Reader X Naga: A Naga's Kiss

Chapter 1

      I'm not much different from anybody else from what I know. I'm not smarter, stronger, or more beautiful. I guess I am faster than some of the other kids in the village, but not the fastest. My family works at the village store that sells tools and other items traded to them, and it's decently popular with a few regulars. I was usually outside though like all the other children.

      I wasn't allowed to go to school since it was considered a thing only boys and men should do. So the only things I knew were how to speak, and what I learned from being outside, my parents, or my friends who had heard the lesson. It was hard, but I made my way through. It was common to be made fun of for being a girl and not being as smart as the boys, but I didn't really care.

     The Village wasn't very large so almost everyone knew each other. My family was known as the shopkeepers and I was known as their daughter. There was also Mr and Mrs Pedersen. They didn't live in the village, but they were friends with my parents and traded goods for them to sell. I didn't know very many people in the village since I didn't go around talking to everyone, but my Friend Alida and her parents Mr and Mrs Nilsen were some of the people I did know even though I knew almost all the children, but not their parents.

     Many of my friends had moved away in my childhood. Sometimes to go to another village that was bigger or smaller, sometimes to be closer to family, and sometimes to just start a new. My family stayed though. We had lived here since my great-great grandparents. After I learned to read from many lessons, I read my great-great grandmother's diaries of settling into the village. It was nice to know how my family started out here, and the diary was one of the only things we have of my great-great grandparents.

     One day when I was a child I remember walking through the forest alone. The boys were at school, my parents were busy at work, and many of the girls wanted to stay by the river to cool off. So I went off alone. Trekked through the thick forest greens as the birds chirped a beautiful melody and the sunlight beamed through the foliage. After walking for some time I stopped inhaling the fresh summer air. The wind gently blew through the forest causing the leaves to moving along with it.

     I sat down in a patch of dirt and rested my back on the bark of a large sturdy oak tree, and took in the breathtaking environment around me. I sat down in awe like that for what seemed like hours until I heard a snap coming from the right of me. My heartbeat quickened in fear, and Quickly I looked over in the direction as I heard the sound. I saw a small boy standing behind the lush green bushes. He had messy dark brown hair and what looked like emerald green eyes, as well as tanned skin. From what I saw his pupils looked like they belonged to a cat or snakes, but I thought it nothing but my eyes playing tricks on me. He also strangely wasn't wearing a shirt, but it could have just been because it was a hot day.

     We stared at each other for a while until I finally gathered the confidence to speak, but as I opened my mouth he quickly ran away leaving my slightly startled. Though his movements seemed so fluid as if he hadn't even had legs. I closed my mouth still confused by what had just happened. 'strange boy' I had thought to myself. Standing back up I looked around again to see if there was anybody else. After looking for a few seconds I couldn't find anyone so I push myself off the dirt ground and stood up. Wiping the dirt off of my dress I started walking back. Luckily I didn't walk blindly through the forest so I knew where I was going.

    I made my way back out of the forest to the village again, but I must have been gone for longer than I thought. The boys were out of school now, and the girls must have left the river and gone somewhere else since they were no longer there. I quickly ran over to my home making sure to wipe off the rest of the dirt. Taking a deep breath in I opened the large wooden door "Mamma Papa I'm home," I said as I walked in. My Mom walked out of the kitchen and kissed me on the forehead smiling.

    "Welcome back." She looked at my now dirty cotton dress "Oh did you and your friends go out and play around in the dirt?" I nodded my head. I knew my mom wouldn't like the fact that I had been out in the forest alone so I kept it to myself.

    "Where's Papa?" I asked

    "He's at the shop right now working. Now come on I need help making food for dinner." I walked with her to the kitchen and began helping my Mother cook food. I went out and grabbed water from the well, and then cleaned the fresh vegetables. Since I wasn't old enough I handed the vegetables to my Mom for her to the skin. Once all the vegetables were skinned my Mom had thrown them into a big metal pot with water in it to boil. We then moved on to the rest of the food preparation.

     When we were finally done we set the wooden table by setting out the bowls and everything else. By then my Father had already gotten home and my parent was talking about something that I couldn't really hear. We finally got to eat though, and I was staving after all of today. My Dad talked to me for a bit after we finished eating while Mom and I cleaned the dishes. Of course, after wards, I was sent to go to bed for the next day.

    I trudged my way to my bedroom and flop down on my bed. I laid down on the bed and covered myself with the blanket snuggling in to make sure I stayed warm over the night. As I fell asleep I heard the sound of grass rustling, but I gave it no thought since animals moved all over the place in the woods. Then the rustling began to grow closer and it sounded heavier. I could feel my heart growing faster in pace as the rustling got closer, but I eventually couldn't stay still anymore and I had to get out of the bed. Until I heard the sound a sheep. I got up out of my bed and stood on it to see out my window. I heard rustling sounds of bushes as I looked out my window, but I only saw the sheep. Other than that there was a strange path of pushed down grass. I moved away from the window cautiously in case it wasn't from today's work bringing the blanket with me.

    The sound of rustling started again as well as the sheep 'baaing', but mixed in I could have sworn I had heard flopping and a hiss, but that could have easily been the branches. Staying in the corner I covered myself with the blanket so nothing would be able to actually see me, and instead just a blanket pile. I stayed under there until the sound of rustling was far away, and I couldn't hear it. I uncovered myself and slowly looked out the window again. Of course, there was nothing. I quickly left my room and walked towards my parent's room.

   Slowly I pushed open the door. My parents were sleeping so I had to wake them up. I went to my Fathers side and gently shook him. Luckily he woke up so I didn't have to wake of mom. He slowly opened his eyes groaning

    "What do you want?" Dad asked tiredly.

    "I think there was something moving outside my window...."

    "Okay," Dad said as he crept out of bed and started walking to my room. As we walked the floorboards creaked with every footstep. We finally made it to my room and Dad looked out the window slowly scanning the trees and bushes. He then brought his head back in and looked at me "Did you hear or see anything?"

    "I heard a sheep, but the trail there couldn't be from that." I decided to keep the other noises to myself since they could have easily been from the leaves and such. Dad nodded and turned to me.

    "Well it could have just been a sheep going by, and the trail could have been from work today, so don't worry," He assured rubbing my head calmingly. I looked at him and nodded. since we hadn't seen anything unusual he left after closing my windows covers and putting me back to bed so I could sleep.