Trinity Grove, you wouldn’t find it on a map of any kind if you tried. It’s a small town secluded off from any large or noticeable cities. Surrounded by a forest, its hard to come across it unless you have directions, or good luck. The town’s records say that the small village was founded long ago by three friends, searching desperately for a new home after surviving through a long war. They headed off into the forest to hide there, hoping they might find something. While trekking through the forest, the group had found a giant rock in the middle of a clearing, about 3 yards tall.
The rock was damaged, a lot of chips and oles found throughout the surface. It was nothing important, or so they thought. Searching around the clearing, one of the friends had found a river coming from a small waterfall from uphill. Another found the ground fertile soil and saw apple trees nearby. The last friend called the others over, asking them what they found. “Well what if we settled right here, around this rock? ” “The rock?.. ” “Why here? ” “Well, don’t you see, around this hunk of granite we’ve found resources able to live off of! It must have some sort of good luck to it! “That seems a bit ridiculous… ” “Yes, it does actually. ” “Come one guys! When have I been wrong? ” “A lot… ” “She’s right you know,” “Can’t you guys have a little trust in me, this one last time? Please? ”
The please was long and drawn out, trying to convince them. “She did have the smart idea of running through the forest,” “But we’ve also been starving for a day or two because of it. ” “But look! There’s soil around and fruit trees! We can just plant some small crops and live off the apples and water until then! Would we have found this if we didnt come into the forest? No, no we would not. The other two were silent and looked at each other before giving a sigh of defeat. Alright. we’ll settle here. ” The last friend who had believe in settling near the rock did a small victory pose joyfully. “I’ll make a map of the surrounding area while you guys can start on crops and a shack alright? We dont need anything too fancy-” From there the clearing was slowly worked up into a small living property, with a shack near the rock and water.
“We should name this place you know,” the friend finishing up the map said. “But what though? ” “It’s not like we’re making a village out of this place. “But it would be a nice way to name our home, to call it our own… Oh I got it! Since there’s three of us, and this clearing is surrounded by trees, why not name it Trinity Grove!? It’s nice right? -” They did a pose of arrogance. “I like it- It sounds like a perfect little name. ” “Don’t get too overly proud, you just got lucky we like it,” “Haha! Alright! ” The small property was now known as Trinity Grove. Slowly over time, many people trying to take refuge from the war fled to the forest as well, but only a few of the those people came across the small place known as Trinity Grove.
The group brought in the refugees and helped them settle down in their property, together making small shacks for them. The clearing with one small home soon grew into the small village it is now today, it’s motto being. “If you found this place, you were drawn by the luck of a rock. ” As town was supported by the rock’s luck that they had found. That, however, its just the beginning of our story. Eighty years later.. It was a beautiful day outside on the day of April 20. Flowers were blooming, birds were singing. The sky was clear as it could be, not a cloud in the sky.
The sun shone brightly upon those below its rays, including Trinity Grove. “Begone evil queen for as I will save this princess! ” A young girl houted with a smirk, putting up an arm to protect a taller girl and holding up a wooden sword to some other girls chest. That young girl was Rockelle Zapien, 12 years old at the time. She an artist for the age of Trinity Grove with long brown hair and blue green eyes like the river bank where the water and shore met. The sword that she held pointed against was Genna Walsh, who was the daughter of two farmers in the village, one year older than Rockelle.
Her hair was a dirty blonde, short as it needed to be that way when she worked on the fields. Genna’s eye were green as the moss that covered the rock in the middle f the small area. Finally the girl whom Rockelle was protecting was Kiah Lathrop, who was a baker in her parent’s bakery there. Brown hair like the rest of her friends, but curly and short. She was 14. The three, best of friends, were roleplaying in the part of the clearing. Most villagers didn’t pay attention to them as they went along back and forth between places trying to prepare things. Today was the day of The Offering.
The three girls had the day off from their work granted by their parents and had decided they wanted to spend that time together roleplaying. This time was cut a bit short as Genna was called by her mother. When she was called, Genna gave her friends a quick hug and wave before taking off, Rockelle and Kiah doing the same. “What now? ” Rockelle asked Kiah looking up at her. “Well I dont know... what’s the time? We do have The Offering today-” Kiah’s words were cut off by a bell’s loud ringing that filled the air. It was time. The two quickly separated and ran to their homes, grabbing an item and running to the middle of the village afterward.
