I loaded the last bit of hay onto the truck, and I wiped the sweat from my brow, and took in a deep breath. The air smelled like hay, mixed with the earth, and animal, it made this place feel more like home.
"I'm glad to see that you still aren't afraid to get your hands dirty Seren," I turned and smile at my father. He was a big man standing over six feet, he had broad shoulders and a very muscular body, his face was weathered but he was still handsome in my eyes. His bright blue eyes sparkled with life, and youth but the still reflected, all the knowledge he had learned and the hardships he faced, working on a farm all your life will do that to you.
"Dad you didn't think living in the city would make me soft?" I said putting a hand on my hip.
"No not my girl," He said giving me a light hug. "Hey I really appreciate you giving up your summer to help me out this year,"
"You know I don't mind Dad. If it wasn't for camp I would have been here every year. Besides this is so much better than having to spend my whole summer with Mom and her new boyfriend" I said smiling up at him.
"Then I would have felt bad," He commented with a slight chuckle to his voice. "Come on let's get inside and clean up. I'll cook us some dinner," I smiled and we walked out of the barn together.
My Great grandfather started our small farm. We are just a simple dairy farm, with just enough income, to stay afloat. It's a hard yet simple life, but it's not for everyone. This life leaves calluses on your hands and a smell that is hard to get rid of. I was often ridiculed in school when I was young for my messy hair and the funny smell I could never wash off.
Dinner was a simple meal. Dad wasn't much of a cook; he was always tired after working the farm.
Afterwards I took a long hot shower, combed out, and dried my long black hair, laying it gently on my tanned skin.
I looked into the mirror that hung in my room. I was a little more muscular then most girls but I didn't mind. My features were simple and ordinary; I had an average mouth and a nose to match it. The only feature that really stands out was my bright blue eyes that I inherited from my Dad.
I looked over at the clock and saw it was ten-thirty. I smiled knowing that Dad was already asleep. I opened my window and climbed onto the old oak tree that grew beside my window. I've done this millions of times since, I was six, now I was eighteen, I had twelve years of practice climbing down that old oak.
I ran to the woods that were in the back of our property. We owned most of it, but the terrain was unusable for farmland so it stayed undeveloped and became my playground. I ran through the many trees. I knew this place like the back of my hand, but I haven't been in here for many years, not since the divorce, and many things had changed.
However, it still smelled the same and it still had the same feel in the air. Some of the trees were different but many of them I was familiar with. I reached a large rock, and stood there in the moon light, with a smile on my face. I love these woods, it made me feel free, I breathed in the cool air deeply.
"My, my, my... what is a pretty young lady doing in a spooking forest at night?" Said a dark yet familiar sounding voice.
"Taking a walk," I said smiling to myself, my heart pounded with excitement, but I did not turn around
"Aren't you afraid of those things that go bump in the night?"
I shook my head. "I know these woods, like I know my heart, and know that it would never hurt me,"
"It's not the woods you have to worry about it's the creatures," the dark voice responded a bit confused, and surprised.
"But these woods control the creatures so I have nothing to fear. Besides I pity the creature that has to deal with me," I remarked still smiling. The voice didn't answer for a long time. "Seren? Is that you?" It asked me.
"Yes Darius, it's me," I said spinning around to face his pale figure. He was more magnificent then I remembered, of course the last time I saw him I was only ten years old. Just a mire child, without any cares or worries.
I met Darius when I was only six years old. I was mad at Dad for not letting me play that day; instead, I had to help mom with the cleaning. I just wanted to go outside and play. Unfortunately, by the time we were all done it was time for diner then bed. However, that night I couldn't sleep. My mind was on my woods, so I got out of bed and looked out my window and saw how close the old oak was to my window. That was when I first got the idea to use it to climb down from my second story room. I grabbed a pair of jeans and quickly put them on making sure to tuck my nightshirt into them. I then leapt to the tree and climbed down slowly making sure to find my footing. The ground was soon under my feet, and I took off as fast as I could run.
The full moon was out so I could see very well, but I wasn't afraid of the dark, but it was just nice to be able to see. I ran through my woods, a large smile was on my face, as I slid down a ravine and onto a large rock. The moon shone off my messy hair, I didn't take care of it that well back then, it was always a rat's nest.
"My, my, my, what is a pretty little girl doing out here in the spooky woods at night?" Said a dark voice, I jumped and turned around to see a young man maybe about eighteen years old, standing a few feet away from where I stood.
He was pale and the moon somehow made his skin illuminate. He had cold brown eyes that seemed to stare at my very soul. He was very tall, of course I was smaller then him, he was thin but slightly muscular. He was wearing all black, so all I could really see was his head and hands. He looked like a dark handsome prince in my young eyes.
"I'm taking a walk," I said staring at him in wonder. I wasn't afraid of him for I knew I should have been, but my gut told me he would not hurt me.
"Aren't you afraid of the things that go bump in the night little girl?" He asked turning his head slightly to the side.
"I know these woods, like I know my heart, and I know that it would never hurt me," I said standing up straight trying to make myself appear taller, and more threatening.
"It's not the woods you have to worry about it's the creatures," The guy said with a slight smile like he was amused. I just looked him straight in the eye, showing no fear.
"But these woods control the creatures so I have nothing to fear. Besides I pity the creature that has to deal with me," I said with a slight smirk.
"Such big words, from such a small creature," He said moving closer to me so that he was only a few inches away. I crouched into a ready position to either run from him or fight him. "But what if it's a creature that is too much for you to handle? What if it's a creature so evil that it would consume you whole" He asked, squatting down to look at me eye to eye.
My breath stopped time stopped, as his cold brown eyes looked deep into mine. I felt like something stir in my soul. Time froze in that moment, as we locked eyes, then something in my mind clicked and time continued.
"Then I do this!" I said kicking him in the chest and running up the ravine quickly. I could hear him running behind me. I knew I wouldn't be able to out run him. So, I decided to take him through my woods, and the many little surprises it held.
I ran through the trees running as fast as my little legs would carry me. I could hear him gaining on me. I jumped up and grabbed a branch swinging myself onto a rock. Unfortunately, there was a steep wall of dirt behind me. I could climb it but he would catch me before I reached the top.
"My you are a fast-little girl, but you have nowhere to run now," He guys said coming into view. I just sneered at him and watched him closely. He slowly moved closer to me, my heart was pounding so fast that I thought it was going to leap out of my chest. He seemed to be moving in slow motion, but all too soon he was only a few feet in front of me. His face was that of triumph and victory. He stepped under the tree and suddenly his feet went over his head and he was hanging off the ground. I let out a loud laugh.
"What the..." He said looking around. "How in the..."
I stopped laughing and looked at him with a huge smirk on my face. "You stepped into my trap," I declared proudly crossing my arms. My father had taught me how to make traps, for fun.
