The next day as the suns rose in the sky Sam and Sarah got up and got ready to go to work. “I am kind of excited about this. I have never had a job before. Can I put this on my resume?” Sam joked with Sarah laughing. She laughed too. “Sure Sam. Yes I worked there one day on this Planet Blue got paid nothing but it was work right?” She said with a wink.
After breakfast the twins decided they need a shower and since there was none they went to the waters and waded staying in the clothes they had wore yesterday. “We will lay the clothes out to dry later but I am not getting naked in that water!” Sarah said with a frown. “I know sis, I do not care if I am your twin I do not want to witness naked you either. Haha.” Sam laughed and pulled off his shirt wading in just in his shorts. Sarah kept on her under shirt and shorts too.
“This water is not so bad is it?” Sarah said smiling. It felt so nice to get clean she did not care she had nothing to scrub herself with. She felt dirty like she had not gotten clean in a week. “I wish I had my wash cloth” Sam remarked. But twins washed off then dragged off some water on the side and used that to wash their hair. “I did not want to wreck the water” Sarah added as to why she was doing it. Sam just shrugged and followed her pursuit.
Once clean and fed the twins traveled to the mountain to wait for Sir P. He arrived just 5 minutes later. “Right on time!” Sarah smiled at the Pegasus. He smiled back. “Yeah. I saw you guys ‘getting ready’ so I circled a few times before landing.” If horses could laugh he was doing just that. Sarah flushed ten shades of red and so did Sam. “I hope you did not see everything…” Sarah was thinking of when she and Sam had turned away from each other to dress in the daylight because they thought no one was around.
“Oh if I saw anything do not worry I do not care. It amuses me so that you forgot what I told you in the past few days that EVERYONE can see you at ALL times. And you did that. Oh well you live and let learn.” Sir P smiled waiting for the kids to get on. “We sorta forgot…” Sam said grabbing his bag to climb on with. Sarah did the same. Off they flew towards the village on the outskirts of the planet.
As always the villagers welcomed Sir P with a smile waving at him. “I am going to drop you two off at the castle the King and Queen want to talk to you. I will come back for you in a few hours and then drop you back off here in town for your day of service. Is that alright?” The twins looked at each other knowing they were not wearing the nicest of clothes. “What about our clothes?” Sarah asked looking upset. Sir P. looked them over once before saying. “I do not think it matters as much today. A first meet is important but unless you are going to a ball or something you can dress however you want from this point forward. I think the kids want to hang out too if you have time…” Sir P. added before dropping them off by the gates. The twins were nervous “I wonder why he wants to talk to us?” Sam asked Sarah. “No idea but I am nervous. I hope it is nothing we did or did not do…” Sarah was recalling all from yesterday and wondering if she had done something wrong.
The twins walked up the steps and into the palace before being announced. The King and Queen did not look super serious when they walked in but the twins still were nervous.
“Hello Sam and Sarah. Have a nice nights sleep. I know you are expected in the village in a few hours. The kids wanted to see you too so this will not take too long. We wanted to warn you. I know that Sir P. is a great guide and I am sure he has told you all kinds of things about our lands and how you are seen at all times from every angle. We watch our visitors carefully feeling we take full responsibility for you if something happens since you are our guests. Well the Evil Wizard seems to be up to no good. We have noticed he comes out of that castle more often the normal and he seems to be watching you from far up. He owns some of the worst dragons our planet has and he seems to have an eye on you two. It does not mean you did something wrong but I wanted to warn you to be on the look out. He is not one to mess with. He is not just a wizard he is a werewolf. He was bitten as a kid and it never went away. So he can do magic and he can turn into a wolf for every full moon plus cause we have two. Just be careful when you are alone and watch out for him…” The King paused and the Queen looked at them seriously. “We will keep an eye on them and on you. But we can not get to you fast enough if he is planning something and we do not know for sure if he is or what then you will be on your own at first. Okay? So beware and let us know if you noticed anything else going on with him…”
Sam and Sarah looked at each other with worried looks on their faces before speaking again. “Okay we will keep an eye out. You do not think he attends to kill us do you?” Sarah was seriously worried more than even Sam. She started to cry. Sam put his arm around his sister before speaking to them. “We will watch out. I do not know why he is watching us we are just kids…”
Joining the royal children in one of their play rooms Sarah excused herself to clean up her face a bit. Then the twins hung out with the kids playing with their toys. All three kids wanted to hear more about planet earth. “It was our home once too. Even if we were born here and in this palace.” Edward was saying looking out the window at the suns and the blue skies.
“Well earth is much like here. But there is only one sun and one moon…” Sarah began explaining. “We do not have anything like what you have here. There are no Pegasus, Dragons, Unicorns, Mermaids, Fairies and anything else you have here. In our world those are fantasy creatures and they are not real at all. Although I bet some people would claim they were at one point.”
Sam continued for her “We live in a place called ‘The United States of Amercia’. We live in North America . There are several different contents that were separated during what some call the great flood at the beginning of time. It is in the Bible that God made it rain and flooded everything which caused our land to break up…” Sam looked at Sarah if that was it.
