The darkness was all around me once more, and I couldn't remember how it had got there. It seemed the darkness was my constant companion now, always just a few moments away, although it wasn't safe like a friend. There was always something out there, watching. I could be left to myself, but I was never exactly alone.

Karina...

A deep laughter filled my ears, and I spun around, trying to figure out where it had come from. Pointless really, the darkness was all I could see. I could have been blind.

Karina...

It was as if my name was being chanted in the night. For thats what it was, night time, it had to be. The wind picked up, brushing my air against my cheek softly, making the leaves on the trees that seemed to surround me move and join the whispering. I was in the forest again, I had to be. In the forest, in the dead of night. Was I losing my mind?

The laughter echoed out again, and I shivered - whether from the cold of from the sounds I knew not. I was tempted to scream, someone had to be able to hear me, even in the middle of the night. If I was close enough, mum would wake up, if I could get my voice loud enough to carry that far.

A hand covered my mouth from behind. No ones going to hear you, Karina... You can scream all you like... I spun around to see who was behind me, and was met my nothing but darkness. I stretched my hand out, and touched nothing but the air around me, which made the laughter ring out again, and my heart pound even harder. It filled my head, an insesent drumming, it was making it hard for me to hear my thoughts. Something brushed past my arm as I considered running. You know you wont get anywhere... We've been watching you, Karina... You can't escape... You belong with us...

I shook my head, I had to be imagining this. If there was nothing there, in the darkness, then my mind had to be playing tricks on me. Oh really, Karina? Nothing out there but darkness? The whispering, the laughter, and the wind grew louder as I watched five sets of orbs emerge from the black. Five different coloured orbs, in pairs. Blue, gold, red, grey, and a deep brown. They were floating in the blackness, attached to nothing. My mind was definetley playing tricks on me, this couldn't be happening. That's were your wrong, Karina... We are here, with you right now, watching, waiting... You belong with us, don't ever forget that...

The voice was coming from behind me, and as I thought those words, something stroked my hair. I spun round, my heart beating louder, my breathing frenzied. "Who are you?!" came my strained voice, hardly audible.

I was answered by laughter, and another set of orbs. Green this time. Why was that green so familiar? The colours from before danced round me, laughter accompaning them. They were all boys, or men, and they were surrounding me. I was completely alone, but for them, and I could see no where to run if I had the chance. The green orbs were coming closer to me, the insesent laughter, whispering and drumming of my heart growing ever louder as I came closer to my fate. I was afraid, because I didn't know who these 'people' were, if they were people. Sure, the green, the voices, and even the laughter was familiar to me but that didn't mean... "Daryan!" I gasped.

Once more I was met with laughter, and the green floated closer. Definetley the same shade of emerald. So that meant that the colours were peoples eyes. Probably the group og boys. And I was alone once more, in the darkness, untouched but for their eyes, their voices and my own heart. I had no escape.

{Chapter 11}

The shop that I needed next was across the square, meaning that Daryan would be following me the whole way, or he would wait outside his shop for me to come back and get the bike. Unfortuanatley, the only place I could safely put the bike was outside the florist, and even if there was another I could hardly push it over and hold on to the bouquet at the same time. Maybe if I just pretended he wasn't there, both on the way to the shop and on the way back, he would go back inside, and I could go home.



I adjusted the bouquet on my arm, and picked up my speed slightly. "Karina, wait!" No chance of pretending he wasn't there then, was he ever going to leave me alone? "Karina!"

I spun round, not realising how close he actually was, and stood on his feet. I smiled, I hoped it hurt. "I really have to go home soon, just because I'm here getting flowers doesn't mean I have nothing important to do, so what do you want?"

"Uh..." He just looked at me after that, not even attempting to add anything as to why he was following me. What was wrong with this boy?

Shaking my head I continued towards the shop. If he had nothing meaningful to say then I wasn't going to waste my time with him. As I passed the fountain, I once again trailed my fingers in the water, welcoming the cold that made me shiver. I could feel him watching me as I walked away. I was getting uncomfortable. I had only just met him that morning and he was already obsessed.

