Dancing in the Oaks

Gunner, No!

The moment I left the store was like a jar of emotions being broken. Now I have the stress of this whole thing. It just doesn't make sense in my mind why someone would be so coincidental and consistent. I have already struggled with so much and now this? Why does life have to throw so many obstacles?

This is one of those instances that could be, and is scary. I did not know that someone disappears every year and is never found, but every twelve years someone is murdered and found. This doesn't make sense in my mind. As soon as I put away all of the purchased items I walked out to do more chores. I tried talking it through while brushing my horses mane. I tried releasing my emotions to the chickens. They just clucked back at me, but I knew they cared. I took time to notice all of the leaves falling off the trees as I walked through the oak trees. Leaves fell and hit my head as if they were tryin' to wake me up. The autumn breeze chilled the air to the point where I almost went in to get a jacket.

My parents want me to build a new chicken coop over by the Oak and Maple trees. The one we have now is just a temporary one. I figured that tripling the size of the coup will allow for triple the amount of chickens, which we want, I want. On our twenty eight acres anything is pretty much possible. However, as I was attempting to plan the chicken coop design under the Oaks I couldn't stop thinking about Nicholas and what he told me. I still cannot get over the fact that he cares for me. I mean, I'm just a farm girl that loves animals and cleaning up after them. What's so good about me anyway? I can roll around in the mud all day and not care. That's really it. I'm nothing more than that. Useless.

The four hours in between returning from the store and leaving to go to the milk stand were filled with questions and maybe some thoughts about Nicholas. This time I decided to walk instead of drive since the milk stand was only a half a mile away. As I was walking down the road, there was a John Deere tractor that drove past. I recognized the guy as Farmer Joe. His name was added to my mental suspect list. Now that the paranoia has gotten too far, I have began my quest to create a mental suspect list.

Upon arriving at the milk stand I noticed that Nick was indeed not there. I walked up to the register. A reddish-blonde haired girl with a thick country accent helped me. "Hiya! Welcome to Red Reed Dairy! Whatcha lookin' for?"

"Hello! Thank you. I'm looking to pick up 2 gallons of milk and two quarts of curds and whey." I said as I walked up to the register.

"We got some right now. Your total is gonna be $23.76."

"Oh thanks." I handed her thirty dollars. "You can keep the change and can you put those on hold for me? I'll come back in about an hour." She looked confused. "Nicholas invited me back to meet his horses. I'll pay now, but come pick it up later if you save it for me."

"Yes, I can do that. You're lucky. Nicholas actually did that to  you?"

"Yeah." I tapped my foot on the floor.

"What's your name?" She asked with a kind tone.

"Norah Jean, I live in a big red barn, 28 acres. Apparently previously owned by the Merchants."

"Alrighty. I'm Huckleberry Dale. Everyone calls me Berry. You're lucky Norah. I've been friends with the Reed family for years and Nicholas has never done that for me. He obviously likes you! You gonna be at the hoedown 'night?

"By all means, yes I'll be there 'night. Nicholas invited me." I could see her jealousy through her emotions. "You gonna be there Berry?"

"I'm gonna be there. He invited you! What? How?" Her face looked as if she was mad at me. She adjusted her baseball cap. She wore a red apron with the company logo on it. She stood up on a little platform so she could reach the counter. Her hair was a darker shade of blond with hints of red.