The Estha Trials

Part .5

     Estha climbed out of bed the next morning cursing the sun.
It was too bright to be this cold.
     As she slipped into her tunic and boots, she thought about the woman she saw. How her hair was long and silky, like corn hair and braided into an elaborate crown. How the woman moved like a cat and how she tilted her head when her impossible eyes drank up the sight of her.
     She shivered at the oddness of those eyes. How they lit up at the sight of her own frail frame.
     Like she was surprised to see her. Intrigued even.
     No one had ever been intrigued to see her.           Somehow it made her want to know more about the strange woman. It made her want to go back to the edge and follow her. She shivered again, as she brushed her teeth. 
     No, she knew she could never go back there. Sunny would kill her. Still, the idea was pleasant to think about. She thought about it as she did her chores.
     The day passed slowly until diner. Sunny had walked into town. He didn't leave a note, but his cloak and cigars were missing from the usual place. Blossom was still her stable, too. She scoffed, brushing the mare's soft hair.
     "I think he's an ass, too." Estha agreed to no one in particular. The horse neighed as she braided her main.
     Again, that thought to go to the edge bugged her. All day she couldn't get off her mind. It was like the idea was stretched by a string to every other thought she had. She stood on the tips of her toes to see over the wood sill. The edge was two hundred yards away. That's it. She could go there, step foot inside something forbidden, she had the freedom to with Sunny being gone.
     But she shouldn't. Maybe the woman was crazy- maybe she was a witch. Like the one from the our book by Raul Daul. But that was silly- she had no marking on her. She were no gloves. She was beautiful. Witches can't be beautiful. Still, the way the woman watched with such weird interest was... Spooky at least. It felt like what a fish under water must feel like being watched.
    Maybe she should tell Sunny. That way, all her bases could be covered. She'd learn more about the woman if Sunny knew anything (which he probably would since recently he knows everything), that might be grounds to let her venture into the woods with Sunny, or maybe even town. Although, that seemed like a stretch. The town was "forbidden", the I was "forbidden" to play with children in the town, it was "forbidden" to even speak of town. Because "you never know who could be listening" blah, blah, blah. Sunny had always said there could be someone watching, anyone listening. Someone lurking. But not to worry about any of that, because we're safe here. So why all the precaution if we're completely safe? It's never made sense to me. Another one of his profoundly alarming rules. She shivered. As much as she hated to admit it, it scared her when he was away.
     Especially with the strange woman. What if she was lurking? What is she was listening or watching? The way she stared...