One elf, two werewolves, three families. Add a dash of romance and you've got yourself a story. Oh who am I kidding? There's going to be a whole lot of romance.
New York was bigger than I expected. Thank heavens I won't be living there. I just wouldn't be able to, what with all the honking of the cars and the chatter of thousands of people on the streets. Add to that the lack of nature and the polluted air. No, that is not a place for me.
Having grown up far away from any city, I am not used to the hundreds of cars driving by and the huge masses of people going about their everyday business which means it would be difficult to adjust to them now. Fortunately, I will be living about some four hour's drive away from the city and hopefully won't have to endure this level of noise and pollution. When searching the place up on the Internet there weren't many pictures or anything really about the small community that will hopefully become my home, but the last owner of the small wooden cottage I will be moving into said that the scenery is absolutely beautiful and the people are friendly, just a bit wary of newcomers. I was fine with that and with the help of my parents, the adorable rustic cabin became mine.
Now, I am still a few hours away from my destination, sitting in the backseat of a taxi. The weather is nice and sunny so the towns we have driven through were filled with families having a Sunday outing, especially the small parks with ice cream stalls. It was funny seeing little kids run around with ice cream on their faces or making sandcastles. Parents sitting in the background with small babies in their arms, chatting with their friends and keeping an eye on the children playing around them.
I watch the fields passing by and the glimmering lakes reflecting the sun's beams and the clouds drifting in the light blue sky. It is all so mesmerising, I can't pull my eyes away. It doesn't seem to matter that all the fields appear the same and that we have already passed dozens, they still pull me in; the slight wave of the plants as the wind blows over them, reminding me of the waves one can see at the beach, the small birds and insects living their lives on these fields, the way the birds rise into the air when a car drives by only to land somewhere further to continue their search for food.
I get more jittery as time passes, fingers tapping on the door and tracing invisible lines on my face, legs bouncing from time to time and I can't put it on the car moving over bumps in the road - it is definitely nerves. I am nervous. This will be the first time I live alone. Of course there have been times when my parents have gone away for a few days but that was just that - a few days. And most of those times my brother was home with me so I've never really been alone like that. Taking care of myself and a house all on my own. But it's something I've always dreamed of, having a small house all to myself. Having the freedom to do whatever I feel like doing without anyone telling me otherwise. Having the opportunity to be myself. Don't get me wrong, I love my parents and I'm grateful they took me in but there are sometimes days where I don't feel like socialising, days when I'd rather stay in bed, read and let my imagination run wild. My mum has always been the social one - at least that's what my dad has told me about their younger days - and she would always take me with her to all the get togethers she went. I'd usually end up trailing after her the whole time or just sitting somewhere out of plain sight. Socialising has never been my strongest suit.
Moving here will give me the chance to stay at home with the excuse of not knowing anyone yet at the same time will force me to reach out on my own. I'm hoping it will help me in the long run. Even if it won't, I will still have a hella cute home that I'm hoping to share with a dog somewhere in the future.
I take my phone out of my pocket to look at the time and realise we should be arriving within the next half an hour. Focusing on what is going on around me I notice that the forests that were behind the fields have now moved to the edge of the road. Sunlight twinkles through the leaves, creating temporary patterns on the tree barks and the mossy ground. For me they are just light flashes before they disappear and others come into view. I can't imagine what they must look like to someone standing in the forest, surrounded by these amazing markings. Movement in the corner of my eye catches my attention and I turn my head to see what might be the tail of a hare jumping around in the underbrush, most likely spooked by the noisy machine rolling by.
That half an hour goes by surprisingly fast and we reach the small town I am becoming a resident of. Houses mainly made of wood and stone greet us as we drive down what seems to be the main street. There are very few cars that I can see and the inhabitants turn their heads when they hear the rumbling engine of the taxi. Children run to their parents and grab a hold of their legs while the adults straighten up, watching me with guarded expressions. Okay, when the woman said that the people are wary of newcomers I didn't think it would be so intense. They are all looking at me as if I am going to attack them at any moment. Quite spooky. I send them a slight smile to try and ease them up but seemingly to no avail. Not wanting to have a staredown I turn to the driver who shifts in his seat uneasily, no doubt seeing the people's expressions.
"You sure we in the right place, missy?" He asks with a gruff voice and for a few seconds I'm not sure what to tell him. Maybe we are in the wrong place?
"Yes, I'm quite sure. I was warned the people are a bit cautious around strangers." I send him a smile, taking a peek at the GPS and seeing that we will have to drive all the way through the town.
"Seems like they're more than a bit cautious." He mumbles mostly to himself and I stay silent, not sure how to respond to that. I sit back in my seat and look down, fiddling with my fingers as I wait for the drive to end so that I can get home and away from the stares.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
☝️So that is kind of what I imagine her cabin looks like ☝️
A few minutes go by in silence before the taxi driver speaks up again. "Well, here we are." I look up and see it. My tiny cabin, standing all alone in a clearing surrounded by the woods. I hear the driver clear his throat and realise I've been staring at the small house for a few minutes. Gathering my thoughts I open the car door and get out of the car, only then realising how stuffy it had gotten in there as I breathe in the fresh smell of the nature around me. I stretch my arms over my head and tighten my muscles before I relax and take a second look around. Looking back the way we came I can just see the end of my driveway as it curls through the trees and bushes. The cabin has a small covered porch that I can imagine sitting on with a cup of tea and a book, wrapped up in my blankets. Several lanterns hang from hooks on the wall, promising something more than complete darkness during the evenings and nights. A small shed off to the side shows a few logs, clearly meant for a fireplace. I turn towards the car again and see that the driver has already taken all my luggage out of the trunk and is clearly waiting for me to close the door and pay him. With a blush of embarrassment I do so and watch as he drives away. Looking at all the bags and the big suitcase I sigh, knowing I will have to carry them up the porch stairs and into my new home.
Sore hands and a stubbed toe later I am taking a look around in the small place I now call my home. A sofa is situated in front of the fireplace and different rugs cover the wooden floor. A small kitchen is off to the side with gleaming wooden countertops. There is also an itty-bitty bathroom and a bedroom. The house isn't huge which is great because I really can't bother with anything bigger. The cleaning would be absolutely horrendous. Also the small space won't let me just pile things everywhere because I wouldn't be able to move around, forcing me to keep the place neat and tidy.
Having ensured there are no insects visible anywhere, I start unpacking my bags and finding places for all my things. It takes me a bit of time but soon enough I'm done and can throw myself onto the sofa. Puffing my cheeks out I wonder what I should do next. I decide to make up my bed so that I won't have to deal with it later on. Putting on the bed sheets and then arranging all my pillows takes only ten minutes and once again I am left wondering on what to do next. A look out of the window tells me that it isn't too dark yet so I decide to take a little walk around the house.
WELCOME BACK! Yes, hello, I'm still here.
THOUGHTS? QUESTIONS? GRAMMATICAL ERRORS? The comments section is waiting for you :)
