Abyss

Chapter 3

The sound of wind chimes began to fill the air as Sierra drew closer to the woodcutter's solitary hill. Wooden posts dotted the trail, which carried the breeze's tune, clinking the metal tubes together peacefully. Flowers of all kind danced in the light draft, making the world around the cherry-kissed girl seem more alive. As she grew closer to the edge of the trees, the sunlight began to trickle away until only a few scarce rays struggled through the canopy. The familiar cottage lay tucked away next to a large boulder and the trunk of the first massive, curly tree that led to the forest.

Sierra could hear the faint sounds of wood being chopped at the steady pace of an axe as she approached the edge of her known world, warming her heart. For a moment the girl felt nostalgic, remembering all the years she'd lived here. Sierra's dreams started here, with all of the stories her old caretaker told her. She zoned out, letting the faded memories bring themselves back to life.

"Hey, who's that?"

Sierra pointed out the window at a boy and who seemed to be his father walking up the hill to the old woodcutter's cottage. She pressed her rosy nose up against the glass, trying to get a better view. The young boy had long, loosely flowing black dreadlocks, and chestnut-colored skin. He was thin, but his face was full, with round, chubby cheeks.

"That's Mikah, and his father Lou. They're new around here, so be nice to them." The old man patted Sierra's head twice before walking out the front door to greet the father and son. Sierra watched them have a conversation from her window, and at one point the boy noticed her, giving her a nervous smile from where he stood.

The little girl giggled, waving at him through the glass. He waved back shyly, before turning his attention back to his father as he handed him a few pieces of firewood to carry. The thin boy almost fell over, and barely managed to keep his balance with the wood stacked above his head. He couldn't see anything, and kept dropping a specific piece here and there, carrying just a little too much for him to handle. As her caretaker made his way back inside the house, Sierra bounced up to him, her long, cherry-blossom hair wildly flying about.

"Hey, Lysander, can I go help him? He keeps dropping that piece of firewood!" The young Sierra spoke enthusiastically, as if she was ready to explode with energy. The woodcutter let out a chuckle, sitting down in a chair in his living room.

"I don't see a problem with it. Make sure someone leads you back here safely though, alright? Your parents wouldn't want you running around on your own if they were still here." Lysander waved her along, and Sierra dashed out the front door, hardly able to hear the end of his sentence. She didn't even form a response, but the old man knew she listened to him.

"Hey! Hey! I wanna help with that!" Sierra bounded up towards Mikah and his father, clumsily picking up the piece of firewood the young teenage boy kept dropping. Mikah didn't say anything, only looked to his father for an answer.

"That shouldn't be a problem. Give her something to carry, would you?" Lou spoke in a friendly tone, rather amused by the ecstatic girl. She eagerly plucked a couple pieces of firewood from Mikah's stack, carrying too much for her to handle. She stumbled about, but refused any kind of help when it was offered to her. As they made the trek across the town to an inn on the other side of the river, Mikah managed to speak up.

"Hey, who are you? Not to be rude, but I just don't know your name, I've never seen you before." He looked down at Sierra, who beamed back at him, nearly falling backwards as she did.

"I'm Sierra! My parents died last year, so I've been living with Lysander ever since. I haven't seen you around here either."

"Yeah, dad says we were looking for this town for awhile, but I don't know anything other than that. But I'm new around here, so I don't know anyone. I don't have any friends right now." Mikah shrugged, and readjusted the stack of firewood in his arms.