Chapter One

I have completed the first chapter the book now and a lot of information has been presented this far. The village that the main character lives in has a special way of doing things. Children receive names, and as they grow older their names change. They are born with a one syllabled name, once they hit puberty they receive a two syllabled name, once they reach adulthood they get a three syllabled name, and the oldest and wisest people in the village get a four syllabled name. We know the main characters name is Kira, and she is going through a hard time. She has a bum leg that doesn't work properly and nobody in this culture wants a child like that. Her mother has just died and her father never lived with her. Her home, or cott as they call it, has been burned down because it is contaminated because of Kira's mother's sickness. I would predict Kira to be about 15 years old at this point. Her friend, Matt, who seems to be about 10 years old, has warned her that some women want Kira dead so they can have her living space for themselves. Reading this so far I can't help but think of a short story I once read called Silver Water. Kira, being an outcast is similar to the main character's sister is Silver Water who is insane. They are both outcasts, and nobody really wants them around. The difference is, Kira has no family whereas the girl from Silver Water did. I'll have to keep reading, maybe I can find some more connections.