The Path 1

Faith Peters ran from the place she hated to call home for the last time. Her father, home drunk again had beaten her while her whisper of a mother watched with a teary expression. It was like an old recorder player, skipping to the same place in the song. Every night was the battle between his hand and her body. Not anymore.

Tonight was different. Faith rose up against her father and fought back. She nearly matched the drunkard slap for slap. When the moment was right, she pushed her father hard and made a run for it. Pausing just for a half-second to grab the backpack she hid under the porch, she ran from that mobile home park where beer cans and car parts littered the ground. Faith ran straight into the dense forest, a place where hunters do not dare to tread. She ran into the woods where the old witch family lived.

It had been known that a family with the last name of Reid had made a living within the dense forest named Dark Oak Woods. The family was known as medicine people and used the land to treat and cure what ailed the townsfolk of Brooks End as well live off it. Yet, that was many of years ago and speculation began to fly around the family. They were said to be nothing be witches, doing the devil's work.

Soon, the members of the family were not welcome in the town. They were cursed at and rocks were thrown. All the while, the Reid family did not know why this was happening. It is the greedy preacher who came into town that caused this turmoil. Not a good man of the cloth, he wanted the land that the Dark Oak Woods sat on, but the Reid family had rights to it. Finding no way to take it legally from them, he had his flock of Christian soldiers to fight his battle. Yet, what happen next, not even the crooked preacher could predict.

One of the Reid daughters, Elizabeth had gone into the town to buy fabric for a dress. She was no older than eighteen years old and was naïve to the conflict at hand. A sweet girl with strawberry blond hair and large green eyes, she thought that people were good at heart. After being kicked out of the fabric store, Elizabeth sadly started her way back home when she was stopped by a group of townspeople. They yelled obscenities at her and spat on her. Soon the group of people became a large mob that were pushing and pulling the poor girl around. Dragging her to the town square, someone had thrown a noose on one of the lower limbs of the large maple. The people pulled her up high in the tree by the neck and then let her crash down. The torture of Elizabeth continued until finally someone had tied the other end of the rope off. There were cheers and celebrations happening all around the maple as Elizabeth slowly strangled to death.

Without any respect for the dead, the townsfolk left her broken body hanging in the large maple. Going back into their homes, they laugh and giggled at what they did. Some people wanted to keep her body there, as a warning to the rest of the Reid family to stay away.

In the dead of night, the town was awakening to the sound of crying. People who lived close the square looked out their windows and watched a hellish scene. The whole family of Reid had been looking for Elizabeth when she did not come to dinner. The oldest son mention about Elizabeth saying she wanted to make a new dress. Now, as the body of Elizabeth fell into the arms of her sobbing mother and father, the town had realized what they have been. A young, innocent woman was murdered by their hands.

The story is not through. Some of the townsfolk who did not turn from their windows to hide witness this. The maple tree that held Elizabeth spontaneously when up in flames at least that is what they said. Yet, the petrified maple tree stands in the gloomy square to this day. Since that night, people's wells started to go dry while healthy fields of wheat, corn, and beans began to die without cause. Try as they might, all plants refused to grow. Cattle stopped eating or went mad. The town lost so much money that people began to move out. The people who could not moved, stayed and suffered.

The townsfolk who stayed said that the town was cursed for what they did to Elizabeth. Rather if the Reid family were real witches or not was never discovered. True, the Reid family had certain abilities, but they never had the capability to cause a curse of any kind, or could they? Now for sixty years, the so-called Reid curse held fast.

Faith did not care about a curse or the remaining Reid members that might dwell in the woods. She ran as fast as her thin white tennis shoes would allow. Dressed in nothing but a thin blue, blood stained t-shirt and faded blue jeans; she dodged large trees and jumped over roots. It felt like hours passed since she had been running when the night sky opened up and poured. With rain blinding her steps, Faith fell into a ravine.

Only scrap up hands and a bruise thigh was the only damage from the twenty foot slide down. Faith tried to climb up the side, but it was no use. Each time she reached into the earth to get footing, clumps of dirt and grass would fall into her hands. Faith cried out, mud smearing her oval face and dark red hair. Her fair skin was covered in grass, dirt, and scratch, as well as scars from her father's past beatings. Faith's slender body fell back into the mud. She cried softly, curling her short height up into a ball. When she opened her heavenly blue eyes, she was looking at a path.

