'My head hurts.' This was the only thing apparent to Ellie as she tried to regain consciousness. 'My head hurts a lot.' The pain was splitting, like a knife inside her head.

She didn’t know how long it took her to peel her eyes open, although she was sure it was awhile. She sure it was longer still before she managed to process what she was seeing. An unfamiliar roof, and a window with yellow curtains that didn’t belong to her room. Ellie wanted to bolt up in panic, but the sharp pain in her head kept her down in the strange bed.

She then became very aware that her mouth and throat were dry, and that she was very, very hungry. Her stomach felt like an empty hole, yet the thought of eating anything sent a wave of nausea through her. She flopped her head to look at the room. It was a small room, filled with dust. The toys on the floor and ribbons littering a vanity suggested that it was a girl’s room, but stifling air told her no one had used it for a long time.

Ellie managed to push the covers off of her. She was shocked to find that her dress was in tatters. Her leg had a large bandage wrap on it, and her shoes were gone. Ellie worked up the effort to tough her head and found her head was also wrapped with gauze. The cause of the splitting pain, she found after a bit of feeling about, was a large lump on the left side of her head. It was tender, but Ellie found that the pain was starting to wear off now that she was awake.

She rubbed her eyes to get rid of the sleep crusting her lashes. How long had she been asleep? She felt groggy.

'Got to find out where I am…'

She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and carefully stood. She had a strong sense of vertigo for a moment, but it left after she leaned against the wall for support. Still using the wall, Ellie made her way to the door. She opened it onto a small kitchen and an old woman she didn’t recognize.

The woman turned abruptly, “OH! Thank the Heavens you’re alright dear!”

Her voice was loud and it made Ellie flinch. “We found you knocked out in the field, poor dear. Come, sit down. You must be starving, you poor thing.”

Ellie pulled up a chair at the small dining room table. A plate with some bread and cheese and a cup of water were before her in an instant. “The doctor said we shouldn’t let you eat or drink too fast or you’d be sick, so pace yourself dear.”

In her confusion, Ellie’s brain only managed to come up with one question, “Doctor?” she rasped.

“Oh, you sound terrible. Drink up dear.” Ellie starting drinking. “Yes, doctor. When we found you out there, Harold- my husband- hopped on Hoss- our bull- and sent for a doctor. He came back with Harold, bandaged you up, and has been coming back every day to check on you.”

“Every day?” Ellie said, putting her glass down, “How long was I asleep?”

“We found you ‘bout three days ago.”

Ellie could only stare at the woman in stunned silence before sputtering out a reply. “T-three days?! How? What happened?!”

“We was hoping you could tell us that dear. What your name? Where’re you from?”

“I’m Ellie Wormwood. I’m from Flatrend-“

“Flatrend?! That’s about a week ‘n half’s walk from here! How’d you end up here?!”

“A week and a half?!” Ellie leaned back in her chair as she took this in. How had she gotten here, with her head banged up and her dress torn?

“…I…I don’t remember.”

“What you mean?”

“I…” Ellie was starting to panic. She racked her memory, but the last thing she could remember was picking her way across a little stream in the woods during her search for mushrooms.

The woman nodded slowly, “…I’d reckon you can’t remember cause a that bump on your head. There was blood on a rock when we found you. Looks like you took a nasty fall and cracked yourself.”

“But that doesn’t explain how I got here!”

The woman patted her hand gently, “Now now dear, I’m sure you’ll remember in time. For now, eat up. You’ll need your strength.”

So Ellie ate up. It was dry and a little stale, but it filled her up. The woman introduced herself as Marie, and apologized for shutting Ellie up in that old room.

“We only got two bedrooms, and since that one’s unused we put you there. Must’ve been stuffy.”

“No no, I’m grateful for your help. Umm…do you think you could help me get home? I’m sure my parents are worried sick.”

“Oh, they must be! I’d be worried sick if my little girl had vanished. But I’m afraid we don’t have any horse or extra bull we could lend you. This little farm can barely do enough for itself, much less for helping travelers.”

Ellie was about to respond when Marie interrupted. “But, we can spare some food and clothes. You see, I had a daughter once. Pretty little girl she was. She died young of fever. If you can find something that fits, you can help yourself.”

Ellie thanked Marie before she was ushered back into the little room and told to find some clothes.

At the foot of the bed was a dusty trunk, and Ellie coughed as she lifted the lid. It seems this was where most of Marie’s daughter’s clothes were kept. Ellie rummaged and searched, but all of the dresses except one were too small for her. She supposed that this dress was meant to be the daughter’s nice clothes, and were bought too big so they’d last longer.

It was a bright, canary yellow dress that came down to above Ellie’s knees. Sewn onto it was a cardinal red vest. It was obnoxiously bright, in Ellie’s opinion, but it would have to do. She also found some brown boots that were just a touch too small, but she could manage that.

When she came out of the room in her borrowed clothes, Marie looked up. “Ah, yes. I suppose that would be the only one to fit you…. I made that one for Sarah myself. She told me it was garish…where in the world she learned that world I’ll never know….” Marie trailed off, looking at the wall for awhile. 

Ellie shifted awkwardly, not sure if she should say anything, when Marie suddenly snapped back to her, “Harold was mighty worried about you. Right now he’s off running errands in town, but if he sees you up ‘n about, he’ll insist you stay ‘till your healed. If you wanna leave sometime this month, you should get going.”

“Ah…alright.”

“Hold on.” Marie turned to the pantry and pulled out two loaves of bread and a sizable brick of cheese. She pulled a basket from near the counter and put them in, covering them with a worn rag. “Here, this should get you to town.”

Ellie took the basket gratefully. The two stepped out of the small kitchen and into the morning sun. There was a wide dirt road stretching off into the forest in three directions.

Marie took Ellie’s shoulder and pointed down the right, “That’s the way to Tyman. It’s a big city, and the only one ‘tween here and Flatrend. If you get walking now, you should make it there by late tomorrow. Once you’re there…well, I don’t know. I’m sure someone will be willing to help a lost girl. It’s over a week’s walk to Flatrend past Tyman, so try to stock up some food there. And maybe someone there will let you ride in the back of their cart.”

Ellie turned to Marie, “Thank you so much. I don’t know how to repay you.”

Marie clapped Ellie’s shoulder, “You can repay me by making it back to your momma. I imagine the only thing worse than losing your girl is not knowing how you lost her.”  

Ellie could only thank Marie one more time before setting out on her journey.