Curiosity {Joshler}

3. Tradition - That which is handed down; ancient custom.

It was June, the twentieth of June to be exact, and despite this, it was cold out.

Tyler wished he had brought his jacket. All he had on was the pair of slippers he'd put on when he got out of bed, his pair of red flannel pajama pants that matched his slippers, and a white t-shirt. He wouldn't freeze to death, of course, but his bare arms felt cold, and he rubbed them as he walked.

The feeling of wandering around late at night, alone, is a unique one. There's a rush to it, almost.

The sound had stopped, then started up again. Tyler was pretty sure he knew the general area it was coming from: the very edge of his family farm.

The farm had been bought by Tyler's great-grandfather when he'd first started his family, and in time it had been passed down to Tyler's grandfather, and now Tyler's father. Someday, it might be passed down to Tyler himself.

Joseph farms, as the sign at the end of the winding gravel driveway read, was full of fields, six of them, to be specific. Big, clear fields, full of soft grass and weeds. Sheep grazed in three of the fields, and got swapped between the fields every two weeks.

The family itself lived in a small, one-story house, painted red to match the large barn where the animals slept. The house was much smaller than the barn, as great-grandfather Joseph had not had a large family, just him, his wife, and their daughter. But now, the Josephs consisted of Tyler's parents as well as his three siblings. The house was a bit cramped, but Tyler's father insisted on keeping it the way it was, for the sake of tradition.

Inside the barn was a henhouse, with ten chickens. The chickens laid eggs, and in the mornings it was Tyler and Jay's job to search for all of them. Unlike most chickens, these were practically pets; every family member had a favorite, and they had names, too. There was always plenty of eggs to eat, and they could sell any extras.

Yes, everything was traditional and familiar at the Joseph farm, except for one thing.

At the very edge of the farm, furthest from the main road, lay a deep wood. The land there was full of trees, growing so closely together that the sheep couldn't get between them. The trees were tall, dark, and solemn, and Tyler's father had always made it clear that the children were not to go there. It was easy to get lost, and you could become disoriented too. He had warned the children of other possible unseen dangers as well, such as cougars, foxes, and raccoons.

Of course, that was exactly where the noise was emanating from.

A/N: Just a background chapter to set the scene xD