Red Haired Beauty (wattys2016)

Chapter 6: Fog

*Edited*

The long heated nights of summer passed by to make way for the incoming brisk cold nights of Autumn. Grace and John spent many days watching the green leaves of the tree turn golden brown, blood red and before breaking away from its branch to dance in the air towards the thickening forest floor. The skies had darkened over for their gently blue colour with the an almost chronic cover of bitter dark clouds. The once warm soft breeze now nipped at its unsuspecting victims bare skin.

The grass that was not topped with fallen leaves, was coated with gentle droplet of dew from the thickening fog that filled the forest air. With several gusts of biting wind the leaves would pick up from the ground and swirl with it; dancing around with grace.

A thick, dense fog had drifted in from the sea covering the forest; leaving the trees where barely visible to the naked eye. Grace sat on a rotten chair looking from the hole in their wore down shack, covered with old glass. Her mother lay sleeping on her bed of hay next to the crackling fire that wiped around in the wind, that had sneaked through the gaps in the walls. The light source of the shack was from the orange glow of the fire, which was much brighter than the natural light of day given to them through the swelling fog.

Grace continued to stare out the window with a worried expression on her face, as she hoped that John had not left to meet her upon the cliffs as they had arranged before. There was no way he could find his way through the maze like forest this fog, Grace would admit that even she had trouble navigating her way through it in this condition. Her hands folded neatly entwined with each other on her lap, over her blue dress. A blanket was hung over her shoulders to trap her heat, it was a greyish colour was many patches and stitched up holes.

" What has you so ill at ease, child? You are looking out that window as if you fear someone might die." Her mother asked Grace as she sat up weakly on her hay bed. Grace whipped her head around to see her mother sitting up and frowned.

" Mother, You should be resting! You know you are ill." Grace said standing from her seat and walking gently over to the fire. She grabbed a cracked and chipped mug from the small shelf to her left along with a broken jug of water that was next to it. She let the water fall from the jug and into the round cup that held no handle. She then moved to hand the cup of cool liquid water to her mother; who took a small careful amount of it. She eyes looking to her daughter as a small knowing smile grew on her lips.

" Is it that man you have been seeing?" She asked as Grace sat down next to her mother. She took the cup from her and placed it at the side as she sank down onto her bed with a smile to Grace. Grace reached down to the bottom of the bed and gently pulled the thick worn blanket up, so her mother was cover.

" How do you know?" Grace asked as a blush appeared upon her cheeks, avoiding eye contact. Grace's mother placed a hand onto her daughters cheek with a soft motherly smile.

" My child, I have watched you grew over the years, into the beautiful young woman you are now. I know when you are happy and I know when you are upset. I also know when you are in love." She whispered with a smile as Grace returned the smile only with a different emotion behind it. Grace sighed sadly as she moved her hand, gently covering her on her face and leaned closer to it for comfort.

" They may be my feelings, mother. But it does not matter for we can never truly be with each other." Grace said before standing up and walking over to the fire before piling wood onto it to keep it alive.