barely half a dozen people walking down it, a stark contrast to the crowded main street a mere few feet back. Opposite the bank, a huge white wall of another building cast the side street into shadows, a few tables scattered along its walls, contained within a thick red velvet rope.

  “It’s a pub,” Mia explained. “A public house. Like our bar but much bigger.”

  Saffron nodded, nearly tripping over as she tipped her head back taking in the huge height of the white pub.

  They walked for several hundred yards, the street bearing a sharp left. To the right was a tall grey wall, its old bricks cracked and crumbling. To the left was the red wall that served as the back of the bank. Straight in front of them sat a glass fronted building, shelves and shelves of books already visible through its windows.

  Saffron gasped. “Wow.”

  “I thought you’d like it. There are thousands of books in here. They don’t let us take them away, but they let us read them until we have to leave.”

  Mia led Saffron inside the bland building and headed up the set of stairs straight in front of them. Saffron inhaled the sweet scent of books, the familiar smell easing a sense of calm over her. The magnolia coloured walls were barely visible amongst the hundreds of shelves and bookcases spread all around. A glass waist height barrier lined the edge of the upper level, allowing Saffron to peer down at the ground floor below.

  “All the non-fiction is down there,” Mia said. “Up here is all the fiction. There’s so many good books in here, Saffron.”

  Saffron couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed. Taking in the plain brown carpet, the boring white walls, and the lacklustre books shelves, everything looked so...unremarkable. Nothing seemed to have character or life to it, no essence of being, it just was. The only colourful thing about this place was the books and their vivid covers. After all the hype she’d grown up hearing about how colourful and full of life the City was, she had expected her first experience of a City building to be something more.

  Pushing her father’s last words to the back of her mind, Saffron refused to admit he was right. This building was one of many. They wouldn’t all be like this, surely?

  Mia dragged Saffron up and down several rows of bookshelves. “Here,” she said, thrusting a blue book into Saffron’s hands. “This is book one of a series. It’s fantastic.”

  Saffron stared at the bright blue cover, its edges bordered with black roses and thorny leaves. A pair of startling orange eyes glared back at Saffron, giving her an eerie feeling.

  “Night World,” she said. “Secret Vampire.” She glanced up at Mia. “Really?”

  “Read it. Trust me, you’ll love it.”

  Before Saffron could even turn the book over to read the blurb, Mia was pulling her towards the back of the building. They came across a few wooden looking tables, most of which were unoccupied.

  Saffron sat down on one of the hard chairs and ran her hand over the shiny table surface. “I’m confused,” she said, frowning. “It looks like wood, but it doesn’t feel like wood.”

  Mia grinned. “You’ve got so much to learn.” She waved a book at Saffron—Vampire Academy—and said, “Get reading, quick. We haven’t got much time.”

  “Have you got an obsession with vampires or something?” Saffron asked, giggling.

  “Read that,” Mia replied, nodding at Saffron’s book. “Then tell me you’re not obsessed.”

  Mia placed her gold pocket watch on the table so she could keep an eye on the time. They had an hour before they needed to return to the cart. The two girls fell into silence, both devouring their books as the minutes ticked by.

  Saffron immediately fell in love with James and Poppy, the two main characters in the book Mia had given her. Halfway through the chapter where Poppy discovered James’ secret, Mia jumped up, sucking in a deep breath.

  “We’re late!” she said, scraping the chair back across the carpet. “Come on, Saffron. Quick!”

  “But I’m halfway through the best bit,” Saffron said, protesting.

  “It’ll be here next time we come. You can finish it then.”

  “But what if it’s not?”

  “It will be,” Mia said, dragging her friend back to the shelves to put the books away.

  “You can borrow them if you like.”

  The soft male voice startled both of the girls, freezing them to the spot. Saffron turned around to see a handsome young man with skin the colour of chocolate looking at them. She gasped. Mia dug her fingernails into Saffron’s arm, a distinct warning to shut up.

  “Really?” Mia asked. “That would be so kind.”

  “Sure. Just come downstairs with me and we can fill the forms out.”

  Mia sighed. “We haven’t got time. We’re late getting back already.”

  The man pursed his lips and folded his arms over his chest. “Ok. You twisted my arm. I trust you. I’ve seen you in here every month for the past year. Just make sure your friend brings hers back too.”

  “Thank you so much!” Mia said, her eyes shining with joy. “We won’t let you down.”

  Mia shook Saffron’s arm. “Thank you,” Saffron said, her voice barely a whisper.

  The two girls ran outside, their new prizes tucked into their chests as they headed for their cart. Frau Mueller was in the back of the wagon, scanning the busy crowd for the girls. When she saw them both, she scowled, deep frowns creasing her forehead.

  “You girls,” she said, helping them both up into the cart. “You’ve kept us waiting for nearly ten minutes.”

  “Sorry,” Mia said. “We got carried away reading.” She held her book up and grinned wildly. “The man in the library said we could keep them until we come back again.”

  Frau Mueller glanced behind her quickly. “Shhhh,” she said. “And hide those things, quickly. Before they get taken off you.”

  Saffron frowned. “Why?”

