The Troubles of Androcles (unfinished)

(Note to Boyles or Ramsbottom: the yellow highlights are texts that I think sound wrong, or im

not sure about – need to be changed or deleted etc. but try not to let them affect ur read cuz I

might have been over critical)

Androcles grew up in a small village that was pretty much excluded from the rest of the land. There he

was constantly doubted by his fellow village goers. This may have plainly been down to his unique way

of thinking and their lack of understanding for it. Yet regardless of his potential, he was treated

differently. It became a constant disappointment in Androcles’ life that only led to him wanting more.

This resulted in him leaving the village often and exploring alone, a lot. On one particular occasion he

travelled much further than he had ever travelled before. He had come across many huge cliff sides and

hills that all seemed to merge into what appeared to be one big enormous mountain. Curious, at such a

sight, he felt inclined to wonder farther and higher. Unfortunately, he pushed himself too hard and once

his body was too tired, his footing was off, and so he slipped. He fell before he got anywhere close to the

top of whatever it was he was climbing, to what could have been a lonely and lost death. Luckily

enough, Androcles had fallen on to a soft patch of grass, in what looked like a guarded cave. Barely

conscious and unable to move, the softness of the grass had broken his fall. Enough at least, to hinder

instant death. Even more fortunate, the discreteness of the cave was protecting him from any outside

danger. Light peered in through a deep crack in the roof, which is what he must have fallen through. Not

cleanly though, he must’ve caught it’s edges on the way down, refracting his projection mid-fall, as he

was not directly beneath the opening where he should have landed. This also, was a good thing, for he

was better shaded from the sunlight and its hot, harmful rays. It did however, mean he had obtained

more injuries than initially presumed.

He slept for what may have been hours or even days. To him, it surely felt like days. When he woke he

was groggy and dazed. Wounded by the fall, he had blood dripping from his hair and pain shooting

through his back. Looking around, eyes gleaming, it appeared he had discovered something magical.

There was a stream of fresh water running down the walls and along the floor. There was greenery all

around him with trees he had never seen before arching over him, harbouring fruits he had never

dreamt of. On the other hand, his back injury had stunted his mobility. His head, most worryingly, made

it hard for him to come to full clarity. It felt close to impossible to just sit up. He knew if he didn’t get

back to some kind of civilization soon, he would not make it or even worse, his story would not be told.

So he drank as much water as he could and packed his clothing with only the fruits that he recognized

from stories he had been told, out of fear for the ones that could be poisonous. The only thing left was

to escape the great cave. But a great cave it was. He searched it from end to end and the only escape

was through the roof. Luckily the trees had shaped themselves towards the opening in order to feed off

the sunlight. Still dizzy, Androcles managed to climb to the top of one of the trees. There he used a

makeshift rope he had weaved from the plant life below in order to throw the knotted end up and out

through the opening on to something sturdy, then use it to climb out. Dizzier than ever, Androcles

headed in whatever direction looked like home. Though he wasn’t really sure where or what that was.

His journey was long but his injuries made it enduringly longer. Androcles, however, was used to

enduring. So he endured and he endured. Until, he came across a man-trodden road eroded by travel

that he thought could potentially lead to rescue. There he could endure no longer and he collapsed, into

a deep sleep. He awoke days later with his head in bandages and most of his memory lost. Androcles

was found unconscious on the side of the road by an old rice farmer. The rice farmer and his wife had

nursed him back to consciousness. Learning this, was a realisation for Androcles that these people had

saved his life. The rice farmer had lost his oldest son some time before and he told Androcles that when

he saw him where he laid, for a split second, the farmer had thought it was his son that lay where

Androcles did. The elderly couple asked Androcles what he was known as. He could not remember, not

his name anyway.

