Chapter One - Preparations

How do I begin to say the right words...the straightest way to say this is that withers were outcasts. When a plant isnt properly taken care of, it will automatically start changing in various ways, such as bags under the eyes, no matter how much rest they get, your hair might lose it variety of colours and blend into one, and it also means your days are numbered. There hasnt been a cure for withering yet, and that's mostly because it seems impossible. But nobody has really tried because...well, they fear that it might be contagious. Though, it hasn't been proven just yet. Come, this is the topic they're going to discuss in Tilly's homeroom, so you'll know a little more.

Mr Archie, a 10th grade teacher for a private school of 60 kids (and Tilly's least favourite teacher), was explaining the way withers work, or at least how they most likely work. "Withering plants are almost impossible to save, unless you get rid of the host of infection, such as an arm or a foot, whichever part has been touched first, the host they call it, you have to get rid of it, amputate it. Cut it loose, saw it off, whatever it takes, you won't survive without it being gone. If its an organ, well then of course that's more complicated."

Tilly fought back the urge to yawn. Talking about world problems and doing something about it were very two different things, were they not? She rolled her eyes and sighed heavily, not realizing how loud she was being. The whole class turned their heads, including Mr Archie. "Is this topic boring you, Matilda?" She hid her balled fists in her lap, "In fact, it is. Must we converse over a problem several times a week during class?"

Mr. Archie raised his eyebrows and her classmates began to giggle and whisper among themselves. "Well, the school board just wants to get you all educated on the situation-"

" For 3 years?! That should be enough education for students by now, and enough time for someone to help them! I mean, if we're trying to figure out where their infection's host is, why dont we just ask them?" The whole class gasped. Mr Archie raised his eyebrows and stared into her soul. "Are you trying to get us all killed?! You don't even know how much of a threat these...these THINGS are! For all you know, they could be contagious! Do you even know why they're infected in the first place?" Tilly folded her arms arms and shook her head. She had never been yelled at by a teacher before, not like this at least.

"Their ancestors fooled around with...with some darkness! They wanted power and money, so they stole and killed and traumatized people! That's why the mayor was forced to banish his own civilians in to a place that no one has gone in over a 100 years! Now is that what you wanted to hear, or am I still boring you?!" She leaned back into her chair and sighed.

"Good. I'd like it if I could continue my class now! Moving on-"

Mabel sighed from outside the classroom window.

"They just didn't get it, did they? They'll learn one day I suppose," she thought. Say hello to Mabel (you do not actually have to, for she cannot her you, unfortunately). Mabel was a sweet girl who had a habit of sneaking off to Tilly's school, listening through the window, mostly because she didn't have a school where she lived. This would make any normal citizen question why a girl, let alone a 16 year old, wouldn't be going to school or even home school. But Mabel would simply flash a smile and say, "I'd have a school if Mayor Duneberry knew how to treat all plants equally. Keep that in mind when when you submit your vote to a man as self-centered as him." And then she would walk away, knowing that they were staring. But Mable didn't mind. She was a strong young lady, as far as I could see. I would watch in awe as she said her practiced line over and over again to strangers who asked that ever so special question. Those are times when I had made it official: Mabel was my favourite out of all the withers, even town folk found her presence intriguing as she walked to and from the store for food and supplies. Apparently, she was the only Wither that the mayor trusted to come out of their village for food and resources, and that's a pretty high level of respect.

As she walks back into the forest, behind the Oak Domains ( the oak trees, they always drop a pretty looking leaf whenever someone needs cheering up), and around the sunflowers Harvest Program field, and far underground into a hidden opening in the soil. You have to be quite careful when you enter, or petals and leaves will easily detach, for they were much more fragile as a Wither. She dropped to the floor and waved to the others passing by. Mabel had now entered the village, HER village.

Now how big was the village? It was HUGE. Most people believe that the Wither village would be the saddest sight to see. And they were only half right. Sure Withers were sick and outcasts, but they were outcasts as a family. Mabel had memorized the village's map by heart, so she never had to ask for directions to anywhere. She waved to her neighbours and other kids, but none of them were friends with her. They had always thought she was a spoiled girl and who was "too good for the rest of the village", but of course I knew that wasn't true. If only others were as observant as I had been, we wouldn't have gotten into the strangest most complicated mix up, flip flop, topsy turvy, twisty twirly, burly curly type of situation.

As Mabel walked through the door, not even two seconds had passed before her father welcomed her home. If only I had had enough time to cover my ears.... " WELCOME HOME MABEL!!!!!" He shouted. She was gone for 10 minutes or less, yet her father welcomed her home as if she'd been gone for a year, and had missed a hundred birthday parties. "Good afternoon, dad!" She shouted back, but a much calmer. "How was your walk, Mabel? Nobody bothered on your way to town, right?"

"Nope. It was all good. The school was talking about us again." She said with a sigh. Her father sighed right along with her and gave her a look. "How many times are you going to over to that school before you learn that there's nothing there for you? You remember what they did to your mother when *she* wanted to get an education! I'm sorry Mabel, but they will never except us for who we are, and I bet ya I'll dead before I can cry 'Uncle' going over there."

" Don't talk like that, Dad..." Mabel lowered her head and felt as if a giant rock had been placed on her shoulders, and she almost started to slouch. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to make you upset with my words, but its the cold hard truth! Our days are numbered either way, and I'm not going to spend the rest of my days hoping and begging for a miracle. I'm so sorry Mabel, but I can't lose you, too."

Mabel's father, Charlie, was kind of like a life sized pillow. No, he wasn't fluffy and big, but his hugs were like laying on soft grass (which the grass would never let you do, but in this case lets just have some sense of imagination). His voice was smoky, but his words were clear as a freshly cut diamond in a box full of sticks and stones. And one thing you should know about him is that he is THE WORST at lying, so he just doesn't do it.

" Hey Dad... Do you think I could at least go to the Choosing Ceremony? I was invited!" Mabel continued with a small grin. "No Mabel, I'm going to make you stay at home and cook like the elders are telling me to do so that you will make a great wife for all the smelly nose-picking, somewhat attractive in a parallel universe-boys." He replied with forced straight face. "Yes, *Ianléé,* you may go!" He said, chuckling.

Now if you didn't know (which you didn't, obviously) *Ianléé* is Witharian for "dearest". Witharian is the language that was made by the village's founder, to keep townspeople from eavesdropping on important discussions, to confuse them, also making them think that they’re going crazy and that speaking gibberish was a symptom of Withering, making them and unwanted and not worth the trouble. And eventually, the language was taught to every child who was in that village, and then when they grew up, they taught it to their children, and so on. Withering rose or not, Mabel was content with how things were were....at least until that one day, the day that made everyone wish it was forgotten and never mentioned again, and it was also be the day where one girl would walk up to a Wither, and shake her hand. So yes, life was good, right?