  “We’re not supposed to trust City people under any circumstances.”

  “But we come here for supplies?”

  “Yes...from previous Offerings who have made a life here.”

  Saffron’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. “You mean we still have contact with them? Can I meet one?”

  “Possibly next time. Now quickly, hide that book.”

  Saffron hid it underneath her white riding cloak, then turned to Mia. “That man...the colour of his skin...”

  “Yes,” Mia said. “There are people in the world who have different coloured skin to us, but we have to be very careful what we say.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s political, very political. One of the many cons of living in the City. We are known as ‘white’.”

  “And what would he be called?”

  “A person of colour.”

  “Why is it so political?”

  “You’ll learn about it this year, Saffron. Honestly, it’s really sad. People like him have been betrayed in so many ways. It’s one of the reasons I want to stay in Sehrstadt. The City is like a beautiful rose—so pretty but prickly underneath.”

  Saffron frowned. “But his eyes, they were so big and brown, I’ve never seen anything so captivating in all my life. His skin looked so smooth and silky, it reminded me of Mama’s coffee.”

  “I think you’ve got your first crush,” Mia said, teasing Saffron.

  “No,” Saffron said, sharply. “I’m just admiring his natural beauty.”

  Mia giggled all the way back home. Saffron was itching to continue reading her book. Thoughts of the librarian continued to creep into her mind, her stomach fluttering whenever she pictured his face or thought about the deep husk to his voice.

  When she arrived h
ome, Saffron found her house empty. It was still too early for her father to be back from work. Her mother and her younger siblings were also not home. Saffron shrugged her shoulders, delighted to have some time to herself. Not needing any further encouragement, Saffron immersed herself back into the world of James and Poppy.

  Chapter Five

  Saffron devoured her book before her mother returned home with her rowdy brother and sisters in tow. Feeling on cloud nine at the heart-warming story she’d just read, Saffron couldn’t wait for the next supply trip so she could continue with the next book in the series.

  “How was your day?” Anna asked later on, as Saffron helped her prepare a beef stew.

  “Fantastic, Mama! Thank you so much for getting me onto the supply trip. I can’t wait for the next one.”

  Anna gave her a small smile but said nothing else on the matter.

  Saffron hummed to herself as she stirred the massive pot of meat and vegetables, lost in daydreams of young love and optimism. After she had eaten and helped her mother clean up, Saffron returned to her bedroom and began to read her book all over again. She read until her eyelids became too heavy to keep open.

  Falling into a deep sleep, Saffron soon found herself lost in a world of darkness...

  Saffron tiptoed through the forest. An eerie silence enveloped her, pulling her into the shadows of the ancient trees. Nothing moved. Not even a leaf stirred in the dense woods surrounding her. The only movement was from her, and as quiet as she may be, being in such deathly silence meant any movement screamed as loud as a wailing banshee.

  The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. A chill covered her body, making her shudder violently. Saffron stopped dead in her tracks. Every sense heightened twenty levels. As she slowly surveyed the black world around her, trying in vain to see anything that might be out of place, a gust of wind burst through the trees, shaking their branches.

  “Safffronnnnnn.....”

  She froze. The wind blew harder, knocking her into the tree behind her. Her shoulder crunched against the rough bark, a jolt of pain shooting through her bones.

  “Saffffffronnnn.....”

  Whirling around, her eyes wide with fear, Saffron could see nothing. Nothing but darkness. Not even a sliver of moonlight penetrated the thick canopy of treetops all around her. Putting her hands out in front of her, Saffron tentatively felt her way forwards, one step at a time.

  A flicker of candlelight lit up in the middle of the abyss, not more than a few metres away. Saffron stifled a cry of joy and rushed towards it, still feeling her way with her hands. Several feet away, the wind died down, replaced instead by a gentle warm breeze that came in steady drafts.

  Saffron revelled in the heat cloaking her, momentarily closing her eyes in a brief moment of pleasure. When she opened them, the candlelight was no more than an arm’s length away. Not giving any thought to what the light could be, or how it was suspended in mid-air, Saffron blindly made a grab for it.

  When her hands settled around the thick wax candle, Saffron dared to whisper, “Yes!” in victory. But as she tugged it towards her, it did not move. Saffron pulled harder, wanting the heat giving light closer to her. The candle did not move.

  Warm puffs of air blew on her face, billowing her hair out behind her shoulders in a sunshine yellow stream. Her eyes watering from the pressure, Saffron moved her face, trying to find some relief from the air pressure. She tilted her face up and became instantly paralysed with fear.

  Two huge brown eyes stared back at her, separated by thick grey fur. Saffron screamed, her throat raw with the sheer panic erupting from her voice box...

  Startling herself awake, Saffron sat bolt upright, sweat pouring from her body. Streaks of moonlight fell through her window, highlighting her bed. Her pulse racing and her head swimming from the stark reality of her nightmare, Saffron threw her covers off and padded into the kitchen for a drink of water.

  As she lifted the glass to her lips, she realised her hands were shaking when she spilled water down her nightdress. Trying to push the vivid dream to the back of her mind, Saffron settled back into her bed, pulling the covers up tight to her chin.

