Beyond Normal

Chapter 4

Flashback August 3rd, 2005

Today was the day of our official fresh start; we decided Olympia had nothing but strange people and bad memories.  It was time for me to move anyway I needed to branch out see what else the world had to offer.  I was finally getting my happy ever after with her.

“Where are we going?” I asked her as she handed me my train ticket. “Portland Oregon” she said happily. “What’s got you so happy?” I asked smiling at her. “My house is there” “You have a house?” I asked. “Yes, I may not be normal but even I needed some stability in my life” she said laughing. Once we arrived at the little train station in Portland I hauled us a cab, she rattled off directions while I looked out the window taking in my surroundings. We passed by what the locals called "Portland's Living Room" the streets were filled with numerous stores and the sidewalks were packed with intrigued tourists and annoyed locals. We were in the car or another hour before the car came to a screeching halt in front of a forest thick with trees but had a small path that looked like it went on for hours. “Um, where exactly is your house?” I asked her nervously. “We have to walk the rest of the way, but it’s not far maybe a mile or two deep” she said while throwing a bill at the driver. “Come on it won’t be that bad. This is why I told you to pack light” she said as she walked towards the path. I remember that conversation fairly well. She told me to just pack clothes and trash everything else. I asked her why she just said we wouldn’t need anything from my small apartment. Her house…well our house was a good hour into the forest, which didn’t surprise me. She liked her privacy just as much as I did.

After the strenuous hike to our new abode I was shocked at the site before me. I was expecting a little cottage tucked away from the world, but instead I gazed upon a big luxurious house that was completely exposed because of the celling high windows. The house itself was a light brown with hues of gold; the driveway was covered in a multitude of gray stones creating different patterns to each eye. It was a two story dream house walking up to the front door like I was entering a palace. If I thought the outside was the best part I was wrong. The entrance of the house was done in light brown darker than the outside of the house. As you walked along the hall you saw accents of gold, red and cheery red wooden objects. Off to the right was the kitchen, it was done in a dark brown with blue, green and red accessories. All the appliances were state-of-the-art; that probably neither of us had any knowledge on how to use. I noticed each room held two giant windows that showed the surrounding forest. It was beautiful, nothing like the woods back in Olympia. The forest here held different shades of bright green that was blinding when the sun was high and shinning; the barks of the trees were rough but held a certain color and pattern that was unreal. The grass was low and soft which made me want to run barefoot in. I walked out of the kitchen and was shocked to see that I was alone. I walked through the house admiring the detailed rooms; they were each designed to give off a certain vibe. When 15 minutes passed I instantly knew where she went. I walked back downstairs and towards the back of the house, and there it was… a lake not a thing like the lake we left behind but one that made Olympia’s look like a tiny pond. It was surrounded by grass but had a small stone path leading to the shallow end.

There were tiger lilies floating on the surface and if you looked closed enough you could see the small fish that swam near the near the top. On the left side of the water was a large pile of rocks stacked on top of each replicating a small waterfall. The water was white before it crashed into the rest of the lake transforming the water shifting into a dull but still magnificent blue green pigment. I turned my head and smiled catching the gaze of the woman that brought me to this paradise. “Join me?” she asked shyly. I nodded my head and proceeded to take my shoes and socks off then my clothes leaving me in just my boxers. I took towards the water not thinking twice about diving into the cool water. It felt endless like the deeper I swam the further the bottom went, soon after I gave up my notion of reaching the bottom and swam back to the top. I was met by big icy blues eyes. “Hi” she said swimming to get close to me. “Hi yourself” I said smirking at her. “So this is your home?” I asked wrapping her in a tight embrace. “No” she said simply.

“This is our home”