I had to adjust the bouquet again to open the door, this time a shrill bell reached my ears. I couldn't understand why the people here were so safety concious, there were only around twenty households that either lived in and around the village, it was unlikely they would have opportunity to steal anything. Grabbing the nearest box of whiskas pouches, and putting the bouquet on the counter, I checked outside the window, to find Daryan still standing where I had left him. I laughed, it really was like I had cast a spell on him.

"Hey, good-looking. What'cha finding funny?"

I knew that voice, the deep, strained voice from that morning. My hands instinctivly rolled into fists as they had done before, and I stared right into the face of my tormentor. He was smirking at me again, standing behind the counter holding a packet of cigarettes he was either about to take, or was about to put on the shelf. I tilted my chin up in defiance, and slammed a fiver on the counter. Sure, it was £3 over priced, but I wasn't standing there any longer than I had to. I grabbed the pouches, a polly bag and stormed outside, straight past Daryan and pulled my bike away. I shoved the pouches into the bag, got on my bike and made my way back home, as the ass left his shop announcing "She's a good'un" to Daryan.

{Chapter 10}

"Longly." I spat. "Give me the flowers."He just stood there, staring with those gorgeous emeralds, didn't even make a move to get the order. Would I have to rip the shop apart to get it, or was he going to move. Within seconds I was tapping my foot, imagining piano pedals, my fingers playing the main part of Clair de Lune silently against my leg. The wind chimes had really stirred something in me, and for the first time in three years I wanted to play piano, listen to composers, just be... free, and at one with nature. I could be like the birds, singing a song as they happily went about their daily lives, having fun and relaxing - if only he'd give me the flowers."Well? You going to go get them or not? Because I don't have all day." I rolled my eyes, just in case he hadn't noticed I was bored.He shook his head the moment my eyes left his. What, I was an enchantress now? "Uh, sure, Longly. And it's the summer, your new here and you're getting flowers for your mum. You must not be doing much, so what could you be in such a rush for?"His words gushed out, each one lingering in my mind like one of those stupid adverts where the words fly around the screen when the characters talk. I failed to answer, and he failed to notice. He was too busy mopping up the water from a broken vase he had run into. I sighed, letting my anger drop to save him from further humiliation. "Here, let me help you with that..." His head snapped up, startled. Did he think I was incaple of being kind due to our past encounters? "Um... I'll go get the flowers, the mops behind the counter." And he rushed off into the back, knocking more stuff over by the sounds of it.I grabbed the mop, and since my hands were no longer free I began to hum the melody from where I had left. It was actually comforting, it helped to ease my anger in a way - or perhaps it was the strong jerky movements I was making while mopping the floor, trying to avoid hitting everything and making as much noise as he had.And with the final trill, he came back into the shop again, carrying a hugebouquet. "God, what does she think when she gets these things... I have no idea how I'm going to get that back.""I could carry it for you, if you have other things to take back?" Shoot. I really had to stop thinking aloud."Uh, I'm on a bike actually, so I think I'll go buy a basket or something. She gave me enough money." I was stammering as I came up with an excuse as to why he shouldn't follow me home. He might be a raving pervert who wants to eat my family or something. He'll turn out to be a vampire or something, from the way he was staring at me...For some reason he looked hurt. Maybe he was a vampire, with the same gift as Edward. I shook my head. Enough about vampires, I was going back into the darkness of the forest for crying out loud. "It's no bother. We don't get much business here - I know, big shocker - and I owe you, for helping me clean up.""I only mopped up some spilt water, it's not as if a hurrican struck and I was ridding the remains of rubble and bodies." He was really going to think I was weird. Great, because that meant he would leave me alone."That's some sense of humor you've got there, I'm Daryan." He smiled as he said this, a sweet, shy smile. If I hadn't saw him that morning with his 'friends' I would have found this shocking."Karina, and I really have to go. I'll just buy a basket. Thanks for the offer though." I replied, taking the flowers and rushing outside, which filled my head with the windchime again. Louder than when I had first entered, as if the door had been opened twice...