The couple offered the young man food and shelter, a home, as long as he could work in return. The old

man owned much farm land and crops that needed tending to. Androcles, being unable to recollect his

past, had to agree to this deal for the betterment of his future self. The couple had two other children

aside from their missing son, a juvenile boy and a fair haired daughter, who wasn’t much younger than

Androcles. At the first sight of her, his eyes were helpless and laid keenly upon her. She was initially hard

looking, but just unripe, he could see that and knew she would one day mellow. She wasn’t nearly as

fond of Androcles as he was of her, she was highly wary of him. Her name, was Hemerena. Her father

and her showed Androcles round the farm once he was able enough, in order to introduce him to what

he’d be working with. With Hemerena’s hair being as fair as it was, it would often catch rays of bright

light and glisten in the sun. When it shined it would appear almost opalescent, and if it did with

Androcles’ eyes glaring, he would be hit by vivid flashbacks of light shining through a crack at him. He

was troubled by this, but never openly recognised it, he had not understood it, so wouldn’t. Though

unfortunately, nor could he avoid it, for he could not prevent looking Hemerena’s way. They taught

Androcles their routine of the farm and quickly enough he was more productive than Hemerena and her

father put together. Hemerena, ironically being the *daughter of the farmer, was the more productive

of the two as her father(/*the younger less experienced of the two, was more productive than her

father as he) began to grow weaker and slower with age. Not that this was as important anymore so

long as Androcles was there. Much of the crop were under-nurtured and not in proper rotation.

Nevertheless, Hemerena and her father were doing their best. Androcles noticed that the visible amount

of empty soil land overshadowed their crop. When Androcles asked Hemerena why all the soil wasn’t

being used, she told him that even if they had the man power to tend to all of the land, there was no

need to. This was because the neighbouring city would not trade with them as the Erebus family had

better crops and told the city they would not trade with it any longer if they weren’t the sole supplier.

This meant that Hemerena and her family, the Ourea family, could not trade with the city, and didn’t

produce for anything more than what they needed themselves. Forcing them to live off solely that.

Consequently there was no need for them to grow more than they could eat.

Tending to the farm Androcles began to work himself back to full physical health but as much as he tried

he could only temporarily distract himself from his mental impairment. It wasn’t so much his inability to

remember his name that puzzled him, or other memories of the sort, but rather why he was reminded

of a certain hopeful shine of light every time Hemerena swept her hair in the sun. It was that, he truly

wanted to get to the source of. Striving to preoccupy his troubled mind, Androcles learned new ways to

farm the land more efficiently. The plant life began to emit more colour and look fuller but still, in his

eyes, that only emphasized how empty the unused soil looked. That evening, they were all sat round the

dinner table, eating the most fruitful of their pickings in a long time. Hemerena’s father pointed out that

that particular meal was almost as good as their last meal with their lost son Thanatos. That evening the

family also shared with Androcles how once upon a time their family used to own cattle and dreamt of

one day doing so again. He told the family that due to his presence and extra hands, he could help the

family towards their dream. Yet, in spite of his eagerness, Androcles was told that it was only a dream

and that it was not worth it, by the farmer. He said that they didn’t need anything more, because they

were very happy with how things were. This puzzled Androcles with his eager and ambitious nature but

it left him with a warm feeling, despite of his memory loss, he knew he had not felt before. He slept that

night on a full stomach and a happy heart.

Androcles suddenly found himself in an overwhelming crowd of people. He didn’t really question how

he got there, he was more occupied by the fact that he was there. He could hear condescending voices

and bigoted whispers from all around him. He felt that all of its eyes where peering at him but when he

looked to see who was, he was unable to find anyone’s face to look into. The only thing that caught his

eye was a gleaming shine in the distance. It was from that of the hair of Hemerena on a heightened

gallows-like platform. He felt that if he could get to her, they would both be saved. Though, if he

couldn’t, they would both be doomed. The crowd fought him in whatever direction he tried to go,

tightened whatever path he tried to create. So filled with frustration and diminishing hope, he fought

back only to have the crowd pin him to the floor. A surge of pain shot through his spine, then a beam of

light in to his eyes, from above him, that was quickly eclipsed by the heads of the crowd dawning over

him. Screaming and franticly struggling to get free, it is only the soft touch of a cool and gentle hand to

his cheek that wakes him up. It is Hemerena, and Androcles is bleeding moisture from all his pores. Her

father and brother were trying to hold him down so that he didn’t injure himself in his dream state,

while she was sat on top of him to act as an anchor. Her other hand held his as she comforted him back

in to reality. In to his ear she daintily repeated the words “The pain is only in your mind. Come, find

comfort in my touch.” in order to calm him down. His eyes opened, already staring directly in to hers, in

a manner that seemed they were before their awakening. His struggling and panting began to simmer

down. She proceeded to worryingly ask him what was wrong and what it was that scared him so. He

answered “The light. I must find light”.

