A long way to find you

1) Weird feelings

I was born with rare shade of bright red hair that glowed beautifully in the sun and carried magical healing powers. My mother was scared that someone would look at me with the wrong intentions so she hid me away from society.

She locked me away deep and far into the forest in a small cottage, telling me that I could never leave without her permission until my 18th birthday.

Years passed and my enthusiasm grew. But by the time I turned 18 my enthusiasm turned to fear. Fear that my mother was right, fear that people will look at me different just because of my hair.

I've never met, let alone interacted with anyone else except my mother. She always said that not everyone in town is as nice and tolerant as she is.

and I would later find out that she was right.

~~~

" Happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear rose" My mother sang while walking into my room and opening the curtains letting the sun into the previously dark room.

" ugh mom close the curtains you're blinding me " I say pulling my pillow over my face.

"Oh stop it it's 10 am, you should have been up by 8" she scoffed walking out of my room.

" It's your 18th birthday, you know what that means" she snickered walking down the stares into the kitchen.

The mention of my 18th birthday brought that weird feeling back. A feeling that something bad was going to happen.

I would always get this feeling every year since I could remember.

I finally got up and walked to my dresser trying to find something special to wear for when I go to town.

My eyes finally settled on a beautiful emerald green dress that accentuates the color in my hair.

When I was done doing my hair I ran down stairs to meet my mother in the kitchen.

"Wow mom you really outdid yourself this year" I say staring at the decoration scattered around the kitchen in awe.

In the center of it all was a beautifully decorated chocolate cake sitting on top of the kitchens island. I haven't had chocolate since I was maybe 10 or 12.

After my mom got fired from her previous job we couldn't really afford luxuries like chocolate cake.

But this year was different. It was my 18th birthday, the day I finally get to see the world.

"Do you like it, is it too much? I can take some stuff down" she gets out before I cut her off.

"No mom it's perfect" I say going in to hug her.

"Do you think you're ready" she said so quietly even a mouse couldn't hear her.

"Yes mom, I know you're worried but trust me nothings going to happen" I say trying to calm her and myself.

After we celebrated it was around 2pm and I was getting ready to leave the house for the first time.

We got packed up headed out of the forest. I didn't want us to come back when it was too dark because there had been reports of bandits attacking people at late hours.

I was too scared to go by myself and mother was too protective.

When we got to town mother gave me a list of errands and a bag of shillings while she sat at on the benches waiting.

My first errand was to get vegetables from the stand.

I finished my list of errands 45 minutes later. As I was walking back I bumped into this handsome boy.

I had never really seen a boy but this one was very handsome. After some apologizing we exchanged names and we parted ways.

But that interaction would be the nicest interaction I would have with anyone for the long time.

~~