 
midsummerfeast .

Project: Cure For Those Demons. Vol 1
Copyright (C) 2018 by midsummerfeast .

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

midsummerfeast . asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

First edition

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#  Contents

  1. Creative Common
  2. 
  3. 
  4. 
  5. 
  6. 
  7. 
  8. Afterwords
  9. About the Author

# Creative Common

# ATTENTION PLEASE!..

This work is shared under Creative Common.

Which means that YOU, as a person, is allowed to spread the work as much you want.

The only Rules/Licenses I do set up is:

**Attribution:** I want to spread the work as it does look like now, if nothing else is said.

Of course you are allowed to translate it if there´s a wish to do that. BUT PLEASE MAKE

SURE TO LEAVE A LINK TO THE ORIGINAL AND MY AUTHOR PAGE.

**Noncommercial:** The MUST NOT be used for commercial purposes. MUST NOT!

**ShareAlike:** If you do any changes, you MUST give out your work under the same rules/licenses as the original work. (Yes I am an A, and I'm not even ashamed of it.

With that said and hopefully understood.

# LET'S GO ON!..

# 1

It was a cold, dark space with nothing to be Heard or seen. It was only a deep and almost empty space there Ellen was floating.

She felt like she had been there for an eternity, which was hard to prove true or false.

Pictures of her Deathcause flashed through her mind, causing her to once again curl up like a little ball.

"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry", she mumbled silently to herself and tried to curl up so it wouldn't be anything of her left.

It had all started when she had taken a "magical pill, as the person wished to call it, by one of the customers of her father.

The pill would help Ellen get the courage to live her own desires out and to Catch the one she was holding Close to her heart. She truly believed that it was true and took the pill and waited while searching up some good advice on the internet of how

she would catch her beloved father, this could have been the chance that she had waited for.

When the pill kicked in her memory became weaker until only fragments remained, but to be honest the pill really did help her live her desires out. All in a disturbing matter that Ellen never had wished for.

​

The first fragment she had was from inside her fathers"working room". It was a dark filled room, with a lot of cans. Ellen had never been in there before and wished to be impressed of how her father's working room looked like, but it seems like her body and mind was separated from her thoughts.

Without knowing the reasons, she was... Angry?

She looked at a small bottle in her hands, it gave her a strange feeling of satisfaction.

That was something she had wished for, something that she liked.

Ellen covered her eyes,she really didn´t wish to see it all happen again. It had really been an unforgiving act she committed, without any chance to be forgiven by anyone.

Ellen couldn´t see anything but could hear her little sister

talking with her, she seemed to be upset by something. After something in the dark was slammed to the floor Ellen regained her vision.

Laying at the floor was her little sister Alice with her face twisted in pain after hitting the clinker clothed floor. Ellen herself was sitting on top of her and smiled,"It´s hard to believe that something, so obscure as you, has tried to seduce our poor father".

Ellen wished it all to stop,this was not the desire she had wished for when taking the pill. She had only wished to gain courage

enough to tell her father about her true feeling for him. Not to

hurt that weak and dirty playing little "princess".

Alice was mumbled something in pain that Ellen couldn´t hear.

​

Ellen's body was no longer the kind girl she used to be and answered her sister with one across the face.

"Don´t try to act weak as usual, it isn´t working at me. You can trick and gain sympathy and love from father, but it really won´t work on me. I am not as stupid as everyone else"!

She wanted to stop this madness but she seemed to be a mere marionette for her own desires or whatever what was driven her.

Sure Alice had always used the fact that she was weak to gain sympathy and to use others, but she really didn´t deserve this treatment. If that even was true since she had been weak since birth and needed some extra care.

Things were really about to go down when Ellen all of sudden picked out the bottle she somehow had gained in her father's workroom and downed the content before throwing the bottle to the other side of the room and grabbed her sister's trout in a firm grip. Forcefully she made Alice drink some of the liquid

while swallowing the last herself. Ellen did feel disgusted that she acts like that and at the same time terrified since she knows deep inside that it was something bad with the liquor. Alice looked at her, teared up by her strange behaviour. Only to be met by a smile and some more beating.

Ellen opened up her eyes and looked at the roof, it had only been a dream. It really didn´t happen again. She wasn´t in that strange void again, she really wasn't there.

She rose in the bed and let out a heavy yawn. It had been at least 3 years since that happened and she did die.

Almost bringing Alice with her, almost bringing that little "princess" with her if it shouldn't be because her father had called the ambulance.

​

Then being charmed by her and waiting by her side, letting Ellen die and sent to that void all alone.

​​

It sure had been a horrific act by Ellen and she knew she never would be forgiven for it, but it was hard to believe that she deserved to both be locked up in the void for what had felt like eternities and to die without anyone by her side. Forced to remember her terrible act over and over again until she finally was saved and revived by her father.

With a heavy sigh she walked out of the bed and straight to the window. The view outside the window was like it had been taken from a history book about the Victorian age. Old two-floored houses with pointy roofs and big windows, filled with so-called "upper-class" people that always looked disliking at their house. Ellen dropped another heavy sight and walked over to the wardrobe that she and her sister shared, picking out a red dress that clearly wasn´t made for someone with her body. She looked at herself in the mirror at the other side of the room and saw the same usually disappointing person as always. A not good looking, flat girl that almost reminded of a rectangular box. A truly disappointing view in comparing with her, now, time glass formed little sister. Not even her shoulder long hair was worth to compare with Alice's silk-like white hair that reached halfway her back.

​

Ellen dropped yet another heavy sigh and dressed up in her sister's dress.

It had really been 3 years since she died, 3 painful years she had spent in that void before being revived.

During that time the years had passed for her father and sister.

They had both become older and got the time to die once, of which Ellen found it hard to believe that they died. Even harder to believe was that they now were "living" in the afterlife.

​

Both her father and sister were spending their morning in the kitchen, Alice was preparing breakfast while her father waited at the table for it to be done.

"Good morning Jack" she happily greeted her father, trying to ignore Alice.  
Her father that was a thin build man looked back at her,"good morning Ellen".

He had scolded her harshly so Ellen had been worried that he had revived her so he could kill her with his own two hands.

Ellen suspected that she had been saved by telling him that she was acting weird because of the pill she had taken, she wasn´t forgiven but it seemed a little calmer than at first.

Just by fluke in the confronting about what had happened that evening, Ellen opened her mouth a little too wide and exposed her love for him.

Ellen took a place in beside him around the table. Jack had that day told her that they weren´t bound by the rules they once had followed, so if she could show herself worthy. She maybe could have a chance get closer to him. But then she at least had to start by calling him his name and not father, if she did that they could make up the fact that she was adopted. Which could make it possible for her to get her wish granted.

​

"Good morning Ellen", Alice suddenly interrupted while serving Jack a cup of coffee.

Her now well develop body irritated Ellen, she had become a beautiful woman with all her bodyfat placed around her chest.

Not to mention that Ellen always had an advance since she always had been older than her, but not even that was true anymore.

​

"Good morning" Ellen answered in a monotone voice. She really couldn´t trust Alice, who knows, she could still be trying to steal poor Jack from her.

Soon Alice served the breakfast and everyone enjoyed it during silence. It was one thing that hadn´t change since before she died, all the time everyone was gathered around the table it was silent so you almost could cut it to pieces. Jack had never told any of the girls why he wanted it like that, but he had made it clear that he wanted it to be like that.

" I would like to exterminate your artificial parts when I come back home", Jack declared before finishing of his last coffee. Ellen first looked dumb fooled at him as if he was joking, before it became clear. She wasn´t used to the fact that he had been forced to give her an artificial heart and lungs.  
"Oki", Ellen answered with plain happiness.  
It was something that had to be done to make sure that she would stay alive with him.

​

During the day Ellen didn´t have to do anything special but making sure that she kept training her body. It mainly seemed to be because the body of hers had been weakened during the time she was dead, however that now could have happened.

A thought suddenly struck her. If she had died in the other world, wouldn´t that mean that her body had been buried there too? Which would make it very complicated for her father to get his hands on her body in this world. Right?

Ellen stopped and looked at the plain, one colour wallpaper, as if it holds the answer away from her.

It was all very strange but maybe she could ask him about it when he examined her. If he now wanted to tell her. Of course she wouldn´t pressure him for an answer, but it would be nice to know how that possibly could have happened.

" Would you like some tea Ellen"? Alice asked her when she passed the kitchen.

Ellen glared at her and nodded slowly. She sure didn´t like the fact that Alice would make something for her, but this far she needed the help she could get.  
If they had warmed up the water at a cooker, she could easily have done it herself. Even if they had used a stove, she could have made it herself. Or anything that would have been typical for the Victorian era.  
But instead of using any of those this world had invented a strange gear that gave of some heat of while spinning.  
Of which Ellen still didn´t understand either how it worked or how to use.

Something similar was used in Jack's working room

where she had woken up, but there the strange gear gave off a light instead.

The noise from that kind of gear had been bothering her during the whole time inside the room, almost driven her mad.

Ellen let out a light sigh and took a place around the table while Alice prepared the cup of tea for her.

She couldn´t help but to look at Alice from time to time, her body looked even more perverted then when she almost had killed her. She had always had a strange charm to make others fall for her, but with a body like that she could and had probably spend every and second night with a guy.  
That is really a perverted little "princess" for everyone.

Of course she couldn't help to feel a little bad for her. As Ellen had understood it, so had poor, poor Jack been arrested after it all. He was the one that had been suspected for Ellen's deed.

​Alice had been moved into a foster home, where she had lived until the day she took her own life. But she felt guiltier about that Jack had been judged for it and forced to live a hard life in jail before even he took his own life. She could almost see in front of her how he had to fight for survival every single day.

Fighting for a so simple thing as being alive.

"Here's your tea Ellen", Alice said and gave her a cup. Interrupting Ellen thoughts.

Ellen gave a simple thank and took the cup of tea. It did

bother her that Alice was so calm around her, especially since what had happened that night. Ellen had tried to kill her own sister, yet Alice had thrown herself at Ellen and hugged her tight when they finally met again. It was if she holds no grudge against her, or that maybe was what she wanted Ellen to believe.

That little "princess" could easily wait until Ellen dropped her guard and then take out her revenge.

Either by almost killing her or even worse, snatch Jack way from her. It could only be a matter of time before she acted out her plans and took her revenge on the monster like a wicked hunter.

Since Ellen didn't want to let her guard down and only sat silently around the table, sipping her tea Alice began to ask about Ellen's training was going. Slowly she got a normal conversation started about how life now was going and about the world they now were living in. The part that interested Ellen most was that Jack even claimed that Alice was adopted.

Apparently it seemed like it was disgraceful to have children without a marriage. So therefore it was better to claim that they were adopted, which would mean that fewer people would throw an evil eye at poor Jack. Ellen couldn't help but wondering if that meant it still would be okay for her and Jack to fall in love, without everyone would give him a hard time.

She could only hope and trust Jack's word.

​The conversation lasted longer than their tea and until it was time for Alice to get out and buy food so she could make the dinner, just in time for when their father arrived back home. She even asked Ellen if she wanted to follow but Ellen quickly declined. Not because she was afraid that Alice would act out any plan, but instead because she still felt uncomfortable with this new world. A new world would mean new people, many new rules and norms. It was all new and she would need to learn it, at least if she wished to fit in. So it was better for her to stay inside instead of doing anything wrong.

Ellen looked out at Alice when she left for her errand. That princess sure was lucky to have been living in this world long enough to not worry about looking like an idiot if she did anything wrong. Not that the shameless "princess" would have any problem if she did something wrong and look like an idiot.

Ellen laid on a metal clothed table in Jack's working room. Her upper body was nude and most probably a horrific view for even Jack to see, but it was necessary when he examined her artificial parts. They seemed to be well hidden behind a lid in Ellen back, or that was at least what she thought. It wasn't that it would be impossible for her to look herself with the help of a mirror, but she rather didn't want to see it herself. After all, she was still hesitating if she still was really a human with parts like that.

"So far it seems like everything work", Jack said in a plain voice.

Of course it worked, it was after all him that had done it. Ellen let out a small sigh, he was a great person so he needed to hesitate a little less at himself.

"Have you apologised to little Alice yet?" He asked while Ellen felt how he clearly thumped at her heart with a finger. It was a like all her blood vibrated in her veins, easy said a very uncomfortable feeling.

"Not yet", Ellen answered weakly. She really didn't want to hear that question since it was like the perverted "princess" already had Jack in her iron grips. Which easily could mean that she

already was on the way of stealing him away from Ellen.

Jack dropped a disappointed sigh and tapped his finger at her heart more frequently.

"You have to apologise to her, don't forget how much suffering you caused her".

She knows that she had caused both Alice and him a lot of suffering, but yet she didn't want to apologise to her. Or rather, Ellen was both drowning in the guilt of what she had done that evening and she didn't have the courage to even talk about that time. So it was a really small chance that she ever would be apologising, but that wasn't anything Jack needed to know.

Ellen felt guilty to lie Jack right into the face when she said she would apologise to Alice. It was all out of necessity, this wasn't a situation she wanted to be in for any longer. Only the single fact that Jack seemed to be angry was more than enough, that or also involved that night only made it even worse.

Jack didn't spare any nagging and went on for another couple of minutes before he finally stops, closing up the lid at her back before leaving the room for his library.

Ellen looked frustrated after Jack when he left the room. He could have spent some more time with her instead of hurry back to the library. And that extra time could have been without nagging her about apologising to Alice.

Except from the frustration of the nagging,Ellen got the same feeling as when she had woken up a bit from Alice that night.

By some reason she had taken distance from Alice and then fainted.

A voice she knows well could be heard. Following the voice, she could see Jack beside Alice, even though it all was very blurry she knew clearly that it was him.

Feeling weak she did her best to talk, "Father, can you please call an ambulance".

Jack looked terrified at her before he picked up his cellphone to make the call. He never once left Alice.

"Father, I don't feel well. Do you think I will survive?". Jack looked serious at her and finally talked with her, "I am sure you will survive. You are a very strong girl after all".

Ellen had felt betrayed by both him and her own little sister.

Couldn't Alice let their father be with Ellen during a time like that, and couldn't he have tried a little harder to break free from her charm.

Ellen let out a heavy sigh, did Alice already control father with her charm or was it someone other controlling her poor, poor beloved one. Whoever it was, Ellen had to find a way to snatch him back.

​

The faster the better.

# 2

It had been two weeks since Ellen woke up. Yet she almost has seen nothing besides the inside of their home. Alice had tried to make her follow for the shopping, but so far it had been impossible.

Ellen looked sceptical at a woman that had come to do work at Jack's library. According to both her father and sister the work was simple and should be quick.

But that wasn't the big problem Ellen had noticed, instead the problem was that the woman seemed to get close to HER Jack. Which she couldn't accept.

Sure it could be difficult for her to blame Jack if he did fall for it. That woman was after all a really well-developed woman, at least comparing to someone that already was underdeveloped comparing with her own sister. It almost seems like there was something that wished to see her fighting to hold on to him.

Otherwise it should have been an old, fat and disgusting man that should do the work, not a developed woman with long blond hair and a pair of small white bird wings, an angel in other words

Luckily the work she did was smooth and it didn't take too much time. Still Ellen kept an eye at the angle the whole time, there was no chance she could be sure that the angel wouldn't try anything funny. And the work she did looked very simple, even so that someone like Ellen herself would have been able to do it.