Later that night, Hemerena and Androcles sat out in front of the farm, perched on a fence, once the rest

of the family had returned to rest. They talked their sleeplessness away throughout the darkness of the

night. Androcles asked her about her long-lost brother and how it is that he is now lost to them. She sat

in silence for a while staring up at the stars then down again apprehensively and back. Maybe she didn’t

want to say anything out of fear for what repercussions might ensue or maybe she had just kept the

secret for so long she was just so accustomed to keeping it. But she had not had anyone to talk to about

this before and the burden had overwhelmed her. This was her opportunity for release. Yet before she

began to share what she could not take back, she familiarised him with a little more of her family’s

hidden history. He wouldn’t understand right if she didn’t. Hemerena wouldn’t have ever imagined

telling Androcles anything about her and her family, let alone their deepest secrets, but her

cautiousness of him had clearly faded since their first encounter. In fact, she must have trusted him,

tremendously.

She told him that her grandfather Adrastos was once considered a nobleman in the city and that her

ancestors had been prominent in that society for some time before. She spoke on about how it was her

grandfather that upset all this when he asked for the hand of Aglaia. Upset the wrong people he did as

well. Aglaia was the daughter of another nobleman from another respected family in the city. The city

had a king, and the King a high priest. The king’s high priest had a son named Moros, who had keen eyes

for Aglaia, and due to his proximity to royalty, he quite often got what he wanted. Aglaia became just

that and he would become very upset if he could not have her. Inevitably, upset is what he came to be.

Aglaia’s father and Moros’ father were close associates. Aglaia’s father was lower than Moros’ in a chain

of influence on the king. In fact, any input he did have, was transmitted through Moros’ father. Meaning

Aglaia’s father was eager to please Moros’ in order to maintain some portion of influence on the city.

Not for the betterment of the city, but rather for that of his own clan. This also meant that Aglaia’s

father would even be eager to marry his daughter to Moros in order to cement his place in such a chain

of influence. However, oblivious to those involved, the same time this design had come to Aglaia’s

father’s head, love had come to his daughter’s eyes. Which also became the point at which his master

plan would become impossible, and also the point at which, Hemerena’s family would be cursed from

then on.

Aglaia had fallen for a well-kept gentleman. A kind man, named Adrastos. They met at the dawning of a

warm day that turned into a cold night. Adrastos noticed Aglaia first, as the sun was about to set. He

saw her through the midst of a crowd, gathered at the bottom of the city for a local celebration. She was

standing anxiously by herself, out of place and looking vulnerable. He was drawn to her, and kept an eye

on her from a distance. He felt inclined to watch over her, even though he did not know her nor was he

responsible for her. He noticed a group of young soldiers surround her like a pack of hyenas. She then

looked terrified, a damsel in distress. Adrastos marched over, for he felt overwhelmed by her

discomfort. As a widely respected citizen, not much was needed to be said by Adrastos for the soldiers

to sag their heads and walk off ashamed. His eyes would have been a queue enough. He asked her, how

it was, a fair young lady of gentry could be alone after dusk. She told him she had been in the

marketplace and because she liked to shop alone she had sent her retinue on many errands to distract

them till she was finished. She had even told them that if she was not in sight by the time they had

returned, not to worry, as she would have probably made her way back home already. However, time

escaped her, and she forgot to meet back with them at the same location she had separated from them.

She said once she realised, everywhere became a bit busy and she could not find them. She didn’t want

to walk home all alone with all the belongings she had bought, as she thought she would be an obvious

target for looters. When she spoke to the soldiers in order to ask for their help, they only distressed her

further and made her change her mind, before she was given the chance to do just that. On top of that,

her father had never let her out of the house much and so she relied on her retinue for much of her

direction. Implicating, she didn’t really know the exact way home. Adrastos, baffled by the frequent

occurrences of mishaps in her story, couldn’t help but agree that if she did try to make her way home

alone she probably would run into a bit more trouble. Staring at her with this in mind, he spoke the

words “I would like to offer my assistance in guidance and protection on your mission to arrive home

safely. However, I am only doing this as a polite gesture in order to induce comfort. For if you don’t

accept, I will be unable to walk away and leave you here alone. So, if I feel I must, I will tie you up and

carry you till I find your home and deliver you there myself, for that is the only way I am confident I can

ensure the safety of an existence so graceful.”. She looked back at him with a stone-like lack of

expression, eyes glaring, but it was short-lived, for she quickly leaked a grin. For Adrastos, that grin, was

the moment in which she had agreed to everything he had offered. Even what had not been said.