{Chapter 9}

"Karina, be a doll and go down the village for me? We're out of food for Archie, and I ordered a bouquet from the florist, so while your at it could you -""Do I have to mum? Can't I just go out back and help John or something?" No way was I going through that path again so soon. If they weren't between the trees, they'd be in the village, or even around the cottage, seeing as there were only a fewpeople livingon this side, and ours was the only place that had been bought and sold for years, which meant they knew where I lived."...And all we've done so far since we moved here, is make it a nicer, better place for us to live, and it would be nice to have a break. Seeing as you hardly helped out at all, we deserve one!""Fine, mum. Just give me the money..." I sighed in defeat, it was hardly fair of me to make her do everything, and she had been working for nearly three weeks straight."What's wrong with you today? You're snapping at everyone and just not being yourself." she asked me, with a concerned look on her face while handing me the money."Cool, see you soon!" I replied, dodging the question and running out of the door before she could stop me. I scanned the area, looking for any sign of other people outside their homes. No one was on the beach, on the road, and no one was outside the onlyvisible cottage. No one was at the entrance to the path either, which didn't make me feel that much better. Running around the side of the cottage, I opened the garage door and choked slightly on the masses of dust and dirt that filled my mouth and nostrils. The garage was dark, and for a second I hesitated, stupidly thinking that one of them would have hidden inside. I grabbed John's bike, while shaking my head and laughing at my stupidity. I sped past the cottage, saying a quick "See you later!" to Archie, who yowed in response. I swear, sometimes I thought he could understand what we were saying. I could see the path ahead of me, and I was rapidly travelling towards it. It was lighter than it had been earlier in the day, - I could see the ground clearly now - so that meant that the boys wouldn't be on their bikes (I guessed they did that to terrify whoever they found when it was dark.) That meant they could creep up on me silently, but for the shuffling of the ground beneath their feet, if they were careless enough to let me hear.I tried not to think of it as I travelled on the uneven ground, I had a faster means of getting away this time, if anything happened. I would be out of the trees soon enough, and then I could relax in the village until I was ready to enter again. Turning the final bend, I could see the fountain where I had sat, and the relativley busy village. They wouldn't try anything now, they would be in plain sight. And then, the sunlight hit again, making me blink several times before my eyes were used to it. I left my bike on the railings outside the florist and opened the door, windchimes ringing in my ears, the scent of several kinds of flower taking over my senses, deciding for me that I would be listening to Mozart when I got home. I smiled as I breathed deeply, listening to the music the windchime was playing fade away, before turning to the counter. My happiness faded slightly as I realised no one was behind the counter. Irritably, I rung the small bell labelled "ring for assistance" and waited for someone to emerge from the back. The curtain moved and I spun round so I could get the order and go back home before anybody appeared who would try to keep me. "Can I help..." came the same melody from that morning, belonging to the same emerald green eyes.

