A Midnight Stroll in the Woods - Book 1 in the Troll Warrior series

Chapter 7 - Anne!

I woke up the next day with quite a few questions on my mind. I don't know why people say to 'sleep on it'. All that does is make me dream up questions.

I decided not to bother Gomber with my questions. He seemed to be in a really bad mood. My family (my family! ) had a pretty easy day. The only exciting bit was when Hellina announced that I was part of the family.

At about noon, just after lunch, there was a knock on the door. Desperate to prove I am useful, I ran to the door and ripped it open. Standing in front of me and was a girl about my age, shortish brown hair and dazzling blue eyes. She was quite a bit taller than me.

She looked at me weirdly then slipped into the living room.

I heard her talking to Mum (Hellina), they were talking quietly. I know it was rude, but I couldn't keep myself from pressing my ear against the door to listen.

'Is that her?' said a voice I didn't recognise. It was sweet and I got the feeling I could listen to it forever without getting bored of it.

'Yes dear, ' said a voice I knew to be Hellina's, 'I'm sure you two will get along fine together. '

'I hope so.' Said the girl, 'What's her name?'

'Thalia.'

'Oooh! That's a pretty name. '

Hellina laughed.

I heard chairs scraping and quickly moved away from the door and pretended I was just going to go into the next room. The door opened and the girl came out.

'Wait!' She yelled, 'come here.'

I turn around and go over to her.

'Thalia,' she said it hesitantly, 'erm, Hellina said we should be friends.'

'Wow,' I say, 'I've never had a friend before.'

She looked at me in astonishment.

'Really?'

'Yeah, I was never allowed to have friends.'

'Y...your parents wouldn't let you?' She said awkwardly.

'No. Not my parents. My...' a sudden thought came into my mind, 'my kidnapper never let me. '

'Your what?! ' she screeched, 'who?'

'I was stolen from my family as a young child. I'm back now though. This is my family. Hellina's my mum and Gombers my brother. '

She looked a bit taken aback.

We started to walk outside. She dropped the subject and started talking about how good it was to have a friend around.

I realised I don't know her name.

'Erm... just asking, y'know, 'cause it's important. Umm... what's your name?' I smile at the end of it when I realise how stupid I must have sounded.

'Anne.' was her simple response.

'Nice... 'I say. She grinned.

We walked around for the rest if the day, discussing my life, mainly the kidnapping. I asked about her but all she said was that she had a brother, a sister and lived with her mum.

I went to bed that night thinking about what I would do with Anne tomorrow. I could hear the birds singing their last tune for the night and the sound of doors slamming on the floors below me.

Just as I was about to drift off, my door opened and the man I came here with stepped in. I sat up and looked at him. Now I see it, he looked only a few years older than me.

'Do you have a moment?' he asked.

'I have all the time in the world now! ' I say, 'If the birds can sing without worry, then I can live the same. '

He smiled at my speech then sat on the bed next to me. I shuffled over to make room for him.

All of a sudden, he burst out a question.

'Have you ever done anything weird that you can't explain?'

I stop. How does he know? When I was little the spinster had smacked me and I got angry with her. I couldn't really explain the events that followed. I kind of pointed did at her then yelled that I hated her. Then, she started floating up to the ceiling!

I tell him this.

'I'm Collin, but you know that. Though you, Thalia are a Gliff.'