When We Were Young

Prologue II

Natasha's thick boots sounded on the wooden floorboard as she walked back in her home with Liho resting in her arms. She shut the front door and then stopped upon seeing her mother.

"Natasha, where have you been?" Her mother rushed to her, in her dirty apron, her face touched with flour. "You promised me you'd help me bake the cookies," she said disappointedly. "Where were you? I looked for you everywhere. I called your name outside repeatedly."

"I'm sorry, mama. I was just playing with Liho outside and—"

"I searched for you and you were not near, Natasha." The woman put her hands on her hips. "Did I not tell you to not go far from the house where I won't see you?" She rightfully scolded. "You stressed me out." She shook her head. "You have disappointed me today, young lady."

Natasha pouted and her green eyes lowered.

"Don't ever do that again. Do you understand me? You need to be in sight." Her mother huffed. "Now go to your room and rest. You have ballet lessons later in the hours."

Natasha quicky rushed passed her and ran upstairs with Liho.

She closed the door of her bedroom and carefully laid Liho on his small cat bed before she went to her own bed, grabbing her crayons and drawing book from her pink bedside table.

She started drawing the boy she met today. With the golden crown horns coloured in yellow crayon, his pants black and his shirt coloured in a green. He had nice black hair. She remembered his hair. Very silky and flowing. Very shiney.

She wondered where his home was. She wondered if she will see him again.

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Natasha knew not to go too far from the house, but her thirst for seeing the rest of the green that surrounded her needed to be quenched. She'll worry about her tutu and ballerina duties later. She took Liho along with her to the forest, knowing that her mother was busy in her bedroom with her typewriter. When her mother wrote, she'd forget about the rest of the world and even Natasha.

So she playfully ran into the forest, giggling all by herself. Liho meowed and she put the kitten down when she sat by the rocks near the river. She started throwing small stones in the flowing waters then later drew in the mud with a stick while Liho was playing with butterflies.

The forest was so beautiful and huge. There was a lot to explore and Natasha could not stop moving further and further away. She only stopped for blueberries. Gasping out loudly with joy as if it were candy. She started picking the berries before a hand enclosed around hers, ceasing her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you..." the boy said.

She turned around to face the stranger nervously. "You're back..."

He smirked.

She then worriedly looked down at the berries. "What is wrong?" She asked.

"They're poison," he told her.

She frowned. "No they're not."