Ohh well ( open )

[Orla Lahey]

Orla stood next to the well staring down horrified at the blankness that met her eyes. Two minuets early she had stupidly left a small pouch of coins on the side as she bent down to pick up her decayed old water bucket. As she had straightened up her elbow had nudged the pouch forward where it tipped the coins down in to the blackness of the well. This would have happened to no one but Orla Lahey she was a magnet for bad luck. It could be a simple journey from the front door to the garden gate and Orla would some how find her self in some trouble it seemed to unfairly follow her about.

Sickness filled her insides as she continued to stair blankly down. This was not good not only would she not be able to pay the butcher this week she would without doubt receive a beating from her step father. The bruises on her back had only just begun to fad, these ones where for the flour she had forgotten to collect. That time she had accepted that she would be beaten after all it was her fault she had fallen asleep beside the fire but this just wasn’t fair at all. Four coins which she had been trusted to take from the house to the butchers where now some where at the bottom of the well. When they had fallen Orla had to stop her self from jumping in after them.

“No” She groaned quietly as she threw the bucket to the ground sending some flecks of rotten wood flying. “Don’t do this to me”.

If any one had seen they would be have laughed as Orla gripped the wall of the well and leaned her head in to the well. This of coarse did not help at all there was no way now that she would get the coins back. Orla came to the conclusion that she was being punished for something. Maybe she was going to so something terrible in the future and god just wanted to start her punishment early. What would she do that was so bad? Orla had never though she was some one who was capable of murder so she ruled that out instantly . Usually she might have been able to make up some gruesome story with her over excitable imagination but not even her imagination could fix this.

( sorry its a little short )

[Robert Williams]

Roe had started out from Locksley early that morning for a trip to Nottingham. He had been entertaining and occupying the time of some company at his new place for several days. In fact, he was the younger brother of the previous owner of the place that Roe called home now. They had had some good talks, and some good drinking episodes, but Tom Scarlett was something of both a gambler and a nomad, and the time had come for him to move on.

After a quick inventory Roe decided that it would be a good idea to head into Nottingham to pick up some supplies. He didn’t have any major projects at the house to complete and no work from local people to start, so he figured it was as a good a time as any. Although he carried a good some of money on him, he just looked to be an ordinary peasant, just larger and more heavily armed than most. His participation in the Crusades had alloed him to attain some honors, but a goodly amount of wealth as well.

He had come back to his native Nottinghamshire. He had trained as a lad to be a carpenter, and although he really didn’t need the income, he did enjoy the work and there was a need in the local community for his skills, now that the Scarlett’s were not in Locksley. It was on hikes like this that he still appreciated the green of the forest and meadow, as well as the brown of the soil that he tread across on the trail that he walked. He marveled at how little it all changed from his earliest memories as a lad.

As we walked he suddenly realized how parched and thirsty he was, he saw a water well up ahead. There was a young lady, probably a peasant, standing next to it, so he decided to wait his turn. He was not in a great hurry …. the day was yet quite young. He watched and saw her bend down for an old bucket and as she stood up she knocked something that had been on the edge of the well deep into the well itself. By her expression, and the little noise she made, he surmised that it was probably something of value, like coins in a small purse or something similar.

“No … “Don’t do this to me”.

Roe saw her suddenly lean into the well, as if she was going to jump in after whatever it was she had lost. “I doubt if its worth jump’in into the well after … is it lass?,” he inquired. “Did you lose something of value?”

[Orla Lahey]

Orla could see the cruel face of her step father clearly in her head. “Are your telling me that my money accidentally slipped in to the well” he would say eyes flashing his temper rising. Not having much else to do or say Orla would just stand there nodding and awaiting her punishment. If god wanted her to be a better Christian he was going about it all wrong. By tomorrow she would be covered in fresh bruises and puffy eyes from a secret sobbing session round the back of the house. “You lying runt” he would shout fists flying “You spent my money on your self didn’t you.” No, god definitely wasn’t on her side.

“My life” she groaned as she pulled her head out of the well and turning and grabbing up her basket. She thought it was best not to return home completely empty handed, best take some water. Orla tied the rope on to her poor excuse for a bucket and tossed it down in to the well. Maybe by some strange twist the coins would some how appear in her bucket as she pulled it out. This of coarse didn’t happen and Orla untied the bucket which now had water oozing out of small holes around it and dripping down the side.

As she turned Orla stopped abruptly as her eyes fell on the stranger. He looked quite terrifying and a small part of her was glad she had no money to be robbed of. That part was very small and located some where at the back of her mind underneath hundreds and thousands of other worries. The phrase never judge a book by its cover flashed across her mind. Orla didn’t usually but at time like this when she was caught off guard it happened before she could stop herself.

“Sorry the wells free now” she said shifting the bucket from one hand in to the other as the handle began to dig in. If she wasn’t so angry with her self Orla would probably have been crying already with frustration. She supposed there was always thievery, she could pickpocket the money back but then some one else would be in her position and she wouldn’t wish that upon anyone.

“The waters kind of mucky” Orla said more to her self as she looked down at the liquid in the bucket.

[Robert Williams]

Roe slowly walked up to the well. Since she appeared to have a bucket, although a somewhat leaky one, it was possible that her task had been to acquire some from the well. Or maybe she had just stopped for some water on her way to another destination along this route. There just wasn’t enough information for Roe to figure it out, at least not yet.

“My life” she seemed to respond …. as if she was going to pay with her life for some damnable transgression. Whatever, the case she seemed to have lost something valuable, and she seemed just beside herself that she had lost it. She seemed to be so fixed on her loss that Roe was unsure whether she had even heard him the first time. “Lass, did you lose something of value down the well. I would be happy to see if it can be retrieved, if you would like.”

Instead of a look of appreciation of his offer, he seemed to be greeted by a look somewhere between fear and apprehension, with it being closer to fear. “You have no reason to be concerned about from me, I didn’t mean to give you any idea that I was looking to take anything from you.” Her attitude did seem to change somewhat, since she didn’t appear to be as threatened by Roe’s appearance. “Sorry, the wells free now” She seemed to be accepting her situation, whatever that was. However, as her attitude became less threatened, he continued to be concerned that there was still the possibility that this was some kind of trap. He knew that the Forest was the home to several groups of outlaws, and all of the vegetative growth around the well would provide such folks excellent cover. He did not hear or see anything overtly suspicious, and she continued to strike him as someone who was deeply depressed about something. “The water’s kind of mucky” Finally, Roe, relatively satisfied that there were no hidden dangers around the well, walked up to where the despondent girl was. “Well …. Yes …. I would say that you are quite right about that,” looking in her bucket. “All I was interested in, actually, was a cool cup of water. I wasn’t prepared, though, for such a sad face, that should by all rights, have a much happier expression. So, tell me, truthfully, what problems are you having. You never know, I might be able to help. What do you have to lose, eh?”