The First Installment

Hello everyone,

   Sorry for missing last week's post, but I didn't finish the installment till late. And Saturday I went to a conference thing. That was very interesting. So here I am, and most importantly is the first installment, of.... bother, I didn't even think of a title! Arhh scatterbrained me. Read the story and tell me your suggestions. Hopefully between all us terribly smart people we will come up with something brilliant. :P

   Without further ado, here it is

     It was a picturesque little scene. The cute little hare nibbling away at the lush green grass in the middle of the nice, cool clearing.  I mean it would have been picturesque for most everybody. But not me. I took a deep breath and released my last arrow. It sailed in a near perfect arc toward the hare which was grazing contentedly unaware of my presence Some might have felt guilty at shooting at an innocent, little critter, but I most definitely did not. Mind you I’m not a heartless hunter. If it had been a deer, rabbit, or even a bird I would have regretted what I had to do.  

    But it was a hare. I don’t know why, but ever since I was a little girl hares creeped me out. Not you don’t want to pet it creeped out, but the shivers up and down your spine, freezing in terror kind of creeped out. Rabbits, they’re cute and adorable, but hares? I’m convinced they are downright evil. Not that I’ve ever come across any concrete proof, but I can tell it in their little beady eyes. But it didn’t really matter, because I said ‘near perfect arc’ for a very good reason.

It missed.

The hare barely glanced up, but I swear it was grinning, and bounded off into the dusk. I heard a suppressed chuckle from behind and turned to glare fiercely at the tall lanky boy who had moved from his concealed hiding pace and was now leaning against a tree.

“It’s not funny,” I forced the words out through gritted teeth.

“Oh, yes it was. Definitely funny.” He replied grinning broadly.

I stomped off to retrieve my arrow. I strained to see through the dim light, and saw it lying at the base of a large tree. I hurried and scooped it up. I turned and walked straight into a low-lying branch. The loud guffaws echoing from the trees around made my blood boil. I couldn’t see clearly for the reflect tears clouding my vision and fine red mist of nearly uncontrollable anger. I strode quickly to a tall, blurred shape which I thought was him and pointed an accusing finger directly at it.

 “You’re scaring all the wildlife away,” I nearly yelled. The laughing only increased in volume to a hysterical point. I wiped the tears from my eyes and saw why. I’d pointed to a sapling instead of my brother. He was rolling around on the ground several meters to my right laughing in uncontrollable fits. I practically leaped over till I was standing over him, and nudged him, not too gently, in the ribs.

“Stop it!! It’s sooooo not funny.” He managed to control his amusement long enough to say,

“It doesn’t matter, you totally scared everything away with your stomping, branch bashing, and tree whispering, except it was more like tree shouting.” And with that he dissolved in to giggles once more.

“I’m going home. You can follow when you’ve stopped being so insensitive.” I declared and abruptly turned on my heels and started off. I heard him scrambling up, and soon heard his quiet footfall beside me.

“What did I do wrong?” I wailed. “It was so close, and that evil hare knew it. Did you see it grin before it took off?

   “You have a habit of breathing out right before you release. It’s affecting your aim that tiny bit. And I didn’t see any grinning hares.” He answered with no hint of amusement this time. He knows how scared I am of them, so he doesn’t tease me. But I don’t think he necessarily agrees about their evilness either.

“And the only way to fix that is?” I tentatively asked of him. I had the feeling I wouldn’t like what he said.

“Practice, practice, and some more practice!” Preston chirped cheerily. I groaned. I didn’t have a lot of free time to do what I wanted. You see I have to help Mamma with the herb collecting. She’s the village healer so she has to have a good stock on hand in case of emergencies. And when she doesn’t have what she needs, she sends me out to fetch them. So I know my way around the woods and I can get them fairly quickly. Sometimes she lets me off helping her fetch and brew things so I can go with Poppa on his hunting trips. He’s a hunter, and he’s teaching Preston his trade. So Preston is often with him. I treasure the times I go hunting with Poppa alone. Preston helps me by giving me tips about things I’ve missed. Sometimes it doesn’t end all that well, as this trip indicates. Generally though it’s fine. So basically that means I will have hardly any time to practice my archery.

As we came in sight of the little three room cottage, I saw Poppa going into the log cabin which serves as a barn for our two horses, Mora and Nara. By the time we had walked to the cottage door, he had finished feeding them and it was time for dinner.

I lay in bed that night thinking of archery practice and wondering how I was going to slot it in with my day tomorrow. I was comfortably full of turkey pie, and a warm fuzziness was taking hold as I drifted into sleep. Before I completely succumbed to sleep, I had time to reflect on my wonderful family. Surely no one else had a mamma that could make the best golden, crunchy pastry for pies, nor a poppa that could make the most tender, juiciest turkey filling to go in that perfect pastry with the divinest gravy to accompany it. And I was ninety-nine point nine percent certain that I alone had a brother who could make apple and blueberry filling fit for angels to eat. Combined with that perfect pastry it was heavenly. Not only that but they were loving enough to allow me two slices of each. Probably because they knew I adored them both. I slipped into dreamland happy. Which didn’t last for very long. Soon in came bounding hares with fangs dripping saliva.

