Whispers of the Heart

Chapter 11: Alisha

Chapter 11 Alisha

Light glistened off the small ripples from the lake across from us, the sun and trees reflecting off the surface. Birds flew from one tree to another and some ducks floated in the water. Snow and Lucas's chestnut, Flame, grazed around us, barely a few feet away. Lucas and I sat against a giant tree, its branches reached up towards the heavens, the leaves rustling in the gentle wind.

"Do you remember Old Craig? The fat old man who played Santa when we were kid?" Lucas questioned, his voice filled with laughter. The last few hours Lucas had been informing me of all the people I used to know. How their lives were now. Friends were married, some had passed, others moved away, but they all had lived.

"I remember. He was always giving me candy when he saw me." I giggled and he nodded, grinning mischievously.

"He'd give all the kids candy. That crazy old man had too much money and not nearly enough people to spend it on." Lucas shook his head and shrugged. "Anyway, just last year he came across an injured fowl and took it in, he treats it more like a child than a horse."

"He can't be that bad! Horses are our children, in a way." I pouted and he nodded in agreement.

"Aye, but he lets it come in and out of the house whenever it wants. Just last month, it got startled and kicked his table across the room!" Laughter filled the air as I attempted to picture it. I could only imagine how bad the damage would have been.

"My father and I went over to help clean up the mess and I had to try so hard not to laugh about what had happened."

"I have a feeling there were a few people who had a hard time laughing!" I giggled.

I shouldn't be doing this. I shouldn't be this open with him.

The thoughts started twirling around in my mind, plaguing my thoughts like there was nothing else more important. My eyes shifted over to him, studying his humor filled eyes and I knew that he was enjoying himself. He was so much like the boy I had left all those years ago, but different as well. Lucas was more of an adult, a bit more mature, but still had his boy like tendencies when he could be himself. The familiarity, the similarity, the friendship was still there and that's why it was dangerous.

"So what about you?" He questioned, his hand brushed over mine, caressing it slightly. "What have you been up to, besides changing your name?"

My shoulders tensed and my eyes turned away from him and over towards the lake. The view was so similar, the same that I had seen so many times when I was younger. It was like time had not left a mark on this land, it left it untouched and beautiful. It gave me a feeling like nothing had changed but I knew that many things had changed. I had changed.

"There you go again." A finger brushed against my cheek, pressing slightly as it passed by. "What happened to you? What caused you to change?"

"We should get back." I told him, shoving myself up and rushed over to Snow. She nuzzled me softly as I walked up to her and a small smile grew on my face. "Come on, we should go."

"Mira, when are you going to tell me? To let me protect you?"

"I don't need your protection, Lucas. And I'm not going to tell you because it's my burden to bear." I told him, my hands shaking slightly as I fumbled with the reins before climbing on.

"It doesn't have to be." Lucas stepped up to Snow, his hand patting her neck as his eyes looked up to mine.

"Yes, it does." My jaw clenched and I nudged Snow's side. We galloped away, leaving Lucas standing by himself.