For the Bleeding Hearts

1.) ANNA

"You're bleeding, Anna."

"Huh?" I froze and turned to look at my best friend. She hovered over my shoulder and nodded toward my hand.

Oh. "I must have pricked it while working with the roses." I lifted my finger to my mouth and sucked on the small drop of blood. Eve stood up straight and shook her head.

"You ought to be more careful, Anna. I feel like every day you end up with a cut or bruise." I sighed and pouted. She was right often caught up in my daydreams, I tended to endure a few minor injuries. Eve liked to chastise me about it, saying one day I could really get hurt if I didn't start to pay attention more. But I couldn't help but try to escape through my made-up stories and dream about going home to my tiny, warm house. It wasn't my fault that work was so boring.

I was assigned the role of being a gardener by the kingdom. It wouldn't be my first choice, but I needed to make money somehow. And being a gardener was easy enough. The small gardens and farm in my small town were easy to manage. There were about 15 other farm workers who worked alongside me, including Eve. All of us were of prey descent. Winters did get rough and money was tight when the time came so thankfully I was good at what I did.

I loved the small quaint town I got to call home. I grew up here and have never known anything else, and I'm okay with it staying that when. When I was abandoned here as a child, Eve and her twin brother took me in. They were a few years older than me, and I loved them dearly. They have done so much for me throughout the years and they are my bestest friends in the whole wide world. Just thinking about it makes me want to squeeze them tight and never let go!

I own a small one-roomed place with a small bath. When I first bought it the twins helped me decorate it. There were fairy lights strung about and I had a tiny cot with lots of fluffy blankets. My collection of plushies I've gathered throughout the years is also scattered around the place.

I couldn't wait for work to be over so I could go home and warm up. With my town being on the coast, winter was rolling over the town fast. Every day it got windier and chilly. While, for most people, it was hard to get by in the winter, I didn't seem to mind because with the winter season came snow. Gosh! I love the snow, my heart warmed about all the snowmen I was going to make this year.

I finished plucking the roses and gathered them all together to bring the herbalists. Eve seemed to finish up what she was doing at the same time as me. "Come on," she said tilting her head at the crates of materials and goods, "We just have to put these in the wagon before we can leave." I nodded back at her and went to help her carry the crates.

I bent down and lifted the crate with all my might, using my whole weight. With one crate cradled in my arms, I followed Eve out of the greenhouse. Eve was so goddamned strong. I wish that I was strong and lean like her. She was a prey like me and everyone else in town. She comes from a line of mice; however, I would have never guessed that when I first met her. She had strong defined muscles and long lean legs. Growing up she was the fastest in our classes. With sharp features and a snarky attitude you would think she would be more predator than prey, but she was my best friend. And I adored her for her differences.

We dropped the crates into the wagon for them to be taken to the capital city. Eve grabbed my hand and pulled me to the exit of the farm. I hurried alongside her and looked up at the sky confused. "Were leaving? But it is still so light out? I would say we still have a few more hours of work."

She sighed and turned to me. "Do you remember what day it is?" I pondered for a moment, coming up with nothing I scrunched my face and shook my head. She let out an exasperated breath. "I swear, girl, you wouldn't even know if the sky was falling. It's lottery day remember, we're excused from work for the rest of the day."