The Deep Dark Stone Path

Chapter 4 - *Dalilah*

When we get home I go to my bedroom. I open my drawing utensil kit and start painting flowers, birds, ladybugs, bee's, butterflies, and grass on my walls. When I finish that, I grab my stool and start painting my roof. On half of the roof I paint a daytime scene with a smiling sun, blue sky, and clouds. The other half I paint as a night time scene with a sleeping moon, dark sky, and stars. Then I clean up my messes and go clean myself up. After that I go get my family and show them my bedroom. They all tell me that it is spectacular. Except dad. He says "I think you get this from your mother." With a big grin on his face. That is the first time he has mentioned mom since her funeral. After they all leave my room, I lock the door and go out onto the veranda. Then I get the idea that I should paint the view from my veranda. I grab my easel, my art utensil kit, and my stool, and start painting. We have about seven feet wide, from the house, of yard space in the back. All you see after that is woods. I look down at the small fraction of yard and notice something peculiar. There is a path leading from the back of the house to the woods. It is outlined with flowers. It looks like the path is made out of black stones. I wonder what that path could be leading to. The only thing at the back of the house is my veranda, nothing else. None of the other bedrooms have a window that would let them see the back yard and we dont have a back door. I stare out into the woods looking for what the path might lead to. Then I see a roof of a house. Now this is unbelievable! I am going to go explore the woods and that house, but first I am going to need some supplies. I grab an old back pack of mine and put a flashlight, a box of batteries, my digital camera, my sleeping bag, and some socks. What I really need is a rope. And I intend to get one. Dad calls us down for lunch and I grab my left over money from this morning and shove it in my jeans pocket. I run downstairs to receive my lunch. Dad hands me a ham and cheese sandwich and I eat it as fast as I can. When I am done I ask my dad, "Is it okay if I go play outside?" Dad replies "It sure is. In fact I wish your brothers and sister would get out of their rooms for a bit!" Then I burst out the door and run into this handsome boy. He is about two inches taller than me and has misty green eyes. He is wearing a white tank top and frayed blue jean shorts, with no shoes on. My dad told me when we moved here that we would have one neighbor. His black hair falls into his eyes as I about knock him over. He catches me and says, "Woah! You must be one of David Daniels kids! Nice to meet you. I am James Hulsey! I live about a mile down the road." All I can do for a moment is stare at him. When I realize he is waiting for me to answer I say, "Hello! I am Dalilah Daniels. It is so nice to meet you." He smiles at me and then says, "Hey, how old are you?" I reply " Seventeen. What about you?" "Eighteen." I say, "I have go to go now, but I will talk to you later, bye!" And ran all the way back to the store that we had been to this morning. I grab the rope, pay for it, and run back home.