Interview With an Underground Apothecary

I blink in the sunlight and glance around. I am standing in the middle of a town, surrounded by tall, brick buildings. The cobblestones beneath my feet remind me of my time in London, but I can tell that this isn't quite London. In fact, I'm fairly certain I'm not anywhere in OUR world. I swish my skirts about, glad that Lillian told me to dress the part. I would have looked very out of place in my normal jeans and t-shirt. The open market bustles with people in similar 1800s type garb. A lady standing at a booth catches my eye with her array of green, leafy herbs and bright red berries.

I make my way over to her and hold up my InterFiction badge. "Excuse me? Do you know where I can find Lyla?"

The woman glances up and then points to a skinny girl with dark brown hair and a simple home-spun dress. A green apron is tied around her waist. The girl is admiring the herbs. She turns around and hesitates.

"I'm Lyla," she replies timidly. "Can I help you?"

I smile to help her feel a little more at ease. “Hi, Lyla. My name is Jenelle Schmidt, and I'm with the InterFiction Gazette. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions?

Lyla glances around and then pulls you off to the side. She speaks in a low voice. "I suppose. But would you not mention my last name in your interview? I don't want someone to recognize my family name. My mother was a well-known apothecary and she..." Lyla's eyes start to brim with tears, but she steadies herself with a deep breath, "She's been taken to jail. And I can't let the Home find me. I've already been betrayed once."

My eyes widen. "I’m so sorry to hear that. Of course I won’t use your last name.” I pull her into a more secluded corner of the market so we won’t be as noticeable and pull out my notebook. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?"

More at ease, she continues, "Well, I just turned thirteen summers. I have no siblings, so it was always just my Papa and Mama for a while, at least. I live--- actually, used to live in a cottage in the forest. I loved hearing the swish of the wind in the trees. This town is rather...busy and noisy." Lyla gestures to the townsfolk bustling around her.

I glance around at the various people and idly wonder what she’d think of a modern city in our world. I bring my focus back to the interview. "What do you and your mother do for a living? Do you enjoy it?"

“Mama and I are underground apothecaries. We make medicine out of the herbs we either grow in our garden, or gather from the forest." Lyla holds out some of the booth's leafy herbs as an example. "Then customers come to pick up the medicine, usually at night. If they can't come, then we deliver the medicine to them instead. I really did enjoy it, even though it was dangerous and apothecary practices were banned. I mean, I still want to help people. It's just...not the same without Mama." Lyla lowers her gaze and sets the herbs back on the table.

I feel my heart ache with sympathy and try to turn the conversation to a lighter subject. "What is it like living in Daviron?"

"We actually lived just outside the city limits, along the fringe of the forest. But from what I've seen of the city, it's cold. So cold and bleak and crowded. At least it makes it easier to escape from the city officials. You can just disappear into the alleyways or hide behind the buildings."

I grimace. So much for a lighter topic. Well, since I’ve already brought up unpleasant memories… "I understand you recently lost your father, I am so sorry for your loss. Can you tell me what happened?"

"I don't really talk about it. But he died in an accident while trying to fix a neighbor's cottage roof."

I grimace. "I am so sorry. Hey, here’s a more pleasant question: If you could spend one day doing anything you liked, what would it be?"

Lyla's face brightens and she smiles. "Oh, it'd be gardening with Mama. She's always teaching me about different plants and how to care for them. Those were some of my best memories."

I grin. That’s better. Hmmm. "What is the most pressing problem you have at the moment?"

"Right now, I'm just trying to get back to the forest. I'm hoping Mama has escaped. If she has, then she'll come looking for me and we can start a new life deeper in the woods, far away from Daviron."

I nod sympathetically. "I hope that she has escaped, as well. What is the most important thing in the world to you at this moment?"

"...I suppose everything Mama has taught me. She told me I was strong and that I must keep sowing worthy seeds."

"That’s good advice,” I reply. “Okay, one last thing. If you could ask your author one question, what would it be?"

Startled, Lyla looks around, and then up at the sky. "There's an author in my life? Well, then I suppose I'd ask them if I'll ever find Mama again. Is she coming soon? Will she make it out okay?"

The sadness in her expression tugs at my heart as my badge gleams and I can feel my own world pulling at me. I raise a hand in farewell. "I wish you all the best, Lyla," I say just before she and her town blur out of my view.

"Good bye!"

Well, I certainly hope that things turn out well for Lyla! I must admit, the cover intrigued me enough that I bought a copy and was delighted to discover that each chapter has a lovely illustration/quote at the beginning! It’s such a nice touch with this middle grade read. I’ve only gotten a couple chapters in so far, but it is proving to be a sweet little read.

About the Author

Lily (as she prefers to be called), is a Christian homeschooled graduate who loves children's literature. Growing up, she read amazing, thought-provoking stories that nurtured her love of storytelling and sparked her imagination. Now, she hopes to share her God-given gift to other kids and inspire them to dream up new adventures and look at the world from a new perspective. You can find her entertaining kids on her blog (with her sister of course!) Or you can connect with her on Pinterest where she's starting up storyboards (and organizing all the random pins she's saved.)

Many thanks to Lily for letting Lyla come chat with us! I hope you all enjoyed this interview!

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