The Lost Treasure of Abdul-Chapter One

Instructions

THE LOST TREASURE OF ABDUL-CHAPTER ONE: Eva wrapped her raggedy shawl tightly against her bony shoulders. The carriage swayed with the bumps in the road combined with the force of the wind, howling gusts slamming against the door of the carriage. Beside her, Emerie, a girl who shared a room with her in the orphanage, shivered to the rhythm of it. Suddenly, the little vessel lurched to a stop. One of the orphanage leaders wrenched the door open and stuck her head inside. The white fabric covering her graying hair was soaked through with water spots, a witness to the pouring rain. Eva’s eyes snapped from her head down to her eyes as she spoke, trying to read her face for signs of emotion. “We’re here-(Eva and Emerie gave sighs of relief, since the ride wasn’t exactly smooth)- Eva, take Emerie into the new building. Go to the first room at the top of the left staircase.” Eva nodded her agreement as the matron backed out. She turned to Emerie as she gathered her stuff. “Come on, we have to go. Put this shawl over your head to keep some of the water from the rain out.” Eva whispered, handing Emerie her shawl. She swallowed and tucked her fingers into Eva’s. She looked at her with a question in her eyes. “Why did we have to leave? I liked our old kingdom. I didn’t want to move.” Eva sighed. “Azuz, where we used to live, is going through a famine. We would have run out of food and then starved. Fortunately, the matron of the orphanage had a grandfather-in-law who agreed to let us stay in his house in Abdul until the famine is over. We may stay there forever if it is good there.” Just then, one of the matrons barked at us to hurry along. “We have to go. Quickly!” Eva said, squeezing her hand. She braced herself as she stepped out into the cold biting wind, which whipped her dark curls into her face. Emerie’s short blond hair, wrapped in the shawl that Eva gave her, flew free and stuck on her wet face. She tried to stop and fix it, but Eva brushed it out of her face and tugged on her hand to keep her moving. Trembling with cold, rain, and fear, the two girls stepped into the entrance hall. It was huge, with a shining grand staircase in the middle. Under their wet, bare feet was a floor made of polished marble. The walls were adorned with paintings of various things, such as bowls of fruit, portraits of men and women, and landscapes of mountain ranges and thick forests. Emerie looked up and tugged hard on Eva’s hand. The ceiling had a series of arches and carvings that looked somehow medieval. As enchanting as that was, however, it was nothing compared to the grand staircase. Made up of the same marble as the floors, the stairs were smooth, slick, and topped with oak boards. The handles were also made up of highly polished oak, with a swirling design cut into them. The stairs forked at a landing, both leading to door-lined halls. Eva pulled Emerie into stride alongside her as she started up the steep, tall, staircase. Turning left sharply at the fork, she pushed open the first door she came to. It opened soundlessly, revealing a plainly furnished room, rather a let-down in comparison to the entrance hall. Two beds, larger than the ones in the Azuz Orphanage, were pushed up against the wall to the right, and a wooden dresser and a full length mirror was on the wall opposite them. The floor was made of wooden panels, with a clean white carpet covering most of it. At the sight of a soft bed, Emerie pulled her hand out of my grasp and flung herself upon one. Eva smiled at the joy the younger girl could get from a bed, and stepped into the brightly lit room. Looking around, she noticed a short stack of towels perched on top of the dresser. She reached for one and began drying herself off, and handed one to Emerie. Suddenly, the door opened, revealing a young maid, dressed in a uniform of a shapeless gray dress, white apron, and hair in a bun tied so tightly it seemed that it might never come down. Her eyes were blank as she began to say, “Clean yourself up and get settled in. Dinner is served down the hall and to the right at exactly six o’clock. Don’t be tardy.” Before either of the girls could answer, she turned abruptly and shut the door. “How friendly. Well, we had better do what she says, so clean up with this towel.” Eva extended the towel once more, and Emerie hesitantly took it. “Wow…” That was the first reaction of the expansive dining hall. Stretching as far as Eva and Emerie could see, long wooden tables lined the floors. The chatter of many girls’ voices reached Eva’s ears. She looked down encouragingly at the younger girl standing beside her and started towards the nearest table. The rough wooden top was laden with food, from chicken dumplings to peas. The smell coming from it was mouth-watering, especially for girls who hadn’t eaten a decent meal in days. A smile broke the grim expressions on the girls faces, and they half-ran, half-skipped to empty seats.