They had just finished their breakfast when Alice opened her mouth and spoke out on a stupid idea. "Since you haven't been outside the house yet, I would like you to follow me out for the shopping today?" Ellen did disagree and turned to her father for support. She wasn't ready for that yet, the new world still seemed very uncomfortable.

"Maybe it really is time for you to see how this world looks like", Jack said to Ellen's disappointment. He could at least try to help her a little bit, maybe just by question Alice's idea.

Ellen looked frustrated at him, only to be met by a small smile.

She should just open her mouth to say something when Jack drank his last coffee, "Then I trust you Alice to take care of Ellen when you go out". Then he left for work like a greased lightning, leaving Ellen to her approving destiny.

Alice seemed to be very satisfied with the mess she had created, just like the horrible little "princess" she was.

"Will you help me with the house chores today to?" she asked, probably trying to pour some salt in the wounds.

Jack had asked her a few days earlier if she could help "little Alice" with the house chores since she didn't do anything other than just walking around. Sure she could have denied to help her, but since it was him that asked she found an opportunity to prove that she was a mature woman and was fitting to become his wife in the future. If it had been Alice that had asked from the beginning, the result wouldn't have been the same. There was no chance that the little "princess" would be allowed to use her.

​

Alice tried to start up a conversation while they were cleaning, which Ellen easily could live without. There was no need for her to fall into of the "princess's" traps.

"Are you still in love with father"? Alice blurted out all of sudden to Ellen's surprise.

"Why do you ask"? Ellen tried to counter.

She had tried her very best to hide her affections to Jack. All so that girl wouldn't find out.

Alice giggled and looked at her with a smile, "If you aren't, then it's nothing. But if you are, it's all fine".

Ellen looked sceptically at her. This had to be one of the traps she had expected from the horrible little "princess". A trap of with the goal of ruining her chance to envelop with her beloved father.

"I hold no special emotions to Jack" she lied and tried to throw Alice off the trails.

Even if it was a small lie, Ellen could still tell that it cut in her soul to tell it. She had to make up for it later on. Both for her own sake and for Jack's sake.

Alice let out a sigh, "So that is how it is."

"If that how it is, then you maybe shouldn't take every chance you get to flirt with him. He can get the wrong idea."

Ellen really didn't like the fact that she had noticed all her attempts to get closer with Jack. It had been supposed to be a secret to avoid giving Alice chances to mess things up. Had the thieving "princess" kept an extra eye at her to make sure that she could keep Jack all to herself?

Alice started to clean again without saying anything more to Ellen.

Had it been the only reason that she started that conversation, had it only been that she wanted to know what's between her and Jack. And what had Alice meant with "it's all fine" if she loved Jack? Didn't she have any problems with Ellen loving him, or was it another try to set her up in another trap?

Ellen stood dumbfounded for rather some time, thinking deep into if there was any other meaning with Alice's strange behaviour.

Alice snapped Ellen out of her thinking with a gently complain about how she at least could clean while thinking of whatever she was thinking about.

"I still don't want to follow", Ellen said with a heavily annoyed voice.

The time had come for when she would follow Alice out to buy some food. Ellen had decided to give it a try to get away.

She really didn't want to go out, it was more comfortable in the house, where she could get the chance to learn more about the world without the risk of looking stupid.

Alice didn't bend a bit and succeeded to force Ellen alongside.

When they left the house she was met by the stares of the neighbours. They seemed to be bothered by her presence, without even knowing her.

"Is it only my imagination or do our neighbours stare intensely at us?" she asked Alice while she locked the door behind them.  
Alice gently shakes her head, "They do stare at us since we are an incomplete family and we aren't a family of the higher class."  
She seemed to be used to it already or she couldn't care less about it. Either it had been like that since they got there, or she just was a careless and nonchalant "princess". Both of the alternatives were highly possible, so it was just to make a guess of which one was right.

As they walked it stood clear for Ellen where the richer and the poorer lived. In the area where they lived it had many big wood clothed houses with gardens, some of the houses were even painted in different beautiful colours. While the houses changed the closer they came to the marketplace.

They became more and more plain, looking like they were simply made to keep three or more families at the same time.

Not to mention that they were built in an almost factory-like fashion.

"We are heading towards an area where they are a little poorer, they have a marketplace with slightly cheaper prices than the shops in our area." Alice tried to explain it as. They had earlier been forced trying to save quite some money to be able to revive Ellen, so they had simply been cutting the edges of what they had been able to.

Ellen felt surprised about it as she at the same time understood how it could have been necessary.

It must have been expensive to get not only one artificial part, but two. Not to mention that it was important parts so she could survive.  
At least they did seem to do kind of well, economic seen.

A lot of beggars had gathered up alongside a street close to the marketplace, holding out their hands and begging for money.

Just by looking at them it was clear that some of them were stuck in an addiction, while others seemed to be more honestly begging for money for food.

​

"Don't ever give them money." Alice almost ordered her when she noticed her looking at them.

According to Alice there had been a lot of people that had been followed and then mugged because they had given a beggar money. And the beggar that had received the money had been found the next day, robbed and beaten to death.  
Those poor beggars seemed to live in a rough dog eat dog world. There a simple "mistake" could lead to nothing other than death.

​

The marketplace was swarming of people and to not getting lost of each other Alice ordered Ellen to hold her hand.  
Alice that once had been the baby sister seemed to have matured and acted like how an older sister should act. Ellen felt both embarrassed and guilty. She had failed at being a good older sister, instead of being acting kind to Alice she had tried to kill her. Sure it was under the influence of that pill, but it still didn't change the fact that she did try.

Ellen let out a heavy sigh while Alice leads her through the market. She didn't pay much attention to anything until Alice stopped at a stall.

"Good morning Alice." a dark voice greeted.

Ellen looked up and meet the eyes of the owner.

"Did you bring a friend today?" he asked and cracked a smile Ellen found downright disgusting.

"No,she's my sister." Alice didn't even bother to look up from the vegetables he sold while answering him.

His smile grew bigger and his whole tone changed as he asked Ellen a couple of question of what she liked and likewise, as if he tried to trick her that he cared about who she was.

The only thing Ellen could believe that he cared about was the opportunity to gain another potential customer.

​

After Alice had got her rear in gear and bought everything they needed before they took a well-deserved break.

Ellen felt mentally tired after talking with the owners of the stalls they had visited. It was no wonder Alice had ignored them and their greed dripping "sweet talk". Ellen might need to learn that too, otherwise she might end up simply biting their head off.

"Isn't it nice to come out of the house?" Alice asked when she came back after buying two cookies they could eat at during their small break.

​Ellen couldn't deny that it was interesting to see how things looked like in this world. But she could have survived without talking to those horrible and false stall keepers. She understood that they needed customers to survive, but it would have been so much comfortable if they had at least been a little honest in the way they talked.

"It ain't all wrong to see this world" Ellen answered plain before taking a bite of her chocolate cookie.

"Isn't it little Alice?" someone suddenly asked.

Ellen followed the voice and noticed a woman walking toward them. She seemed to be quite some years older than them and more well-developed than the little "princess".

She faced only Alice while standing in front of Ellen,ignoring her as if she wasn't there.

"Good day Taija" Alice greeted with a bored tone.Had that "princess" played this woman until she got bored of her. Ellen noticed that the woman had a pair of bat-like wings at her back. Was she also one of those strange looking people in the city?

"May I ask who my little Alice is spending her time with?" she asked Alice.  
Ellen felt slightly annoyed, she was sitting right there, so she could have asked her directly instead.  
What was it with that woman, did she had a wish to get beaten up or maybe be strangled with her own long black hair?

"To start with, I'm not yours. And it's my sister I spend time with."  
Alice was clearly annoyed by Taija's question, and with her lack of surprise when the woman asked the question it most probably wasn't the first time she had gotten that question.

Taija turned and faced Ellen, "So you are little Alice's sister?"

Ellen swallowed her spite against that woman in an instant.

"Yes, I am her sister." It was a challenge to try not sound angry. To be honest she would have loved to chew her head off.

"The one that had lost in your last life and wasn´t found here when you arrived?" Taija didn't even turn away from Ellen while asking that. Instead she seemed to try spy into the very core of her soul.

"Anyway, if you are her sister since then. You are more than free to give me any advice on how I can see an even cuter side of little Alice." she continued without waiting for Ellen's response.

A cuter side if that obscure little "princess", was it something wrong with this woman?

Like a lightning Alice grabbed Ellen's hand and lead her away from Taija.

"I am sorry Taija, but we don't have time to talk more now."

Ellen followed her like a rag doll. Surprised that the little "princess" show of a weakness, maybe that was something she could use against her in the future. Hopefully it could be used as a great weapon to hindrance her from snatching Jack away.

Alice excused for Taija's behaviour a couple of times when they had arrived home and started to prepare the food.

Ellen had tried to sneak away when they did return but had been caught and forced to help.

​

She had spent far too much time with that little "princess" already, yet she had to help her to prepare the dinner. Sure she might make an impression on Jack, but probably not as much as if she had been making it herself. If she had known how to cook that is.

​"So, how has your first day outside the house been today?" Jack asked when they had finished eating.

Ellen shined up. He talked with her. It wasn't far too often he did, but he really did it today.  
Happiness bubble inside of her.

"It was nice to see a little of this world." she answered, smiling like one of those false stall owners.

"But you might need to train a little at being a woman." Alice interrupted with a bitter tone.

Jack asked Alice a little of how Ellen had acted "unwomanly", of which Alice dragged up every little piece of how Ellen acted.

She could almost have simplified it by saying that Ellen had acted "unwomanly" by just leaving their house.

Since Jack was there she quickly apologised for the faults she did.

​

"Next time I meet someone, I will act like Alice did to Taija and just apologise before running off."

That was the only thing that she could use against the horrible little "princess". Of course she wouldn't do it. But it had probably looked really bad if she did, just like the little "princess".

​

"So Taija did bother you again?"

To Ellen's disappointment he was just laughing at her attack against Alice. He didn't even seem to think it was anything wrong with it, instead it seemed to amuse him.

​

"She did bother me. But it wasn't for so long this time." Alice answered after dropping a sigh.

Jack tried to encourage her to spend some time with that woman, saying that she was a good woman.

Ellen felt Jack had tried to encourage Alice a little too long while and was fed up with it.

"Father, when is the wintertree blossom celebration?" Alice interrupted him with. Most probably so was even she fed up with that he encouraged her. Which genuinely surprised Ellen, the little "princess" was fed up with the attention she got. That was impressing.

​

From what Jack had heard so was the wintertree celebration in two weeks.

Ellen got stuck in her thoughts, she couldn't remember that she had heard about that before.

"Can you please tell your sister about it Alice."

Jack said before he left for his library, again.

He must have noticed how lost Ellen had been when they started to talk about it, but he could have told her himself.

Instead of leaving for that dusty old library.

Happily Alice began to chipper about how this world,or at least this land, celebrated the wintertree blossomed as a sign of that the winter was coming. Even though it seemed to only exist one season. It never did fall any snow or got really cold like in their old world.

Everyone in the city celebrated the blossom of the wintertree, so of course they also had to join. They were a part of the city after all.

​

​"It doesn't seem to be any restricting about drinking here, so we can drink if we wish to."

Alice seemed to look forward to the last point she made, looking at Ellen with a smile.

Ellen didn't even feel surprised that the little "princess" looked forward to drinking, it had to be one of her great hunting seasons. Searching for one poor wasted soul that she could have her way with.

Yet the celebration seems to be something Ellen felt she could look forward to. Maybe it could be a chance for her to learn something new that could help her snatch Jack out of "princess's" iron grip.

She looked forward to this chance, even if the chance didn't exist it could be something she could enjoy. There was still also the chance she could spend some time with her beloved Jack.

The following days Alice still forced Ellen to follow her to the marketplace.

Ellen almost begged Jack for support to avoid it, but he didn't seem to be able to care less. It could be good training for her and Alice could help her to get better.

That princess really had a good grip of him, otherwise he never would have forced her to something like that.

​

One week passed and Ellen felt more comfortable outside the house. Sure it wasn't anything that she ever would say out loud, but she really started to enjoy her time outside the house. Even the fact that the "princess" gave her advice about how she should fit in. But that was a really heavy secret that would follow her to the grave. Not even after the first time Ellen got tricked and sent to the marketplace alone, using all advice that Alice had taught her. Not even then she had any thanks or even good words for Alice. Not even when she succeeded to avoid to lose the money by carrying an empty bag, not even then. It had been feeling bad not to thank her by then, she had after all saved her from losing the money.

​

Ellen got sent to the marketplace earlier than usual to be able to take an extra look around. She felt that it was unnecessary to do that.

​The only thing that could happen by being at the market longer then usually was that Ellen would feel sick by those stall keepers attitude, was Alice trying to make her suffer?

After she had bought what was needed she headed back home, only to stop on the way.

There was a shop that she must have passed every day without even noticing.

Sure it was a small shop, but she found it hard to believe that she had missed the big cog formed sign.

Many different kinds of cogs could be seen through the

window, so it had to be a shop for those that worked with

cogs and gears.

A sudden idea stuck Ellen, maybe there could be a chance to help Jack by learning about cogs.

​

He had been locking himself up in his library every day since she was revived, and there was a big chance he had done the same thing before that too. Not to mention that he a few days after Ellen's revival had started to spend far too much time at his work. Whatever that could be.

If she learned about that, maybe there could be a way for her to help him, maybe not with either his studies of the work, but at least in the house.

If Ellen was really lucky maybe Jack was studying things about gears, maybe he wanted to learn more after using it to revive her.

Then they had something they could talk about that the "princess" most probably couldn't butt in at.

​

Ellen nodded for herself before entering the shop.

The first thing she noticed was that all cogs and tools in the shop, they were organised in a somehow organised chaos.

"Welcome to my shop," a man said out loud from behind the counter.

It looked like he could be around two heads taller than her and most likely three times broader than her.

He was one of those people that had an appearance which was influenced by an animal, in this case a bull.

He strokes the outer tip of his long beard that framed his face.

A shipper beards as some would like to call it.

"Little miss, do you know that we don't replace you dress if it gets damaged in here?"

Ellen looked at him and smiled, "I will be careful."

She hadn't thought about that her dress could be damaged in there, so she felt lucky that he pointed it out.

​

"Then what can I help this little miss with?"

Ellen lightly explained that she wished to be able to help her father, and therefore wished to learn how to work with cogs.

Hoping that the man could help her.

​

The man started to Stare at her before he began to laugh. "I apologise little miss, it's just that you are so small and wishes to learn a job that can be really heavy."

Ellen didn't know how she would feel about it. He didn't hold the same painful attitude as any other shopkeeper she ever has met, he felt more honest than any of the others. At least he could laugh at the things he found funny and then honestly apologise, still without the horrific greed dripping way to talk.

​

"Do you wish to say that there's no chance I could work and help others with that?"

She tried to sound serious but found it hard since he already amused her with his laughter.

"Not really, it's just a warning that working with this can be a really heavy work. So you don't think it only involves light work as with light giving gears and likewise."

He tried to both stop the laughter and caught his breath,while cracking a forced smile.

Ellen gave his words a short thought. She hadn't thought about what it involved to work with it, but it could still be worth to learn about it all. She could after all still help Jack and with a little help, she could even earn him some money and show him that she had matured.

"I still wish to learn about it." Ellen answered and gave him her best smile.

​

The man burst out in another laughter and walked over to a bookcase close by, picking out a book.  
"This is a book with the basic fact for cog technicians,I suggest you start with this. And because you have amused me, I will give you a discount."

