Inch Flat - Chapter One

Inch Flat

The first thing I remember was the curly wild locks of Auburn hair and those shimmering emerald eyes. Rose reached down and said “I’ve been waiting for you.”

Rose was my caregiver she was warm and strong and she loved me no matter what. Rose was a Perennial. She had been here since her entrance. She would never leave and would always stay on this flat. All of the caregivers were Perennials. They would set the laws, guide the flora and manage the flat. I lived with Rose or ‘Rosey’ as I often called her. We lived in her cottage. It was one of the best on our flat. She let me help with the seasonal change and even let me get away with missing my lessons when the moon was full. “Edelweiss” she would say “get ready for the beams; we are gonna collect as much as we can.” It was really funny because we couldn't really catch them, but I guessed the feeling she got after a Moon Rev was her way of ‘collecting the beams.’ For me it was like a special pocket inside my chest had been filled with light that only I could feel. The Moon Revs lasted for 3 nights from Moon up to Moon down. If I missed my lessons other than those times Rosey would usually get a visit from Thorn. And although I know she did not like those visits she never yelled at me or said anything about what he said except that I “must promise to arrive early for lessons until the next Moon Rev”. She knew if I said it I would do it. I would never go back on my word especially not to Rosey.