{Chapter 8}

I stood trembling in the silence, hiding in the darkness my eyelids handed out, rather than cowering in fear. The palms of my hands were beginning to tingle, as my nails dug deeper into the skin that protected what was vital to me. I knew I had to loosen my grip, but the silence was smothering, deafening as it was all that reached my ears.Silence....Just moments before I had been surrounded by the noise of numerous motorbikes, now everything was silent? Had I just imagined it? Surely, I must have just imagined it, there was no way that all that noise could have been shut off in such a short space of time.Peeking from under my eyelids, I could see the light had faded considerably, only to be coming from where I had first noticed it. I turned my head slightly, my eyes opening wide as they focused on what had joined me between the wooden armies. A group of boys stood there, arms folded, smirking at me as they leaned on their bikes."What'cha doing here, love?" came the voice of the one in the center. It was deep, almost as deep as the rumbling his bike had made, he could have been in pain. I just stared at him. Fear had frozen me in place for so long it was like I was unable to move any part of me, even my jaw. My eyes quickly scanned over the group of boys - good, I was able to move them, at least. In the dim light, they seemed half the height of the trees around us, although I doubted they would be taller than seven foot. A voice met my ears again, and my eyes snapped back to the one who had spoken first. "Well, sweetheart?"He moved towards me, locking his eyes with mine, and raised his hand to stroke my cheek. "These woods can be dangerous, you know."His touch seered through my skin, anger bubbling in the pit of my stomach. Who was he? What made him so special to speak to me that way, touch me, when I didn't even know him? His sarcasm was of poor taste. I spat in his face, pulling away from his touch so I could see the whole group clearly. There were five of them. "If there that dangerous, a few guys behind you'll hardly protect you."A whisper started up behind him, as he chuckled quietly to himself - the sound seemed to echoe in the black sheet. "I'm safer than you darling, trust me on that one."One of the boys behind him grimaced at his friends words, as if he didn't want them to be true. I pretended not to notice, focussing on replying to the ass in front of me. "If anything here can hurt me, they can hurt you too. You're just another stereotypical guy. Not all girls are going to blush, cower, or whatever gives you your sick thrills when you look at them." I turned in an attempt to leave, when he grabbed my arm."Careful what you say love -"I pulled my arm out of his grip, and the shocked look on his face, on the whole groups face, showed that none of them had been expecting me to do that, let alone talk back to them. "Hey, asshole, I'm not scared of you. Get that into your thick skull." And with that, I walked away, leaving the boys in awe, staring after me, whispering amongst themselves. I was walking slowly, begging them to start their bikes and give chase. And, as they slowly regained their composure, they did exactly that. The bikes came back to life, dodging the trees in pursuit of me once more. My anger hadn't dyed down yet, and I smiled as one bike flew ahead of me, and blocked my exit into the sunlight. It was the one who had grimaced.I continued walking, without even glancing back to see where the other bikes were. I could hear them behind me, speeding from one army to the other, trusting in the one who was ahead of me.I smiled wider as I neared him, inviting any snide remark, any attempt to stop me leaving. He seemed out of sorts, not quite as focussed as the others, although his eyes never left mine.His voice rung out, a soft melody compared to the strained vocal chords of before. "Where you going sweetheart?"I couldn't help but laugh at his attempt to sound menacing. I knew he didn't want to be there as much as I did, I could see it in his eyes, his emerald green eyes. "Get out of my way." My voice surprised even myself, coming out as a hiss from between my teeth, and I watched in triumph as his eyes widened and he started his bike, heading off to meet his friends.I stepped out of the darkness happily, rejoicing in the sunlight, in what I had just accomplished.

{Chapter 7}

White. Everything was white. I could feel my head burning as I squinted into the light. Surely I wasn't dying? I had felt no pain, nothing out of place, nothing had been there to suggest that I was slipping away. I had always thought dying would be painful, depending on the way your life was ended. Maybe my heart had just stopped beating in the suffocating darkness, maybe my fear of the darkness caused this to happen.

It wasn't just my physical feelings that had left me now, my concious mind was absent also, leaving behind only confusion, and fear. There was no other feeling I could replace either with. If I was dead, I had no idea why, and I was scared that I was. And if I wasn't dead, I had no idea why everything was a blinding white, and feared what caused it.

I closed my eyes. Something wasn't right. There was no way that I was dead, just moments before I had been standing in the forest, and listening to a deep rumbling that grew as the light did. I couldn't be dead, and the rumbling would still have to be there, if I could just focus my mind I would be able to hear it.

Opening my eyes again seemed like a huge effort. To stare into that blinding white after so long in the darkness burned my eyes, my head, and I could only do so for short periods of time. But with my eyes taking in what little there was to see, my other senses slowly adjusted, my hearing, my touch, my smelling ability, all came back to me.
I was standing on the path, surrounded by trees, and white light was dancing around me, eminating from four different points. The ground beneath me was shaking, and amidst the growls I could hear laughter. People were here, around me, moving behind those lights that tormented me. And the growls, the rumbling that was causing my ears to ring, and the ground to shake, was coming from machines.

Motorbikes. Cars were far too large to fit between the trees, and the ease at which the lights dodged among the tree trunks made it plainly obvious. I was surrounded by people on bikes, probably all boys, in the middle of nowhere. If I screamed, I doubt I would be heard over the engines, and I knew that would excite my tormentors further.

I readied myself, the bikes were coming closer. Breathing deeply, my eyes closed, I stood feet apart, hands by my sides, for when the pain would come, for when I would be wisked off my feet and into the trees where I would be powerless to whoever had taken me.

{Chapter 6}

The darkness swallowed me once more. Somehow it seemed more intense than before, more suffocating. It was strange, I had thought that with the sunlight growing stronger, the darkness would have faded slightly. It was as if the green leaves above my head absorbed it completely, rather than just enough to fill themselves with colour.