The price he asked for was so low that Ellen could have paid it even without the extra money that Alice has given her so she could enjoy her time at the marketplace.

"By the way little miss, may I ask why you wish to help your father?" the man asked curiously.

"Because he must have worked hard to revive me." she said happily. Hoping the man wouldn't ask her further about her relationship with Jack.

​

A silence greeted her answer, a heavy and intensive silence.  
The man looked fast too the door and then at her again. "You seem to be a nice girl and I don't want to see your head served on a pole like a Barbecue stick. So I will suggest that you don't tell anyone else that you have been revived."

Ellen looked surprised and confused at him. Wasn't it normal for people from another world to be revived?

He had probably seen how horrible stupid and dumbfounded she looked.

​

"It maybe was legal where you come from to revive someone but it isn't here. If it would come out in public both you and your father will be executed. With or without your agreement."

​

"What are you reading Ellen?" Alice asked when she entered their room, as if she owned the room by herself.

She had bought the book the day before but hadn't been able to read by then. It had come like a big surprise that both she and Jack could be executed because he revived her.

​

Had that also been a plan by that little "princess"? Hoping Ellen would say too much and that she would be executed by herself, since there wasn't any chance that she would allow Jack to die because of her.

"I am reading a book about basic cog technics." Ellen answered short and sceptic. If that really had been the "princess's" plan, she was a worse person that Ellen ever could have guessed.

​

"Why are you reading that?" Her voice was bitter and her eyes felt like they tried to pierce her soul. It was surprising, the little "princess" had earlier had no problem to handle almost any situation without giving any bitter reaction, with the exception for that woman Taija.

"I just want to study it." Ellen had no intention to expose her plan so Alice could interrupt and mess with it.

​

Alice had given her a forced "good luck with the studies" before going to bed. By some reason Alice seemed to have something against Ellen's studies, not that it really mattered to her. This was after all HER chance to gain some extra affection points from him, and it was nothing that the "princess" could do about it.

​

Ellen turned back to her book. She had been lucky that the sky allowed the moon's bright shine to light up the pages. It was like something wished to tell her that this was the right way for her to go, it was the right decision to prepare to help Jack, somehow.

​

Ellen really had done the right decision to start learning about how to work with cogs and gears.

She had one evening walked into the library and tried to make herself look like a fool by asking Jack to explain one thing from the book. Of course it wasn't that she didn't understand it, but she wanted him to spend some time with her.

​

Which had turned out to be a huge success. He explained it in a very soft and understanding way, even encouraged her to come and ask if there was something else that she didn't understand.

Ellen ended up staying in the room with him, both reading a different book in the gentle light from the light bringing gear.

​

It had all been perfect if it shouldn't be that the gear gave off a very frustratingly clicking noise as it turned, just like the one in the room where she had woke up.

The celebration of the wintertree's blossom had finally arrived.

Ellen had looked forward to it when she first heard about it, but it had slowly faded away since a lot had happened around her. Most of it had been according to Alice's plan, but it was also because she did start to read the book that would bring her closer to Jack.

​

All three of them had walked to a park together and found a place where they could look at the wintertrees. Jack had opened a bottle of wine and treated the girls, encouraged them to drink as much as they wished for.

Today was after all the only day they were allowed to do it by him.

Yet he later just left Ellen in the "princess's" mercy when a shady looking man called him over.

The last thing he did before leaving was to once more point out that they were free to drink as much as they wanted.

Ellen emptied the cup of wine after another. If she would spend the celebration together with THAT "princess" instead of him, then she could as well be wasted enough to maybe not snap at her about all the bad things Alice could do.

​

Alice tried to hold her sister's rhythm, but it seemed to be harder for her than the "princess" had thought.

"Isn't it a beautiful view we have?" Alice asked while sitting beside Ellen, looking at the close by wintertrees.

Ellen couldn't deny that it was a beautiful view they had got, of course it would have been better if Jack had been there to see it with them. Looking at all those trees, clothed with leaves in a gentle light blue colour and with flowers that almost looked like they had been hanged up by a gently "princess" like Alice herself.

She suddenly froze up for a second when she noticed what she had thought, the wine had probably starting to get to her head. It had been a great luck that it was just a thought, she wouldn't be able to survive if she had said something like that out loud.

"It is a beautiful view we have gotten,yes." Ellen answered while she tried to ignore the stupid thought that just had passed by.

"Doesn't the reflection on the leaves around the bright flowers remind you of the pictures in the school books about the galaxy?"

Ellen looked up in the tree they sat under, her sister had a point. The small and gently reflections at the leaves reminded of stars around the sun, or in this cause the bright wintertree flower.

Surprisingly, the time she spends drinking with her sister didn't bother her. Instead she was actually enjoying it, maybe because the wine made her let go of the regular guard she holds. Or maybe it was just that the wine made the "princess" hold less grudge against her and therefore it was easier for her to relax there.

"Well if it isn't the little missy." Someone interrupted the casual talk they had fallen into.

Both of the girls followed the voice and noticed a big

bull-like man with a shipper's beard.

"Good evening Mr... Mr shop owner."

Ellen gave him a light bow as she talked. It bothered her that she couldn't remember his name, or did she even ask for it in the shop?

​

The man laughed loudly, "I think we never presented ourselves in the shop. I am Chris."

A relief was showering over her, she hadn't forgotten his name after all so it was all fine.

"Nice to meet you Mr Chris, I am Ellen."

He turned to Alice, "And might this little miss be a friend or girlfriend to you?"

If Alice's look could have killed, he had been dead in front of them.

​

"No, this is my little sister Alice," Ellen answered with a light giggle before she reacted that the wine really must have gone to her head.

Upon her words Alice moved closer to and leaned at her, as if she wanted to indicate that Ellen belonged to her.

​

Chris burst out in another laughter.

"My apologies girls, I could never have guessed that."

Ellen cracked a smile, she did really enjoy this man's attitude.

Stall owners would have tried their best to cover it all up, but not him. He simply spilt all his beans over them after an apology.

The city might need more people like him.

After the strange and messy greeting Chris treated them at some liquor. It was the first time Ellen had tried it and most probably also the last time. It seemed to be the same for Alice, that in differences from Ellen needed two cups wine to get rid of the burning taste.

​

Together the three of them talked and drank the evening away.

Alice did pass out and was sleeping on the knees of her sister.

She was far more beautiful when she was sleeping, it was no wonder that this girl could charm any man and woman.

If Ellen just had been born with only a little beauty from this "princess", then maybe she could have looked at herself without being disappointed.

After drinking and talking far too much Jack came back from wherever he had been, greeting Chris shortly before packing their things up and going back home.

​"What have you been doing all this time father?" Ellen asked as she leaned at Jack.

She was starting to feel weak and had a serious problem walking straight. This wasn't something that would happen often, if this was how she felt after drinking, she could live without it.

​

Jack never answered her question. Maybe because he was both giving a piggyback ride to that lucky, lucky little"princess" and supporting Ellen.

# 3

They hadn't even finished preparing the breakfast when Jack wished to talk with Ellen.

She was feeling tired after the celebration during the earlier evening, the wine seemed to really have affected her sleep.

​

"Do you know where I am taking you?" He asked her when they left the kitchen.

Ellen didn't know, but in her heart she wished it to be the bedroom so they could become one, but that was most probably not the case. But she could still hope and wish, right?

Jack lead her to the room where she once had woken up after being revived.

"I used this room to learn about gears to revive you, and since you have started to study it now. I think you might have a better use for it than I do."

Ellen froze up and looked dumbfounded at him. Did he really give her a room to work in with gears or had she misunderstood something?

He handed her the key to the room and patted her on the head as if he wished to praise her.

"Make sure to learn how to be a good cog technical and make me proud Ellen."

Ellen shined up like a sun and promised to do her best. Since Jack really had trust in her, she really needed to do her best. Maybe there really was a chance for her to help him later on.That was what he wished to tell her, wasn't it?  
"I will make you proud." Ellen burst out loudly.

This could really be her chance to prove herself to be better than that little "princess" Alice.

All she needed to do was to learn and start working with it, then help Jack somehow and her goal would be reached.

Alice must have known what had happened when they were gone. At least Ellen thought so since she got a really bitter glare when she and father came back.

​

Alice never said anything bad to her, but it was clear that she had some problem with it, maybe it was the same bitterness as when she noticed that Ellen started to study it. Could it be that the "princess" started to feel threatened since things didn't go as she had planned?

The breakfast passed like always.

Sure it was how Jack wished it, but Ellen couldn't deny that it wouldn't hurt if there was a little talk.

That was one thing she would change when she and Jack developed their relationship and she became the woman of the house.

Just like the fact that Jack left the house almost without a word after finishing the breakfast and that he locked himself up in the library after coming back home.

Alice had more or less thrown Ellen out of the kitchen after she got to know what had happened outside the kitchen.

"Then you can play with THAT for today." She had said before telling her to go. Alice had tried to hide that she disliked the whole thing, but she was acting like she always did in their past life. So Ellen recognised the behaviour far too well. Seemed like that the "princess" hadn't matured so much after all.

​

The room, or workshop as Jack wished to call it, was in the same mess as it had been the day Ellen left it after spending the night there.

She had just been revived and Jack offered her the possibility to spend the night with Alice, he himself was about to go and sleep after being awake for two days straight. Ellen had roughly declined the offer about spending the night with Alice. Who in the world could know what the grudging "princess" could have done to her if she got the chance?

Ellen dropped a heavy sigh, it wasn't even worth the time to think about that and decided to organise all the things Jack had in the room.

​

......................

​

Alice cleaned up after the breakfast while muttering for herself.

"Why are you starting to work with something like that?"

Ellen had finally come back to so-called life, and is starting with that. Will she disappear again like when she snapped that evening. It was horrible to almost be killed by her beloved sister, but it was even worse when Ellen had died that evening. Her beloved sister had left her and it was all about to be repeated.

Alice let out a sigh. Was it right by her to let her sister go to that room?

​Sure she looked really happy to get allowed to use the room to practice and work by their father. And she hadn't been that happy, or even close to it since she had been revived.

Not even when they finally met again after all those years.

At least she herself had been happy and hugged her sister tight, if Ellen had been more fragile she was sure that the spine would have snapped. Not that it really mattered if it would have snapped since father was there. So he could have fixed it somehow, with or without help from his co-workers.

​Her emotions were in a mess. Why couldn't Ellen be happy to see her little sister again?

Or rather, why couldn't she show it off like during the wintertree blossom? It wouldn't hurt, right?

Alice had been so happy that she called her little sister, even if Ellen looked like she had said something wrong afterwards.

Alice had fallen asleep happy later on, only to wake up and hear how they talked about those cog things.

Why did they have to talk about something like that?

She clenched her hand and slammed it into the table.

Why did emotions have to be so complicated, why did they have to become a big mess?

It could have been so much better if they were easier to control all the time instead of becoming a pain in the rear.

Alice took a couple of deep breaths, she had to handle them no matter what. She was a grown-up woman after all, so it would be a shame if she couldn't control these emotions.

​When she had calmed her emotions she began to do the basic house chores.

She had done it by herself for so long, so it didn't really bother her that Ellen wasn't there to help her. And right now it almost was a good thing that Ellen didn't help. That meant Alice could try to sort out her thoughts without caring about another part.

Why did Ellen have to be happy to study that, it was so many other less bothersome things she could have studied. So many other things there it was a less possibility for her to disappear.

Yet she did chose that.

Alice dropped a heavy sigh, did she need to keep an extra eye on Ellen from now on? Or should she let her run free until she disappeared?

Alice thought long and hard while cleaning the house.

It hadn't felt like long when she noticed that it had become time to get food for dinner. Her thoughts seemed to have made her lose her sense of time, but at least she noticed when it was time to leave.

Like a small lightning bolt she left the house for the marketplace, also leaving Ellen behind.

She would like to have her sister with her, but if Ellen was happy in that room it would just feel bad to disturb her.

Alice had almost got everything she needed for dinner and headed toward the last stall when she heard a painfully familiar voice from behind her.

​

"Isn't it my future wife that is out shopping?"

She had already gone through so much already today,this wasn't really something she wished for now.

"Taija I have told you before, I am not your future wife."

Couldn't that woman understand it once for all? And if it just was a kind of a joke, why couldn't she just stop? Or at least just for a while.

"Alice, you sound irritated. Have anything happened?" Taija asked worriedly.

That woman was mostly fooling around and teased Alice, but of course she had a few times when she was serious. It was easy to hear in her tone, and now was one of those times.

​

"It is just a small something." Alice tried to cut it short. Taija didn't need to know about it. It was after all Alice and Ellen's problem, and theirs alone.

"Why don't you tell me about it? Maybe I can help you with some wisdom of an elder sister."

​

​

Alice ignored her.

"It can also be good for you to ventilate your thoughts and maybe your emotions."

She caught Alice's attention. It could be a point in it, maybe it could be good to ventilate it. Maybe it could result in that it becomes easier for her to handle those cursed emotions.

Alice let out a sigh, this could easily be a really bad decision. But it could be worth to give it at least one try, just to know if it helped her or not.

​

​

.....................

​

It finally started to look like there was someone using the

workshop, finally.

Ellen had arrived to the workshop that had looked worse than she had remembered waking up in.

It was like there hadn't been someone there for a long, long time. And also it looked like the former owner had left in a hurry.

Ellen let out a heavy sigh, how could her beloved Jack leave it in that kind of mess?

Sure he might have a lot of things to think about, but still, leaving it like it were.

​

The tools had all been organised at a table, while the cog and springs were roughly organised at another table.

Ellen looked at it all and put her hands at the hips. It wasn't much she had done, but she still felt satisfied with what she had achieved so far.

​

She cracked a victorious smile and raise her hand. It was probably nothing that could stop her by now.

Her smile quickly faded away when she noticed how dirty her hands were. Her dress was full of dirty hand prints and dirty marks from all those things she had moved during her time there.​

It maybe could be a good idea to get a pair of working clothes, otherwise she would probably be an upcoming world champion at washing clothes in the close future.

She could probably trick the "princess" to do the cleaning, but that would probably upset her beloved father. so in the end it was best if she washed the dress herself, if the horrible "princess" just could show her how to clean the dress.

"Please come in." Ellen screamed after hearing a gently knocking on the door.

Alice looked in, looking around curious before laying her eyes at Ellen. It didn't even take her one second before she looked angry at Ellen.

"You have to go and get yourself washed off before the dinner, NOW. And bring down that dress with you."

"I will, and I will wash the dress myself too if you show me how to do it." Ellen said apologetically to Alice.

Ellen had really got dirty inside the workshop, really, REALLY dirty.

She noticed it herself when she had seen herself in the

bathroom mirror.

Walking toward the kitchen she dropped a sigh. Why didn't she thought about the risk of becoming dirty before she started to run around in the workshop? It could have saved her both time and dignity if she just had thought about it. What would Jack say when noticing how dirty Alice's dress had become.

​

​

"You have to wash that yourself Ellen."

They had just finished the dinner when Jack spoke up.

"Father, she already offered to wash the dress herself. So I will bring her along and show her how to do it the next time."

Alice seemed trying to cover up for her. It was new, did she have any second thought behind it or was she just gently for once?

Jack looked sceptical at Alice first and then at Ellen.

"You better get out and buy some clothes that you can work in later on." he said with a sigh.

​Ellen had already decided that. She would go and buy some working clothes, the next day.

"Do you know a good place to buy it?"

Neither Jack or Alice knew any good places. Which meant she needed to ask Chris for help, and that also meant that she needed to keep silent about that Alice dress had become dirty because she ran around in the workshop.

