by

Ashley Carlson

Revived

It was dark, and she could neither breathe nor open her eyes. Panic began to set in as she realized she was bound in ropes. She thrashed and struggled, but the knots held fast. She tried to scream, but dirt filled her mouth and choked her. Suddenly, she felt something tug at the rope that had been tied around her chest and arms. She froze and it tugged harder. Then it tugged one last time, and she was finally freed from her grave. The ropes loosened, freeing her from her bonds. Gasping, she spat dirt from her mouth. She blinked to clear her vision and saw she was in a snow-covered forest. She gazed upward and saw a full moon shining brightly in the night sky. Given its position, she guessed it was around midnight. There was no sign of who or what had saved her.

She had no idea who she was, or even where she was. All she knew is she was dressed only in a paper thin burial gown, and it was freezing cold. Further down the mountain, she saw a wisp of smoke rising above the trees. People, thank the gods. She thought. She staggered to her feet, and slowly made her way down the mountain.

After what felt like hours, she stumbled up to an old inn and knocked several times on the heavy oak door. After a few moments, an old woman opened the door and jumped in shock.

“My poor girl, what has happened to you?! You’re absolutely filthy!” The old woman exclaimed.

“Please help me. I woke up in the forest covered in dirt. I can’t remember who I am or what happened to me.”

“Oh, dear. Come in, come in!” She guided the girl inside and sat her down in a wooden chair with soft cushions by the fire. She ran off to another part of the in, and returned a few moments later with a blanket, several rags, and a large bowl filled with warm water. “Here, warm yourself and wipe off as much filth as you can while I draw up a bath for you.”

The girl nodded, and the old woman disappeared into another part of the house again. The girl leaned forward painfully and gazed at her reflection in the bowl. She had bright blue eyes lined with long black eyelashes, full rosebud lips, and thick red hair. She was young and very pretty. She dunked a rag into the warm water and wrung it out before wiping off her face, neck, and chest. She swished the rag clean before working on her arms and hands. She grabbed a fresh rag to clean her legs and finally her feet. She was still dirty, but no longer caked in mud.

The old woman returned. “The bath is ready for you. I also managed to find an old dress from my younger years that might fit you.” She spoke cheerfully.

“Thank you – umm…”

“Bitty. Bitty MacPherson.”

“Thank you, Bitty. I wish I could tell you my name, but I honestly don’t remember.”

“It’ll come back to you eventually. Now, bath time.”

She followed Bitty into another room where a large wooden bathtub waited. Various herbs floated across the top of the steaming water. A small table was set to one side with a comb and brush, a bar of soap, some towels, and a few washcloths.

“I’ll leave you to it then. I trust you remember how to bathe?” Bitty spoke, the girl nodded in response. Bitty turned to leave, closing the door gently behind her.

The girl pulled off the tattered gown and tossed it to the side. She carefully lowered herself into the bath, sighing as the warm water enveloped her body. She leaned back and let herself relax, breathing in the soothing aroma released by the herbs. She slid down and lowered her hair into the water. She combed her finger through her tangled hair to release most of the dirt and debris before sitting back up. She grabbed the comb and carefully untangled her hair before going over it with the brush. She grabbed the soap and lathered her hair with it, making sure to scrub out every last speck of dirt. She dunked her hair again to rinse and then used the soap again to scrub her body clean. She took her time rubbing the soap over her slim but shapely body, getting into every nook and cranny. Her fingernails came last, dirt was firmly packed beneath her long nails from her earlier struggle. One nail was badly broken, exposing the quick and causing her to bleed when the dirt was washed away. The soap stung the wound harshly, so she grabbed a small washcloth to wrap it.

Once she was clean, she lifted herself from the bath and dried herself with a towel, favoring her injured finger. She wrapped her long hair, and grabbed the dress Bitty laid out for her. It was a simple blue dress, with long sleeves and dark green trim. She slipped it on, and it fit almost perfectly, being only slightly loose. She walked back into the main room where Bitty was attending to a young man who had just arrived. His dark green woolen cloak obscured his appearance, but his voice seemed familiar to the girl. She accidentally bumped into a table, getting their attention. The young man turned to face her, and his face went pale

“Ailsa? Is that really you?”