I kept my pace the same as it had started off as. If I started to panic now, I would be exhausted before I got back home, and mum and John would ask questions. I had to face my fears, and stay calm. Taking a deep breath and putting my head down, I headed further into the trees, where the path veered left and I would no longer be visible by people in the village. It was here that I was most vulnerable. I was invisible to people in the village, and I was invisible to whoever might be on the other side where me and my family now lived. It was also the darkest area, so that meant it was the most confining. If I was to confront and overcome my fear, I would have to pass this area as slowly as I could, and force myself to stay there for as long as possible. I had always been raised to face my problems head on, and that was exactly what I was going to do.

I quickly glanced behind me. I was expecting to see something at least, some sign of the civilisation I had just moments before left. Yet everything was black. Panic swelled in the pit of my stomach and I stopped momentarily to let it subside. I was going to confront this fear. If this unending sheet of black was going to harm me in any way, then I was going to rebel against it at least. I stood firm, adjusting my weight slightly, so that if I was going to run - which I was determined not to do - I would be able to straight away, without starting before I picked up speed.
Peering into the darkness was as if I were floating. I knew that underneath my feet was hard ground, stable ground that wasn't going to shift at any second, and yet, the darkness completely engulfed me, it was all I could see, and it took all physical feelings from me. It was as if I was completely numb. It was the sort of state you would like to be in if you were inviting death, and I certainly was not.

I shook my head, and with it shook that feeling away, and a new feeling arose. Something had changed while I had been floating, something important. My hands rolled up into fists and I atuned my ears to the darkness, listening for anything out of place.
There was a distant rumbling, a rumbling that shook the ground beneath me and continued throughout my whole being. It was all around me, and was soon accompanied by a deep growling. No animal I knew of could make a sound like that, and I was positive that no animal in my current surroundings ever would.
Suddenly the darkness was peirced to my left, from between the thick trunks of the trees. A peircing white filled my view and then completely swamped me. The black in which I had felt at peace in momentarily, seemed as if it was never there. My previous feeling of numbness, and the thoughts of death that followed filled my mind again. Weren't you supposed to see a white light when you died ?

{Chapter 5}

All around me the world was sleeping. The constant flow of the water in the fountain, and the distant sounds of the waves were the only sounds to reach the sleeping village, and the only sounds that accompanied me while I sat in wonder at everything around me.

It was beautiful how people here could live in harmony with nature, how they could live their lives, and develop their homes without disturbing the wildlife, and the worlds natural beauty. So unlike the city, so unlike anything I had ever known before. Living here was paradise for me. I had never known anywhere like this apart from in fairytales. It reminded me a little of Snow White, the people trusted the animals, and the animals trusted the people - of course not to the extent of helping out with the housework, but they trusted them enough to live in peace with them, even venturing out into civilisation.

I shifted my position, and realised with the stiffness that followed, that I hadn't moved since I had arrived there, but for the subconcious movements of my fingers in the water. With a start I realised that if I was that stiff, I must have sat there for some time. The sun was high in the sky now, and I knew that soon the birds would sing, like an opening for the rest of the world to wake up.

With a sigh I stood to leave. I couldn't leave it much longer, and mum was an early riser so I wouldn't have long to get back either. I was dreading going back, because although it was light out here, it would still be dark under the trees. It would always be darker there, the suns rays could hardly penetrate through the branches of so many trees. I started on my journey back with relativley high spirits. I guess I have a phobia of dark places, like I'm afraid of the dark but not quite - it all depends on where the darkness is. But I knew I would have to get used to this path soon, because that was my only route to school, to the shops, to any possible friends I might aquire while living in the cottage.

{Chapter 4}

I was beginning to regret not changing before I left. Despite the suns warming rays, and the heavy coat I had taken from the hanger, the flimsy pyjamas I had chosen to wear to bed that night were having a hard time of containing my body heat.

I pulled my jacket tighter around me and folded my arms across my chest. I wasn't completely used to my surroundings yet, and in the darkness everything seemed completely different. The familiar path I was travelling along now that led to the village seemed to reach towards me, confining my movements to the center of the path and allowing me no space to stretch out. Of course I knew this wasn't the case, but the thick wall of trees on both sides of me loomed over me and I felt tiny in comparison - a 5"4 girl could hardly compare to an army of 15" trees.

