The Lady and Her Genius.

The Fairy circle.

We were heading to the next part of the clue when we reached the bridge. I looked at the names that were carved in and traced over my fathers as I remembered when I first came back here with the boys.

"What's all these?" Zack asked as he looked at the carvings on the wood.
"Oh. They mark the coming of age for my family. Started all the way from my great great great grandfather Raphael Lockheart, to my father."
"It's like your own family tree of sorts."
"Yeah I guess. But it's something only the males do, some sexist thang."
"You can always be the first. I don't suspect your great great great grandfather would have thought that a female would have been the sole owner."
"You know how my last name became to be?"
"How?"
"Raphael only had two children before the love of his life passed away. Both girls. One of them married my great great grandfather Philip W_______. Sole owners right out of the gate were females, he expected that."
"How is there not another line then if he had two daughters?"
"Had Grace look into it. The line ended when I was about 3, his great great great grandson passed away before he had any heirs."
"So it's just you."
"Just me."
"Well, you know what this means?"
"What?"
"Means, you could buy a trampoline park and no family members to worry about you spending all the money." He joked making us laugh.
"You crack me up sometimes Zack."
"As do you." He told making us smile towards the other.

"What you looking at Kitten?" Penelope asked as she joined my side.
"Just my family's own family tree. I was standing right here when I was told I could buy a trampoline park and no one could worry about me spending my money like that....... It's a fond memory I have."
"Who told you that?" She asked.
"Someone I will always love." I told smiling a little before continuing to head where we needed to go.

We soon reached the clearing to see the old gazebo in the centre, making me realise we should probably get that repaired so it won't fall apart one day.
"Alright here we are." I told making them stop with me outside of the circle.
"I'm confused." J admitted.
"Oh right. The next part of his clue, 'From its reaches of the circle,
Lays awake a wretched beast.
But be warned when near,
For you will disappear.' When in the clearing you can't be seen anywhere else. Hence disappearing when near."
"So this is the circle?" Hotch asked as he took a step making me grab him so he didn't take a step where he was going to.
"Don't step there. You'll break the circle."
"The circle?"
"The reason for the clearing, is because of the fairy circle. You don't want to make fairy's mad, my cousin got kidnapped by some and oh boy they were pissed." I explained as I gently stepped into the circle. "From its reaches of the circle, lays awake a wretched beast."
I looked around while in the circle till I saw the rock that laid on the ground, making me think back to when I was six.

"Now Mouse, if your ever lost in these woods. Follow the bears." Nik told confusing me.
"Bears?"
"Yep. Our family has marked the woods with bears, so we can know how to get back. The wretched beasts of the forest they lay, in slumber they shall stay, till you need guidance as they say, awake it will rise in ever distance."
"Do the rhymes and riddles help?"
"Yeah Mouse. They help a lot."
"Maybe we can make some together.... That way I can help you." I told making him look down at me and give me a caring smile.
"You being you helps me enough. Because you make everything so much easier for me."
"You make things easier for me as well."

I walked over to the little bear carving and traced over it.
'You make things easier for me.'
"Where to now Riv?" J asked.
"We follow the bears." I told before I began to walk to the next one.
"Bears?!" They all asked as they came rushing towards me but made sure they didn't break the circle as they did so.
"Long time ago, our family has marked these forests with Bears. It's to help us incase we ever got lost. 'You look for the beast, for there you'll be unleashed.' It's what we get taught. These trees go for miles and miles so to make sure we know how to get back, we marked the rocks with a bear. It gets taught to the campers on day one and anyone who stays on this land."
"How the hell can your family own this much land?" Derek asked.
"Great great great great granddad made some investments. So he brought the area where the mansion is. After that, the more money he got the more he brought. To the point I'm pretty sure it crosses states line." I explained.
"How has no one tried to buy it?" Emily questioned.
"Trust me people have tried. Especially after my fathers death. Dic and Daisy held all records of the houses for me till I was of age to inherit them. Then I got Grace and Dave, and once they joined The Hazelnut fuckward people with their money they brought my childhood house so crazy people won't buy it to go, this is where the first victims of my brothers was. They also managed to make this whole land a nature reserve. It's protected, and is used to educate and what not. We also have the natives that once lived on this land come here to educate their next generation for free and to teach them how they did things. Due to this, forest fires hardly happen here, which is fantastic."
"Not gonna lie. If that was like some book, that's a full on paragraph of its own." Penelope admitted.
"Good thing this ain't a story then."