The river spat her out , a sodden, shivering mess .Mirabel clothes clung to her skin heavy with mud and water. The unfamiliar scent of damp earth and something acrid, like burnt wood, filled her nostrils . She stumbled through a field of tall white fluffy plant that seemed to stretch out endlessly .
All she could remember was her jumping off the cliff, the river and then blackness. As she made her way through the cotton field , a new sound cut the relative quiet a sharp, vicious crack followed by a choked cry. Her heart pounded in her chest. Driven by instinct she couldn't ignore, she crept towards the sound . Her bare feet padding softly on the dusty ground.
She peered through a gap in the foliage and recoiled, her breath catching in her throat . A man , white-skinned and dressed in a crisp, white shirt and dark breeches , stood over a boy. A boy that looked a bit older than mirabel ,was cowering, his a back a canvas of angry , red welt. The man held a whip , it's leather still vibrating with the force of his strike . The man rose up the whip and struck the boy again.
She instinctively ducked behind the tall plant her body trembling . She couldn't breath , couldn't move . Before she could flee, the boy lifted his head . his eyes,dark and wide in pain , meeting hers for a fleeting, searing moment. He'd seen her. She wanted to help but she was frozen , a silence witness to the cruelty unfolding before her
When the punishment stopped , the boy ,his body shaking , slowly stood. His gaze drawn back to the place where Mirabel hid. Hesitantly , he approached. His steps slow and deliberate.
"Who you be?" He asked, his English broken but understandable.
Mirabel blinked , her mind reeling, "l…l am Mirabel" she replied, her voice a mix of fear and confusion.
His eyes widened , scanning her clothes, her sneakers. "What are you wearing? Your clothes… they are like none I've seen".
Mirabel looked at her jogging pants, her sport top. They were normal everyday clothes . "These are my clothes? My sport wear" mirabel replied as she looked at the boy with a confused expression.
"Sport wear?" The boy asked , his voice laced with confusing. "And what are those." He pointed at her sneakers with a mix of fascination and suspicion. "They don't look like the shoes our masters usually wear. What are they used for."
"They are for…running? I guess." Mirabel replied, her words coming out broken .
"You speak like our masters even though you look like one of us." The boy said , his brows furrowing . "Are you a spirit ?"
Mirabel gave a frustrated sigh. "No I'm not a spirit and there are no such things , I just need a way to get to the hostel or get access to a phone."
The boy gave Mirabel a confused look. "A phone , what's a phone." He asked , as he stared at Mirabel confused.
"Wait, what? How can you not know what a phone is in this era, do live under a rock or what?" Mirabel replied. Her voice laced with frustration. Then she continued ." Sorry for lashing out , I'm just lost and I have no idea where I am."
The boy , still confused looked at Mirabel ." So how you come take reach here" he asked in broken English.
Mirabel sighed." Honestly I have no idea. All I know I was being chased , I don't know by who or why . Then I jumped off a cliff into the turbulent river during a stormy night to save my life. The river was turbulent and I couldn't swim all I remember was a blue light then darkness and I found my self at the bank of a river , walked into a cotton plantation and now I'm here . So that pretty much sums it up .hope you understand?"Mirabel asked.
"So now you're looking for a way to back home ." The boy asked with a concerned look in his eyes.
"Yes, I am . And I'll need your help. But first what's your name." She asked .
"Eliot, my name na Eliot." He replied with broken English. "Mirabel , my name is mirabel ." Mirabel replied .
Before they could say more they heard voices approached. Eliot grabbed Mirabel's hand , pulling her away .
Eliot, his grip tight on Mirabel , led her through the foliage . After the foliage was a small clearing where many other people were gathered . They looked at Mirabel with suspicion, scanning her strange clothes.
Mirabel felt very anxious and scared, wanting to back . Then finally someone spoke up ." Eliot, hope you weren't followed and who is this . Why did you bring a total stranger here."
Eliot still holding tight to Mirabel, spoke in her defense ." Her name is Mirabel, and she's lost and doesn't have a way back home . She's trapped her against her will just like the rest of us . So I thought bringing her here would be the for the best."
Mirabel eagerly waited for a reply from the rest of the people as her mind wondered what Eliot meant by then being trapped here against there will. Then finally another person spoke , this time an elderly woman . "We don't even know where she is from so how are we sure you can trust her."
"You trust me, don't you ? So if you trust me you can trust her." Eliot said as he turned and gave Mirabel a reassuring smile.
After much hesitation Mirabel was finally let in and she was given a change of clothes so she could blend in easily .