Daughter of Luka (LGBT+)

Eleven 🌑

The sun glared in through the window and warmed me the next morning. I stretched, appreciative of the unusually comforting temperature, and rolled out of bed and onto my feet, thankfully not onto my face, though that had happened before, too. 

I then glanced into the mirror and smiled at myself. 

No matter what happened, I was determined to make today a good day. I wasn't about to let anything ruin my fun. I just needed to stay cheerful and try to assure my father that I wasn't about to get myself into trouble. 

If I could manage it, I was going to try to explore the forests, too. I supposed this was my latest act of rebellion, though I doubted that my father would lump it in with the occasions that I slept over at a boy's house he hadn't wanted me to, even if we were literally friends, or even the time when I dyed my hair red. My desire to explore the forest was, for one reason or other, far worse than any of my previous acts of rebellion, at least in my father's eyes. It wasn't going to stop me from wanting to do it, though. 

I respected his concerns, but I simply couldn't understand them. 

To my knowledge, I didn't live in a dangerous town. The rate of crime, at least for the past few weeks, had been low. And nobody had ever gone missing. The forests stretched for miles- how far would someone be willing to go? 

As I thought on that matter, though, I couldn't help but think back to the cave that I had explored the other evening. It had been the same cave that I had found when I had met Fenn. As I thought about him, I couldn't help but wonder where he was now. Had he managed to get home safe? 

I put my mind to rest. I was sure he was fine. At least, no crazy police report had come out, since the time that I had met him and now, anyway. 

I pulled on a black tank-top and some shorts because I felt warmer than usual. After I was ready for the day ahead, I then made my way downstairs for breakfast. 

I had eaten well enough the day before but I still felt as though I could eat three bacon sandwiches and a small goat. 

When I thought about it, though, I decided that last part was a little weird. I had no idea what goat meat tasted like and in all honesty, I wasn't sure that I ever wanted to find out. 

I grabbed some bacon and a few fried eggs and sat down at the table and dug in. 

"Woah, someone's hungry," my dad said, his eyes brightening in admiration of what he had always referred to as a 'healthy appetite'. 

I was glad that I was so physically active because, if not, my body probably would have been the equivalent of two Ophelias by now, and that was a terrifying thought- not so much the extra body weight thing, but the idea of there being two of me. At least, I'm sure my father would agree with that thought. 

After I had consumed my bacon and eggs, I went to make myself a mug of coffee. I added some sugar and a few droplets of milk and then walked out of the back door so that I could enjoy it while I watched over our modest, but pretty, garden. 

As I looked over the garden, I noticed a small red squirrel scurry across the grass. It then rushed up a tree trunk and into the branches, hidden from view.

I sipped my coffee slowly so that I wouldn't end up burning my tongue, and then decided that it was about time for me to take a walk. 

I wouldn't go too far. I didn't want my dad to get mad at me. I was sure he wouldn't 'get mad', exactly, but I didn't want for him to feel as though I betrayed his trust again. So, I placed my coffee mug down on the counter in the kitchen and then made my way outside again. 

I stuck to the foot path, as I wandered into the forest. I knew that I couldn't go too far, though I was tempted. There was something about these forests that just drew me in. It made me want to learn more about them, to explore them further, but I knew that I wouldn't be able to do that any time soon and that was something that I knew I was simply going to have to accept, even if it was difficult to do so. 

My legs carried me onwards, until I realised that I wasn't alone.

Someone else was walking nearby. 

I looked up to find that Fenn was only a short distance away from me. 

It didn't take him too long for him to notice me. 

"Ophelia, hi, I was just analysing these trees," he explained. 

I gave him a look that signalled that I wasn't quite sure whether to believe him. 

"I have an important science project to complete," he explained. 

"On trees?" I asked. 

"Yes. It's very important. Biology," he said. 

He seemed happy enough, but he also looked as though there was plenty on his mind. 

"Everything in the world is complex. I want to be able to learn as much as I can about it," he said thoughtfully, as though there was more to it than he was letting me know. 

It was in the daylight that I was able to truly notice Fenn's eyes. They were gold- a similar shade to Accalia's, but what were the odds of that? 

"Do you have any siblings?" I asked him. 

Fenn smiled, seemingly surprised at the question, though his smile only lasted so long before it faded again. 

"One sister," he told me. 

"What's her name?" I asked. 

Fenn looked as though he was tempted to tell me, but before he could his ears pricked up slightly.