He had after all pointed out to her to be careful with her clothes at his place.

So he would most probably try to make fun of her if he got to know that she had done it at home instead. If she knew him right after those short meetings they had.

Ellen helped Alice to clean up after the dinner as a kind of apologising gesture for the dress, even if she didn't think she deserves it.

Directly afterwards Ellen went to pick some wood so she could warm up a bath to seriously wash herself off. She could really need it after a day in the workshop.

"What will you do?" The little "princess" was curious as always and almost glared at Ellen carrying the wood.

"I will take a bath to clean myself, shall I tell you when I am done. If you want a bath?"

Ellen sat in the bath tube and let out a sigh. She was taking a bath as she had decided, but not as she had been thinking.

She looked over to the other end of the bathroom. That horrible so-called "princess" had more or less forced her to take a bath together "just like good old times" as she wished to call it. She was probably only trying to show off her body for her, otherwise she wouldn't take her time undressing.

​

"It seems like I am heavier than my big sister" Alice giggled when she joined Ellen in the bathtub and caused the water to flow over.

Ellen only responded with a fake smile, did that girl tried to make fun of her or was she really that dumb?

They almost sat on each other's feet in the bathtub, so Ellen thought about to give Alice a kick for that so-called joke.

Just for good measures.

​

But she decided to not do it in the end. Not because she somehow would feel sorry for the "princess", but it would be a pain to explain it for Jack later on. And what would she do if he started to dislike her?

​

"Ellen, what are your connection with... Mr shopkeeper"?

Alice asked in a strangely serious voice.

Ellen starred intensely at her. What did she really meant, was she really that stupid?

"Chris, he has just sold me a book and said that he would help me to study. Why"?

It was something strange with her little sister. Was she worried that her plan would fail because of Chris?

"Are you sure? It sounded like you were close to each other when you started to start to talk about cog and gears during the wintertree celebration."

To start with, hadn't she been passed out when they talked about that? And if she was awake, why didn't she said anything?

Ellen needed an answer to the question.

"If you were awake, why didn't you said anything? Then we could have talked about something there you also could have joined."

Alice avoided Ellen's look and answered with a bitter tone,"You seem to be happy while talking about it, so it felt bad to disturb.

And it was more comfortable to be allowed to fall asleep to your voice."

Ellen once had understood Alice, but it seemed to belong to the past. Now it seemed like she had changed to more or less a stranger.

Of course it could be that Alice just tried to cover up that she had been shy, which would deeply surprise Ellen. Or did she only act according to a plan?

Ellen let out a sigh, it was no way to know what she really was planning. And it was probably impossible for her to tell what was a plan and not.

Maybe it would be better for her own health to try to relax a little more around Alice. Until it came up something directly connected with Jack. Otherwise there could also be a risk that he turned against her because of it.

There was also a chance that Ellen had the upper hand since she now had something special that she and Father could talk about. Maybe that was the reason Alice acted so strange, she tried to regain control.

During their time in the bath Alice once more forced herself on Ellen.

This time she forced her upon helping Ellen wash her back.

Ellen tried to avoid it, but it all failed. That little "princess" seemed to have a strange force to get her wishes through. Could it be something she had used again poor Jack to?

The next day Ellen woke up earlier than usual. Alice was clinching upon her arm, almost as if it had been a stuffed toy or something.

Ellen turned at looked at the clock in the room. It was this time that Alice usually woke up and prepared breakfast for them.

During Ellen's first time alive again, she had woke up when the "princess" left the room.

Ellen pulled her arm out of Alice grip and left the bed. Since Alice still was asleep, she could gain some extra points from Jack by making breakfast. She didn't know the measures for everything, but how hard could it really be?

​........................​

Alice slowly woke up and quickly curled up under the covering.

It was a lot colder than normal, had it arrived a cold period in the city? Why was it so cold here, couldn't it be like in their old world? A good temperature in every room of the house, without being forced to light up a stove.

Could it be that they had been in a colder period for one or two days already, but she didn't notice it since Ellen was there with her?

​

Stupid Ellen, where did she go on a cold day like this? If it was the room father borrowed her, she better have some real working clothes or be working nude.

The clock had already passed her usual time for waking up to prepare breakfast for her father and sister. Without even wanting to she tried to leave the bed.

​It didn't seem like everything was right with her, she was feeling weaker than the day earlier. And during that day she even suffered from a hangover.

Alice noticed again that her sister wasn't laying in the bed beside her.

If it hadn't been that they had celebrated the wintertree blossom and taking a bath together, then Alice would have been worried that it had all just had been a dream.

She let out a tired sigh, hopefully Ellen had decided to be an extraordinary kind soul and prepare the breakfast for once. Or maybe just for trying to gain some good points from father.

Even if her sister didn't want to confess it, she still had a special place in her heart for him. It was so clear almost a blind could spot it.

​

​After much of hesitation Alice got out of bed.

When she arrived in the kitchen so were both Jack and Ellen there.

Ellen was preparing breakfast just as she had hoped. Even if she seemed to do a little more breakfast than usual, but at least she tried to get it right.

After some short morning greetings Jack looked worried at Alice.

"How are you feeling little Alice, you look a little pale."

Did she look pale, did that meant she was sick? It could explain why she was freezing.

Father put his hand on her forehead, "You are a little warm Alice."

She could feel how Ellen starred holes into her.

​Ellen had said she no longer had any interest in him, but what was this if not jealousy?

"Ellen, make sure that little Alice is resting today." father said before leaving.

He had been looking worriedly at her from time to time during the whole breakfast. It was almost so she felt bad for worrying him that much.

Alice was forced to rest by her sister, but since she didn't want to spend her time alone in the bedroom she simply occupied the sofa in the living room.

She could not feel happier. Just like when she was younger, her beloved sister was taking care of her.

​

​

Alice had before often felt bad for having Ellen taking care of her every time she was sick. Which had been a lot more often than not.

But now she was just happy about it. It only proved that Ellen cared about her, even if father had told her to take care of Alice.

​

..........................​

​

​Ellen let out a sigh while taking the leftovers to the basement.

She had tried her best to both making the right amount breakfast so there wouldn't be any leftovers and to make it better than that little "princess" did it. Both had failed miserably.

She made breakfast for him, just like Alice. Yet Jack didn't say anything or even praise her.

Had she done something wrong or was she just not as good as that horrible little "princess"? Which she needed to take care of, as the cherry on the top.

​

Alice had occupied the sofa, even after Ellen had told her that it would be better for her to rest in the bedroom. At least it would be fewer noises for if she had gone to the room.

The "princess" had fallen asleep seconds after she took her place on the sofa, with a silly yet happy smile.

Ellen began the cleaning of the house, even if she didn't have help it still needed to be done.

To her surprise it was much heavier than when they did it together. How had Alice succeeded to clean it all by herself before Ellen got revived, or did she even clean alone before that?

When it was time to shop for the dinner Ellen had not even cleaned half of what used to be done.

She silently cursed that Alice had got sick. If she hadn't got sick they would have been done by now.

It was only for her to hope her sister would get better soon, so she could help with the cleaning again.

​

​"Sister, it's about time to buy food for dinner."

Alice seemed only half awake while sitting up on the sofa.

Of course Ellen knew too well that it was about time to go out to buy food, she didn't need that little "princess" to tell her.

"Sister, do you have anything small for me to eat?"

Did that high horse "princess" think Ellen was a maid or something? Ellen dropped a heavy sigh and started to walk towards the basement, "I will get you something light to eat."

May Alice get better soon.

​

Ellen meets Chis outside his shop. He was locking it up.

"Hello Chris." she greeted him.

"Hello Ellen." He seemed surprised to see her. "Are you going to the marketplace?"

Chris was closing his shop early to buy some food.

As Ellen understood it, he was about to get visited by an old friend. And because of that, he was about to prepare a fine dinner.

"Do you know any special food that can be good against colds?"

They had only come halfway to the marketplace, but it could be good to know in beforehand.

"I don't know what can be good against it, but my mother often made soup when we had a cold. And it always seemed to make us all feeling better."

It wasn't really the answer she had been hoping for,but if that was the only advice she could get from him she could give it a shot.

​

"Are you believing you are about to catch a cold?"

"No, Alice has caught a cold and I wish for her to get well."

Chris praised her for being a wonderful and kind sister.

Of course Ellen left out the fact out that she already was tired of doing the cleaning herself. It sounds much, much better that way.

​

​Ellen got some advice on how to make the soup better.

To those that didn't know them, they could have looked like a pair. Which didn't really bother Ellen, as long Chris and she knew the truth.

Back at home she made the soup, using all the advice she got from Chris. It ended up being a great success. She was even praised by Jack, praised by his whole stomach.

Even Alice liked it and ate a lot. That Alice also praised her was nice, but it almost didn't matter. As long that the "princess" would get better. So she could start helping with that horrific cleaning again.

# 4

Alice curled up under the blanket, she was still feeling cold just like the day before.

Tired she could hear how they were moving around in the house. Not even trying to move around silently, instead they walked around just as loudly as ever, if not even worse.

"Why can't they be silent?" she muttered for herself and curled up even more under the covers.

She felt a little better than the day before, but she wasn't well yet. It was a pain to be sick, it was just boring. Even cleaning would have been more fun. Which she now left for poor, poor Ellen to do alone.

A light guilt built up in her. It really wasn't fun to clean the house, and even less to do it alone. Yet her beloved sister, that didn't even do it well, had to do it alone while Alice herself was just taking it easy.

Alice spent some time to build up and try to ruin the same guilt before she heard that Jack left the house.

She couldn't spend the whole day in bed, so now it was time to get out of bed. Freezing she left the warm bed to go and get dressed. Silently she cursed the cold rather than her own warmer body.

"Good morning Ellen," she greeted when she arrived in the kitchen.

Ellen had already started to wash the dishes, but as the kind person she is, she had left some food at the table for Alice.

"Good morning Alice, are you awake now?"

Ellen sounded uninterested in her voice. Maybe she was bored of taking care of Alice already, or it could be that she already had started to drown in her own thoughts.

​

"Did father said anything about that I hadn't got up when he left?" Alice asked when she took her place around the table.

Not that she really cared about it, but it could be a good question to start up a conversation with her sister. Ellen did after all cared about their father by whole her heart, so it could be a good opportunity to start it.

"Jack asked me to let you rest and to take care of you."

He didn't say anything in other words. Not that it really mattered anyway. All that mattered was that her sister was there for her. Everything else was nothing of interest.

"Will you occupy the sofa today too?" Ellen asked when she got the dish from Alice.

"It is really relaxing to have you around me, so I will use the sofa again."

Alice had decided to rest on the sofa before even leaving the bed. She did really relax in another way when Ellen was around, in comparison of if she would rest in the bedroom, ALONE.

To her surprise Ellen had already put a blanket and an extra pillow on the sofa.

​She was really caring for her, even if it could be because father told her to, but still.

Alice took her place on the sofa and covered herself with the blanket. It was still just as cold as it had been in the bed, but it felt so much warmer.

Slowly she sank into slumber, listening to Ellen while she cleaned the room. Alice couldn't have been happier, she was not alone in the house anymore.

Alice didn't know how much time that had passed when someone woke her up.

The one that woke her up was no other than that annoying woman Taija.

"What are you doing here Taija."

She didn't know if she was having a bad dream or if that woman had sneaked in with or without permission. Either way Alice didn't like it.

​

"I came to see how you were doing little Alice. I heard that you had caught a cold and decided to bring you some good tea."

Taija didn't seem to care that she could be sick by staying close to her. But in case she got sick later, it would only be her own fault later.

At the table beside the sofa were two steamy cups of tea.

"Want to try some?" Taija asked and leaned over Alice to help her up.

Alice gave it a thought. It could maybe do her well with some tea, otherwise it at least could be nice. If it was the right kind of tea, that is.

Taija helped her up when she should sit. It was a gently but unnecessary act by her.

​

Alice could have handled it herself, but she was still somehow happy by the kind act.

Alice took a sip of the tea, it tasted better then she had been expected. Someone had probably already added honey to it just to her taste. She took a look at Taija, that woman couldn't have done it, right?

Taija asked if it had been to her taste and upon agreement said that it seemed that Ellen likes to pamper her sister.

According to her, Ellen had asked if the tea was bitter and put honey in it after she got to know it was.

Alice smiled for herself, her beloved sister really, really cares for her.​

Taija gave Alice advice about how to stay healthy. Almost nagging it upon her.

That was until Ellen left for buying food at the market.

"Are you still worried about your sister's studies?" She asked Alice as soon Ellen had closed the door behind herself.

" Yes, but at the same time she does seems to love studying it." Alice feelings about it were split. She did want her sister to stay there and to be happy, but she seemed to be as most happy when it came to studying cog and gears.

Taija seemed to understand the dilemma, at least to a point where she could calm Alice worries.

They talked about it for a while until Taija decided that Alice needed to rest.

Alice found it fascinating that the woman that once only had bothered her was able to help her calm down. Someone seems to have gone through a change.

When Taija would leave Alice stopped her to ask for one last thing.

​

...........................

​

​Ellen came back home and noticed that Taija had left the house. Alice on the other hand was still occupying the sofa and slept loudly.

That little "princess" was acting like a spoiled child today, getting up late at totally ignoring everything that needed to be done. If it wouldn't be that Jack had told her to take care of her sister, she would have put the princess into some cleaning duties right away. Not to mention that it was a chance that the "princess" not even was sick anymore, she could just use it as an excuse to not do the cleaning.

​Ellen's thoughts changed very quickly when she laid her hand on her sister's forehead. The girl was more or less burning up inside. Maybe she wasn't really well after all.

She let out a sigh and walked to the kitchen, starting to preparing the dinner. She would wake Alice up a while before the dinner was done so she could get herself washed off before joining the table.

As that sick little "princess" was like now, then she probably wouldn't have recovered by the next day. Which meant that Ellen would need to do everything by herself, AGAIN.​

While preparing the dinner Ellen couldn't help but think of how it would be if Jack got sick. It at very least had to be better than taking care of this little"princess". And in differences from now, she would have enjoyed every second of it.

She could almost see herself taking care of him in any cloth that he wished her to wear, if any at all. Ellen would have done it, no matter of how embarrassing it would have been. All for him and only him.

Even if she didn't want her beloved to be sick, it was a wonderful thought.

Ellen woke up Alice before dinner just as she had thought of doing and sent her to wash herself off.

The "princess" had never looked as she should, normally, and looked even worse now. Almost to a point so Ellen felt bad for waking her up. It was easy to see that she really wasn't well.

​

​Jack hadn't arrived home when she was done with the cooking and after half an hour of waiting they decided to eat without him.

Ellen felt a little bad for it, but it was nothing she could do about it. Hopefully it was only his work holding him up.

Hopefully. Otherwise, if anything would happen to him, Ellen didn't know how to react.

​

All to her joy so was Jack arriving while she washed the dishes, unharmed and fine.

The next day was no different from the day before, Alice was still sick. Sure she seemed to be feeling much better than the previous day, but still sick. So it was yet ANOTHER day she needed to do the cleaning herself.

She was getting sickly tired of doing the cleaning alone, why couldn't that little "princess" get over the sickness?​

​

Ellen glared at Alice that laid sleeping in the sofa, sleeping peacefully. It was a view that annoyed Ellen even further. If she could have, she should have forced Alice to help. And if that really hadn't been possible, Alice would have been sent straight to bed so Ellen didn't need to see her.

