Simon saw smoke rising over the next hill and his heartbeat quickened. He had been walking through a nightmare looking for his family since he'd woken with blood crusted on the left side of his head. The last thing Simon remembered was his mother stroking his face with her finger to her lips, whispering, "Shhh!" He hoped someone he knew was around that campfire.
Simon and his father had often walked barefoot in the tall grass to the Une River to fish on never-ending Sundays. Though he had walked along this dirt path through these fields and over these rolling hills, nothing was recognizable. As he came over the rise he saw a band of gypsies in rags huddled around the fire. His approach was noticed and one of them jumped to his feet and shouted, "You there! Stay where you are!" Simon froze.
The same man hurried toward him. As he approached, Simon noticed he was holding purple grapes in his right hand and his stomach turned. He dared not move but he was overcome with exhaustion, hunger, and fear and despite himself, tears leaked from his eyes. The man was upon him and inspecting him, darting in and out of his jacket pockets and running thumbs over the material, the gypsy finally took out a pocket knife and ran it across Simon's sleeve. His surprise made him jerk and the grapes in the gypsy's clenched teeth shook as he grunted, "Stand still!" Simon obeyed and the man continued his inspection.
A tiny, dark woman appeared next to the man with purple grapes. Her eyes were like smudges of coal and she spoke very slowly, "Are you all by yourself?" she asked, reaching out to touch his face but stopping short of some invisible glass.
"Go back!" the man barked and he shoved her gently. "You're imagining him. Go back!"
Ignoring his command, she said looking at Simon without recognition, "I've not slept for days and days. I have no mother, no father and only these gypsies to keep me. I am a princess! I lived with kings and queens. You are my prince!"
This time the man pushed her hard and the insomniac tumbled to the ground.
"Enough, Mera! Go back to the others, I say!"
Simon looked out over the field and could not see an escape past this rail thin man and his ragtag band. He hoped they would not kill him and eat him.
"Please," Simon whispered and then louder, "Please. I'm looking for my family. Have you met anyone from Innes?"
The man held a fat grape to his dry, cracked lips and made sure that Simon was watching him place the grape in his mouth and bite into its flesh. Simon only cared that the man answer him. He could find something to eat along the way to Une.
Finally, he said, "You are from Innes?"
Simon nodded.
"Then you are the first person I have met these past two terrible days we've camped here from Innes. I have not met any fathers or mothers. You look like you have seen war. We have been hiding under rocks and now we've come out to find food. Nothing survived but we and you!"
"Lie!" shouted Mera. "Sal you lie!"
Sal grabbed Mera and threw her to the ground. She screeched and cackled, wildly and terrifyingly. Simon began to walk backward, he would find no help here and began to run, back to town, away from the fire, the grapes, and the woman with eyes as dark as coal.
I'll explain this later.
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