Jasper When I return to Keira with my satchel in my hand she has been crying, and I sud denly feel

an immense pang of guilt. She didnt want to come out and I made her, a nd now somethings happened. Its my fault for bringing her here and its my fault for leaving her alone. When I press her, ask her whats happened, she mutters somethi ng about the stall keeper across the street. When I glance over he is counting h is earnings with a sly glint in his eye. You dont have to be here if you dont want to, I say, and without another wor d she brushes past me and runs home, drying her tear-stained cheeks with the sle eve of her dress. In anyone else the stall keepers words would have conjured anno yance, perhaps anger, a sense of injustice. But Keira is such a fragile soul; on e knock and all she feels is heartbreak and the need to escape. Sat on the fountain steps, I look around. The sun is still baking the st reets but everything suddenly seems grey-tinted, as if it hasnt been cleaned for a while. No-one seems to want flowers today, and the only customer I get is Aide n, the potters daughter. I cant remember a market day when she hasnt come to buy fl owers. Today she almost skips up to me and kneels on the floor at my feet, like a puppy. Hi Jasper, she chimes. Your flowers look nice today. Keira tends them so we ll. Its a pity I never see her... She was here a while ago actually, but something came up. She had to go b ack home. Aiden is staring at me with round brown eyes. Today it is as if the sun is setting her pale ginger hair alight. She is quite pretty, now that I think a bout it. Hair like a lions mane and eyes like a baby deer. She buys a bunch of Ke iras finest roses, and sits for a while before running across the road to the pot tery where she lives. After Aiden is gone I have no business for the rest of the day, so I kee p myself busy by watching the others. Some shout out to the townspeople, beckoni ng them over with bellowed offers. A lady selling scarves has a beautiful painte d sign and sits quietly in the corner, letting her pretty stall do all the work. A girl about my age darts to and fro with a basket of brilliant yellow berries. She is far away, the other side of the market, but as she gradually works her w ay towards me I notice her posture slumped with disappointment and her basket st ill brim-full. Berries are as unpopular as flowers today. Of course, her situati on is not helped by the fact that this girl is Sera Fellehart. She lives alone i n a cottage in the woods and comes into town often. Regarded as somewhat differe nt by the locals, she doesnt have many friends. In fact, I dont know if she has an y friends. Ive never spoken to her. The sun, heavy with the weight of the evening, begins to sink under the horizon, and I decide to go home. Ill give the remaining flowers to Keira. After buying some milk from Esther, I walk home. Sera I sigh as I walk out of town and into the woods. I have sold not a single handfu l of berries today. Nobody has time for the girl who lives in the woods. I appro ach the cottage which my parents built before they died and set my basket on the stone doorstep, sitting down next to it. Staring into space, I am brought back to reality when a warm tear falls from my face onto my forearm. I hadnt realised I was crying, and now the sadness sweeps over me. Sera Fellehart, head in the cl ouds. Not worth the time of day. Thats what everyone thinks. I dont know why I wan t to fit in with them but I do, desperately. I stare for about another half an h our, thinking of nothing, my mind blissfully empty. Then it is dark and I wander inside, strip off my clothes and curl up under a downy blanket that used to be my mothers. I fall asleep and dream of smiling faces. -2Jasper Over the next handful of days the sun stays with us. Most days I wander into town to try and sell the rest of the flowers. I manage to sell a couple eac h day and gradually the basket is emptying. By the end of today they will hopefu lly all be gone. Town is decidedly less busy when it isnt an official market day, but peop

le like me still wander the streets selling their wares. One person I notice str aightaway is Sera, with her berries. As she walks past I catch a closer look at her basket and am taken aback. Ive never seen berries like that before, and the s mell is not sweet like I had expected, but almost minty. I touch her arm and she jumps out of her skin, tries to pull away. I let go immediately but hold her ga ze when she spins her head round to look at me. Her eyes are wary and reproachfu l. Obviously she isnt used to friendly contact. Hello, I say. Youre Sera, arent you? Sera Fellehart. Yes, and you are Jasper Raine, she replies. I didnt think I was particularl y well known among the townspeople, let alone the girl from the woods. What to do want? I just fancied a closer look at your berries. They are very interesting. Oh, she says, and her whole demeanour alters. Her eyes brighten as she pul ls me over to a group of barrels on the side of the street. She sets the basket down on one and perches on another, gesturing me to do the same. Taking a deep b reath in, she picks up a handful from the basket and gushes Theyre not berries, theyre fruit. I dont know what theyre called. They only g row on one tree outside my house, right at the top. So I climb it. Its such a nic e tree, old and so pretty. And if youre amongst the branches no one can see you. I like that. Sometimes I sit there for hours and just think about things. But no wants to buy any fruit from me. I dont think they like me very much. Through all that she hasnt noticeably taken a single breath. I take one o f her fruit and examine it. It almost resembles a blue strawberry, but smooth an d without the seeds on the skin. It has the same little green cap and the same p ointed base. The smell is definitely minty, a cross between mint and frost, if f rost can have a smell. Together it is an overwhelmingly fresh aroma, and when I crush one between my teeth it tastes fresh too. Like a little fleshy ice cube. Heavens, Sera these are so peculiar, so... good! I cant believe you havent sold any! I must take some home with me. Rummaging for some coins in the bottom o f my satchel, I notice she looks startled, as if she is thinking Did I hear him? Does he really want some? She takes my money and buys a lily in return, twisting it into her hair. It isnt quite what I am expected her to use it for, but I suppo se she can do what she likes. I hear shuffling behind me, and upon turning round I find a girl with mo ney in her hands, wanting a flower. She is stood a few feet back and looking sim ultaneously warily and coldly at Sera, who scurries off silently with her basket on her arm.