Nonetheless, she openly agreed and put her newly bought belongings in his arms. “We shall begin to

venture in this direction, for that much I know” she enunciated as she turned and began walking into the

lantern-lit night. Then grinning himself, he obediently followed her.

Before allowing her to get very far, he halted her, walked up to her and put her belongings back in her

arms. This time round, she glared at him with a stone-like ‘excess’ of expression, shocked. He took off

his cloak and threw it round and over her as she faced him. He wrapped it on her shoulders and let it

drape down her back. Then he put his arms out and took back her belongings from her. With her arms

now free, she pulled the edges of the cloak closer in order to blanket herself in its warmth. She had

previously been so worried, she had not paid much attention to how bleak the night air felt on her skin,

but he did. He walked on ahead of her and cheekily uttered “This direction?”. Smiling uncontrollably,

she chased after him. They walked over almost every stone and up every step in the city trying to find

Aglaia’s abode. They shared words, entrusted their deepest thoughts in each other but withheld their

new intentions. For through their long walk together, they had both formed intentions that were

manifested by pure affection. Aglaia had grown tired of walking, and though Adrastos felt they should

keep walking, he had grown tired of carrying Aglaia’s belongings. He agreed to a short rest but insisted

they would be on their way before long, as he was confident they were close and was certain her family

would be looking for her. Even though she couldn’t have seemed to care less. She sat up on a stone

fence in front of the moonlight, calm and content. Without an excuse not to, he joined her, and quite

happily, sat up next to her.

Hemerena and Androcles, identically perched, in front of an identical moonlight, where both identically

unaware, of how identical, their hidden affection for one another was, to that of the story being told.

Hemerena had stopped talking, maybe because there, is where she had wanted the story to end. But,

Androcles persisted, reluctantly so, yet for his curiosity, necessarily so. She continued with the story, but

not in the same depth and feeling as she did before. She went on to explain that after that they were

prematurely interrupted by her retinue, who had been searching for her. They had in fact walked

around her residence, many times, in a manner that would appear Hemerena had been aware of, and

purposefully avoided it.-(maybe subtly include later, not here) One of her retinue had noticed her figure

in the distance, next to that of a man, which provoked their hasty discovery of her whereabouts. When

the retinue had found them together they appeared distraught and speedily dragged her home, barely

acknowledging Adrastos, though he was a Nobleman. He was not used to this treatment, but out of

consideration for Aglaia and what his actions might implicate for her, he remained reserved. He

helplessly let them grab her and her belongings to then drag her home. Aglaia and Adrastos had

maintained eye-contact with each other during this whole episode, though not a word was said between

them. He distantly followed them, as they essentially hauled her back, in order to find where it was they

had been searching for this whole time. That revelation, itself, was another shock to him, for now he

knew which family she belonged to. Now he knew who her father was.

That night, Adrastos could not sleep, as he was consumed by an overbearing heart and an overburdened

mind. He could not, for the life of him, stop thinking about the strangeness of his day as well as the

strangeness of Aglaia and her retinue. The next morning, he began the day earlier than usual, with the

sole purpose of trying to settle his mind. He woke up with an overwhelming clarity, a profound sense of

direction and new-found purpose in his life. He talked to all he could in the city that he knew to know of

her and her family. He had heard that her father was an arduous man, and though, he wasn’t the only

man who tried to keep his daughter confined to their family residence, he seemed to be more

controlling of her than most. Later, Adrastos returned to Aglaia’s residence in order to invite her father

to a formal affair so he could build a better repertoire with him. Even though they had known of each

other within the society, they had never really spoken, they had never more than greeted one another

indifferently. However, just before making his way on to Aglaia’s family property, he was pulled to the

side by one of her servants. Looking around quite anxiously, she asked him what it was he was doing

there. He told her his intentions and she advised him to leave. Said that Aglaia had received much grief

from her father for her disappearance and was very angry towards whomever the man she had been

with was. The servant also explained that Aglaia tried to convince her father that she did not disappear

intentionally and did not mean to be late. She tried to tell him she was simply lost and could not find her

way back. That it was not until the retinue found her that she was able to return. The servant made sure

that Adrastos knew nothing of what Aglaia said swayed her father’s punishment, that in fact, he had

already made up his mind. Listening to this only made Adrastos more determined to see her father so he

could explain, what he thought, was surely a misunderstanding. However, the servant made it clear to

him that it was he who was misunderstood and that he, should avoid her master. For her master, did

not want to understand. –for the better of him and her

After that, he would spend a large portion of his days around the market place, hoping he would see

Aglaia again. Of course, he never did, because Aglaia’s father had made sure she would never be able to

speak to another man, other than the one he wanted her to marry. He just wasn’t conspicuous about it.

