年 2065:
茉莉, 茉莉花 stared out her window. From her bedroom she could see the oil drill slowly moving up and down. A little over a 年 以前 her father struck oil on their land, quickly making them the most wealthy family in Montressor.
In the distance, behind the oil drill, she could see the city looming in the horizon. There weren't many other houses near Jasmine's, so there was nothing obstructing her view. The sun was just beginning to set, turning the sky above the city a breathtaking mix of 粉, 粉色 and gold. 茉莉, 茉莉花 smiled at the sight.
It was short-lived, however, when she saw the black town car driving up the street, towards their house. She pushed away from the window and walked out of her room. She found her father sitting in his office going over some paperwork.
"They're coming again," 茉莉, 茉莉花 told him as she walked passed the room.
As 茉莉, 茉莉花 made her way to the front door she heard the legs of her dad's chair scrape across the wooden floor as he stood up. She pushed open the screen door and bounded down the porch steps, her work boots clunking against the wood. A couple 秒 later, her father came out after her. The car pulled up in front of the house. 茉莉, 茉莉花 crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the vehicle. The driver got out and hurried to the backseat to open the door. The governor's adviser stepped out of the car. Jafar was a middle-aged man who towered over most other men. He was impossibly skinny and often walked with a staff in the shape of a snake. 茉莉, 茉莉花 thought the animal was fitting.
Ever since her father struck oil, Governor Ratcliffe had been trying to buy their land from them. Usually he sends Jafar to do his bidding. Mainly because Jafar was 更多 intimidating than he was. Jafar had a dark, intense eyes and long pointed face with a thin, twisted beard. He never smiled and always talked in a flat voice.
As Jafar walked towards them, he kicked up a small dirt 云, 云计算 that covered his leather shoes and the bottoms of his suit pants in dirt. 茉莉, 茉莉花 wanted to sneer at him; there were people starving in the city while he and the governor spent their tax dollars on expensive clothes.
"Good evening," Jafar greeted, resting both hands on 最佳, 返回页首 of his staff.
"You're wasting your time," Jasmine's father stated.
Jafar ignored him. "The governor has a new offer for you." He reached inside his suit 夹克 and pulled out a check. He held it out to Jasmine's father.
"We're not interested," 茉莉, 茉莉花 told him.
Jafar glanced at her, his eyes lingering a little too long on her body. 茉莉, 茉莉花 was only wearing short denim shorts and a tank 最佳, 返回页首 because she had been working outside earlier. She was now wishing she had changed before coming outside.
"Stay out of this, princess. Let the men do business," Jafar said.
Jasmine's father stepped forward. "Tell Governor Ratcliffe that our land is not for sale."
Jafar stared at him for a moment, still holding the check out in front him. "You realize that every time 你 refuse his offer he raises the taxes on your land?"
"I'm aware."
Jafar started to say something, but was interrupted 由 the screen door slamming behind them. 茉莉, 茉莉花 turned around. Her older sister, Tzipporah, stepped onto the porch. She was holding a shot gun.
Tzipporah put her hand on her hip and rested the shot gun against her shoulder. "We told Ratcliffe that we're not interested. Now get off our land and don't ever come back."
Jafar slowly stuck the check back into the inside pocket of his jacket, not taking his eyes off the gun. "You're making a mistake." He now faced their father again. "Governor Ratcliffe will get your land one way 或者 another."
Tzipporah cocked the gun and pointed it at Jafar. "Get moving. And I suggest 你 tell Ratcliffe not to send anymore men to our house."
Jafar turned and walked back to the car. The driver opened the door for him. Before he got in he looked back at them. "This isn't over."
The three of them watched as the car drove away. Once it was gone, their father turned and scowled at Tzipporah.
"What were 你 thinking?" he demanded.
Tzipporah lowered the gun to her side. "I'm tired of them trying to push us around. This is our home; they can't just come here and try to make us leave."
"The governor can do whatever he wants." He stormed up the porch steps and took the gun from her. "This isn't helping. If anything, it's only going to make it worse." He went back inside, closing the door behind him.
Tzipporah rolled her eyes as she sat down on the porch steps. "He's such a pushover. It's no wonder Ratcliffe is so confident he's going to get our land. We have to do something to make him take us seriously."
茉莉, 茉莉花 sat down 下一个 to her sister. "Ratcliffe is a greedy man; nothing will stop him from trying to get our land."
Tzipporah shook her head, causing her wild black hair to fall in her face. "You're wrong. I'm going to stop him."
茉莉, 茉莉花 didn't doubt that her sister would try to stop the governor. Tzipporah had always been feisty and strong and quick to start a fight. She could easily take on anyone and kick their butt. However, this also got her into trouble a lot. She had been arrested for fighting about a half a dozen times. Sometimes their father joked that he was gonna end up spending all of their wealth on bail money for Tzipporah. She never found that joke funny.
"Do 你 have a plan?" 茉莉, 茉莉花 asked.
Tzipporah shrugged. "For starters I'd like to hit Jafar with his snake staff." She slammed her fist into her hand. "Bam! Right in the back of that bald head of his."
茉莉, 茉莉花 laughed. "I won't stop you."
Tzipporah leaned back on her hands. "As for Ratcliffe... I want to cut off his greedy hands."