As if it wasn't enough already Taija came to visit the little "princess" to. Sure that woman was better than the "princess", but it was still annoying to see them just sit and talk without doing anything to help.

They seemed to be acting strange this day, it was like they kept an eye at her.

For some reason, it felt like it couldn't be good. Could it be that the horrific little "princess" had decided to take help from that woman to take actions against Ellen?

Nothing happened before she got out to buy the food to cook dinner.

During Ellen's time to and from the marketplace she tried to figure out what they possibly could be planning, and how she would escape if they did anything.

Hadn't that little "princess" already done enough by just taking it easy while Ellen worked her rear off?

​

Back at home again she was greeted by Taija and Alice in the living room. Taija looked worryingly glad, at least in comparison with Alice. That looked like she wanted to run away, far away.

" Your sister wishes to tell you something." Taija chippers happily and pushes Alice to the front.​

A rarely shy view of the shameless "princess" could be seen as she wriggled uncomfortably.

"Since you have taken care of me during this days I have been sick" she started before turning to Taija. All the response Alice got was to be pushed closer to Ellen.

"As thanks I want to give you these working clothes." She said out loud and reached out a pair of clothes to Ellen.

​

Surprised by the act, she only looked at Alice for a few seconds before she caught up what just had happened.

​

"Thanks." Was the only thing she could say right off. Not that she wasn't grateful, but how would she react by this act. It could be a kind of trap, but at the same time it didn't feel like that. The "princess's" shyness seemed far too realistic for it to be a trap.

Ellen took the cloths and felt they were heavier than normal clothes, even the texture was different.

And with those clothes she had what she needed to spend time in the workshop again, even if she did need to first finish all her duties.

She had finished the book she bought from Chris just a few days earlier and had found the information simple. It wasn't more than simply lay a puzzle, without an image. A burning interest lit up inside of her, she want to go to the workshop.

NOW. Even if she knew that she still needed to both cook, eat and take care of the dishes after dinner.

Ellen cracked a smile for herself and thanked Alice once more.

Even if her sister acts like a spoiled little princess from time to time, maybe she had some good sides.

​Giving her own sister a well-needed pair of working clothes, just because she took care of a sick little "princess".

After everything was done for the evening, Ellen walked and changed to her working clothes. They were truly heavier than the other clothes, and a bigger size then they needed to be. Of which didn't bother her at all, it was instead almost better that way. Now it was so she could keep them for quite a while, even if she grew a little. But the very best with that the cloths was bigger than necessary, was the fact that they hide her disappointing and rectangular body. The more that was hidden, the better.​

​

​It was both inspiring and disappointing for Ellen to come back to the workshop.

The little more of organized chaos that she had made before Alice picked her up that day, was still there as she had left it.

Little by little she began to organise and out everything at a place where she knew she could find it later. After quite some time it looked like someone really was working there, at the very least it looked like someone spend time there. It was a lot better than when she first had got allowed by Jack to spend time in the room.

During all the cleaning Ellen thought if she really could help Jack, could there really be a chance that she could help him with some simple cogs? Could that really be the answer to whatever he was doing?

​

She meant whatever Jack now was doing maybe couldn't be helped by it, what he did could be so much more advanced than Ellen ever could think of.

​Maybe it would be best to ask him about it later. But at least not until she had come somewhere with her studies, by doing like that she probably could help him by earning some money at very least.

​

By the time she finally was done with the cleaning of the room it seemed to very silent in the house.

Ellen felt tired, whatever the clock was, it was time for her to get some sleep. She took the candle she had got from Alice, if it would be dark when she finished, and lit it before she turned off the light giving gear in the room.

​

​It was all dark in the house. The darkness gave the whole house a different atmosphere, almost chilling as if Ellen would have taken a role in a horror movie.

She was glad that her sister had given her the candle, otherwise it would have been terrifying to walk through the halls.

At last she arrived in the bathroom and looked at her reflection in the mirror, gently shined up by the candle. She wasn't as dirty as the first time she had cleaned the room. But she still needed to wash off her whole body before going to bed. She still needed to wash the dress that she had got dirty during the first time in the workshop, so she didn't need to do the same thing with the bedclothes.

After getting herself washed off she sneaked to her and Alice's bedroom, in her underwear. She had been an idiot to not bringing her nightclothes to the bathroom before starting her work in the workshop.

The whole room felt unusually cold and she really looked forward to taking her place in the warm bed, even if it was beside Alice.

​

​Ellen had to make sure to get a clock in the workshop. She couldn't be up this late every day since she after all still needed to do the house chores the next day. Even if Alice would stop being sick, Ellen still needed to help. She had after all noticed how much of a pain it was to do them herself, so there was no longer a chance she would be thinking of letting her sister doing them alone. Not only because of the pain of doing it alone and that Jack had told her to help Alice. But she also had to do something to thanks her sister of getting her those working clothes.

Ellen let out a big yawn. She had fallen asleep right away when she had gone to bed, but it didn't change the fact that she got less sleep than usual.

She was very tired and it had been the first and last time she was awake that late. And just to make sure it was the first and last time, she would get a clock in there before she spent another evening there.

​

"Did it got late yesterday?" Alice had kept an eye at her sister the whole morning to make sure she helped with the cleaning.

"I couldn't see any clock, but both you and Jack had already gone to bed."

Alice looked serious at her before dropping a heavy sigh, kindly offer to both come and tell her when it was time to get to bed. And to give Ellen a clock, from another room, that she could set up in the workshop.

It was a very kind offer, by a little "princess" that is.

​

After much cleaning and dozens of heavy yawns, she got sent out by Alice to buy the ingredients for the dinner. Especially marking out that Ellen only would walk straight to the marketplace and home. No stop for any spare talk, neither visit any more stores or stalls then necessary.

Ellen silently laughed for herself on her way there. Alice behaviour had reminded her of what a worried mother could have said to her children to make sure they stayed out of trouble.

Straight to the marketplace and straight home. She wished to visit Chris's shop, but didn't. Not because Alice had said so, but rather because she was far too tired to do it.

Jack came back just in time for dinner, which he had failed to do the day earlier.

When he saw Ellen in the kitchen he gave her a smile before asking her to come and help him.

The help he wanted was to carry in a couple of things that was wrapped up in some old clothes.

They were a lot heavier than they looked, and Jack had carried those himself from where he had bought them. He had to a really strong man. Probably a lot stronger than both Ellen and Alice, together.

​

"What is it you have bought Jack?" Ellen was curious about what it was they carried into their house.

"I talked with a co-worker about how I was proud of how my smart daughter had started to study how to work with cogs. And he helped me to create this to make it easier for you to start the basic training. "

​

​He had proudly talked about how Ellen had started to study?

Ellen froze up for a second, happier than ever before. He really liked that she was studying it.

​

Could that mean that there was a chance she really could help him with his work, could she really be some use for him?

When they had carried everything to the workshop they began to open it all up.

The big package contained two pieces of metal plates, filled with holes. And the smaller packages were poles that she could put in the holes and connect cogs too, so she could experiment with how she would put the cogs in future projects. The plates could also be put together in an L form so she could use it in two different angles.

"Now it should be easier for you to practice. And how does it goes anyway?"

Ellen was so impressed and thought so hard about what she would start to practice with, so Jack had to repeat himself one more time.

​

"I did first got my working clothes yesterday and spend the evening to organize the room, so I haven't got the time to really practice yet."

It sounds horrible to say it. She had bought the book before the winter tree blossom, burning to start studying and practising it. Yet she only had used the time to finish the book, nothing more and nothing less. But it would be some changes to that. Now she even got help by Jack to practice, so now she really had to do it. He was counting on her to learn and help him, even if he hadn't said it she know it was like.

It could maybe be a good idea to take Alice offer and ask her to tell her when it was time to sleep. After all she couldn't be this tired every day.

​

The dinner passed by as silent as ever. Jack hadn't said anything more to Ellen after the question about how the practice went.

Was he disappointed at her slow process?

If that was the cause, then she really needed to prove herself. She now had a chance to come closer to him, so it would be a shame if she wasted it.

Just as she earlier had decided she asked Alice to come to the workshop and tell her when it was time to sleep. Until then she should start to practice with the tools Jack had bought her.

It felt like she just had started when Alice came in, both telling her that it was about to time to sleep and bringing her a clock to hang in the workshop.

The time had aggressively rushed by, leaving her with so much more she wanted to try. But it as only for her to do the next day, just as disappointedly it was. The only remaining thing to do this day was to wash herself off and get some well-deserved rest.

"So you have got tools to start some real practice now?"

Chris was smiling with his whole face. It seemed like he didn't have much hope for her earlier, but it maybe was about to change soon. Ellen had got the time to buy another book from him this day, feeling even more motivated to learn and practice more cog and gear technically then before.

After the breakfast Jack had declared that he would come back later than usual, and it would go on like that until he said otherwise. So there would be no need for them to wait for him or even make dinner for him. It seemed that he had a lot of things to do at the work.

​Ellen got worried that there was a risk for him to overwork himself, so she had to help him as soon as possible. Therefore she needed to learn more about it, and all as fast she could.

​

"Yes. My father bought me them and is encouraging me to learn more. So I would like a book about the special kinds of gears, like them that gives heat or light."

If she wanted to be useful she needed to learn about that special kind of gears. She barely knew anything about them, with exception from that the light giving gear gave off a kind of light and that the warmth generating gear gave off heat. So it could be a good point to start with that.

It didn't take Chris long to find the book Ellen wished for. Even if his shop was messy, it seemed like he knew where he had everything.

"Here is the book you are searching for little miss." He placed the book at the counter and gave her a gentle smile.

Ellen paid for the book and wished she could stay longer, but according to Chris's clock so was it about time for her to get home so she and "the little princess" could start cooking dinner. After a short thanks and bye, Ellen left for home.

At the way home she cursed her aching muscles, they had started to hurt by the time she woke up in the morning. It could be because her body wasn't used to the weight if the cogs. Sure they weren't that heavy, but she could give it that it was heavier than the other things she normally did. Hopefully the pain wouldn't last long, this had been the first time she practised it so it was probably something that only would be a pain for a couple of days or so.

Ellen sat in Jack's library and reads the new book. She could and probably should have practice instead, but had thought about it and decides that it was better if she balanced her study and practice. By doing that she could learn a bit more, hopefully.

Alice had asked Ellen after dinner if she should come over to the workshop and tell her when it was time to sleep, just like the day earlier. She even looked surprised that Ellen had decided to read the book in Jack's library instead.

Of course Alice still was allowed to come and tell her when it was time to sleep. The time would most likely pass by fast as when she was practising, so it was better to be safe than sorry.

She only got to read a little of what she wanted before Jack walked into the room. He looked more tired than usual, at least as Ellen had seen him."Welcome back home Jack." She gave him her best smile. Jack only gave her a short murmur as a response before walking over to the bookshelves, picking a book and taking a place in an armchair without saying anything further.

He really had to be exhausted by the work, if he didn't even have the energy to really answer her. Ellen felt that she really needed to help him, he couldn't go on like this far too long.  
"Jack, what are you working with and how can I help you?"  
She needed to know that, if she knew it she could easier help him. Or at least she could pay some extra energy to the parts of her studies that could be more useful.

Jack sat silent for a while, thinking before he spoke up.

"I am creating crystals like the one you probably saw int he chemistry class while you were alive."

Ellen know what kind of crystals he meant, she had seen pictures if it but never made any.

If she remembered correctly they should be easy to make, at least with the chemicals of the old world. But it wasn't sure that they had the same chemicals here, so Jack really must be a smart person to do it anyway.

"How can I help you with gears if they are made by chemicals?"

Was it even possible for her to do anything for him? Insecure started to crawl up her spine, she couldn't think of anything that could help.

"A co-worker had thoughts about that a purifying gear maybe could make them purer. So that is what I wish my beloved daughter to find out."​

​

It sounded good, but it could have sound and been a lot better if he shouldn't have gone back to the book while saying it. But at least she now knows what needed to be done.

The only question that had strike Ellen from time to time was if Jack would pay for her work alone, or would his co-workers help him pay for her. They should do it, they were after all also make a profit if the crystals get better and sells for a higher price.

​

..............................

​

Alice let out a silent sigh and looked at her beloved sister that seemed to be in some deep thoughts.

Jack must have said something to her again, maybe asking her for even more than he already had done. Sure Ellen had spent a lot of time thinking about what she learned and had been bursting out with some gently and happy energy.

​But this time it was different, it wasn't that happy feeling about it. Instead it was an annoyingly serious feeling about it.

"Can you please do some cleaning while thinking?"

Ellen had stopped cleaning while diving into herself. That was really no problem itself, but it felt like it was indicating that she sooner or later would only just disappear.

Leaving Alice alone, again. Now when they finally could spend some time together again.

She only wished her sister to be happy, but was it worth it if she all of sudden would be gone? Was it worth to let Ellen help their "beloved" father, it could easily push her over the edge.

Alice knew it would be like that, yet she was so stupid that she followed Taija's advice to support and encourage Ellen studies.

​Just how stupid could she be?

The only thing that actually seemed to at Alice's side was that her lovely sister still tried to help her with the cleaning. But it was clear that it was bothering Ellen. Was it taking far to much time that Ellen would have wished to study instead?

Would she hate Alice in the end because of it?

Alice hoped that Ellen would clear her mind during her trip to the marketplace, but it didn't seem to work as she had hoped.

Ellen was still in her own thoughts.

Maybe it should be best to just send her to the workshop after the dinner, so she could work some thoughts of and maybe more of her usual self the next day. Even if it would enlarge the risk of Ellen's disappearance.

"I have done some thinking Alice." Ellen began after they had finished the dinner.

Alice felt really surprised, her sister had done some thinking. She could never have guessed...

"I need to study harder to be able to help our father, So if it's possible I would like to spend every second day to study."

It didn't sound like a far too bad idea, at least it was a lot better than if Ellen would have wished to spend every day only to study. And if Alice wanted, she could easily cheat a little with the cleaning during those days. Not that it was a great risk she would do it, but she could.

​"You mean that you wish to only do the cleaning every second day, and leave the other days to me?" Alice noticed how mean it sounded first afterwards. She didn't mean it to sound like that and would just apologise when she noticed her sister was.

Smiling?

"I thought a little about that too and I believe that we don't need to clean every day. So why don't you spend most of the day as you want? Except that there's still a need for you to make dinner, but I will make up for that somehow."

Ellen had really thought things through. Much more than Alice first had thought. It really did sound like a good idea, but what else should it be when it came from her smart sister.

Maybe she could spend the time in some way she wanted.

# 5

It was the morning of the first day that Ellen more or less had decided to be a free day.

Alice had got up the usual time to prepare breakfast for them all. Ellen had been studied late, again, and came to the kitchen when Alice almost was done with everything.

"Good morning sister."

Ellen seemed to be only half awake. Maybe she had to consider how she should work to still be something like a human the next day. If it wouldn't be that Ellen should be practising the whole day, it would have been a pain to keep an eye at her. Ellen was already daydreaming too much while they were cleaning.

"Ain't Jack awake yet?"

Alice looked at the clock, he usually woke up by himself. But today seemed to be an exception and it was starting to get late.

"Can you put everything at the table Ellen?" She asked in a very demanding tone and left to wake Jack up.

There was no chance that she would let Ellen wake him up. No chance at all. She would have taken all the advances that she possibly could at their father. Even if she claimed to not even love him anymore. And who knew how long time that could take.

​

Alice let out a sigh and looked at the door to her father's room.