And I couldn’t hit a single one.

The next day Preston and Poppa went hunting. They were out to get pelts today, because the markets were on the weekend, and Poppa wanted to take as many pelts as he could muster for then. Mamma needed my help brewing various concoctions for the village stock. We also needed to bake provisions for the trip to the markets.

Now towards nightfall, I was out in the woods practicing my archery. I couldn’t believe my good luck. Mamma had finished with me after dinner and I still had an hour of daylight. So here I was practicing on the wooden targets Preston had fashioned for me. I was definitely improving. When I’d finished I had ten minutes till dark. I packed up my things and turned to head home. I looked up and stopped dead in my tracks.

There were hares blocking my path. Lots of hares. My blood turned to water and my knees started to shake. I could have handled one or two in my way. But there was a dozen. Besides the fact hares don’t congregate like this, there was something unnerving about the way they formed a loose semi-circle around my chosen path. I stood stock still eyeing them off, weighing my options.

Until they all bared their fangs at me, and then I turned tail and ran.

I had no idea where I was going; I just hoped they wouldn’t follow me. Five seconds later I heard their pursuit. I was freaking out big time. I am certain I ran the fastest that night than ever before. In fact so fast I didn’t think it was even possible. For a full horrible minute I ran blindly through the woods with no purpose in mind just absolute terror. But very quickly common sense kicked in. I began to run quietly still fast but with not as much noise. My mind flashed through the options open before me. I was still ahead of the hares, and gaining ground. But I couldn’t keep going forever. I needed to hide. The hares would be tracking me with their noses, so logically I had to throw them of my scent. And the best way I could think of was through the stream I knew was just a little ahead of me.

I crashed through the stream, and nearly made it to the end before I slipped on the slimy rocks and face planted the water. I dragged myself clear, so glad that these freaky hares were just as stupid with fangs and without. If they’d had brains they would have corner me off.

That was right before one charged alongside and skidded to a stop in front of me. We stared at each other for a long moment. It seemed to be gloating in the fact it would beat me without a doubt. Not on my watch, you ugly beast, I thought fiercely. I saw out of the corner of my eye a big branch leaning against a tree. I grabbed it and faced the charging hare. It had started for me the moment I’d moved, but perhaps it didn’t have very good eyesight in the dimming light, because it kept coming despite my weapon. I bided my time till the time was right and then I hit it.

Real hard.

  It flew through the air and crashed in to a tree. I don’t know if the tree or the force of my hit broke its neck, but it certainly wasn’t getting up again. Take that, I thought triumphantly.

Suddenly the woods was alive with the sound of scrabbling feet and I realized with shock that the others had caught up while we’d been having our skirmish. I could see the leaves shaking as they reach the far side of the stream.  I turned and frantically search for a place to hide…

1. My eyes alighted on a small cave, and I entered rushing to the very back. Suddenly the air was alive with black wings scratching and screaming to exit. I had a horrible thought of hares investigating the noise. I fainted.

2. I looked around despair closing in. Then I remembered hares can’t climb. I rushed to the nearest tree and began to climb. The hares rushed around clawing at my legs.

3. Unbelievably I saw a little hut nearby. I ran to it and threw the door open slamming it behind me with all the force I could muster. The yelps of pain indicated I’d hit some. Hard. Suddenly there was silence. Then something cast a shadow across the floor. I looked at the dark shadow outside the window.  

   Ok, this looks a little plain. I'll try next time to find a picture to use as a header thing.

    What have I been doing? Do you know what I've been doing? Please tell me if you know, because I hardly do myself. Ummm..... Oh yes, I've been doing that most pleasant thing we all adore. Take a guess... breathing!! ( I'm tired if you haven't guessed already ) I meant school work actually. I've also been reading quite a bit. I picked up a book at the conference I went to last Saturday. It was a Rod and Staff Publishers book, called Just Thirteen and I started reading it Monday. It was so good, that I'd finished it in about three days, and then I was hungry for more Rod and Staff books that I started reading The Way She Chose which though was twice as thick I finished in a day ( I'm fairly sure anyway ). And now I'm Rod and Staff deprived. Has anyone else read Rod and Staff books? We have a few others, and I find them very good. 

    Sorry for such a short post, but I hope the installment makes up for that. It is rather long. I must go to bed now, for I'm tired and I have to go out tomorrow. 

    Please don't hesitate to comment and tell me your favourite option!! 

    God bless you all!

    Antonella Rose.