The inhabitants of the village gathered ’round the famous rock that they lived by, making sure not to step on the stones that surrounded it. A lady wearing a long dress with her hair braided ame walking up to the front of the rock, placing down a bag of coins and then turning to the villagers. “Good morning-” She greeted sweetly, “As you know today is the offering to our sacred rock to keep the magnificent luck it has given us. I hope all of you have your coins or something worth equal value. ”
She pulled out a list from her oversized sleeve and started to call off names. Zapien,” was called first. Rockelle and her mother walked off placing the painting she made of the village next to the rock. The priest examined it. “Good enough, Lathrop. ” The girls switched places as Rockelle nd her mother went back to their spots and Kiah and her mother went up, placing some fresh baked bread next to it. The priest broke a small part off and tried it. “Fine… Krivak,” After the fifth name call, the Walsh family slowly crept into the circle like they were there the whole time. Their faces were trying to cover the fear and distraught they felt.
Kiah and Rockelle noticed that they had only just arrived and slowly tip toed over to Genna. “Are you alright Genna?.. You and your parents dont look good, are you sick? ” Rockelle ask quietly with slight concern. “Well, we can’t offer anything-” She said hushly, with a worried tone. What!? ” Rockelle had a sudden outburst and then remembered they were in the middle of something. Luckily, everyone was focused on the offering too much they didnt pay attention. While the priestess called out more names, she attempted to rekindle the conversation.
“What do you mean you can’t over?! She said a but quieter this time. “We can’t! We dont have everything we need for ourselves to l-” Genna’s words were cut of as her last name was called. “Walsh? ” It was silent for a few seconds before someone pushed them forward. The priest looked at them expectantly waiting. Another few seconds went by, yet they were standing there rozen. “Walsh? Are you going to bring your part of the offering up? ” None of the family members wanted to tell the priest the awnser to the question she asked.
Small parts of whisper could be heard, sounding like the chatter of a squrriel with all the random outburst around them. Please forgive us,” Genna’s father finally spoke up, though his voice was shaky and he tended to stuttered a bit trying to find words. “This season hasn’t been kind to us, our crops have been the smallest yet, and we dont have enough coins to meet the requirement you ask for. We ask for your forgiveness as we cant offer this offering. The villagers stood quietly with anger upon their face, Rockelle and Kiah taking on one more of fear. “Mr. Walsh, you know what we must do since you can’t offer any belongings,” The priest said sternly looking down at him.
She pulled out three sticks that looked like the same length, walking over to them and having each take a stick. The chattering from the village seemed to grow louder, each one mentioning the names of the family in their sentence. “On the count of three we’ll see who’s stick is the shortest. 1, 2, 3. ” Each of the family members looked down at their wooden piece, seeing that Genna had the smallest stick. The girl’s face went white as she saw people starting to pick up stones surrounding the rock and her parents backing away. “Th-this is so not right!
So what if we miss one offering, a rock doesn’t need all these things! ” Genna shouted shaking as she saw a few villagers extremely filled with anger, holding onto the stones like they were trying to crush it into dust. “So you want the luck of the rock and this village to die now do you? ” The priest asked raising a brow. “Simply unacceptable. ” “No! That’s not what I meant! I mean, why does a rock need paintings or food or coins no less! We can barely afford or have those things for ourselves! Much less to give it to a rock!
You say it’s to keep the luck of the rock in the village, but does it really work?! In our village records it says nothing about my ancestors making this offering or someone making it! So therefore, why is this here? Who made it? Why are we still doing it when we don’t know if it actually works!? ” The girl cried throwing down her stick. The villagers all looked angry now, about to do something with those stones they had pick up. Right as one was releasing, Rockelle ran up and Kiah followed quickly after. “Wait! ” Rockelle shouted while blocking the stone that came as them with her arm.
Ow ow ow ow ow, did you have to throw so hard? ” The girl sniffed and complained trying to hold back tears of pain. After a few seconds she took a deep breath and let the pain subside. “Genna has a point here,” She started off with a strong voice so everyone could hear, “Why do we carry out this tradition? We say its for the luck of the rock but we dont know if it actually works. I personally think it does but. ” “-But,” Kiah interrupted, feeling like Rockelle would go on rambling if she didnt, “Can you just give her a second chance?… Please? Think about it.
Our ancestors wouldn’t want us to end a life of someone important like this just because they missed one offering they didn’t even create… ” It was silent for a few seconds before someone started shouting. “She brainwashed them! Get em both! They want this village to die! ” The three girls started ducting but it wasn’t much as the stones surrounded them. The parents of the children watched in horror, people handed stones to them to throw at them. Screams from the children, the people who founded this village’s descendants, filled the air as clouds started to roll in ending the sunny clear day of April 20.
Trinity Grove, you wouldn’t find it on any map if you tried. It’s a small village secluded off from any large or noticeable cities. Surrounded by a forest, its hard to come across it unless you have directions, or good luck. The town’s records say that the small village was founded long ago by three friends, searching desperately for a new home after surviving through a long war. Now the village’s founder’s great great grandchild search for a new home somewhere else after dying through a long war. “If you found this place, you were drawn by the luck of a rock. “