It was one thing that Ellen was tired in the morning and maybe overslept a little, but he was a grown-up man that should take care of his growing daughters. Didn't that mean that he should act like an adult?

"Jack, it's time to get up!"

It didn't take many seconds before she could hear him swearing.

Was that man really her father?

Either she or Ellen did look like him. Sure Ellen acted like him when it came to forgetting everything around them while studying. But otherwise there weren't any similarities between them and him.

It would have been wonderful if he had declared that they were adopted because of that. But no, instead he thought it was better to just claim it was because it was disgraceful to have children outside a marriage. What did father think he could win by doing that?

Alice let out another sigh while walking back to the kitchen.

Ellen looked disappointed at her when she stepped into the kitchen.

Alice couldn't help but feel happy inside. It was clear that she had hoped it was Jack that came.

She was a terrible liar when she claimed that she didn't love Jack anymore, it was a terribly cute act by Ellen.

​

​

The breakfast passed rapidly as Jack almost threw the food into his mouth and told them to wake him up earlier next time, at the same time.

Soon he ran out from the house like a spring, leaving the two girls alone with their breakfast.

​

"It can't be healthy for him to stress away like that".

Ellen looked down at her food, she seemed to have started thinking again. Thinking hard and deep.

Sure she had a point that it couldn't be healthy for Jack to do like that. But shouldn't she be thinking about herself first? It couldn't be healthy for her either to study that much, and then try to balance it with the house chores.

Don't get her wrong, she's very glad that Ellen helps her with the chores, but shouldn't she really be thinking about herself a little more?

During the short time that they cleaned after the breakfast,

Ellen was stuck in her thoughts.

It was really annoying Alice. They had decided that both of them should clean after the breakfast, but instead Ellen cheated and buried herself in her thoughts. Leaving most of the work for Alice to do alone.

​

"I think I can handle the last things myself now. So you can go to the workshop and work off some steam."

She got tired of it and decided to do it herself. It was better that way, or at least it got done better that way. Instead of that Ellen only would do the "half-hearted, deep thoughts" cleaning.

Alice had both clean the last in the kitchen and the most important cleaning in the house, which was almost nothing.

​

​

According to Ellen idea the rest of the house would be cleaned the next day, so what should she now do? Alice had no idea herself and just stood there dumbfounded.

It was the first time she actually had spare time to spare, so she had never thought about doing anything else than the house chores. Most of the reason was that she had promised Jack to do it every day since the first day they found out that they could bring Ellen back to life.

Alice let out a sigh and walked to the kitchen to boil up some tea. They had found it out together, but Alice herself had been most of the driving force behind it. Sure Jack was the one that both had worked and earned money for it, but it should still not have been possible if it wasn't for Alice.

Ellen came into the kitchen while Alice waited for the water.

She cracked a small smile when she noticed her sister was making tea, " If it's tea you are making, can you please make one cup for me to and bring it to the workshop?"

Even if she didn't like that her sister was studying, she was determined to take care of her. So said and done, Alice took the tea Ellen had requested to the workshops. She had been there before, but this was the first time that Ellen had looked so busy. Sure she only read a book, but it didn't change the fact that Ellen really was sucked up by the study.

After making sure that her sister had noticed that the tea had arrived in the workshop Alice left without saying another word.

Ellen was so concentrated at her work so it felt bad to disturb her, even if it just had been to tell her that she had brought her the tea.

​Alice took her time to drink her own tea while thinking about what she would do during her free time. She could clean the house in a calmer pace, but that would violate the agreement she had done with her sister. In the end she didn't find an answer of what she should do.

After she had finished her tea she let out a heavy sigh. She still didn't know what to do so she could as well get to the marketplace to see if she could find some inspiration there. It couldn't be more boring then just doing nothing in the house, and she needs to get over there sooner or later anyway.

​

​Only leaving a small note behind she left the house.

She could have told Ellen that she left, but after seeing how hard she tried to study it didn't feel right.

​

At the marketplace it didn't take her long to find something that she could spend her spare time at.

There was a lot of stalls that sold cute clothes. Many of them should have looked lovely at Ellen, but they were VERY expensive. Almost if they thought some people pulled money out their rear.

Alice looked close at some of the cute clothes, they didn't look too complicated to do. It was almost that even Alice could make them, even if she wasn't as smart as Ellen. The only thing that could be a problem was to create the pattern for the cloths, but it was something she probably would learn over time. At least if it wouldn't turn out that she was an idiot.

After buying needles and threats that she needed to get started she bought what they needed for the dinner and returned home.

When she returned home she would bother Ellen a little,only a few seconds. Alice had bought textile to make Ellen a shirt, and therefore she needed to bother her sister to take the length and a measure around her waist. Whenever Ellen agreed to it or not.

Back at home she began walking toward the workshop, first in front of the door she could hear that their father was talking with Ellen. After listening for a little while she noticed that it was about how Ellen would help him with his work.  
Alice began to walk toward the kitchen, it was most probably not a good idea to disturb them right now.

Why did he have to return early this of all days? Couldn't it have been late as usual, or even the next day?

​

​

.................................

​

Jack had arrived home early and come into the workshop and interrupted her studies. If it wouldn't be that it was Jack, she would have been irritated. But it was her beloved one, and he was even bringing her good news.

It seemed like his co-workers had agreed to let Ellen help them with getting a better product. They also had decided at a small budget and to support her with a special gear, that they thought could do the trick.

"The budget we give you are 5 gold, so use it wisely."​

Ellen looked at the pouch she got from him, it didn't look like much.

​

​But it was most possible more then she could think. Her eyes wandered off to the two gears she had received. Neither did they look very special, except for that they all had a propeller in the middle.

"The gears you got is purifying gears. As they can purify a small a mount of dirt, we believe that they can make the crystals purer too."

They did believe?

"So you don't know if it is working at all?"

Jack shook his head in response and claimed it was for a cog technician to find out. Pushing it all over at her.

Couldn't they at least have known if it worked or not before leaving the work to someone else? What were they, idiots? Or didn't they care if it succeeds or not?

Ellen began to examine the gears and crystals, still silently cursing THEM for not knowing if it will work or not. It all could have been so much easier if they had known. That should have meant that Ellen could have spent the time to just put it together instead of doing a lot of tests.

​She let out a loud sigh and start to look at the crystals Jack had given her. They looked like crystal they could dig out of a mounting and really not like something created by human hands. No of the crystals she got was clear, instead it looked like some fog had been collected inside them. Was it the fog inside they wished to get rid of to raise the value?

Anyway she noticed that they felt fragile, it could most probably be made to dust by just dragging it against the table.​

So she needed to be careful when she handled them. It would only be a pain explaining to Jack if she broke one of them.

​

​At least he seemed fond of the crystals and had given her straight orders to give both crystals back after trying to purify them once. So he could test how good it had gone, or that was what he had said.

​

Next up was the purifying gears she had got. Just like when she had talked with him, they didn't look very different from other cogs. Except for the propeller in the middle of it. But they did feel really different from other cogs, they were a lot colder. Since it wasn't that cold in the workshop Ellen came to the conclusion that they were made in by a different material.

The propeller in the other hand felt warmer, so it also had to be made in a different material. She could probably need to read some more about it, or ask Jack about it. He had to know something, either what it was made of or how it worked.

Otherwise he wouldn't give a request like this to his beloved daughter, right?

Ellen walked to wash herself off.

Alice had come and disturbed her during the gear examination, telling her that it was time to get ready for the dinner.

Alice had curiously glanced at the gears and crystals that laid at the table without saying a word. Had she seen any of those things before? She most probably had, she had after all spent around a year together with Jack in this world before Ellen had been revived.

Ellen let out another heavy sigh, why couldn't it have bee her that got that possibility?

Even if she and Alice had talked about taking it easy this day, it seemed like Alice had put her all into making the dinner as always.

​

Was her sister a workaholic that didn't know how to take it easy, even when a calm day was thrown into her face?

"Don't you have a book about how gears work?"

Jack looked sceptical at her.

The dinner had been silent as always, but when they all had finished it Ellen decided to ask him about how the purifying gear worked. But his response gave Ellen a feeling about that it had backfired.

"I do. But I thought that I could ask to save some time."

Jack started to explain to her that she was a grown-up, working woman. So she should be able to handle it herself.

Ellen would have loved that he called her a grown-up woman, but not a time like this. Whatever different time would have been fine, but now it was like he just indicated that she was on her own.

Maybe there was no other choice than to ask Chris about it, he would most probably accept that she asked for help and some advice. He had already said that he would help her. Sure that had been while talking about studies, but he would also help her when it came to any work, right?

Jack had left for his library, again, and the girls had started to do the dishes.

"Is it a hard request Jack have given you?"

Alice seemed curious about Jack's request, maybe because she wished to find a way to get even closer to Jack herself. As it wasn't enough that she already had him spellbound with the food she made, which not even Ellen would deny was tasting great.

​​

​"it ain't an easy request he has given at least."

Ellen was exhausted by her thoughts that were spinning around in her head like headless chickens, so she didn't even feel like finding a way to avoid Alice horrific try.

​

" What are you suppose to do with those strange cogs and crystal-like things?"

Ellen tried to simplify how she would try to find a way to make the crystals purer with the gears, which no one really knows worked or not.

Alice lit up irritated like a torch.

How could they leave a request like that if they didn't even know if it works or not? Wasn't that just like they tried to use her? Trying to save money by abuse a girl, for the sake of saving a few coins.

Ellen feels glad that her sister thought some how like her. Maybe "the princess" had something like a heart after all, maybe those kind act earlier hadn't been fake.

Back in the workshop Ellen picked up her book about special gears.

Jack could have a point in what he said earlier. Ellen was a grown-up and she had decided to start working as a cog technician. So maybe she had gained some more responsibility just by those facts alone. And then it was best trying to find out some more information and think about it herself before asking around for help.

It was easy to find the information about the purifying gear in the book. Who even had organized the information in the book did know what they did.

​

Ellen was exhausted by her thoughts that were spinning around in her head like headless chickens, so she didn't even feel like finding a way to avoid Alice's horrific try.  
"What are you suppose to do with those strange cog and crystal-like things?"

Ellen tried to simplify how she would try to find a way to make the crystals purer with the gears, which no one really knows worked or not.

Alice lite up irritated like a torch.

How could they leave a request like that if they didn't know if it worked or not? Wasn't that just like they tried to use her? try to save some money by abusing a girl, far the sake of saving a few coins.

Ellen feels glad that her sister thought some how like her. Maybe "the princess" had something like a heart after all, maybe those kind act earlier hadn't been fake.

Back in the workshop Ellen picked up ger book about special gears.

Jack could have a point in what he said earlier. Ellen was a grown-up and she had decided to work as a cog technician. So maybe she had gained some more responsibility just by that fact alone. And then it was best trying to find out more information and think about it herself before asking around for help.

It was easy to find the information about the purifying gear in the book. Who ever had organized the information in the book did know what they did.

It wasn't much information about the gear in the book, but it was about what she needed to know.

Just like she had thought the gear and propeller were made by two different materials, of which she never had heard the name of neither of the metals before.  
It worked by spinning above the object that should be purified, propeller towards it, of course.

​

And somehow it drags out the impurities out of the object. The more solid the object was, the harder it was to drag the impurities out of it. The chart that was written in the book only reached to dirt.

Then it didn't seem like it could go further, or maybe they just hadn't found a way to reach further after that.

There was also a breaking point at the gear, hundred rounds/minute. Which could explain why they hadn't reach further than dirt, that needed the gear to spin at least ninety-five rounds/minute.

Ellen let out a heavy sigh, if dirt was the most solid thing it could purify. It meant that it could be so much easier if she crushed the crystal before even trying to purify it, but that also meant that it would be impossible for customers to buy whole crystals.

Which most probably was the whole idea of selling them. So she needed to find a way to purify them in one piece, which could be a hard task since the gear had a breaking point that almost was reached while purifying simple dirt. She almost knew that she would break at least a couple of gears while working with it, so it could be a good idea to ask Jack if they supported her with more gears if both of them broke. And she also needed to find a way to go around the breaking point.

This could turn out to be much harder then she had thought at first.

When Ellen decided to get some sleep the others had already gone to bed. Once again she walked through the house in the light of a single candle. It felt creepy just like the first time. It was still like a scene out of a horror movie, there anything could jump out of the shadows and attack her.Ellen violently shakes her head, she was getting really tired.

If she got feeling like that it really was time for her to get some sleep. She is a grown-up woman now, so she needs to act like one instead of acting like a child.

​

After taking off her working clothes and washed of herself, she walked to the bedroom in her underwear. First off because she had forgotten her nightclothes there, and second because she felt too tired for even care if she wore the nightclothes or not.

She never did in her last life, so if Alice hadn't given her the nightclothes she never would have worn them.

Ellen did try not to wake Alice up when she sneaked into the bed, but the luck wasn't at her side.

" Working late today Ellen?"

"The Princess" seemed to be barely awake as she turned to her sister and talked.

Ellen didn't get a chance to answer before the next question was thrown at her.

"Did you find any solution for the task Jack gave you?"

Why was that little "princess" so curious about that? Did she hope that Ellen would fail Jack so she could get closer to him, AGAIN? That wasn't anything Ellen would allow, not for anything in the world.

​

" I have a couple of ideas that I will talk with Chris about, so I think everything will work out my way."

It was almost a lie, she sure had one idea. But it was barely good enough to gain her confidence. There was probably so much more she would need to look and think over again and again until she really had succeeded. If she even could finish the task successfully.

"Then you can go and visit him after we have finished most of the cleaning, so will I pick you up after buying what we need for dinner."

It was actually a good idea, for coming from her. Her idea meant that Ellen could get in touch with Chris faster then she had thought from the beginning, which was at least one day earlier than she had planned herself. It also meant that she could get more help and maybe even finish the request faster. Maybe Jack could be happier that way too, maybe he even would praise her richly.

But first off she needed to ask Jack about the purifying gears. To do the work she had to find a way to surpass the breaking point, and that meant there were some risks that the gear would break. And if she won't get more from him, it will be a pain.

" Ellen, it is time to get up."

Why did Alice have to be an early bird? It wouldn't hurt to sleep a little longer, like when she was sick.

"Ellen, we have to get up and make breakfast."

Was this how the little "princess" would be after a "free day"?

If that was the case, then Ellen might need to consider if she really would allow Alice to have "free days".

"If you don't go up, you might miss your chance to talk with Jack."

She had a point that Ellen needed to talk with him, but it probably wasn't that the "princess" had in mind.

Was she really ready to use Jack to get Ellen out of bed? To get what she wanted. Use poor, poor Jack?

At last Ellen left the bed, still only half awake. Silently cursing both Alice and the fact that she needed to ask Jack about the gear. Sure it couldn't be helped, but still. The air and clothes felt cold against her skin when she got dressed. They should really need to do something about that, at least Ellen thought so.

The breakfast passed silently as always. Ellen really wished to change that, but last time she had tried she got totally ignored by the two others. It really had to be changed when she finally got together with him. Whatever they wished for it or not.

"Jack, can I ask you a question?"

Only by talking she seemed to bother him. He looked

disliking at her and cracked an irritated smile.

"Go ahead Ellen."

She hesitated if she would go on and ask him the question. But since she already had bothered him, it was probably best to ask him the question.

"If the purifying gears would break, is it possible for me to get more of them?"

Jack widens his eyes and starred surprised at her.

"Do you have any plans to break the gears?"

"No, not at all. But since I probably will need to keep speed close to the breaking point, there is a risk that the gears break."

