Emerald Willow

Chapter 4

Oakley's P.O.V
Today is just like any other day for my dad and I. We both miss mom so much. She had died a month ago and my dad is still heart broken. He barely talks to me. His eyes are always droopy with big blue and purple bags under his eyes. I don't think he has gotten much sleep since mothers death. His morning routine is the same every day. He gets up early in the morning, puts on his red and black flannel that always smells like smoked wood. He puts on his big muddy boots and goes out to the front of the house and begins putting more chopped wood into the wood burning stove. Today was the day to go back into the forest to get more wood for the house. I hate going back into that forest! It's the same place where those wolves dragged her body into and took her away from me! My dad comes into my room and nudges me awake,
"Hey scout it's time to go chop up more wood."
I open my eyes and I just stare at him with fear,
"I don't want to go back into the forest. It's still hard to walk back in their after...mom."
My dad gets on his knees beside my bed and looks deep into my eyes with melancholy,
"I know son, I miss her too. There isn't a day where I don't think about her. But we still have to go and get wood every other day. We can only carry so much. Come on now we have to get more wood."
As my dad walks out of my room I get out of bed and put on fresh clothes that have a lingering smell of mesquite and grab my boots before heading out.
I meet dad outside. When I approach he says,
"Are you ready to go?"
I looked up into his heavy looking eyes and said,
"As ready as I'll ever be."
We both continue straight into the woods. It had seemed like we had been walking forever. It always seems like that every trip we make, but we finally arrive at our usual destination for chopping down trees. My dad starts to use his big axe to chop at the branches of the tree. I look around the woods, Something's different... the forest is lively and the sunshine is dancing across every single living thing. It was so beautiful. I get distracted at natures beauty. I hear a twig snap in the distance. I turn around frantically looking in every direction, wondering who was out there. I turned back to my dad,
"Did you hear that? Someone's in the woods! Maybe it's those wolves!"
I said hastily.
He didn't even glance my direction and replied,
"It was probably a deer Oakley, this is the forest after all. Many little creatures live here."
I turn back around to where I heard the noise before and I start walking in the direction of a fallen down tree. Maybe it came over here? I noticed a split in the tree and I saw someone on the other side. I just stared, gazing into these hazel eyes. They matched the trees sap. I just wanted to stare a bit longer but she slowly started to stand up allowing me to see her. She couldn't have been my age maybe a year or two younger? I wanted to introduce myself to her but I heard my dad calling for me in the distance so I gazed at her once more before turning back around continuing back towards my dad. I wanted to meet her. I wanted to know her name. After I got back to where my dad was we both walked the same way we came in. The whole time I couldn't get that girl out of my mind! I just needed to protect her for some reason. I don't know why but I just had a feeling. We finally approached the house, placing all of the chopped wood next to the wood burning stove. After I finished helping dad I sat on the porch facing the woods. Wondering when will I ever see that young girl again? And I looked at the forest different now,not out of fear but out of hope that I might see her again.