As the wind blows

“Mommy, Mommy can I go out and play?”

“Finish your Breakfast first. Little girls need to eat.” Jessica said as sunlight streaming in the window made her blond hair glow. Sara unconsciously stroked her own blond hair.

Grabbing a pancake Sara starts to run out the door.

“I said eat first! Now sit down and eat.” Reluctantly Sara sits down as her father makes her a plate.

“Jacob not too much we didn’t get any syrup last week.” Jessica said as she joined them at the table.

“They were out before I got over to see them. With only twelve homes in our homestead the wondering traders seem to come by with just whatever they have left.”

“I'm dune!” Sara said accompanied by the scrape of her chair as she ran out the door. The light almost blinded Sara as she burst out the door into the sun shine. Chickens run around the open grass field with houses dotting the area inside of a large wooden palisade. A group of children huddle together by a small shed.

“Its true I swear!”

“You two are making it up.” Natalie points an accusatory finger at the Syble twins.

“No, its in the middle of the forest.”

“We touched it, and followed it for miles!”

“What did you see?” Sara said as she joined the group.

“The twins are clamming they found a giant, flat black rock. Its straight like a road and goes on forever in both directions.” Natalie said putting in as much sarcasm as possible.

“They’re lying!” a younger boy yells starting everyone yelling as Natalie's mom Selena comes around the corner.

“That’s enough now.” Selena states as she walks straight up to the group.

“The Syble twins said they found a big black rock that is flat and goes for miles in both directions like a road.” Selena froze as her daughter described the road.

“Now, now see here… Its getting late everyone go home.” Selena’s face had gone white.

“But mom” Natalie wined.

“Its still morning!”

“Go, Now!” Selena shouted. Slowly all the kids dispersed. Sara joined Natalie as she walked home.

“What was that about” Sara asked once they were out of sight.

“I have no idea but maybe we should check it out.” Natalie got a mischievous grin as they plotted.

“You two aren’t planning on going out of the fence, are you?’ Adam asked the two girls as they hid behind a bush.

“No we were just..”

“The twins said they found.”

“Stop. I heard what they said. They will be held accountable for there lies. And for going out of the fence. Did you two want to join them?”

“No, sir.” They said together.

“Good, we will be holding a feast tonight now go home and help your mothers prepare the food.” There eyes light up at the news.

“Really, but we have heard nothing about one coming up?” Sara said suspiciously to Adam.

“We just decided to hold one. Its been tough and everyone has dune really well.” Both girls jump up and ran home.

Jessica smiled as Sara come in the front door. “I'm glad you’re here will you help with the bread please.”

“Yes!”

“Wash your hands.” Sara turns back to the sink quickly washing her hands truing back to put the bread in the oven. Watching her mom work for a bit she could not help but to ask.

“Mom, can we make roads with rocks?”

“Yes, the road out side of the fence is made of rocks you have been on it many times.” Jessica said as her shoulders tightened and she stood ridged by the counter, her knife partway thru a potato.

“Not like that, like out of one big rock.”

“No, if we could why would we have so many dirt roads. Don’t believe everything you hear. Now go upstairs and grab my locket please.” Sara smiled, she loved her mothers heart locket. It was a deep red with golden edging. It held four hairs two of Sara’ and two of her mothers. They were intertwined inside, with no obvious way to open it they were safe inside.

Everyone spent the rest of the day preparing for the feast and quickly the sun started to set and it was time. Sara found her dress that her mother made to match. They packed and as a family all went down to the fair grounds.

Everyone gathered in the open field where the kids played that morning. Now there were tents and tables for all twelve homes. The kids ran and played, with music and dancing. After everyone got to dance and play the elders called for everyone to sit and pray.

“Now dish up and eat your fill!” cheers went up Elder John never talked long and always let them to the important part quickly.

“This looks amazing!” Sara said as she got a rather large portion of chicken telling her farther that she is a little girl and needs to eat! She barely started to dig into her food when Natalie and her little sister came over to join them. They sat down knocking Sara’s punch over and spilling it all over her dress.

“No, no, no!” Sara started crying her mom quickly dabbing it with napkins.

“It ok let go get you changed and we will get it cleaned up later.” Her mom told her helping her up.

“But the dress, what about the Dress?” Sara sobbed to her mother.

“It will be fine, we can take care of it.” Jessica said as she waved Jacob back and took Sara home.

Quickly they came back and Sara forgot about being upset as she played with her friends until it got late. When her friends started going home Sara went to her mom and fond her with the elders having a serious talk.

“What's going on?”

Her mother bent down. “Just adult business. Here take this” putting the locket around her neck and giving her a kiss. “Go home with your father and go to bed. I love you!”

Smiling and hardly believing that she gets to where the locket she shouted “I love you too!” as she ran off. Towards home.

Sara woke up the next morning still waring the locket. She quickly went downstairs smelling breakfast. “Mom why are you making pancakes twice in a row?” she froze as she finished her question seeing Selena making breakfast.

“Are we, I thought you would like them.” Selena said as she added two more to an already rather large stack.

“Why are you here and not at your home” Sara said standing frozen in the doorway.

“This is our home.” Adam stated from the table.

“What about the twins?” Sara stood stunned.

“What twins? There are no twins in any of the eleven houses in our homestead.” Adam said giving her a questioning look. “Are you doing, ok?”

“Ya, I'm going to go outside.” Sara said and slowly walked out. As soon as she got out, she ran as fast as she could across the field to the chicken coop. There she opened her locket and saw four strands of blond hair. Looking up she saw Selena walking towards her, concern etched across her face framed by her jet-black hair.