Link To The Past

Chapter Four

Kristine had been at the Martin household for two weeks now. She loved it there and everything about it, but what about back at home? Had time stopped as soon as she left or did two weeks go by? Or was this all just a dream?
She walked along the front porch, sliding her fingers across the side railing. The sun was nice and warm and the tall trees made a great shade.

As Kristine turned the corner of the porch, she spotted Margaret.
A thoughtful look spread across her face. "How much longer will you be staying here?" She asked Kristine.
Kristine pondered the thought. "I'm not sure, Margaret."
"Well, I hope you stay longer. You make things here livelier here, I think."
"Really? Well, thank you, Margaret. I hope I get to stay here longer too."
She smiled but then turned around to find Susan tugging on her shirt. "What is it Susan?" asked Margaret. Susan held up an old book that looked as though it very loved from its worn pages. "Oh, you want me to read to you. Sure, Susan." she smiled back at you then turned to go read to her younger sister.

Gabriel then ran up with a big smile on his face. "Kristine! You have to come look!"
The sudden excitement startled Kristine somewhat. "What is it, Gabriel?"
"Thomas and I have something to show you. Come look."He insisted.
Kristine followed Gabriel to the shed, and there, sitting on a large, dirty wooden table was Kristine's name carved out in wood.
"It's...it's my name!" She walked over to the table and picked up the 'K'. "It looks so pretty. Thank you!"
"Oh it was nothing," said Thomas blushing a little bit. "Do you like it?"
"Like it? I love it!" She gave both Thomas and Gabriel a hug. They were a bit shocked by this and when Kristine noticed this she quickly apologized.
"No need to, " Said Gabriel. "It's not every day we get a hug from a pretty girl."
This made Kristine blush a little.
"Now look what you did, Gabriel. You made her feel uncomfortable," said Thomas.
"No. It's alright. Really?"
Gabriel grinned. "See, Thomas? No need to worry. She's different. Just like you said before." Gabriel then slightly surprised himself when he said that.
Kristine chuckled. "What?" She was a bit confused.
"Gabriel!" yelled Thomas.

Gabriel was about to say something but their father, Benjamin Martin, came walking into the shed. "Gabriel! Thomas! Don't you have some hunting to do?"
The two boys both looked embarrassed. "Yes, father." they both said.
"You need to be hunting for dinner." (back then dinner meant lunch) "There should be no time for slacking," he told them. "As for you. What is a nice girl like you doing in a dirty place like this?"
Kristine put her hands behind her back and bowed her head. By this time the boys had already left. "Thomas and Gabriel made me a gift."
"What kind of gift?" Benjamin walked closer to see this gift.
Kristine lifted up the 'K' for him to see. "They carved out my name."
"Oh, I see." Mr. Martin rubbed his chin.
"Please don't be mad at them. They were only trying to do something nice."
Benjamin then smiled. "Yes. I understand, but those two have been slacking off so much it's about time I give them a warning."
"I suppose you're right." She chuckled nervously.
"Come now. I'm sure you'd rather do something else than stay in this dirty shed." He stepped to the side and put his hand out to let her pass.

As Kristine walked past him the sun then hit her face. It was just about dinner time.
"I will be busy working in here for a while. If you need anything, Abigale should be able to help you." Benjamin then closed the shed door behind him.

What was Kristine to do now? Going back to the past did have its faults. No games. No internet. No movies. No nothing. Suddenly the thought of that waterfall came to mind. A little smirk appeared on her face. She looked around to see if anyone was looking at and sure enough no one was. This was her chance, to run off again in the woods. Kristine loved it there. It was the one place that helped her think and clear her mind.

The trees out there were just as tall as those near the house only slimmer. The suns rays shined down past the trees making little sunspots on the ground. She then came to the waterfall. It was the same as before, only someone was there. It was Thomas. Why on earth would he be here?
"Thomas?" Kristine called out.
He jumped a little at the mention of his name. "Kristine! What are you doing here? You should be back at the house."
She shrugged. "Yes, but...It's always so nice to come out here. It's the one place I can really think. So where is Gabriel?" She looked this way and that.
"He went back to the house. Hunting went fast today."
Kristine looked past Thomas and saw some rabbits tied to a stick. "I see." She walked up to him and then sat down next to the water. Thomas did the same.
"You say you come out here to think. About what?"
Kristine looked down at her hands and then out at the water. "I think about my family a lot."
"Do you miss them?"
"Well...I do...but I don't."
"I don't understand."
Kristine took in a deep breath and then slowly let it out. "There are a lot of things about me Thomas that you don't know."
"Things like what?" he asked, inching closer.
"If I told you, Thomas I'm afraid you wouldn't believe me."
"I doubt that." He scoffed out of amusement.
"And what about you, Thomas? Earlier today your brother said that you said I was different. What did he mean by that?"
Thomas looked around as if trying to find an answer. "You just are." He simply said.
"Is that a good thing?" Kristine asked him.
"...Yes." He answered slowly.
Kristine smiled and was relieved. "Good. Most people think I'm weird."
"Why do you say that?"
"Where I am from, Thomas, people don't care about modesty and there is a lot more evil, I think. I on the other hand never really agreed to their terms, therefore, I was a cast out to them. Different."
"...I'm sorry." And he meant it.
"Don't be. I'm much better off here than there." She smiled at him, making him blush a tiny bit.
"Kristine?"
"Yes, Thomas?"
"I want you to know that...You will always be welcomed here. And if there is ever a time when you have to leave, which I hope never happens, I just want you to know that..."
"Want me to know what, Thomas?"
"That I...really like you." He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. He was nervous.

At this point, Kristine was so happy to hear this that she wanted to jump up like any normal girl would in her time if a really nice good looking guy asked her out, but she stayed calm.
"I really like you too." She smirked.
"Really?"
"Really really." She nudged his shoulder with hers.

The two of them moved closer to each other and in just those few, tiny moment, their lips brushed up against each other ever so slightly. Even though it was a small kiss, Kristine still enjoyed it. It was after all her first kiss. The two of them then turned around quickly because of a crunching sound coming up behind them. It was Gabriel and he had a huge, fat grin on his face.