It was comforting to know that just above me the sun was watching, making an effort for its warmth to reach me even in the depth I had found myself. By now I had been outside for at least fifteen minutes, so the end of the path was beginning to reveal itself. I could see the square, and the fountain in its very center. The sun had no difficulty reaching there, so soon enough I would be out of any danger that I might find myself between such mighty armies.
The thought of escaping these confines encouraged me to pick up my pace. I would reach the village soon enough, within a few more minutes, and even that didn't seem soon enough. Not only was I regretting not changing, but I was regretting leaving this early. In fact, I had no idea what time it actually was. So for a split second I was tempted to turn around, and walk back home, only to come out when the sun was shining strongly and not just waking up. That thought was, however, completely eradicated by the fact that to do that I would have to endure another ten minutes or so in the darkness, when I could leave it completely and return when it was lighter. It couldn't be that late in the morning, when I had left the sun wasn't even completely above the horizon.

I broke from my thoughts of turning back round about the same time I broke from the trees. I made my way straight for the fountain, because it was from there I had the best view of everything around me. I couldn't help but blink as I noticed just how brightly the sun was shining by looking in the water. If the heat carried on throughout the day, the water that poured continuously and repeatadly from the same place would end up just plain cold and not freezing as it was at that moment. Although, it was a nice kind of freezing, because I was able to run my fingers through it as I watched the leaves dancing in the wind.

{Chapter 3}

His face was hidden, covered by thousands of lines. Who was he? If only I could clear the lines away.. If only I knew who he was, and then perhaps why he tormented me. I reached forward, to clear those lines from view, when a high pitched yowing sound started up and the facebegan to contort. Whispering started up, and I knew I had to escape. I turned and ran, ran as fast as I could, but that contorting shape never shifted from my view and the whispering was growing louder, drowning out the previous sound that had startled me. All around me was darkness, so I had no idea where I was running to, or where I was running from. Something touched my ankle and I began to panic. I veered to the right, and ran into something solid, like an invisible wall, and fell into the blackness. The whispering filled my ears and as I fell further, a sentence formed in my mind, "You're next..." I woke suddenly, with laughter ringing in my ears. It had been a dream, but the yowing was still there, and the laughter hightened my panic. The voice had belonged to someone I knew, someone who I hadn't spoken to in over seven years.. My father.I sat up in bed, the covers clinging to me - I must have been sweating heavily. I shook my head, and let my eyes ajust to the dim light. The thin white curtains I had hung that night were moving slightly, and I realised I must have left my window open. I peered outside, it was just beginning to brighten as the sun woke from it's slumber. I shivered and closed the window over slightly. The yowing was still prominant, so it wasn't just part of my dream, because the laughter had faded.I looked around, over to the right of my bed, and my eyes landed on a shape I knew wasn't there last night. It was jet black in the early morning light, so I moved closer slightly. I stretched my hand out, and it moved towards me. It stopped where the sun was shining through the curtains, and I realised, with a sigh of relief, that it was my kitten. I laughed at myself quitely, and slipped out of bed. My throat was dry so I suppose I needed a drink of water. I could feel myself being watched intently, and as I reached the door, I motioned to the kitten, "Come on then Archie, let's get you something to eat." The small cottage seemed even smaller in the darkness. The coldness didn't help. John hadn't set up the heating yet, that was due to happen on Tuesday, so I would have to wait for three days until I could wake up to a warm house. I passed mum and Johns room, and shook my head as John's snoring grew louder. I had no idea how mum could put up with that, I would have to sleep in seperate rooms, it was like a chainsaw. Archie ran circles around me as I put some milk in his bowl, and a few biscuits beside it. His yowing stopped and he dashed forwards, crunching the biscuits in delight before noisily lapping at his milk. "I don't know how you eat so much, you're starving and you had three meals yesterday, not to mention a little something extra when no one was looking." He looked up at me, and it was as if he was sticking his tongue out at me, considering that it was sticking out between his lips. I reached down and scratched his ears, before grabbing my coat and stepping out of the front door.I liked walking in the morning, it was the one time where I could be with my thoughts, and see all the beauty around me without either being disturbed.

