Rhénee Johnson: Emelda's Sapphire (Book One)

Chapter 15

Her brown boots stomped the ground as she walked, stepping on the dry autumn leaves on the ground and breaking a few twigs as she went.

She looked up at the sky, but saw the tree leaves instead. Sunlight streamed it's way through the canopy, hitting her left eye that it shut due to the brightness. She looked on ahead and grew terrified for a split second that she gasped. She hurried along realising that she had fallen behind. It's never a surprise because she's one who always got caught off guard by the tiniest of things.

"Stop running," came a deep male voice in front of her. "That will only give it away and we don't want it to know we're coming."

"Yes, daddy," she said, slowing herself down. At least she didn't have to worry about catching up.

"You really shouldn't be falling behind," said her older brother who walked alongside their father.

"Something got caught in my eye," the girl said.

She heard her brother scoff. "You always have some excuse. You know once you get lost wild animals will eat you, right?"

The little girl gasped in fright that she stopped in her tracks. Her father turned back to look at her and quickly threw a deadly glance at his son, who soon knew better than to say such things in front of his little sister.

"You shouldn't say such things," said their father. He turned around and approached his little girl who had her hands clasped together on her chest.

He went down on one knee and in doing so adjusted the shotgun slung around the back of his left arm. He held the tiny shoulders of his daughter in front of him.

"Don't mind what he said," her father assured her. "Nothing will happen to you when you're with me, okay?"

The little girl nodded and dropped her hands instantly. She didn't seem afraid like she did before and she smiled at her father. Her father smiled back, glad that his little girl had put on such a face.

He quickly stood up and turned to look at his eldest son. The boy gulped, knowing he was going to receive a scolding, maybe worse. But his father didn't feel it necessary as he held his daughter's shoulder and continued to lead the way.

After a few moments of walking, they were now deep into the woods. The canopies above didn't allow enough sunlight through, making the place look almost dim out of light. The three continued to walk side by side, the little girl making sure she stuck close to her father.

The continuous chirping of birds and noises from small animal creatures continued all around them. And as much as the little girl tried to concentrate by sticking close to her father, she started to look up at the trees, trying to get a glimpse of the tiny birds around the forest.

A loud snapping of twigs reached their ears, and soon, the girl's father took his daughter by the hand and quickly rushed with her to a fallen log in front of them, taking cover. The girl's brother also did the same.

"What is it, daddy?" the girl asked.

"Sssh," he instructed placing his index finger on his lips.

The father took a little peak over the log and from a distance, he spotted what he had been looking for. He smiled with delight as he turned to look down at his children kneeling on the ground.

"What is it?" his son asked. "Is it the deer?"

His father smiled at him, "it is," he said.