“So you have no creatures like here. Any at all? No fish that talk? No animals at all? Or are they not here?” Princess Emily looked out the window pointing. “We have never been past these gates here we have barely been to the village. Our parents do not want anything happening to us. Strange things happen to people here. We used to have a population that was very great. There were thousands of us. Then people just started dying. Now there are only about 100 people in the village, and then us up here. It is all in our history books if you want to read them sometime all people in the village have copies they have to its our guide for the future. The saying goes “What happened in the past will predict your future” and so we watch out even here for the diseases or whatever killed them off.”
“We do have animals and creatures just not like you have here…”Sarah said looking at them. “And I would love to read your history sometime. Do you have an extra copy anywhere we could have to take home with us?” “Sure you can have one of ours. We keep a few on hand. I would advice you keep it safe it is not thin it is a thick book and you will notice how heavy it is…” Emily trailed off as she went to another room and came back with it. “Here is it. Enjoy!” She smiled at them.
Sarah and Sam were looking over the book when they realized it was nearly time to go. The King and Queen came to see the twins off. They saw the book but smiled at them only before the Queen said “I see they gave you a copy. It is good you read about the past for our lives here in the present change daily but so much reflects things of long ago. Be careful with that book. I must warn you never let anyone in your world get it, our lives all of them could be in danger. Alright? See you soon!” The royal family waved good bye to them as they walked out.
After a few hours of hanging out Sam and Sarah climbed on Sir P. and went to work at their shop for the rest of the evening. It had been some day so far and it was nearly only half over not even that. Sir P. flew them to the middle of the square and let the kids pet him. “I will be back to pick you two up tonight. Have fun. It should not be a bad night and it is all for a good thing those beautiful clothes you wore!” Sir P. waved good bye to the kids in his own way, with his wing. Shaking his hoof in the air he waved good bye again and took off the kids waved till he was high in the sky and made their way to the store they had been in yesterday.
Sally was at the register when they walked in. She smiled at them brightly. There was at least three other customers in the store. Most were looking at clothes and hardly noticed the change when the kids walked in. But everyone noticed once they went behind the register and they tried to not stare. A little girl pointed at them using her lollypop to make a point. “Visitors!?” she yelled out. Her mom smiled at her and said “Yes” before going back to looking at clothes for her daughter.
“Okay guys. Welcome back. And thank you for coming. I rarely have anyone not do their favor for these clothes. Some people do pay me or I would not be able to buy to buy stuff in town. But they pay me with things I can exchange so it is in some ways a favor too. Do you used money on your planet?” Sally was arranged the register area so the twins could see what she was doing.
“Yes we use money. I think way back they used to do the same thing and not pay for anything. I do not know exactly when money started being made but it was long before we were born.” Sarah said smiling. Sam just shook his head in agreement.
“Okay this is how it goes. I will not be letting you two run the register for several reasons: you are too young, you are too short, and you do not fully understand how the favor pay works. So I am going to have you instead help me stock things and straighten the store. I will let you go in a few hours. Is that alright? I am thinking you can stay lets see…yes it is one o’clock now. I think you can stay till five o’clock that will get you home before it is dark out. Is that alright?” Sally smiled at the kids waiting for a reply.
“Sure Sally sounds good to me!” Sam said smiling. Sarah gave a thumbs up to show she understood too. Which Sally looked confused about. Sarah laughed before saying “it means yes I agree. Try it! Thumbs up?” Sarah showed her two thumbs again and shook them up to show what she had done. Sally imitated her and just shrugged. “Whatever you say…” She clearly did not understand.
Sam took to helping stock while Sarah walked around the store. The store was rather huge bigger then they had noticed yesterday. It had stairs that led to two more floors plus a third one. “That is my room up on the four floor here. The store has three stories I live on the fourth the roof. It is more of an attic but I have made it a home just me up there and my pets.” She smiled to Sam and Sarah before showing them the rest of the store.
“So this is how the store is set up. The first floor is clothes, they are both the most popular and most well stocked area in the store. The second floor is our food area. We sell mostly fruits and vegetables with some grains and oats for baking flour, etc. The floor below mine and the last of the store is anything else we have we sell all kinds of furniture, blankets, pillows, anything you can imagine someone might need in their home. We even have stuff for gardening although the seeds will be on the second floor not the third. Any questions?” Sally looked at them both.