Jack didn't give her an answer to her question. He needed to think about it and talk to his co-workers about it.  
Ellen could only accept his answer and wait for the final answer, no matter how annoying it was. She would also have loved to ask him why he did look bothered by her question.

Wasn't it normal for a cog technician to make sure how the situation looked like before really starting?

Ellen was in deep thoughts while cleaning, she really needed to find a solution to the problem.

Could the gear spin faster than the breaking point, if it was less than a minute. If that possible could work, then she maybe had a chance to purify the crystal to Jack's liking. Otherwise she at least had a point to start from and work out from.  
"Ellen, can you please spend some energy at cleaning instead?"

Couldn't that "princess" just shut up? She had some serious problems accepting that Ellen had a lot to think about, was she afraid that she would lose Jack to her? If that was the case, it would only be serving her right.  
"I will."

There was no idea to even think about starting an argument with her about it. It was after all Ellen herself that had come up with the idea of that only every second day would be a "free day".

And today was not one of those days.

​

Ellen began to clean again, for a short while before she got stuck in her thoughts again.

Alice got clearly more irritated by every time she had to tell Ellen to start the cleaning again.

"Please Ellen, go over to Chris and go through all your thoughts with him. I will do the last cleaning myself, but just for today. I want YOU to really DO some real cleaning next time.

Without getting stuck in your thoughts all the time."

Alice had got tired of Ellen after telling her to start cleaning again seven times, at least.

Ellen frantically ran to her workshop, put both one of the purifying gears in a small bag while grabbing one of the crystals before leaving.

​

While running she couldn't help but feel sorry for Alice. She had just held on to their agreement, yet Ellen had failed to hold on to her part of it. She probably didn't mean any harm by constantly interrupting her thoughts. Maybe Ellen had to do something for her later on. Only maybe.

She at last reached Chris's shop, it felt like she had run for much longer than she had.

But now she could probably settle a few of her thoughts. If she only could do that and get an answer from Jack, which of course would work late, it could be quite some fewer thoughts to annoy her next time she would clean.

​

"Chris, I might need some help!"

She had just opened the door when she spoke up to him with a loud voice. Without any thoughts if there was anyone else in the shop.

Chris looked up surprised at her from behind the counter.

​

When he realized it was her he cracked a wide smile, "Starting to feel like home here?".

Ellen ignored his comment and began to explain the task that she had got from her father while walking toward him. Chris listened carefully and nodded to show that he was following.

"So simply said, you wish to ask a couple of things that you are wondering about?"

Ellen nodded in agreement, she had to know if she wished to finish Jack's request.

"Then let us see what I can help you with."

Chris started with examine the purifying gear and the crystal.

According to him so were the gears of high quality, which meant it could take some more punishment than usually. And the crystal was nothing like he had worked with before. Not that he really had worked with purifying gears either, more than installing it once at another workshop.

"So you want to find a way to surpass the breaking point for the purify gear?"

He seemed to be in deep thoughts while asking. Maybe he was heavily hesitating that it would work?

"Yes, that is what I want. I believe it's the only chance to make the crystal purer."

"And you believe you can surpass that by hold a higher speed for a shorter while, then letting it slowdown. Before you repeat the same pattern again?"

Chris was right on how she had thought, but the only problem was if it would work and for how long it would work. If it even were working.

​"Have you tried to hold the maximum speed yet?"

Ellen looked surprised at him, she actually hadn't tried that yet. But the maximum speed could only purify a part of dirt before breaking. And even if the crystal was fragile, it was still more solid then dirt. So it wouldn't work, at least she didn't believe it would work.

​

Chris burst out in laughter when he noticed Ellen's expression.  
"What do you say about coming back when you have tried that, so will I also give your little idea some thought and see if I can come to a solution."

​He didn't take her seriously, but of course who would have? A girl that just have started as cog technician comes in and ask for help, before even trying anything herself. She couldn't really blame him.

​

Ellen let out a sigh, "Is there something so I can adjust the speed? So will I try both the idea and the highest speed before the breaking point."

When she walked out of the shop she meets Alice, walking home after visiting the marketplace. She still seemed to be just as irritated as back home, yet she seemed to have come to pick Ellen up.

​

There maybe should have been an apology to Alice, but Ellen found it hard to think so. Sure she had failed to hold their agreement, for a good reason. If she could finish the request then Jack maybe should be home more, and Alice also wanted that. Right?

After Ellen had helped to finish the last of the house chores for the day, she as usually went to her workshop.

She had earlier bought a kind of spring from Chris that could help her adjust the speed of gears.

​

​Which meant that she had to start working on the request now. She had everything she needed to start, so there was no longer any excuse for her to not do it.

​

Starting with to out up those practice plates she had got from her beloved Jack, followed by some gears and then followed by another kind of gear. That was spinning by itself if it got in contact with a specific kind of metal, and the more amount of metal that touched it the faster it spans. With help of that, she could try and see if it made any difference below the breaking point. Of course she would try to use the spring too, stil believing that the spring could be the answer.

She tried both of the methods. The only thing she noticed really happened was that the purifying only resulted in some slightly naughty smell. But otherwise the crystals looked just like before.

​

She would have loved to give some of the crystals another charge with the spring, but after the third charge the gear had crumbled to pieces.

Jack and his co-workers had to be sponsoring her with purifying gears, otherwise she would run out of money in no time.

She let out a defeated sigh. Those crystals were the only ones she had, so now after she had experimented at them she needed to leave them to Jack for him to test them. Which meant that there was nothing more to do this day.

The only thing she could hope for now was that Jack either had or would have taken home more crystals that she could work with.

If he hasn't it meant that she had nothing to work at during the next day, which was a day she could all spend only working. As long as the "princess" didn't want a revenge for this day. But then she would only show how rotten she was and that she didn't care about their dear father.

# 6

Ellen's first attempt to purify the crystals had failed.

After Jack had done an analysis on them it turned out that there was almost no difference at all, except for that their value had dropped. He had been slightly frustrated at her when he told her and almost scolded her.

The only good things that had happened her in it all as that he did bring crystals with him every day so she could go on with her work, and that they had decided to sponsor her with purifying gears while she did the best she could to help them.

After weeks of working on the problem she was called to his library by Alice.

He had worked late as usual and Ellen had walked to the workshop after the dinner as always, trying to do some work.

​

She had seen and heard a couple of things some days earlier that was bothering her and she needed an answer from Jack.

"You know I am losing money by letting you destroy the crystals right?"

He was clearly angry and stared right into her.

She knew that and she tried her very best to finish the quest. Or at least she had tried her very best earlier.

​"Jack. May I ask a question?"

"What are the crystals I am trying to purify, they ain't collecting objects, right?"

Jack looked even angrier at her and shake his head.

"A few days ago I overheard a conversation by two people that clearly were junkies. They talked about a drug they called crystals and described it. Everything they said fitted perfectly with the crystals that I am helping you to purify. I ain't purifying a drug, right father?"

"Yes you are."

He didn't even try to hide the fact of what he made her do. And it terrified Ellen even more, would he just spill the fact just like that if he was arrested too? What would happen to everyone if he was arrested, what would happen to Ellen and Alice? Could he even be arrested in this world?

​

He tried to motivate the making of the drug with that they needed money to survive. And that money came from him selling that drug. If he ever would stop selling the drug, they would be finding themselves on the street with all the other homeless people. Which was a situation that Ellen most probably wouldn't be able to survive in, not Alice either for that sake. Not to mention that only the fact he was losing money put them in the risk to get thrown out at the street. So if she didn't want that to happen, she had to solve the problem.

​

.............................

​

Alice looked angry at her sister, she wasn't only slacking off when she would be cleaning. Now she was even being only stupid and ignored her own needs.

​Ellen had left for her workshop as always after finishing the last house chores, but she never left the workshop. Not even when it was time for breakfast. Which was a reason for Alice did bring some food and tea with her to Ellen's workshop.

Ellen wasn't allowed to even think about not eating, not during Alice watch at least.

Ellen was bitterly muttering while eating the food.

She really seemed tired, there was a high possibility that she hadn't slept anything during the night.

Alice did feel very uncomfortable with the fact that Ellen had started to ignore her needs, if she didn't stop it she was in risk of both disappearing and get badly harmed.

To avoid it so was either Alice forced to make sure that Ellen took care of herself, or Ellen had to solve the problem of Jack's request. Neither of the problems was easy to solve.

If Alice only could have been as smart as her sister, it would have been so much easier. Then she really could have helped, somehow.

The table there Ellen had all her stuff was a mess, papers were mixed with cogs and other kind stuff. The thing that she seemed to be working at also stood there. Or at least Alice thought it was something that she worked at, because it didn't look like something anyone would work on any more.

It was just a pair of plates out together, and some different cogs and stuff set up. Just by looking at the thing it was impossible to tell what she was trying to do.

​"Ellen, How are you still trying to make the crystals from father better?"

She had only heard that Ellen had been asked to make the crystals purer, what it now could mean?

One of the reasons that Alice always had idolised her sister was because no matter how bothersome Alice could be, Ellen always respected her.

​Just like this time when Ellen tried to simplify the answer so Alice easily could follow what her sister meant.

She looked sceptical at the purifying part, it felt unbelievable that a part like that could purify anything. And if it wouldn't have been that it was Ellen that told her that, she would never have believed in it.

Alice looked a little closer at the cog that they said would make the crystal better, if it wouldn't have been for the propeller it sure looked like any other cog.

Alice left the workshop after given Ellen a worried look. She had already started to work again like if Alice never had bothered her, but she seemed to have a little more energy now then before Alice had forced her to eat.

She let out a heavy sigh, it had all become a mess after Jack given Ellen this task. He even seemed to start being a little worried about her. But it was mostly overshadowed by the fact that he shows irritation because Ellen both was slacking off more during the cleaning and that Alice tried to cover up for her sister. Sure, he had a point when he said that she needed to learn to balance the house chores and work.

​But was he really someone to complain about that? When he worked as hardest, he never did any house chores. Not that he did even try to do any of the chores afterwards either.

Ellen did at least try to balance it, even if it wasn't going well.

Alice let out another sigh, it felt like she just has to swallow it. There probably wasn't much that neither she, Jack or any friend could do to help her. At least she didn't think so.​

​

​Worried for Ellen she left the house after doing her chores. The only positive thing with day could be that she and Taija had decided to meet at the marketplace.

But it was only because Taija had promised to help her with ideas for making Ellen a dress, which didn't even seemed like a good idea anymore. At least not as long Ellen worked as she did. And who knew for how long she would work like that.

Taija started with a glad greeting when they meet, but stopped in the middle of it.

"And just how are you feeling Alice?"

She knows that Taija meant well with the question, but it came out very rude because she stopped her glad greeting to ask.

" I am just slightly tired, I didn't get a good sleep last night."

It was better to pull an innocent lie than to trying to explain the situation for her. The lie itself was also trustworthy, mostly since Alice already had been suffering from sleeping problems.

Taija let out a light sigh and tired sigh. It seemed like she had fallen for the lie, and it was probably for the best.

After a light conversation they began to search for a beautiful textile Alice could use for her next project. In Alice mind it was no longer sure that the project would be a dress to Ellen.

But it was not easy to say it straight out to Taija, she was just as stubborn that Alice could be. So she would not only go on and nagging her to do it, and she would probably also suspect that it was something going on.

And THAT was nothing Alice wanted to go through right now.

After looking at all the stalls had to offer and Alice had made up a couple of good excuses they walked to get some frozen cream that Taija had promised to treat Alice at. Alice found it impressive that there were people that offered frozen cream since it didn't exist any refrigerators in this world.But it could be because of cog technicians that it all was possible.

"Can you please tell me what's going on Alice?"

Alice took the frozen cream Taija handed her and gave her an evil look, "There is nothing going on."

It didn't seem like she had been able to trick Taija after all.

She might need to learn how to trick Taija later on, otherwise it could turn out bad time after time.

Taija didn't trust Alice's answer and continued to nagging Alice, she even did some bad guesses and pinched the problem.

"If you are worried about your sister, it only proves that you have a bothersome sister."

​Ellen wasn't a bothersome sister, even if she didn't make the life easier for Alice. Even if she was slacking off during the cleaning and made Alice worry for her... Maybe she was a little bothersome after all, just a little.

​

Taija patted her on the head as if she had seen her whole mind patter.

"Will you still make up excuses for not buying textile to make your sister a dress?"

"Even if I make her a dress, it isn't a big chance that she will wear it."

They ate the last of the frozen cream in silence, then when they were done Taija dragged Alice along to a stall. They had talked about how beautiful the textile was earlier.

"Pick a textile you wish for Ellen's dress, so will I help you make it."

That wasn't a request or offer, it was a straight order to Alice. Being bossed around by Taija, she at last choose a textile. It was a textile in a darker blue colour with patterns of light blue winter tree petals. It was somehow fitting Ellen.​

​

Taija took up the textile and looked at it for a short

while," May I please out an order at a new piece of textile, or have a big discount."

​She holds up the textile and pointed out a small hole in it, not even big enough to put a finger through it. But it was clearly more than enough to catch her attention.

Alice wondered why it was such a problem with a small hole like that, it was just a tiny hole after all.

Taija first looked at her as if she just remembered how inexperienced Alice was.

​

​"Even if it only is a small hole, it doesn't take much for it to get bigger and bigger. If you only get your finger through it, it will be bigger and soon it can swallow your whole hand. All because there was a tiny hole to begin with."

Alice looked at her own hand for a second, "Will the hole get bigger if I would press my clenched fist against it?"

Of course she knows the answer herself, but she wanted to hear it from Taija to.

Taija had all right to look at Alice as if she was an idiot, which she also did. "It will still be bigger, but you will need push harder."

Could it be the same thing with other materials, like the crystal? If that was the case she maybe could be able to relax soon enough.

​

But before she did that, she needed to let Taija bosses her around for a while. She could have helped Alice and Ellen more than she ever could believe. Even if she could

behave like a cuddle loving hag from time to time.

​

​..............................

​

Ellen silently cursed the situation.

It wasn't enough that her father had given her a more or less impossible task, it also turned out that what she did was horrible.

​Even if he tried to motivate it with that they needed to let other suffer so they could survive themselves.

But did that really make it more accepted?

She had tried to change the machine for the better, but according to Jack there were no changes in the crystals. At very least not enough changes for her father and his co-workers to be pleased.

​Which meant the first of the three weeks she was given to success had passed, a third of the time before they got thrown out at the street. And to Jack's advises she hadn't told Alice about it. Her heart wouldn't be able to bear the pain of knowing what could be waiting for them if Ellen failed.

The worries had started to take out their rightful parts of Ellen's life. It was bothering her when she was sleeping, when she actually did take the time to get some sleep. Her thoughts were circulating around the task all the time, making it harder to do the cleaning or anything else serious.

After this was done, she would need to apologise to Alice for everything she needed to cover up for her. Even if things didn't turn out well and they got thrown out at the street.

Ellen had been silently cursing her younger sister when she interrupted in the morning. She hadn't felt like eating, but still so Alice had forced her to eat. Maybe a part of her "princess-like" heart had some good parts after all.

​

​Ellen came to the conclusion that Alice didn't trust her anymore since she came to pick her up when it was time for them to eat dinner. Even if she probably only meant well with it, Ellen couldn't deny that it was slightly annoying.

​

She somehow felt that she was about to process with the task, but it wasn't the first time she felt like that. And every time it had turned out to be wrong and she just was at the same place as before.

Ellen had just washed off herself and walked toward the kitchen.