Getting up, she realized that this must be the path used be the Reid. With her sense of direction, she had the town behind her and the Reid homestead in front. Knowing that she would not survive going back to the town and her father, she chose to move forward.

She was not from one of the families that lived here when Elizabeth was murdered. Her father had bought cheap farm land here when Faith was five and moved her and her weak-minded mother to the dead town. It was not till after her father saw the land and the real estate agent ran off with the money that they knew what kind of trouble they were in. Her mother, never a strong woman had to work two jobs to support her young daughter and her husband who drank way too much.

Faith heard the stories about the Reid family and what happened to Elizabeth. Faith went to the town square after school and saw the maple tree. She placed her hands on the tree and saw everything. Bestowed with her grandmother's strong gift of second sight, Faith sat next to the tree and cried until dusk. When she returned home at such a late hour, her father beat her for the first time.

Faith walked endlessly farther into the woods. Finally the path opened to the large crystal clear lake and grassland. Near to it had to be the Reid's house. It was a large white painted, third stories with a wrap-around first and second story porch and several red brick chimneys poking out of the tin roof. A red large barn sat just a hundred feet away from the house. The barn was closer to Faith and the rain had not let up. She did not want to disturb anyone at this hour so she slipped in the barn.

Inside the barn, it was dry and wonderfully warm. She walked quietly around the equipment, tack room and the stables that housed their small herd of goats and cows. Moving around, Faith almost squealed in joy. The Reid family own horses too. She walked slowly up to the first horse, a large black Arabian male with a long black mane and black tail that touch the floor. She had not seen horses since she was a little girl on her grandmother's farm. The Arabian sniffed her open palm and rubbed her hand with his nose. She began to pat his graceful neck as the thoughts of her grandmother resurfaced.

Faith's father, Charles, had sold her grandmother's farm only weeks after she passed away. The farm was actually Rachel, her mother's to do as she wanted, but he was always looking for a way to make a buck. Forcing her mother to sell her childhood home broke her heart and spirit. From that day on, she was a shell of her former self.

Faith rested her head against the horse's neck. She was so tired, cold, and, wet that she felt like she was going to collapse. The Arabian backed away from her and nodded his head towards an open door. Faith looked inside and smiled. It was a hay storage room. The hay was fresh and smelled sweet to her. Turning back to the horse to say thank you, she could not help but giggle. The Arabian held pulled a horse blanket from off a nearby post and had laid it on his gate. He signaled for Faith to take the blanket.

Faith took the blanket and rubbed his neck. Glances at his gate, she read his name. "Thank you, Shadow." She whispered in his ear. He rubbed his nose against her face and turned to go to sleep. Faith, now in the hay room, took all her now damp clothes from her backpack and laid them out to dry. The money that she had saved up from her waitress job was wet but it would dry too. Faith knew that she would catch a cold if she slept in her clothes. Stripping down to her simple white 34 C bra and panties, she laid the clothes with the rest. Faith settled on a small pile of hay with the horse blanket wrap around her. It was strange, but Faith felt completely safe there.

*

In the middle of the night, Scott Reid woke with a start. Someone was in his family barn. Pulling on jeans and a sweatshirt, he walked down the stairs to the kitchen. As he put on his socks and boots, he focused on the energy that was trespassing. A young woman just turned eighteen with the ability of second sight had made residence in his barn. She was short, not more than five foot four with flaming shoulder blade length, dark red hair and sky blue eyes. Her slim figure was covered with a horse blanket that Shadow had provided for her.

"Shadow, you are a gentleman." Scott said to himself as he pulled his waist length blond hair into a ponytail. Six foot even with a build of a football player, Scott was one of the last Reid members that lived at the homestead. The many members of the family had moved after his great-aunt Elizabeth was murdered. The town where she was killed at had gone to shit. People said that the Reid family cursed it. In truth, it was lighting to cause the tree to burst into flames and nature turn on the town. The fields were overused and the water had been pumped dry from the ground. As for the animals going crazy and not eating, it was from a fertilizer that gotten mixed into the feed and no one figured it out until years later. People needed to put the blame on something other than their selves. Witchcraft was the scapegoat.