“Okay I think I get it. Clothes, and all. So how do we stock stuff do you have an elevator?” Sam looked around but saw nothing but the long spiral stairs. “Elevator? I have no idea what you are talking about. Is that magic? You can elevate on your planet like fly? Very cool. I thought you had no magic there…” Sally replied looking baffled. “No. It is…oh never mind. So we use the stairs to stock, clean or shop right?” Sam said looking frustrated. Thinking to himself ‘its gonna be a long four hours.’ Sarah laughed as if she could read his thoughts. “Silly Sam. Elevator? These people are living like when America
Sarah got to work with some rags and water she cleaned all the windows on every floor. Climbing up and down the stairs with a duster she had made herself using a cloth and stick. “That is amazing what is that? I never thought about getting rid of the dust” Sally had remarked upon seeing her little invention. “Oh I made it up. See? Rag and stick!” Sarah waved them around to show. “I used some old rope to tie them together. Things look so nice when they are cleaner” Sally just smiled at her and looked around noticing it did look different. Next Sarah spent it straightening the floors. She worked her way through the first floor noticing there was a lot of people shopping. Dodging them she straightened up and noted to come back and check soon.
The second floor was not as crowed on a few people were shopping grabbing some things here and there. The fruit and vegetables looked fresh as if they had been picked that day from a garden right here at the shop. Sarah saw Sally going by and yelled at her. “Sally? Where do the fruit and vegetables come from?” She was holding a banana that looked just right for eating and she was getting hungry. “Well you can have all you want from here to eat on your break in a bit. But they come from the garden. They are not fresh daily but they are pretty fresh and I change them out weekly if not sooner depending on if they are not ready to eat anymore. I do not like selling brown products. I usually keep the half ones and sell them cheaper at the front of the store downstairs but fully bad fruit and vegetables are trashed. So in an hour have something to eat!” sweeping her hand around the room.
Sarah liked the third floor best and wondered if the attic was a nice place to live. The more she hung out with Sally the more she realized she looked familiar to her but she could not figure out why. She wanted to ask Sam but she had not seem him all day. There was no one on the third floor when Sarah went up to straightened all the stuff around. She made it look very neat before going back down to check on the floor below again.
In the mean time Sam had been busy helping do stock. The stock room was in the basement so it meant climbing the stairs with huge arm loads of stuff. “No bags, no elevator, nothing to help me out. UGH” Sam was frustrated. Sally finally had noticed him struggling and gave him the wheelbarrow to use “Best I can do just be careful it is all I got to haul in the fruits and vegetables with too. You will be paying me back with another one from some place else if you break it.” Sally looked serious then smiled at him. “Do not worry it is sturdy little thing I have had it a long time is all. I tis not want to mess it up.”
Sam had trudged the wheelbarrow up and down the stairs and stocked all the clothes. It was very hard he had to make a lot of trips at least 20 trips and even then he had to carry the extras by hand when he got done. Finally it was stocked. It was time for a break.
Sally let the kids each go pick out some food from the second floor. She had some bread she made fresh for them that morning and was ready for them to eat bread, fruit and vegetables in hand. They scooped some water from the barrel in the front and ate sitting on the ground. The store was closed for that time so they could all rest. The suns in the middle of the sky.
“So I figure you guys will be all done and ready to see how the favors work an hour before you go. It is now three o’clock. So in a half hour go back to what you were doing and then we can see the favors before you leave. I will miss having you. I usually get grown ups and they are not nearly as much fun as you two are. You seem so familiar to me. I do not have kids and I am not married so I have no idea why you look so familiar…” Sally let her thoughts wonder off but Sarah could not help but look at Sam with a look that meant she wanted to talk to him.
Excusing themselves Sam and Sally went outside. “Sam? I think Sally is related to us. I do not know how. But she looks familiar and we look familiar to her. What if we are related to us. I need to study those journals again later and see if Grandpa or Dad mention anything about someone from our world related to us going in here for good. Maybe she lost her memory?” Sarah looked back at Sally who was smiling at them. Sam looked too. “She reminds me of mom…” Sarah looked horrified at Sam. “What do you mean ‘mom’? As in our mother who died a month ago in a fire with our dad! How could she be our mom? Man now I need to talk to Grandpa for sure this time we can just ask and see and the journals we need to study them…” Sarah looked upset but both kids walked back in to work again.
The rest of the hour flew by Sam had stocked all the rooms in the place the others needed little done and were not as empty. Then he helped Sarah clean up again before they got to learn about the favors.
Sally stood at the register ready to show them. They had only a half hour left but she was alright with that. “Okay kids. This is how it works. I just wanted to show you so you could see. Here is the book right here!” She pointed a large thick red and black book that looked very old. “I keep a record of every item taken from here and the favor I ask for it or they offer. I write down the item here, how much it is worth, the favor I asked or they offered we can do both we usually figure it out. And then if it was done and when. Those who have paid me are then written in my payment book here.” She pointed to a smaller blue book which is also looked old. “Once they are paid I keep a record give them a paper that says paid in full I will give you one too in a minute and they are free to go about their day. If they come back it starts all over again. Okay. Well thank you for you coming here and helping me. Remember me if you want anything and I will give you a half priced favor instead of a full one like you did today. Recommend me to all your friends business can get slow.”
Sir P. flew the kids back to their area where their clothes were dry. They set up camp but before it got too dark Sarah looked at the journals carefully. While Sam looked at the history. It was very dark by time they finally got to sleep the forest sounds lured them to sleep.
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