After much frustration and being unable to move passed his meeting with Aglaia, Adrastos became quite

upset with himself. He had wondered why he had let everything drag on the way it had, and why he

hadn’t trusted his natural inhibitions, which would have led him to, a now overdue, meeting with

Aglaia’s father. A meeting, which he felt, he had been misled to be over fearful of. Letting emotion get

the best of him, he charged straight over to Aglaia’s family residence.

He introduced himself on to the property respectfully and courted the family formally, as a reputed

nobleman would. He was rudely kept waiting a long time, but he assumed it be for reasons well justified.

Finally, he had come face to face with Aglaia’s father after a time much over-due. Adrastos was not

greeted with the same noble courtesy he had portrayed himself. Aglaia’s father spoke to him without

warmth in his voice and spite in his eyes. Nonetheless, his words were diplomatic and his tone

controlled. Aglaia’s father, being the widely known figure he was, knew how to manipulate his words to

maintain his image, while in reality being quite malicious with his intention. Adrastos knew this, yet he

could not respond in the manner he wanted, for this was a linguistic battle of wit, and if Adrastos were

to show his true state of emotion, it would be a sign of weakness. So he withheld his thoughts and

responded with his trained tongue as politely as he could. Adrastos tried to clarify to Aglaia’s father,

what the true nature of the events were, on the night in which he met his daughter. That it wasn’t till

afterwards, he had developed a romantic interest for her. Aglaia’s father concluded the conversation

stating that what Aglaia needed was a strong and mature husband, not a young romantic to

sway/distract and confuse her. Which, of course, was not said in such a direct manner, but his point was

still made. Their conversation, though seemingly civil, came to no arrangements and definitely no

agreement. Adrastos left the property in a state of utter confusion, surprisingly more confused than he

had been on the other odd encounters since Aglaia had come into his life. As he walked to the outskirts

of the vast land owned by Aglaia’s father, he was met by the same servant that had approached him

before. She pulled him into a concealed space, away from possible visibility of Aglaia’s father and told

him she had seen him waiting in the marketplace. She then told him that since his encounter with Aglaia

her father has no longer allowed her to leave the property, under any circumstances. She only ever

travels as far as the boundaries of her father’s land, and even then, she is regularly called back inside.

She said that, apart from reading, Aglaia’s only enjoyments since, are when she spends time with herself

and the other retinue, doing mainly laborious activities consisting of house duties such as cooking, corn

peeling and so on. He asked about her siblings and why it was that she did not enjoy their company. The

servant told him that it wasn’t that she didn’t, she didn’t get the chance to, her brother avoided her and

her sisters ignored her. They isolated themselves from her because she was from a different mother.

She explained that Aglaia’s mother passed when Aglaia was at a very young age and after her death

Aglaia’s father did not take long to find another woman. She is the only child from her mother and her

many siblings are all from her father’s current wife. Who was the main instigator of treating Aglaia like

she did not belong. Adrastos thanked the servant for telling him this information, knowing that she had

taken a big risk in doing so. He fled from her hastily so that she was not in further risk of being caught,

and was left with a lot to think about as he walked away.

Disappointed by the occurrences of the day, he was not going to give up. If what the servant had told

him was true, Aglaia could not have been happy with her current way of life. He felt she needed

rescuing, and after speaking to her father, the only way he could conciliatingly do that, would be to

marry her. Though, he wasn’t going to pursue that, unless she wanted him to. He would also have to

figure out, a way of asking her such, without upsetting her father.

He walked aimlessly for a while, in deep thought. Without any real sense of direction, but to only simply

avoid his home. He was not ready to go home. He hadn’t really achieved anything to allow himself to go

home. Walking away from Aglaia’s family property, he passed one of their small crop lands in the city.