{Chapter 2}

My name is Karina Longly, and I'm fifteen. I have blue eyes, and blonde hair, and a fair complecxion. I suppose I look like a porcelain doll in a way, although not nearly as pretty. For years my family had been travelling, trying to find just the right place for us to live. Eventually we settled in the North of Scotland, along the coast. This was a huge change, and one I knew that mum had always wanted to make. Through all our travelling, and flitting from home to home, we had always been situated in the city. John was a rather succesful business man, and he needed to be near his contacts. But one day, he came home, a huge grin on his face, and told spoke the words mum had always longed to hear him say. "This city has no appeal for me anymore. We're moving. And this time, you get to choose where we go."The look on mum's face when he said those words was priceless, and how I wished I had had my camera. She flew into his arms, her eyes shining and she laughed my favourite laugh. She kissed him full on the lips and was momentarily lost for words. She now had everything she had ever wanted. A family, her dream man, and her dream home. She even had the job she had always dreamed of.It was that moment I knew her and John would be together forever. She was still head over heels, like a teenager who had found her first love, and although he didn't show it, John was the same. That moment has stayed with me forever, for it was the moment that we no longer knew what the future held, only the direction we were heading. It was a fresh start for all of us, and one much needed. John had quit his job that day, and vowed he would never do anything that would make him, or anyone around him, unhappy. And so, for the rest of the week, he and mum searched the web, and local agencies for where we would be living next. There was no competition really. Mum knew the area she wanted, what she wanted, and knew how to get it.Within three days she was talking about how the cottage was ours, and how she would spruce it up when we arrived. And two weeks later, we were travelling towards it. It needed a lot of work, true, but John had a knack for interior design. And he didn't disappoint. He spent our first few days there working on the building, while mum worked on the garden. I spent my days progressivly also, exploring the village down the road, learning the best routes to where I would need to be when the holidays were over. And eventually, we had the perfect home, in the perfect area, with the perfect life.

{Chapter 1}

I sat down by the water and gazed up at where I had just been. It was a small cottage, situated by the beach and surrounded by fields and forests. This was my home now. The sun was shining and I could feel its rays warming the back of my neck as the wind picked up slightly, carrying the smell of salt and fresh baked rolls with it. I smiled. Mum was a baker, so that meant she was happy and was getting ready for lunch. Until then I could sit in the splender of my surroundings.Where I lived was beautiful, never mind what was around it. Lime and mint green ivy climbed the walls and shaped itself around the frame of the livingroom window, - it was spring now, and in winter the green would change to red - the rose bushes at the front door and each side of the gate were in full bloom, and the pink and yellow they radiated was breath taking, around the back, out of view from where I was sitting, was a small stream where koi carp danced and other wildlife thrived. Because of the forest beyond, I knew there would be rabbits and roe deer that situated inthe garden regularly, and I was full of anticipation. My bedroom window was facing to the forest, so I had a good view of everything that was going on. I could become an avid bird watcher if I had any free time and few friends. This occupation appealed to me somewhat, although I felt the need to rule it out slightly - just because I was new here, didn't mean I would be unpopular, I hadn't been in my previous schools, so why would I be here?Two birds flew from the trees and glided gracefully above my head, filling my ears with their song. I got the feeling they were approving of my thoughts of bird watching. I watched them glide above the waves, twisting and turning in the wind, always singing. Perhaps it was their breeding season, I would have to ask John when I got in.John was my step father. I'd known him for three years before he finally popped the question, and obviously, my mum said yes - anybody willing to put up with the same person for that long must be crazy in love with them. Our relationship wasn't exactly father daughter, more like best friends. We liked the same things, and I'm sure that helped mum with her decision to let him live with us before they wed. She was pleased I was able to confide in John, he was the closest I ever had to a father.The bird song was fading, and I snapped out of my thoughts to watch them once more. They had veered to the right, towards an impressive cliff that seemed to have faces carved into it. I knew the wind could get strong their, especially along the coast. I was taken in by that cliff. The sheer size of it was captivating, and from what I could tell, it rose out of the forest.I would have to explore it some time.