In the Brink of Time #Wattys2015

Chapter 3: The Woods

They began to walk deep into the woods. They saw nothing except trees and more trees. Maria could hear the leaves crackling under her feet. She could smell the soft, wet mud under her feet. Sam was quickly following behind her on this mysterious trail she was taking.

As he turned toward her he said. "Do you even know where you are going Maria. 

She looked at him with determination and said, "I think I do, but there's a part of me that really doesn't know."

"Well maybe you should listen to that part of you Maria." He said with a smirk on his face. 

She nugged him and laughed, "Well Sam if I listened to my instincts all the time I wouldn't do such silly stuff all the time and I definitely wouldn't be that fun of a friend." 

He smiled at her and said, "You know I'm going to like you whatever way you are."

She blushed on the inside and said, "Yes Sam, I know you will like me however way I am. I feel the same way toward you." 

They continued on. As they walked deeper into the woods Maria began to extremely doubt herself. As time passed and she and Sam realized there were no "old mansions" anywhere in sight. They had made the desperate decision to return to Brushshire and just leave this behind. Sam had to persuade Maria a whole lot then he had to persuade himself. He wanted to just leave, but he did not want to make it seem like he would not be there for her when she needed him.

"Are you sure you're ready to leave Maria, no more searching?

Also it's getting dark, it's like 7:30 now." 

She looked at him with wide eyed and sadly said, "Yes I am ready to leave Sam." "I am quite tired of all of this. I just want this to be behind me...I want to live a normal teenage life of a 16 year old and it starts today...so yes I am ready to leave."

He smiled at her and said, "I am so happy and proud of you Maria you always amaze me with your strength."

The next few weeks was pretty calm for Maria. Sam and her had a great party that Saturday right before the week was over and she had a blast like she always had with him. She began her summer break with a good novel of her choice. Rather than play angry birds she much rather desired to read many novels. That is what Sam liked most about her. She was different than "most" teenagers. She acted way older than her years. That was one of the first things he said to her when they first met when they were in first grade.

He met her while she was playing at the playground at their school. Rather than play on the swings she wanted to play knights and princesses, that she created, with her friend Ralph. He would be knight and she would be princess and rule the playground the whole day making orders on the other kids. He would just stare at her in amazement that she could be that young and desire to do such older things. Finally one day he had the courage to go up to her and ask her if he could play as well.

Her eyes lit up with delight and she said, "I would love that. You are officially my knight, protect me."

Since then barely a day go without them talking to each other. Maria came home at about 8:00 p.m. that night. As she walked in through the front door she could hear the yells and her heart sank. She knew what was happening. She never understood why they fought so much. She looked at her mother and father and they looked like two raging tigers fighting over a delicious but irrelevant meal. 

She begun to feel sad inside and wish it would just all stop forever. Her mother was rubbing her hands and grabbing her brunette hair in stress. Her knuckles turned white because she was grabbing it with such hard strength out of anger and hurt at her husband. Tears begun to run down her face as she slammed the door and ran upstairs.

Her dad quickly tried and ended the argument and ran toward Maria before she hit the top stairs of their huge house. 

He quickly said, "Maria, I am sorry. You know I am trying. I really am... it's just it's hard, and it is not working. Please believe me I am trying."

She looked at her father with sadness and disbelief that he still thought she would believe that lie. She turned away from him without saying a word and ran upstairs. Rather than slamming the door she shut it with hurt and contempt.

She laid on her bed and cried and cried until her pillow was drenched in tears. She just wished it would all stop. She did not know what it was like to have that happy family that some fortunate had.

After awhile she began to think of happier times and realized she had God and her best friend Sam. She smiled when she thought about that Saturday her and Sam spent together. It was so nice for her. She felt happier inside. It was unusual for her to stay sad for long. She knew she would feel better. She always did eventually.

She picked herself up from her bed. Her feet touched the shag carpet on the floor. She always thought it was silly that it was the 21st century and she still had shag carpet like it was the 70s. She walked over to her huge window. She stared out the huge window. The view from this window peered out at the street in her gated community. She saw Sams light on in his window.

She guessed he was probably playing an app or something. She ran to get her iPhone and decided she would text him to see what he was doing. As she began to text him she saw out of the corner of her eye a male figure. He was tall and stocky and walked as if he was on some sort of mission. He was walking very slowly, but since her street lights didn't light the street up that well and they were so far apart, she could not see his features.

Her heart began to feel unease. She had never seen this man before. Who was he?