He noticed they did not grow any corn. And although they had land outside the city, he knew it was his

crops that provided the main supply of corn to the city, so if they did grow corn, it would be for their

own consumption, on their small land near their home. He decided to visit his biggest farm land just

outside the city. As he came close to the farm he was noticed by one of the workers, who recognised

who he was. Word quickly spread of his arrival and all the workers stopped what they were doing to

greet him. They all gathered slightly ahead of him, in order to show their respect and welcome him. As

he got close he spoke loudly, telling them that as their boss, the last thing he would want them to do is

to leave their jobs. They took this as a threat, and quickly got up to head back to their work. He was only

trying to be humble, and let them know their greeting was not necessary, through humour, but they

misunderstood. He quickly shouted, stating he was only joking and that they could take a break. He kept

it simple to avoid confusion. Akakios, who he had put in charge of the farm lands, quickly ran up to him,

to find out why it was Adrastos had come to visit the farm. Adrastos reassured him that nothing was

wrong, that he did not need to worry about anything to do with the farms. He let Akakios know that he

was doing a good job with the farms, and that all he wanted to know was if they supplied corn to

Aglaia’s family. Akakios told him that they supplied corn to almost everyone in the city, so they probably

did supply corn to Aglaia’s family. Adrastos wanted Akakios to be sure, so Akakios took him to the

parchments that Adrastos had helped him write to keep note of the payments of those they supplied to.

The reasoning behind the existence of the parchments, was for Adrastos and Akakios to keep track of

their goods, as well as what they were getting in return, as not all of the citizens paid in coin. Adrastos

would allow them to barter with whatever they could to ensure the people were fed and the city would

flourish. After searching through the parchments Akakios found that they did supply corn to Aglaia’s

family, but not much else, he pointed out it was because they supplied themselves with most of their

food. Adrastos already knew this, but said nothing, as he was only concerned about the corn. He told

Akakios that he wanted to personally check all of the corn that went to Aglaia’s family from then on.

Akakios acknowledged and informed him that they would be sending a batch over the next day.

Adrastos thanked him and told him he would see him in the morning. He instructed him to let the

workers go home early for the day with extra earnings, then walked away saying “Today, a good day,

which I have had to get to by overcoming bad days, might be the beginning of great days”.

Adrastos was seen by Akakios early the next day waiting for him next to the farm. He was alone, there

before anyone else, standing with a smile on his face. Akakios was a bit surprised at Adrastos’ eager

earliness, he knew that it would not take Adrastos long to plainly examine a batch of corn, so wondered

why it was that he made it seem like it was so important. It was very rare that he’d ever seen Adrastos

at such an early hour.

They began their farming day together by touring the land. They talked about the health of the crops

and the state of the workers. They discussed the workers’ productivity and any issues that they might

have in their personal lives. Adrastos cared for his workers and treated them with much more respect

than many others of a similar stature(social hierarchy reference) would. This respect was reciprocated

by his workers, for him, and if there ever were those who tried to take advantage of his generosity

Akakios would keep an eye on them. He would challenge their intentions and protect Adrastos’ good

nature. Adrastos was not completely oblivious to this and it is probably one of the reasons he entrusted

Akakios with so much responsibility.

Once they had come to an end of their tour and their talks, discussing solutions for soil setbacks as well

as future plans for the land, the farm had started coming alive. The workers were deep into their

routines. Adrastos was now ready to start inspecting the corn. Which became apparent, even though he

tried to be inconspicuous, was his main intention for being there that day. Akakios had the corn brought

over to him, while Adrastos waited with a small carving knife in his hand. Akakios wanted to ask what it

was for, but didn’t, he wasn’t the type to neglect the formalities of a chain of command. Regardless,

Akakios did not have to guess long, about the knife’s purpose, because Adrastos quickly showed him. He

began carving into the corn and told Akakios about the events of the previous days, as well as his plans

for the ones to come. Adrastos explained that he was telling Akakios all this because Akakios was a

smart man and would probably figure it out anyway. This way it would avoid confusion or his intent

being wrongly carried out. Akakios was most curious as to why the corn? Adrastos used his recollection

of the previous days to explain that he knew she would peel the corn, and so see it. As well as it being

almost the only produce they supplied to them, it was also the only lifeline of communication they could

have without upsetting her father. Adrastos was glad this had been brought up as he made sure Akakios

knew that the corn, that had been carved, would have to be hidden deep in the stack. Especially if he

had damaged the skin or peeled them too much while carving into them. Akakios nodded in

understanding, he knew how to complete any task with earnest competency.