Scott raced out in the now light rain to the barn. Without turning on any light, he found his way to the hay room. There she was, sleeping beneath the horse blanket. Stepping closer, Scott realized that something was not right. She was shivering terribly and murmuring in her sleep. Reaching down, Scott felt her forehead, she was burning up. She was suffering from a rain fever. Without thinking, Scott scooped her into his arms and ran back to the house. Inside, he carried her into his bedroom where the fireplace was lit. Tossing the horse blanket to the floor, his breath was caught for a moment. Her body was on display for his eyes. Her skin was pale and her figure more slender than slim than he thought. To his shock, there were scars along her arms and legs, more on her back. Scott wrapped her into his thick blue, terry cloth bathrobe and tucked her into his bed. Going down to the kitchen, he filled hot water bottles and placed them underneath and around her. Feeding more wood to the fire, he tried to get it as warm as possible for her.

Changing back into his sleep pants and shirt, she cried out. "Dad, please don't hit Mom! Hit me instead!" Faith began to fight, twisting the bed sheets and blankets around her. Scott went to her and tried to quiet her down. She calmed down only when Scott wrapped his arms around her. She opened her eyes when the fever broke. She looked at Scott for a moment and smiled. "You have Elizabeth's eyes" She said. Scott smiled and tried to lay her down. He decided to sleep in the one of the other rooms. As Scott moved away, Faith whimpered, grabbing his arm, pulling him closer. Having really no choice, Scott climbed in bed next to Faith. Lying on his side, she snuggled up against his chest, twisting her fingers in his shirt. Scott held her close to his body to share body heat with her, wondering what the morning would bring. Yet, having her in his arms felt right.

Faith woke with early morning light in her eyes. She did not feel the hay beneath her or the wool blanket on her. Slowly, she sat up and gasped. She was in a bed in the Reid house. Wrapped within heavy cotton blankets and a bathrobe, she untucked herself slowly. She felt weak and drained for some reason she could not remember. Placing her bare feet on the hardwood floor, she noticed things about the room. Trophies of football wins, 4-H contest posters and the pile of men's clothes in a basket made Faith aware that she was not in a girl's room.

Silently, she slipped down the stairs that led to the kitchen. The appliances shined in the sunlight that streamed through the large windows. She snuggled farther in the large bathrobe she was wearing closer and made a shocking discovery. All she had underneath the robe was her bra and panties. Whoever that brought her into the house and tucked her in bed must have seen her scars and bruises. Faith felt weak as her legs began to tremble. Gripping the kitchen island, she forced herself to stand erected, yet she fell anyways. Behind her, large arms had caught her in her distress. Those same arms lead her to a chair that he had drawn out for her.

Scott had finished his morning chores of feeding the live stock when he saw Faith through the kitchen window. The sunlight dances on her red wavy locks as he watched her snuggle inside his bathrobe. He rushed inside when her face turned pale and her knees began to knock.

"Thank you." Faith whispered as she settled in the chair. Scott kneeled beside her, taking her pulse and feeling her forehead. She was no longer running a fever, but last night in the elements took their toll. Leaving her side, Scott fixed her a glass of fresh milk, bread and a bowl of warming, homemade chicken soup from the pot that sat on the wood stove. Faith was grateful for the food that Scott sat down in front of her.

"Your clothes are on the line, drying, along with your bag and shoes. Your money is back in your wallet. You can count it if you like." Scott said ad he fixed himself a bowl of soup and a glass of milk. He sat down across from her at the small table. Faith, mouth full of chicken and vegetables, she smiled. Scott smiled back. "You can wear the bathrobe all day if you like or I can see what my female relatives had left." He noted a change in Faith. Her eyes suddenly turned dark and she placed her spoon down on her napkin.

"You saw my scars, didn't you?" Faith asked without looking up.

"Yes. What happened?"

"My father, he has beaten me pretty much everyday since we moved to that god awful town. That is why I was in the rainstorm last night. I finally had enough money to get out of there." Faith went silent for a moment. She looked up, teary eye. "I just wish I could take my mother with me." Faith placed her face in her hands and began to cry softly. Scott went to her and gathered her into his arms. She cried against his strong chest until it became hiccups. He brushed the hair from her eyes and hugged her close, comforting her.

