Freed by Fate

6

    Five days had passed since Poppy met Hayden at night, and she still heard no word from him, nor did he come to visit her. Not that she wanted him to visit her with Demona around. Poppy sensed that even though her mother was a caring and gentle soul, she could become a wicked foe if need be. The last problem Poppy needed was a rift between her mother and herself. 

    She felt like a zombie, as if all life had been drained from her soul. If her mother picked up on her dreary mood, she made no comment about it, and instead lined up plenty of work for them to finish everyday. Poppy was grateful for the distraction, but could not deny that her mind still overthought every detail of their meeting. She wondered about what tasks filled up his days, and worried about who he was spending his nights with. She shook her head, deep in thought, He's not even mine to control in that sense. I am acting ridiculous; it's not like we're in love. But that was the problem; deep down inside her heart, she could sense that if given the chance, she would fall for him. 

    Poppy was completing her tasks alone today, swiftly transferring tiny sprouts into bigger pots to move into the greenhouse for safety during the colder season. She had plenty of time to lose herself in her thoughts, which was not hard for her to do. She felt her mind falling down a rabbit hole; making up ludicrous stories to make better sense of his behavior at the end of the night. He gets off playing this game with innocent girls, she reasoned, Or he repeatedly does this to other women, and finally got bored of the game. Or he has someone else in his life, a girlfriend, a lover, or a wife. She dug her hands deep into the soil, grabbing fistfuls of it in her own rage, Please don't let there be a wife!

    She should have just listened to her mother's words about men. Demona never spoke highly of the opposite s*x; disregarding them as incapable of thinking about any creature other than themselves. She painted them in a horrifying light, claiming that they had selfish desires that led them to act upon impulse. 'One single man would wreak havoc on an entire species of innocent creatures if promised his desires would be fulfilled', her mother once told her, 'It is in your best interest that you not trust them; lead with your head and not with your heart, Poppy. Spare yourself the trouble.' Her mother had prepared her for this very moment, and yet Poppy let her guard down the instant she met Hayden. She felt foolish and naive to have abandoned all that Demona had taught her prior. Of course I wasn't enough to keep his attention, she thought cruelly, staring at her dirt-covered hands, disgusted with herself. 

    In that instance, Poppy wanted a different life, one worthy of love and friendship and freedom. She felt a bitterness towards her mother and cursed the amount of control that she had over her life. She thought about the children she saw playing at the market; the townspeople mingling about, greeting their neighbors. She thought about Evie's stories, all the adventures she told Poppy, and longed to have been there herself. She thought about Hayden, his smoldering eyes watching her approach, primitive, possessive. His lips touching hers, hungrily; his hands on her body, exploring-"Poppy?"

    She opened her eyes, fistfuls of soil laying around her, and sheepishly looked up at her mother. 

    "Are you ok, my sweet?" Her mother questioned, concern flooding her face. 

    All she could manage to give was a nod, letting the anger that burned inside of her simmer.  

    "You know you can tell me anything, right? I always have my listening ears on," Her gentle tone showed Poppy she was not convinced. Poppy managed to give her a small smile in return, and stood up, brushing her hands on her pants.

    "I am going into town soon to get our groceries for the week. There is a nasty storm coming our way; I can sense it in the way the plants are moving. I believe it will be a complete wash out for the next two days, so we have to get all of the sprouts in the greenhouse by tonight," Her mother ordered.

    Poppy's eyes widened, upset that her day of freedom was snatched from her. "No!" She cried out, "Mother, please let me go instead." She was met with a stern look. "I mean," she reasoned, softening her tone, "that is one chore I will never fight you to do, Mother. You know how much I love it. I am responsible now and you can trust me, haven't I proven that to you yet?"

    Demona still did not look convinced, and Poppy continued, "I've been in the gardens with you all week, and I feel as if a long stretch of my legs would do my physique some good. You know how much cramping one can get, bending all day."

    Her mother shook her head no, and sternly responded, "My mind is made up, Poppy. It's far too dangerous and I cannot risk losing you."

    "But Mother," she begged, "please! I've never given you a reason to doubt my safety in the past, have I? And I've been making weekly trips to town since the start of last season. I've proven to you multiple times that I am capable of doing this simple task for you." 

    "But, Poppy, it will storm and-" 

    "If I get caught in the storm, I am sure a shopkeeper will grant me refugee until it's safe to return. Please, let me prove to you I am an adult."

    Her mother glanced up at the clear sky, as if trying to pinpoint when the storm would hit. Poppy felt as if a storm would not even happen, and thought her mother was just being paranoid. "But Poppy, I need to know you're safe-at home. This is where you belong and where you are meant to be. I will never forgive myself if something happened to you," Demona looked conflicted.

    Poppy continued to push her boundaries, seeing her mother's struggle, "Mother please. I will be as fast as I can; I know all the shortcuts and I will make it home before the storm. Give me a chance, please; I deserve to live a little bit, don't I?"

    Poppy could tell that her last sentence broke Demona, and after two minutes of silence, she sighed loudly. "Fine," She narrowed her eyes, setting boundaries, "You must go at once, grab only what we need, and hurry back as soon as possible. I am doing this against my better judgment, and so help me, if anything happens to you.." 

    Poppy grinned in pure happiness and hugged her mother firmly. "Thank you a million times, I won't let you down," she said, smiling. Demona only frowned in extreme worry, which Poppy failed to notice.

    She ran inside to wash her hands and grab her bag, and then off she went towards the direction of town, holding on to a sliver of hope that she would catch a glimpse of the man who had been haunting her thoughts.