Akakios asked Adrastos what he was going to write in the corn, how he would initiate the interaction,

most importantly, how he would know if she had read it. Adrastos said he would write her a story, and if

she were to read it, he would know. Akakios wanted to know how, but had already asked so many

questions and had another in mind he felt more fitting to raise in that moment. He was politely

inquisitive to how Adrastos would fit a whole story on a piece(cob) of corn. The plain truth was he

wouldn’t, he told Akakios he would have to number one side of the corn/cob in the order they should be

read, so she would be able to find and read all he had written how he would want her to. Akakios

pointed out that such a method would be tedious. Adrastos replied “So far it has all been nothing but

tedious, her father has ensured no less. I have learnt to endure till I feel what it is I have been enduring

is done, otherwise all prior endurance is worth nothing”.

Akakios asked Adrastos if he needed anything more from him. Adrastos smiled at him and told him he

was better needed by the workers at that point. Akakios returned to his daily work and left Adrastos to

himself and the corn. Later, as the much of the day had gone, Akakios returned to Adrastos to advise

him that Aglaia’s family would not be happy if they received their order of crops late. Adrastos finished

off and together they packed the corn to be transported. While doing so Akakios couldn’t help himself

but to ask Adrastos what story it was he had written that would allow him to know if Aglaia had read the

corn.

He told Akakios he had written her the story of the four Tokalon girls. Akakios had not heard the story

before, but Adrastos comforted him by telling him that this was because he had just invented it for that

purpose. The story was about the four most beautiful sisters in the land. Men who had heard tales of

them would travel great distances to see if they were true. Every day and night their home would be

visited by men trying their chances to create their own tales that included at least one of the girls. The

four girls were very different in personality and had had their notoriety affect them in different ways.

The oldest sister would hang a rope outside her window so men could climb it, be close enough to hold

her. The youngest would stand a lantern outside her window to attract the eyes of the men who wanted

to stare at her from a distance. The sister born before her would lay broken shells on her window ledge

to punish those who tried to climb and deter all men in general, whom she thought to be sordid. The

last sister, aware to her older sister’s mistakes with more experience through time than her sisters

younger, would surround her window with all the items each of her sisters did. However, she would

intend for their placement to have slightly different uses. Apart from the broken shells, which she also

used to deter the over-eager. She would use a rope like her older sister, but slightly different, almost a

string, one too thin to grasp and too weak to hold a man. She would sling it through a hoop and attach it

to an unlit lantern, which she would hang in reach of the ground below. If there were a man who could

be cordial enough to request her conversation, and smart enough to earn it, he would figure out the

intended use of the contraption. To light the lantern, and pull on the rope in order to hoist it back up to

the window. The light from the burning lantern would shine through the window for the sister to know a

man has come along, intuitive enough, to request her presence for nothing more than the sharing of

words. From there on, she would be able to challenge the purity of his intention.

After hearing the story, Akakios joked that he had thought, all four of the sisters, to be quite grandiose

and pointed out that that is why he had never had much interest in noticeably attractive women. He

then queried if the purpose of the story was to detect what kind of woman she was. Adrastos, puzzled,

asked Akakios to voice his trail of thought, after playfully alluding that the sisters in his fictitious story

were more than noticeably attractive, they were hyperbolically so. Akakios chuckled in embarrassment

from his inflated rant, then explained, that if Adrastos were to find a rope, or a lantern, or a contraption

of the two, he would be able to work out what kind of woman she was. Adrastos, delaying his response,

first wondered, why Akakios had not mentioned the shells. Akakios simply replied “As you would not be

able to see them from the ground, and with all due respect sir, you are not of a climber’s build”. They

both laughed and Adrastos responded “Not of a climber’s build? Are you insinuating weakness in my

physical ability?”. “No sir, but I am in your delinquency”. After sharing more laughter, Adrastos

elaborated, that to an extent, that was his intention. Just not consciously so and more short-sighted, he

had only considered the hope that, there would only be a contraption waiting outside her window.

Akakios, politely of course, informed Adrastos that he had to consider the possibility Aglaia could be any

of the four sisters. This was not something Adrastos wanted to hear, but needed to. “The initial purpose

of the story was only to create an opportunity to speak with her” Adrastos admitted with the final

words.

