Hello! It's Kendra! I just reached my word count of 15,000, so I'm going to try for 20,000 now. Is that okay to change my goal? I think I've asked that before, but I just wanted to make sure.
In honor of my reaching my goal (lol), I'm going to post an excerpt from the story I'm doing for this challenge. It isn't very good, as I was hurry to reach my word goal, but here it comes. :) Oh, and the picture is what Cammie looks like in the dress. LOL I found it on the internet and thought it was too perfect not to use. :)
“Here,” the woman said, opening the door to a small house. “Go in.” Cammie cautiously stepped into the dreary looking house. The woman followed, shutting the door right in Rogth’s face. Cammie heard him harrumph through the door, but he didn’t knock or come in.
“In here,” the woman said impatiently, waving Cammie into a tiny bedroom. “Let us see about getting you presentable.” Cammie frowned a little, wondering if that was an insult.
The woman pulled Cammie over to the wash basin and nodded at it. Cammie tossed her dark hair back and dipped her dirty hands into the water. She washed her face with some sweet-smelling soap and was embarrassed and dismayed to see how dirty the water was when she was through.
The woman pulled Cammie to the center of the room and began undressing her. Cammie yelped in surprise and flushed, but the woman didn't seem to think anything of it, so Cammie allowed her to dress her.
The woman fussed over the sleeves of the dress and getting everything to hang just right. Her practiced hands calmed Cammie as they flicked from this to that with experienced precision. Cammie wondered vaguely if this was something like what having a mother was like. She quickly dismissed the thought when she found it made her sad.
“Hmmm,” the woman eyed Cammie critically. “You don’t look half bad, girl. Let me just…” She took a brush from a dresser top and pulled it roughly though Cammie’s messy, crudely cut hair, which had darkened from brown to a glossy almost-black.
“Ouch,” Cammie muttered crossly as the brush snagged on multiple tangles.
“If you’d brush your hair at least annually this wouldn’t hurt so much,” the woman said dryly. Cammie scowled.
“I brush my hair plenty,” she replied indignantly. “It isn’t my fault I’ve been kidnapped and have no brush!” The woman frowned.
“Kidnapped?” she repeated.
“Yes, kidnapped,” Cammie said. “Rogth kidnapped me yesterday. He says the king wants me.” The woman tapped her chin thoughtfully.
“Hmm,” she said. “Well, if the king wants you, I suppose it wouldn’t behoove me to stand in his way.” She looked troubled though. She patted Cammie’s cheek.
“I’m sure things will turn out just fine, dear,” she assured her. She tossed the brush back onto the dresser and pushed Cammie to the floor-length mirror. Cammie’s mouth fell open and her eyes bugged. She couldn’t say a word.
Cammie hated to admit it, but she looked like a real lady in the dress. The tightly tied stays of the corset nipped her waist to even thinner than it was. Her usually shaggy-looking hair looked glossy and fell nicely against her cheeks and shoulders. She looked graceful and fine and almost nothing like usual herself.
“Thank you,” Cammie whispered, still awed at her appearance. “I feel beautiful.” The woman nodded shortly.
“You look pretty close to it as well,” she replied, propelling Cammie out the door. “Be mighty careful not to get your dress all dirty. Don’t muss your hair or let your skirts drag the ground. And be sure to tell the king Madame Clementine Bixby was the one who dressed you up.” Cammie giggled at the woman’s name, but nodded.
“I’ll tell him,” she assured Mrs. Clementine, stepping outside the house. Mrs. Clementine followed. Rogth’s eyebrows shot upward when he saw Cammie. He nodded slowly.
“Very nice,” he said awkwardly to Mrs. Clementine. “Appreciate it.” Mrs. Clementine nodded impatiently, but gladly all the same. She held out her hand.
“Thank you. I’d feel even more appreciated if you’d pay me, though.” Rogth paid the woman in real gold, something Cammie had only seen once before, and lifted Cammie onto the horse, which he had apparently gone back to fetch. Cammie neatly arranged herself sidesaddle, feeling quite the lady. For a moment she forgot how afraid she was to meet the king and how much she missed her cousins.
Rogth climbed up behind her and they rode with renewed fervor toward the huge, gray castle.
Okay...that's it. LOL! I'm open to comments if you want to tell me what you think. Thanks!
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