The Start

A Chapter by Chelsea

Chapter 1

The Start

My Father had always been a military man; of course that was how he died, World War II plane crash. I new my Mother would die if I followed the footsteps of my father so I decided to go on the safe side and become a farmer. For a full summer I lived with my Mothers childhood Friend, Amelia Anders, her husband Daniel Anders and there two daughter Margaret, and Olivia Shay. I agree the military is dangerous and tough, but that summer had to be the toughest and most dangerous Choice ever… all because of a girl.

* * *

“Oliver Grey Nickelsteen,” My mother shrieked, you think her voice would be kinder with how plump she was, “You hurry up now, I can’t have you miss’n your train” her short frizzy hair tied back in a bun her blue flower dress and apron laid clumped together on her body covered in food stains. As I ran down stairs I planted a kiss on my mothers forehead, then one on baby Greg’s, and ran out the door. My uncle was in his blue run down truck waiting for me his large beer belly hanging out between his suspenders stretching his greasy shirt. I threw my bag, full of my clothes and manly essential, as my uncle would call them in the back of the truck. I finished buttoning my red shirt and hoped in the back.

“Now boy, let me tell you sumptin” my uncle said slurring his words together, “You be a good help to them Anders you here”

“Of course Uncle Rob, as long as you make me a promise” I shouted back so he could heir me over the loud rumble of his truck.

“What’s the promise?”

“Lay off the booze.” I hopped out of the truck grabbing my bag throwing it over my shoulder “See you later Uncle Rob.” I shouted climbing aboard the train. I slept the entire three hour train ride to Alabama and when I woke up I noticed a man hovering over me.

“Hi I’m Daniel Anders,” he said kindly “You must be Oliver, my wife and I have been expecting you. We all are awfully grateful of you…”

“Oh, well I’m excited to help,” I tried not to sound sarcastic, “So how far do you live from hear?” By now I was by his dark red truck throwing my bag into the back.

“Oh, three miles, not to bad of a drive kind of bumpy though,” He said smiling as he closed his door and started his car “So, Oliver how old are you now, 14?

“Actually, I’m 15 sir,” I said as kindly as I could

“Oh, don’t you go siring me boy, my names Daniel and I won’t have it any other way.” I chuckled to my self and sat as quiet as I could the entire way to the Anders Farm. “Hope your hungry Oliver, my wife made Mashed potatoes, beef, corn, and apple cinnamon pie, won 1^st place at the County Fair.” He opened his door and ran around the other side to greet me. He had a red and green checkered shirt on and his suspenders were hanging to the sides of his light brown pants. He grabbed my bag from me and headed towards the home. A woman in a dark green dress with a clean apron tide around her small frail body greeted me with a hug. “Hi,” Hug, “I’m Amelia Anders.”

“Hello, ma’am…” Before I could finish a girl came out of the yellow house wearing a white floating dress with pink ribbon around her waist and holding her thick brown hair back.

“Hello, my names Margret…Margret Anders,” she said in a sweat smooth voice holding her hand out for me to shake. Being the gentlemen I was, I shook it. “Dinners ready if ya’ll want to come sit down.” I followed the Anders into the room and enjoyed the wonderful food especially the apple pie. Dinner was full of questions, and I barley had time to answer one before another question came along. Mrs. Anders showed me my room and left me to be alone it was almost 10:00 pm before I actually dressed for bed. I pulled my light denim jeans off, and replaced them with some loose checkered green pants, threw my red shirt on top of my jeans and climbed into bed. As I was almost asleep, Daniel came in asked for my help.

“Um…Sure, what is it?” I said realizing how raspy my voice was.

“Well it’s my daughter…” he replied with a sad expression on his face.

“Margret?” I replied trying not to sound worried. But of course she then walked in wearing a white night gown with yellow ribbon in her hair.

“Dad…” Margret said in almost a questioning tone.

“I’m coming…” Daniel replied walking out of the room, “Come on Oliver.” I followed not asking any questions. He led me into a room two doors down from mine. As I walked in my eyes shot to the girl lying in a bed coughing, her hair was a light blonde, skin pail, lips large and pail. “Oliver could you pick her up?” Daniel asked. I responded by going over and picking her up, her body was cold against my bare chest and she looked even more pail next to my skin, her head was resting on my shoulder. Puffs of warm air hit my neck, so far apart that it seemed she wasn’t breathing. Daniel led me back into my room and out a door I had never noticed he told me to set her in the chair, and then told Margaret to put a blanket over her body. And that was when I noticed a large scar from her neck down, who knows how far down.

“Sorry about this Oliver,” Daniel whispered to me, “Our doctor said that I’m not to lift anything over 90 pounds, my back can’t take it.” I could see our white breathe puffs large and rushed together and how the girl’s breath puffs were so different from ours small and spread apart. “If you could bring her in back to her bed in 15 minutes, I promise you this won’t happen every night.”

“No problem, just one question?” I replied more excited then I meant for it to be, “What is her name?”

“Oh yes her name so sorry…this is Olivia Shay, the youngest of our two.” He said as he walked back into the house. I really did not mind being out there, although it did get cold I toughed it out. I couldn’t look away form her no matter how hard I tried. Then she spoke.

“Who are you?” Her voice sounded like velvet, sweat and calm, even with the little rasp.

“My names Oliver…Oliver Nickelsteen” I said

“Hi Oliver, my names Olivia…Olivia Shay Anders.”

“Well, nice to meet you Olivia.”

“No not Olivia, Olivia Shay…”

“Oh yes, I see…well then nice to meet you Olivia Shay.” Her attention suddenly went to the moon and she smiled. She was even more beautiful then I had given her credit for.

“Hmm…It’s a full moon tonight.” Then Daniel came storming out.

“It’s been 20 minutes; I said 15, get her in her bed now!” I rushed over to Olivia Shay and took her to her bed, she was asleep again. “Look Oliver, I don’t mean to sound harsh,” He said as I walked out of her room. “It’s just Olivia Shay gets sick reel easy and I shouldn’t even let her go outside but she insist on seeing the full moon and… I’m just sorry Oliver.”

“No your fine…Why dose she insist on seeing the moon?”

“I don’t even know, but it has to be the full moon not any other…I look at it every time I can, just to see if she sees something I don’t, heck I’ve even read books on that dagon moon but I don’t know.”

“Have you ever asked her?”

“Yea, Dose no good she just chuckles and fakes like she’s asleep.” I went back to my room and before I went to bed I looked at the moon reel hard, but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. That week went by fast, and my relationship with Margaret, was more then friendly. She made it very clear she liked me, and I quote “I like you for you, yea sure your bodies attractive and you have an award winning smile but I like your personality the most, you’re just so funny.” That’s when she flashed me a smile and wink. I also found out about the lake and falls. Margaret and I went there almost every day she “tanned” in her yellow polka doted two piece, in which showed off her killer body, and I relaxed in the water watching her ever now and then splashing her with water. I had a list of things I had to do everyday, feed and “groom” the pigs, cows, and the horses. I also help pick fruit off the trees, just to sneak and apple or pear for later. Today was Sunday, the Anders weren’t much of a church folk so I just went to the lake and relaxed, I left at lunch, and by the time I came back it was time for dinner.

“I was beginning to think you were dead Oliver.” Amelia said to me, motioning for me to go sit down. “Hope you like Chicken and gravy.” I sat down and stuffed the food in my face. At some chocolate cake and excused myself to my room. I threw off my cloths and threw on my boxers and a white shirt and sat out on the back patio, looking at the moons shadow in the lake, it was almost a full moon.

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