茉莉, 茉莉花 stared out her window. From her bedroom she could see the oil drill slowly moving up and down. A little over a 年 以前 her father struck oil on their land, quickly making them the most wealthy family in Montressor.
In the distance, behind the oil drill, she could see the city looming in the horizon. There weren't many other houses near Jasmine's, so there was nothing obstructing her view. The sun was just beginning to set, turning the sky above the city a breathtaking mix of 粉, 粉色 and gold. 茉莉, 茉莉花 smiled at the sight.
It was short-lived, however, when she saw the black town car driving up the street, towards their house. She pushed away from the window and walked out of her room. She found her father sitting in his office going over some paperwork.
"They're coming again," 茉莉, 茉莉花 told him as she walked passed the room.
As 茉莉, 茉莉花 made her way to the front door she heard the legs of her dad's chair scrape across the wooden floor as he stood up. She pushed open the screen door and bounded down the porch steps, her work boots clunking against the wood. A couple 秒 later, her father came out after her. The car pulled up in front of the house. 茉莉, 茉莉花 crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the vehicle. The driver got out and hurried to the backseat to open the door. The governor's adviser stepped out of the car. Jafar was a middle-aged man who towered over most other men. He was impossibly skinny and often walked with a staff in the shape of a snake. 茉莉, 茉莉花 thought the animal was fitting.
Ever since her father struck oil, Governor Ratcliffe had been trying to buy their land from them. Usually he sends Jafar to do his bidding. Mainly because Jafar was 更多 intimidating than he was. Jafar had a dark, intense eyes and long pointed face with a thin, twisted beard. He never smiled and always talked in a flat voice.
As Jafar walked towards them, he kicked up a small dirt 云, 云计算 that covered his leather shoes and the bottoms of his suit pants in dirt. 茉莉, 茉莉花 wanted to sneer at him; there were people starving in the city while he and the governor spent their tax dollars on expensive clothes.
"Good evening," Jafar greeted, resting both hands on 最佳, 返回页首 of his staff.
"You're wasting your time," Jasmine's father stated.
Jafar ignored him. "The governor has a new offer for you." He reached inside his suit 夹克 and pulled out a check. He held it out to Jasmine's father.
"We're not interested," 茉莉, 茉莉花 told him.
Jafar glanced at her, his eyes lingering a little too long on her body. 茉莉, 茉莉花 was only wearing short denim shorts and a tank 最佳, 返回页首 because she had been working outside earlier. She was now wishing she had changed before coming outside.
"Stay out of this, princess. Let the men do business," Jafar said.
Jasmine's father stepped forward. "Tell Governor Ratcliffe that our land is not for sale."
Jafar stared at him for a moment, still holding the check out in front him. "You realize that every time 你 refuse his offer he raises the taxes on your land?"
"I'm aware."
Jafar started to say something, but was interrupted 由 the screen door slamming behind them. 茉莉, 茉莉花 turned around. Her older sister, Tzipporah, stepped onto the porch. She was holding a shot gun.
Tzipporah put her hand on her hip and rested the shot gun against her shoulder. "We told Ratcliffe that we're not interested. Now get off our land and don't ever come back."
Jafar slowly stuck the check back into the inside pocket of his jacket, not taking his eyes off the gun. "You're making a mistake." He now faced their father again. "Governor Ratcliffe will get your land one way 或者 another."
Tzipporah cocked the gun and pointed it at Jafar. "Get moving. And I suggest 你 tell Ratcliffe not to send anymore men to our house."
Jafar turned and walked back to the car. The driver opened the door for him. Before he got in he looked back at them. "This isn't over."
The three of them watched as the car drove away. Once it was gone, their father turned and scowled at Tzipporah.
"What were 你 thinking?" he demanded.
Tzipporah lowered the gun to her side. "I'm tired of them trying to push us around. This is our home; they can't just come here and try to make us leave."
"The governor can do whatever he wants." He stormed up the porch steps and took the gun from her. "This isn't helping. If anything, it's only going to make it worse." He went back inside, closing the door behind him.
Tzipporah rolled her eyes as she sat down on the porch steps. "He's such a pushover. It's no wonder Ratcliffe is so confident he's going to get our land. We have to do something to make him take us seriously."
茉莉, 茉莉花 sat down 下一个 to her sister. "Ratcliffe is a greedy man; nothing will stop him from trying to get our land."
Tzipporah shook her head, causing her wild black hair to fall in her face. "You're wrong. I'm going to stop him."
茉莉, 茉莉花 didn't doubt that her sister would try to stop the governor. Tzipporah had always been feisty and strong and quick to start a fight. She could easily take on anyone and kick their butt. However, this also got her into trouble a lot. She had been arrested for fighting about a half a dozen times. Sometimes their father joked that he was gonna end up spending all of their wealth on bail money for Tzipporah. She never found that joke funny.
"Do 你 have a plan?" 茉莉, 茉莉花 asked.
Tzipporah shrugged. "For starters I'd like to hit Jafar with his snake staff." She slammed her fist into her hand. "Bam! Right in the back of that bald head of his."
茉莉, 茉莉花 laughed. "I won't stop you."
Tzipporah leaned back on her hands. "As for Ratcliffe... I want to cut off his greedy hands."
"We're not interested."