It was a couple hours later and Faith, now dressed in a green gingham dress and granny boots sat in the living room. Her clothes were dry and all her money was accounted for, she was making herself ready to leave. Folding her clothes, except for the change she was going to dress into, she filled her backpack again. Scott watched for a moment from the entrance way. It was odd, but he felt terribly sad to see her leave.

It was just him at the homestead during the most of the summer, and autumn months. His rest of his family was busy working on the large apple orchards that they owned and harvested about thirty miles away. They entrusted him to take care of the animals and keep the grounds. He was the youngest of the family and he had a knack with animals. That was why Scott was studying to be a veterinarian.

Scott walked in the living room, passed Faith to peek out the window. True, the sky was blue, but dark storm clouds were on the horizon and coming towards them fast. "It is going to rain in about an hour."

"What?" Faith said. The swoop of the skirt made it clear that she stood up and walked to the window where Scott was standing. Looking out the glass, she made a throaty, displeasing noise and turned. She sat back on the floor, with her arms crossed.

She looks cute when she is angry. Scott thought, looking at her. Her hair in a low bun that had started to come loose. The dress fitted her perfectly, forming to her small waist, narrow hips and, full bust. The deep v-neck fell precisely between her breasts that were pushed together. Scott had even found a pair of cotton sock and his mother's granny boots for her to wear. Everything thing fitted her as if was made for her. When she presented herself, he thought were of the Western heroines that his mother loved to read about.

"Are you ready to leave here?" Scott asked, sadly. In fact, he wanted her to stay there with him. For the first time in his life, he felt comfortable with a member of the opposite sex that was not a family member.

Faith heard the sorrow in his question and turned to him. His hair, now braided down his back reminded her of the hay she fell asleep on. Physically, she should have been frightened of him, but it was his green grass eyes that shown his tender side. She had helped with the noon chores of checking on water levels of the troughs and cleaning up the yard from the pervious storm. It was his way that he gently handling the baby goats and calves that ensure Faith that he could not do physical harm to her. She giggled a little as he carefully lifted the fallen limbs from the flower beds so not to hurt the dedicate petals. In all Faith's life, she had never witness a man to act that way.

"Not here." Faith said as she placed her hand on Scott's shoulder. "I have been living in hell for so long that I want to put many miles between me and that town. I'm afraid that my father will try to find me. If he does, I don't think I would survive him." Faith said, choking on sob. Scott faced her and softly wiped the tear from her cheek. She did not want to leave the Reid house any less than Scott wanted her to stay. She felt safe and welcomed here. It was the fear of her father that was the cause to run.

"No one dares goes into these woods anymore. The whole town in convince that my family had cast deadly enchantments to torture any fool who steps foot here. You are safe from him. And if, by chance your father does come here looking for you, I will lie and tell he that I have not seen you. I will protect you, Faith." Scott embraced her. Faith laid her head on his chest and enveloped his waist with her arms. They stood there in sweet silence. The rain came sooner than Scott thought and played music on the tin roof.

Days passed and Faith could not be happier. Scott had opened up one of the rooms not used in a while for her to stay in. It was not a large room, yet with the fireplace and doorway leading out to the second porch made it cozy. The two of them had drove to the nearly town of Windy Pines to buy fabric, some new clothes and toilettes for Faith since she decided to stay with Scott. No one stopped her to ask if she was the runaway which meant her father must not be looking for her. Since they were there, Scott drove her out to his family orchards to meet his parents. His whole family fell in love with Faith during the visit. His mother, April, pulled Faith aside as the family was gathering in the dining room for dinner. "I have not seen my son so happy. Faith, I am glad that you came into our lives, especially his." She continued. "Scott told me about your father and what he did to you. I am sorry for everything you have went through. I ensure you that it would never happen to you again. That is the Reid promise to you, Faith." Relaxed now, she laid her head on his shoulder as they drove back to the homestead in his old Chevy truck. He slipped one arm around her shoulders and the other stayed on the wheel. She snuggled closer. When they got back to the house, Scott carried her inside for she was sound asleep.