What is Love?

1

Chapter One

          Victoria. It was my name. Someone said my name, but who? It was like a faint whisper coming from the trees. I always herd things when I was here. Weird things. Mother would think I was crazy because of this, but I knew better. I had never before herd my name though, and it was unsettling to hear it now.

“Victoria!” My hazel eyes snapped open. It was my mother. She had been running. I could tell by how her brown hair was matted to her face from sweat. She was also angry. Her green eyes turned to slits in a matter of seconds, while her face contorted to a look that I thought only beasts would use.

“Victoria! I’ve told you hundreds of times that I don’t want you coming out here anymore!” she made a frustrated sound, while shaking her head. “Why can’t you ever listen?” Why couldn’t I ever listen? I knew that it was dangerous. When I was little I had almost died out here, and yet I still continued to wonder around out here alone. My only conclusion was that I must be addicted to the voices. The way they would softly caress my skin felt like a drug that I could never get enough of. “Honestly Victoria you could have gotten yourself killed by one of those wild animals we’ve been hearing about on the news lately.” She said, exasperated by my lack of concern for my own well being.

“I know mother, but I didn’t, and honestly it isn’t that dangerous. Besides I’ve been coming out here ever since I was two, all by myself, and I’ve never even seen a wolf. It’s all just a big scam to scare people.” Lately my small town of Melfa, Virginia has been experiencing a strange occurrence of wolf attacks. Personally I thought it was a bogus statement made by the press to attract tourists, but I couldn’t tell mother that or she’d have an aneurysm for sure. She completely bought into the idea that wolves had all of a sudden decided to migrate to our little town.

She opened her mouth as if to speak, but then shut it again as if thinking better of it. She sighed. “Victoria please try to be reasonable. I’m only trying to protect you, you’re my only child, and I just want you to be safe. Now come on we’re going back to the house, where we’ll discuss your punishment later.” She started walking off, leaving no room for an argument. That was fine though, I didn’t much feel like arguing with her today. It would only waste more energy, and I’ve had a long day already.

My house was right on the edge of the forest, about a fifteen minute walk from where I had been lying on the forest floor only moments before. It was a small house, but it was cozy, and always warm on the inside. It was my home. The outside was made of a type of red brick that seemed to shine from the distant rays of light coming from the setting sun. The inside had all hard wood floors, and baby blue walls, that we had painted last summer.

Inside I could smell dinner on the stove. I almost threw up right then. My mother was absolutely the worst cook in Melfa, maybe even the worst cook in all of Virginia. I couldn’t tell what kind of concoction she had thought up this time, but whatever it was it smelled ten times worse than what she’d made me the night before. I usually insisted that I cook all of our meals but I guess that since I was gone she thought that it would be a perfect opportunity to try out a new recipe (hopefully one that wouldn’t make me sick this time). I dreaded my entrance into the kitchen.

It looked like actual road kill. Yuck. I almost vomited all over it, and I almost wish I had too because then I’d at least get out of eating it. Instantly, I opened my mouth, preparing to form an excuse to get out of eating what I could only assume had been dragged in from the outside, when my mother spoke up. “I know you don’t like my cooking, so theirs money on the counter for take out.” It was then that I really looked at her. She looked nice. Too nice. In a red dress, that hugged her body, and showed off far more skin than I’d ever be able too, just enough make up that she appeared otherworldly, and three inch heels, that had me questioning how she had managed to run threw the thick evergreens of the forest just moments ago, my mother instantly appeared ten years younger than her forty-two years of life.