With sunlight and flowers, summer came to the country of Anolas. The air smelled of flowers, pine and rosemary. The rosemary was considered a sacred plant in the country of Anolas because of the amazing healing powers it had at least for the people who lived there. The streets were full of children playing games. Several would play games similar to marbles while others played hopscotch or threw a ball around. It seemed like such a beautiful place for everyone who lived there, at least from what I've heard.

In the capital of Anolas, from what I've heard, there is a young girl. None of the people know how old she is but they all agree on one thing she is not allowed to play with the other children. She is forced to work in the gardens and fields all day and cannot stop working until it gets dark outside. To enforce this, she wears no shoes and a long iron chain is attached to her ankle with a manacle. After dark, she is locked in a shed that is filled with rats, mice, roaches and any other awful pests you can think of and left to sleep in filthy clothes that haven't been washed for many years. During the winter, she gets a small pile of moldy straw to keep her warm and cold ice water to drink. During the summer she is given hot scorching water to drink and moldy bread to eat year round. She still remembers how it felt to sleep in a real bed and play with the other children. She used to talk but she doesn't have a reason to anymore. She could talk and be happy again but no one ever gives her the chance because in order for the people there to be happy, she must suffer.

There is a story about this girl that everyone in Anolas tells their children. It tells about the girl's life before they chose her for the unhappy one. It talks about how happy she was until her mother died and her father began beating her. It talks about her brother who tried to save her and about how he failed. It talks about the day he left her to be abused because he thought it would be better if he didn't have to see her in pain. It is said in some families that he comes back to visit her sometimes and that they plan to escape someday. I don't know how true this is because I have never been there. I only know what the travelers who come to my country tell me. I know one thing for sure sometimes people leave Anolas and come to the country I live in. It doesn't have any children who are treated badly or anything it’s actually the closest thing to a utopia anyone will ever find.

I am told that people leave Anolas more frequently these days and that they are guided by a tall stranger who wears a black cloak and never talks. He leads travelers to this wonderful place and makes sure that they are never harmed while they travel with him. I think that he is the little girl's brother and that he's trying to figure out how exactly to save her. In the last few days I've heard a different story. People say that the young girl escaped and that Anolas is becoming a dry wasteland with almost no vegetation. The travelers tell me that the tall stranger is helped by a young girl with clean clothes and dark brown hair. They tell me that the two are magical creatures who can change shape at will. I don't believe it. I know better. It’s the young girl and her brother and she is finally free.