“Carry these rocks up that hill,” she pointed. “Pile them at the top. Work quickly, I will punish you if you


    arezy.”


    I Looked up the Long slope and then at the pile of rough, heavy looking rocks, It wasn’t clear to me why


    this grouping of rocks needed to be moved, but I didn’t argue. I just set myself to work as Nu-reeh flew


    away.


    The rocks were nominally heavy, the real issue was the incline. It was steep and long. I walked as


    quickly as I could and piled the rocks at the top.


    The work was hot and dirty. Some of the stones were covered in a Layer of thick dried muck. It stuck to


    me, stuck to my clothes, and got in my hair.


    At noon that strange filling food and a jug of water were given to me. The woman delivering the food


    demanded I work faster. I wasn’t nearly as far along as I should be.


    When the sun set I was delivered back to Nu-reeh’s quarters. She fed me my dinner and demanded I


    work on the outfit. I worked until I nearly fell asleep sitting over it and then crawled toy down by the


    fire.


    My days took on a terrible monotony. I moved stones all day. It was very boring and repetitive.


    The stones were a game I assumed. It hadn’t taken me Long to realized I moved the same pile of rocks


    up the hill every day. Part of me was tempted to just throw them off the cliff thaty several yards away.


    However, I realized how tenuous my current situation was.


    I was sore and tired most of the time. Although I was fed at regr intervals weight dropped from me


    almost daily. There was never hunger, which I was grateful for, but I started to look starved.


    Ang’s Library


    For some reason bathing was also prohibited by my new Mistress. The streaks of dirty sweat caking


    my features seemed to please her. I truly looked the part of the downtrodden ve now.


    The only time Nu-reeh seemed at all concerned about me was the day I fell and cut my hand. She had


    me wash and wrap it. The healing cream was applied to it generously. I failed to understand why that


    cut was healed and the rest of me was left to look so bedraggled.


    As I walked up the now familiar path with my burden, I often thought of Hannah. I hoped her life would


    be filled with wonderful adventures. I wondered where she was and what she was doing. Looking


    ruefully down at my heavy load, I knew it was better than how I was Living.


    The current situation did not change my mindset. Even now, I made up my mind to be happy. I sang


    songs to myself. Sometimes it was songs I had made up, other times it was songs I had heard.


    Anything to keep my spirits up in this dreary existence.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Nu-reeh appeared one day when I was smiling and humming nonsense to myself as I worked. She


    Looked at me as though there was a question she wanted to ask. Instead she handed me the outfit I


    had pieced together.


    “Change,” she told me, “foot covers, too.”


    We were outside and I ced the stone I had been carrying on the ground,


    I took off the warm blue outfit, which was now mostly brown anyway, and put the rags on. Pulling off my


    foot covers, I put on the scraps I had sewn together for my feet. It was a fitting outfit for my current


    position.


    Wind whipped around the mountain and I was pleasantly surprised. The stitching was done well, I


    barely felt a draft. A smile crept onto my face when I realized what a good job I had done. Since I only


    had small victories in this life, I opted to celebrate them.


    “You are a strange creature,” Nu-reeh said watching me carefully. “I think you will still be good for


    them.”


    “Thank you, Mistress,” I said automatically.


    “I have heard you when youfort them,” she said suddenly. “I heard you convincing them they were


    not ves. That is a lie and I think you know it.”


    “Yes, Mistress,” I answered softly.