The annoying "princess" had ordered that Ellen would join her for a bath together, as a punishment for that she had helped less with the cleaning lately. If it wouldn't have been because it was true, she would have ignored the request and walked straight back to the workshop after eaten dinner. But since Alice wasn't meant to know about it, she had no choice but to follow her request so Alice wouldn't suspect anything.

She dropped a heavy sigh while washing, Jack had been looking irritated at her during the dinner, without saying a word to her. His message was clear, he wanted her to finish the request.

But if he didn't want Alice to know, he maybe should try to act normal. Instead of going to the library without a word directly after he was done eating.

Of course he needed to think about how to cover up the money he was losing at Ellen's work, but it could have been done in a smoother way to do it.

"Ellen, can you please start to warm up the water for the bath?"

The bath was more or less the same as last time. Alice had already decided that she once again would wash Ellen's back, which she accepted without even trying to avoid it. She was owed Alice a lot after being taken care of and the fact that she did cover up much for her. Most probably it was enough so she never ever could pay it off.

​

"Ellen, will you get to sleep in time today?"

Even in the bath so was it really was clear that Alice didn't ​trust her at all but, of course, who would do it after seeing how​ bad she acted since Jack gave her the deadline.

​

​"I think I will."  
It maybe would do her well if she got a good night's sleep.

​At least it couldn't do it any worse, not more than that she lost a couple of hours work.

She could hear Alice giggling from behind her while washing Ellen's back,

"That sounds great."

"Ellen, about the work you do. Have you been thinking about the forms of the cogs?"  
Of course she had, or she had at least giving it a small thought.

"If I push my fist against your back, you feel it, right?"

Alice pressed her fist against her sisters back and she could clearly feel the whole thing.

What was she up to, what should happen next? Was she about to hit her in the back?

"If I push my finger against your back you feel that too, right?"

Had all the work broke Alice? What did she want to point out? Of course she felt that Alice pushed her finger against her back. Where there a reason why she wouldn't feel that?

"You feel it even if I said that I am pushing less now than before?"

Yes?

"Do you think the form of the propeller at the cog can affect how much it... purifies?"

Ellen started to understand where Alice wanted to tell. If the propeller of the purifying gear was the fist, it needs to push more to feel it.

​But if the propeller was like a finger, it could push less and yet be felt. Because it was a smaller area it did connect with. Maybe it could help to purify the crystals, a small part at the time.

​

"Do you think it could work Alice?"

Alice wasn't sure about it, but did drag up what Taija had said about a small hole in the textile. Which meant that a whole hand easily could get through there if it started with a hole and a finger. Or, as Alice thought, a cone formed object.

That maybe could solve the problems, a cone formed propeller.

She had to make sure to talk about that with Chris. He had after all tried to help her as much he has been able to. Maybe he also knew how to get a propeller formed like that?

"I hope it does, of course I don't know since it isn't my area of expertise."

Alice went on cleaning her back, silently humming something unclear. What ever it was about, she seemed to be happy. Maybe the "princess" praised herself for the idea, which of course she allowed to do. Alice had come up with an idea that Ellen wouldn't have found out on her own.

"Will you go to Chris's shop tomorrow?"

Ellen had been thinking about it, but was still hesitating since it wasn't a free day. She had already made Alice cover up enough for her.

"Pardon me, I mean. You will go to Chris's shop tomorrow the earlier the better."

Ellen was surprised, was the "princess" a person to order her around?

"But you will help me clean until I say otherwise. Then you will go to Chris and talk through the idea, maybe also get a real chance to solve it. So maybe you can help me with the cleaning later on, WITHOUT spacing out."

​

Was that what she wanted? Was it just about that she wanted Ellen to get the request done, so she could start helping Alice with the cleaning again?

After remembering how intensive she had cursed that Alice was sick, it was clear that Alice would wish for that. It was a real pain to clean alone.

After the bath so was Ellen almost instinctively starting to walk toward the workshop. If it wouldn't be that Alice grabbed her to drag her to the room, she had probably ended up in the workshop for the rest of this night too.

Ellen found it easier to clean than the other days, maybe because she really was in debt to Alice now or maybe because she knew she could have an answer to the impossible task.

She however noticed how she seemed to surprise Alice, that almost didn't even need to tell her what to do.

Ellen wouldn't be able to deny herself that she felt very proud.

She hadn't done this well in a long time, or maybe ever.

The cleaning was done faster than usual and it didn't take Alice long to tell her to get her stuff and leave.

Almost like last time Alice sent her to Chris, Ellen more or ​less ran to change clothes and grabbing a purifying gear and the money before leaving.

​

Believing this could be the end of the horrific task.

If all future tasks were this complicated, then maybe she needed to think through if she really should work with this. It was far more stressful than she ever could have thought.

For the second time since she got the request, she ran into Chris's shop screaming.

"Chris I need your help again."

Once again he made a jump by the surprise, "Can you please stop doing that as long you ain't dying?"

Against her will Ellen had to calm down before Chris even would listen to her. Finally calm she told him the idea Alice had come up with. He had never heard of an idea like that before, but it didn't sound like an idea of a madman.

It maybe could work, if they had the right tools that were.

"Ain't you knowing anyone that sells parts like that?"

Chris gave it some serious thoughts, "I don't know anyone that sells parts like that, but I know a person that maybe can create parts like that."

Someone that could create parts like that, wasn't that both really difficult and expensive? And to begin with, did it really exciting people that made custom-made gears?

"I can take you there and help you make an order."

The left Chris's shop and headed toward the marketplace.

Ellen was nagging the whole time with the question if it would be expensive, of which Chris tried to tell her that it wouldn't be that expensive. Yet she couldn't help but worry about the price.

When they had passed the marketplace they came to a shopping area Ellen never visited before.

Just by arriving there it was clear what it was for kind of shops there. All signs signified what they were working with, and it only seemed to be different crafts.

She found it very interesting that they all had gathered on this street. But she still didn't have the time to think about that now. She could come back anytime, now she needed to think about the help she was offered to solve the task she was given.

​Chris lead her into a shop that had a gear and a hammer at the sign.

Just by telling from the sign, it didn't seem to be an exclusive shop. Which was good since she already had spent a small part of the budget she got from her Jack.

​

"Good day Angela, Where have you buried your father today?"

It stood a girl behind the counter, or rather a half dragon. She looked irritated at Chris with her red eyes,"He isn't buried,and he is only here in the other room."

​She turned and looked at Ellen, moving some of her long and green hair. Cracking a small smile, "Do we have a new customer?"

Ellen took a step forward and curtsy to her while gently presenting herself.

Angela broke out in giggles, and soon after that she could ​hear a laughter from the room behind the counter.

"There is no need for you to be that formal Ellen."

She just had ended her sentence when Chris pointed that out, and the person that had laughed in the other room came in.

"That's is right, you don't need to be formal at all here."

That man was also partly dragon. A bald, muscular man that looked to be a little shorter than Chris.

"Good day Sour, are you still alive enough to work?"

"As long I ain't buried, I am alive enough to work."

Ellen looked wondering at the men, but soon turned to the girl.

"As I said, you don't need to be as formal as you are. As long you ain't informal like them."

​

Ellen nicked understanding as an answer. It was most probably only in this company she ever would get away acting like that. In other companies she would probably end up both hanged and burned.

"So what do little miss need help with?"

Chris seemed to have told him that it was Ellen that needed his help.

She slowly started to talk about to build a cone formed propeller for a purifying gear for a work.

​

Just like when she had told Chris about it he looked surprised, neither of them seemed to have heard about it before.

"To start with, I did forget to present myself. I am Sour, the owner of the shop."

After a quick greeting he was on it again," That propeller you want, shall it be in one piece or so you can build it after need yourself?"

Ellen didn't know what was best. It could be a good thing if it was in one piece, but it was bad if it needed any changes later on. If it in parts it was easier to lose or break a single part, even if it was good that she could make small changes.

"She will have it in pieces since she still might need to do changes."

Chris spoke up for her. Probably for the best since she didn't know herself.

"You know that it will be expensive, right."

That was just what Ellen had been fearing, yet Chris had told her not to worry.

"Sour, you greedy bastard. Do you remember that you owe me seven golds? We can cross that out if you wish."

"Then you will get the parts for three gold."

Ellen lost her breath for a second. If Sour was owed Chris seven gold and it would still cost three gold, it means it would have cost her ten gold. And even worse, why did Chris put out money on her. No less than seven gold.

She looked terrified at Chris, that only meet her with a smile.

"See it like I am investing money at a future cog technician."

She wasn't satisfied with his answer, "Then it would only be fair that I work for you to make sure you get your money back."

​

​"Then you can tell me when you are done with this work and are ready to work again. So will I use your body from time to time."

He burst out in laughter when he saw Ellen's surprised and shocked face. Use her body from time to time, wasn't that a really bad way to say that he would take help from her with some works?

​As he expressed it, it sounded more like he would use her body for his own satisfaction. And that was only something she ever would allow Jack to do.

"Father, I do think your boyfriend is trying to cheat on you."

Ellen looked even more surprised at Angela, boyfriend?

Father and boyfriend? Didn't that mean that Chris and Sour would be a pair?

"We ain't even a couple, right Chris?"

Chris burst out in a laughter,"Not a chance. I prefer girls and not dirty old men."

Soon all except Ellen was laughing, was that they kind of joke they could make in this group?

"But anyway, you wish it in pieces? Is there any special day you want it done to?"

Sour seemed to have gotten back in business mode. Just how quick could that person's mood change?

"If you can make it today, I will reward you with a kiss."

Once again they seemed to be at it, If it only was that they were joking. If they were joking, they sure did put a lot of fake emotions into it. Which made it really difficult for her to tell.

​

Both Chris and Sour left to finish her request. As Ellen did ​understand it, they had worked together a couple of time when they had been owed each other money.

Ellen had been left alone with Angela, that still stood behind the counter.

"So, what are you working at?"

She was curious about Ellen's work, but it turned out to be because she aimed to be a gear smith like Sour. If Ellen was lucky, she maybe could do deals with Angela instead of Sour later on. She did seem to be a more serious person than her father.

The two girls talked a little about work, but mostly about their everyday life. Ellen found herself really enjoying talking with her newfound friend, but the talk only lasted until Chris and Sour came back.

For being a complicated request, they seemed to finished it very fast.

"You gear parts are in the box."

Sour walked to the counter, pushing Angela aside and looked greedy at Ellen.

After a light sigh Ellen walked up to the counter, it was no need for her to take him or anything he did seriously.

After Ellen had paid the three gold they thanked greatly before leaving. Both of them seemed to have things to do.

Ellen felt she needed to get home as soon she could to try the idea out. The faster she finished Jack's request, the sooner she could stop the threat to get thrown out at the street. And the faster could Alice stop covering up for her.

Ellen had started put together the propeller she bought from Sour.

It was really simple to put together and to change. He had done a really good job, so she really needed to thank both him and Chris next time she meets them.

​

​

Ellen was checking over the last things before testing her new kind of purifying gear when someone knocked at the door. Just as Ellen thought it was Alice that came down to see how she was doing.

​

​Alice had curiously greeted her when returning home and wondered how it had gone. Ellen told her that she had got the things she needed, and even offered her chance to join when it was time to try it.

The idea was after all Alice's from the beginning, so it was the very least thing she could do. Not to mention that Alice also had offered herself to bring some food to the workshop.

"I hope it works."​

It felt like Alice tried to bring them unfortunate? otherwise she wouldn't have expressed it like that. Not like Ellen was sure that it would work out as they wished, but at least she didn't say anything like that.

Ellen took a deep breath and wished for it to work before giving it a try.

It started out just fine, but soon a clinking noise began. Ellen ran to stop the spring from charging up again, she couldn't afford if anything was about to break.

As soon the gear had stopped spinning Ellen began to investigate what could have happened.

Alice stood behind and wondered just what had happened, seriously worried if anything had gone wrong.

All Ellen could find in the end was a small glass-like lump. A closer examination of it began as Ellen had taken it to another table. The lump seemed to be porous enough to break into a powder if it was dragged against the table. Could this thing be a part of the crystal?

Ellen frantically walked over to the machine to take a look at the crystal, which had become more clear. Maybe this could be this, maybe the problem could have been solved.

"I will give this another try."

​

​Alice didn't seem to follow what just happened.

After lowering the speed she gave it another try, with almost the same result. The lump was bigger this time, but the crystal was mistier.

Ellen explained what she thought those lumps was the impurities in the crystal. But it was no way for her to know, so she could only document the speed and which number at the box

the result was in. That way Jack and the other could tell her which result they wished for.

This meant she soon had completed the horrible task, and that meant she soon could go back to her normal routines. Maybe even forgetting that it is a drug she is making stronger to avoid getting the whole family out at the street.

"Ellen, don't you think it smells?"

If it as the same smell as the other experiments, Ellen had gotten used to it after all the time she spent in the workshop.

So it was only natural that Alice would notice everything that Ellen had gotten used to.

According to Jack she had finally made some processes, and he wanted Ellen to try all different speeds she could to get the best result.

Ellen could finally calm down and do her normal routines during the day and in the evening she tried the different speeds at the gear.

It probably wouldn't take her long to finish the request if everything now went her way. 

# Afterwords

So that´s it.

The first volume Of "Project: Cure For Those Demons" done.

Only 3 more to go.

It has been a long ride with this novel. Started to write it during an all-otaku-trip to Japan. Over a year later I finished the writing and re-writing. I promise you, it´s a pain to write on paper and then re-write it to the pc. So many precious hours that have been spent to do that. So much of my free time that I instead could spend at reading manga or light novels, but of course it´s still worth the time. It´s honestly worth it, even

though it should have been really nice if I had been able to spend the time at reading Spice and wolf...

As written in the beginning so will there be 3 more volumes to go. The next will come out sometime in January 2019.

I know it can seem like a long time, but it´s mostly because I will keep the same pace as when I am publishing it at my feacebook page (Link will be found in the "about author" part).

That´s about it. Not much more to say, I think.

I hope that some of you did enjoy the novel and look forward to the next volume to be released.

Special thanks:

Brother Chrille: My weapon-brother that helped me adjust the text and helped me with the grammar. Even if it still isn´t perfect so has it still helped me a bunch.

Many other: Won´t go in at names, but there are many others that I feel have encouraged me to write. Some of them I have

met in life, others only through the internet. I Really appreciate all the wonderful help from you.

That also includes those that I meet at Sweden rock festival,

During my vacation in Japan, while visiting the Winter London Anime and Game Convent.

Sometimes it´s nothing nicer than when a stranger comes up to you and is curious about your work. Sure some creative people can dislike it, but I do enjoy it. If you are one of them, Keep it going =^,^=

#  About the Author

A hobby novelist and a fool.

I´m a Swedish hobby novelist and fool, not to mention a nerd/otaku and hardrocker.

I have always been a creative person and enjoyed drawing, which was what started it all. But later on I did turn to writing instead, since it was easier to pick up at all random places.

I do still hold on the philosophy that my work shall be free. And because of that apologies if you bought this before finding my author page (there the novel can be read free).

And did because of that choose creative common to protect my work, that shall be allowed to be shared and spread like the pledge.

No one shall be forced to pay for reading this. No one shall be breaking the law to make it possible for everyone to read this. IF there´s a wish to read this novel.

**_Therefor so am I once again apologies to them that had been forced to buy my work. Sorry..._**

####  You can connect with me on:

     https://twitter.com/midsummer_feast

     https://www.facebook.com/novelmidsummerfeast/ 