  No matter how hard she tried, she could not go back to sleep.

  “MORNING, SWEETHEART,” Anna said, ambling into the kitchen the next morning. “Up early?”

  Saffron nodded as she removed another batch of freshly baked rolls from the oven. “Thought I’d save you a job and cook breakfast.”

  “Thanks, Saffron,” her mother replied, taking a seat at the table. “I really appreciate it. Did you sleep well?”

  Saffron immediately stiffened, her shoulders and back visibly tense. “I had a bit of an odd dream.”

  “Oh?”

  Pouring some orange juice into a glass, Saffron took a seat opposite her mother and grabbed one of the warm crusty rolls. Slicing it open, she allowed all the steam to escape before smothering the insides in a thick layer of butter.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” Anna said.

  Saffron took a bite of her food, satisfying her stomach for a brief second. After indulging her mother in the specific details of her nightmare, Saffron felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

  “I’m sure it means nothing, sweetheart. Did anything happen in the City to warrant such a dream?”

  Deciding to keep the secret of her book to herself, Saffron shook her head. “No. Nothing really remarkable happened at all.”

  “Not even on the journey in?”

  Halfway to her mouth with her roll, Saffron froze. She lifted her eyes to meet her mother’s, shock and uncertainty swirling through her mind. Did her mother know? Was this a test? Should she skip over the drama or admit to it?

  “No, Mama,” Saffron said, filling her mouth with her breakfast.

  Anna nodded once but said nothing else on the matter. Her blue eyes clouded over with resignation and in that moment, Saffron knew that her mother knew, and worst of all, her mother knew she had just been lied to.

  Guilt churned over and over in Saffron’s stomach, curdling with distaste the longer the silence dragged on. After a minute or so, Saffron couldn’t bear it any longer.

  “Actually, thinking about it, something did happen.”

  Anna raised her eyebrows, her eyes lighting up with joy. “Really? What happened?”

  Saffron took a deep breath then explained what happened with the horses on the trail. When she finished, she looked at her mother, expecting some wise words or something inspiring.

  “I’m sure it was all in your mind, dear.”

  “But the adults all heard it, too.”

  “Have you heard of folie à plusieurs?”

  Saffron frowned. “Err...no.”

  “It’s basically group psychosis. So when one person experiences something, those around that person also start to believe they’re experiencing the same thing.”

  Saffron’s heart plummeted. “You think we were all hallucinating?”

  “I’m just saying it’s an option, Saffron. No one has ever reported anything odd happening on the trails. I’m sure you were just a little frightened and excited with it being your first trip out and your brain tried to make sense of it all but ended up in a bit of a muddle. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

  Faking a smile, Saffron said, “I’m sure you’re right, Mama.”

  “What are your plans for today?”

  “The horse’s paddock needs cleaning and Henry needs to start some basic training.”

  “Herr Schäfer is booked to start training him in a few weeks time.”

  “I can do something before then, make it easier for him when he does start.”

  “Saffron,” Anna said, leaning forwards and placing her hand over her daughter’s. “Training animals is not a woman’s job. Leave the men to it. Sometimes the animals need a firm hand.”

  Saffron’s heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean ‘a firm hand’?”

  “The general energy of a woman is much calm
er and weaker than that of a man’s. With a spirited young horse like Henry, he needs a dominating strong presence to show him the way.”

  “I don’t like this, Mama,” Saffron said, scraping her chair across the floor and standing up. “Everything in this town is either male or female. Why can’t a woman do a man’s job and a man do a woman’s job?”

  “Saffron, sweetie—”

  “No, Mama. Don’t ‘sweetie’ me. I thought Wilhelm created this whole town to give us a sense of life at its simplest form, to allow us to enjoy life and be able to do what we want to do.”

  Anna jerked her head back, shocked by her daughter’s sudden outburst. It suddenly struck her that Saffron was now a teenage girl, prone to mood swings, hormone changes, and given her enquiring mind, a ticking time bomb to a whole lot of trouble if mis-managed.

  “You’re right, Saffron, that is why Wilhelm created this place. However, in order to live so simply and easy, jobs had to be divided between men and women. Otherwise we’re living in no different way than those in the City.”

  “Except the cars, the clothes, the money, the technology—”

  “Saffron, things are the way they are here for a reason. It works. Upsetting the balance is going to achieve nothing.”

  “Ok, fine. I get it—men do the hard, physical labours, women play house and have children. Answer me this—why has no boy ever gone into the forest as an Offering? Why is it all girls? Men hunt to put the meat on our tables, because that’s a man’s job, right?”

  Anna nodded.

  “So why is the Offering only for girls? Why is it good enough to send one of us out into the forest then, but not at any other point?”

  “Because the forest has a Queen, Saffron. It needs a female essence to thrive off. Women are more in touch with their emotions than men. It would be inappropriate to pay respects to the Queen with a boy rather than a girl. Why do you think we refer to Mother Nature as exactly that rather than Father Nature?”

  Saffron shrugged her shoulders. “I guess because it’s natural for a woman to be more nurturing.”

  “Exactly. And that’s what this forest needs—an empathetic, nurturing soul to be its leader.”