They finished preparing the corn for its delivery. Once it was on its way, so was Adrastos. But just before

he left, he faced Akakios with his head down and laughed under his breath in embarrassment. Akakios

looked at him, as if to ask “what?”. Adrastos told him the day was not completely successful. Akakios,

confused, asked why. He responded with a relinquished smile “I forgot to number the corn”. They left

each other laughing to themselves. Adrastos returned to his abode in order to cleanse/sharpen his

appearance for what he planned to do later. Nervous for the night to come, he would mindlessly pace in

circles, practising conversational routes with himself, and often hitting dead ends. Adrastos felt he

needed to do this, for although he could master his words when time was generous, in the presence of a

time demanding conversation, he felt his rushed words made him project himself intellectually stunted.

Which is not how he wanted to appear with Aglaia, not that he would be able to predict the

conversation or avoid spontaneous talk/chatter. It was more so for him to calm his nerves.

When the time came, he set off in the dark towards a window that could be Aglaia’s. Feeling jittery he

walked with pace in his stride. Once he arrived, he tip-toed around the residence looking for something

similar to the contraption in his story, in order distinguish which window was Aglaia’s. After circling the

first two sides of the place, he began to doubt, and would think about what Akakios had spoken to him

earlier. Luckily, he began to reap some reward for his efforts. Well, so he thought, when he finally laid

eyes upon the contraption, almost identical to the one he imagined in his story, hanging from a window

on the final face of the house. Excited, he walked up to it, to proceed to light it. When he realised, he

had not brought anything with him to allow him to start a flame. Nor had he mentioned anything in his

story about that type of equipment being there. Panicked, he ran back to his residence. Jumping any

obstacles in his way rather than going round them. Tripping and stumbling over most of them. After

getting what he needed, he eventually returned to Aglaia’s window. Though most of the night had

passed. Still hopeful, he finally reached for the lantern to light it. When he realised, there had been

some equipment left for him to light the lantern. Aglaia had obviously thought beyond the story, and

supplied it lest he didn’t. Adrastos had just panicked, prematurely. He smiled to himself with the utmost

feeling of frustration, once he realised how much of the night he had wasted.

---------------

(notes/unrefined text to be added later on in story)

{Akakios sits with Adrastos and asks him if what he is doing is a good idea cuz he hardly knows her. He

admits his fears of this and his possible weakness for queues. That it is just that and she might not be

the right woman for him. But takes the risk and explain why…}

-what he could be risking

-Falling for her in the no time he has known her over not falling for the many women he has got to

know, that glimpse could be more of it, which could mean…

“I have experienced the company of many other women. I have had the convenience to speak longer

with them, listen further to farther of them. I have seen more of them, maybe even more into them. I

have had the comfort to examine their features more intently, their form, the colour in them and the

skin surrounding them. The time to appreciate their nature and their traits, both the innate and the

extrinsic, both the good and the bad. Opportunities I have not had with her. Yet, I still could not say I

know them, or even care as much to, as I do her, whom I met so fleetingly. The only thing I want to

know, is that what I know, is not nearly enough of her. My naivety terrifies me, and I can very easily

think of it as simple/basic stupidity. That my attraction has been triggered by emotional queues set off

by her mannerisms, little inattentive gestures or the sound of her voice and the words it chooses to

form. Or even, that the experiences of my life, and how it has moulded me, have made my mind

vulnerable to certain physical features, the best of which, happen to shape her. I worry it could be lust

and nothing more, though I feel that is most distant from what it actually is. But the thought that the

extent of my infatuation could grow more than it has, after a time so short, that she could be as

significant in longevity as she felt then, in only a glimpse. Means, that I would not jeopardize the

possibility of what that could mean, for any risks there might be. If I could have that glimpse for longer

and did not fight to have it for as long as she could let me, then I would have succumbed to an even

worse form of stupidity. That, is more terrifying to me than the uncertainty of risks or my weaknesses”.

“I don’t know sir, but the way in which you have thought about that, makes me think you are incapable

of simple stupidity”

“Don’t believe that Akakios, we are living, and so we are all capable of any stupidity. My only point, is for

you to see, why any other option, for me, feels unworthy of being considered”

Speaks seemingly without regard for who is listening –almost mumbling

-with her, my thoughts see no security, my mind feels no rest, like an obsession utterly irrational. From

here I just hope my actions aren’t equally so/irrational