Chapter One

The air was crisp and dry, and silence flowed throughout the forest. The only sound that could be heard was the snow, and tiny branches crunched underneath my boots. The woodlands were dressed with pure whiteness; a thick white blanket of snow covered the ground and the naked trees too. It's been a couple of hours on this journey throughout the woodlands, and my toes were numb from the snow that made its way inside my boots.

My lips cracked every time I moved them, and the snot left on my nose dried up and cracked. I was alone in the woodlands, with no sound of a bird to hear or the sight of a deer. It was just me in the deep woodlands that my people and I lived in; there was no exact reason why we lived in the woodlands inside of a cave. My people never questioned it, but I always wondered why things were like this and why we couldn't live inside Clacton like ordinary people.

I looked at the wagon I was dragging; a thick layer of snow rested on the cloth covering that protected the chopped wood. Every now and then, I would check on the wagon to ensure the wood was saved, for it was the only thing we could trade with Cora and Hannah for food.

White smoke escaped my mouth as I sighed at how long I still had until I finally reached Clacton. Still, in the end, I would finally be able to enjoy a well-deserved meal Cora would make. Cora was like the mother I never had when I went to Clacton; every meal she made would comfort me. I fastened my pace as my stomach growled loudly, I knew I should've eaten something before leaving home, but that idea didn't cross my mind until the last minute.

It's been a long and dreadful couple of hours, but I finally made it to Clacton. I moved toward a block of trees and bushes that tried to block my view of the front of the village. Cautiously, I lifted my arm and peeked through a couple of branches.

A tall stone gate stood far away, the front gate, and it was heavily guarded by two well-built, heavily armored men. Their armor heavily covered their legs and torso but lightly protected their muscular arms. I looked at the armored men and saw they had pointy ears and weird-looking eyes.

Quickly dismissing any upcoming thoughts about the men's appearance, I took a few steps back and started strolling to the right inside the woodlands. After a few more minutes, I checked outside the woodlands again and could see the back of the village. There was a tall stone wall; nothing could be seen beyond it. I looked side to side, and when I confirmed the coast was clear, I began stepping out of the woodlands, softly dragging the wagon along with me.

I started to approach the stone wall when I made it to it; the tips of my freed hand grazed the rough surface of the wall. I searched for a smooth feeling different from the bumpy feeling of the stone. There was a hidden door on this wall, and the texture of this door was different from the stone that the door was designed to blend in with. Searching for the surface was easy; you just had to focus intently.

When I finally spotted the difference in texture, I knocked three times and waited. My heart raced at the thought of seeing Hannah, the daughter of Cora... and also my crush. Ever since I've been going to Clacton, she would open the hidden door for me, and nothing I could do would stop me from admiring her beauty. We hadn't seen each other in a while since I had to wait for my turn to go, and my desire to see her again grew with every passing day. I fidgeted with my hair, trying to make myself presentable as possible. I wiped the dried snot off my face and licked my lips. But whatever I did, I still worried if I looked good enough for her.

The hidden door made a quiet squeaking sound, and my body stiffened. When the door finally opened, Hannah poked her head out with a great smile.

"Clovius!" She cheered, her freckled cheeks rising with a wide smile. Her hazel eyes sparkled at me. "Hannah!" I smiled back. She allowed me to come in and close the hidden door slowly.

Hannah turned around and approached me, and before I had a chance to think, I was in the comforts of Hannah's warm arms, wrapping me around like a warm blanket.

My cheek caressed her curly dark brown hair, and my nose twitched with the fresh flower-scented shampoo. She hugged me tighter, and the faint scent of blossoms rose from the fabric of her winter coat, filling my mind with peace.

She spoke into my ears, which made them tingle, "I missed you so much, Clovius. You truly have no idea."

"I missed you too, Hannah...." I breathed, trying to control my obvious nervousness.

"I'm glad to hear that." She smiled. I could sense a wave of joy from Hannah; her emotions were as radiant as ever. I always sensed people's emotions before they were even aware of them; their emotions were as strong and bright as the sun. However, I always shrugged it off and assumed this was an ability everyone had. So I never gave it some thought.

Our boots sunk into the cold snow as we glued to one another. Neither the bitter cold nor the light layer of snowflakes on top of our heads bothered us. After a few minutes of embracing each other, Hannah unleashed her warm arms that were wrapped around my body, and so did I.

"Sorry!" She said, flustered at the realization of what she was doing. "I completely forgot that you've been walking through the woodlands to get here; I'm sure you're cold and hungry. And here I am, forcing you to stay out here longer." She looked down in embarrassment, and I quickly shook my head. "No, It's fine, Hannah. I'm more than happy to be able to be with you after so long." I said reassuringly. If the Universe had allowed it, I would stay out there for hours hugging her. Simply being with her is all I need from time to time. Hannah blushed and smiled relievingly. "Let's head to my home before it gets late; my mother made you some warm stew using her favorite recipe. I'm sure you'll like it." She turned around and headed to her house, "That sounds amazing!" I followed her throughout the neighborhood.

Every house in the neighborhood reassembled a cabin, and every home was protected by a wooden fence. Ar the back was a glass slide door, making it easier to glance at every home's interior. The neighborhood was quiet and still; it seemed like everyone was sleeping or quietly chilling at home. And just like the woodlands, the neighborhood was dressed with a thick white blanket of snow, resulting in the neighborhood's glowing white color.

We approached Hannah's house, stepped inside the fence, and onto her snowy patio. Hannah closed the glass door, dug into her pockets, and pulled out one key. I waited silently as she unlocked the glass door; I curiously glanced at the glass door and saw the living room. The space glowed orange by the fireplace on the wall. I saw a rug on the floor, and on top was a coffee table with someone's feet resting on it. Unfortunately, I couldn't see whose feet it was due to the glass door not being wide enough to see. Hannah slid the door open and walked in, and I followed.

The warmth was the first thing to greet me, comforting me like a mother's embrace. "Clovius!" A voice exclaimed; I saw Cora sitting on a black sofa with her feet resting on the coffee table. She had a brown bob cut and a dark green turtleneck with black sweatpants. "It's been so long, sweetie. How have you been?" Cora jotted off the sofa, walked towards me, and hugged me.

"I'm fine; it's just been a little tough out in the woodlands during the winter." I hugged her back, "I understand; the wintertime is the worst. Especially out there." She said. I silently agreed with her. Cora walked to the snow-covered wagon, grabbing the handle out of my hands. She looked at me again and said, "You should take off that winter coat and enjoy the warmth while you can, hun." "Of course," I said, unzipping the coat. Cora looked at Hannah, who was beside me. "Hannah, make a bowl of the stew I prepared for Clovius."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Hannah sprinted to the kitchen behind the living room, grabbed a bowl from the cabinets, and poured the hot steamy stew into the bowl. Cora walked out of the front room across the living room and closed the door behind her. I sat on the sofa closest to me, my body sunk into the soft cushion. Hannah approached me with two steamy bowls full to the rim with Cora's stew, "Here you go." She handed one to me and sat next to me, our thighs touching. "Thank you, Hannah. I'm starving." I grabbed the spoon in the bowl and scooped a spoonful of cooked vegetables. A warm sensation filled my mouth when I ate cooked vegetables; the warmth spread across my body when I swallowed, and a smile formed on my face. "This is delicious, Hannah." I looked over to Hannah, who was playing with the vegetables in her bowl, her face mindlessly staring at the bowl.

"Clovius..." she muttered.

"Yes?" I answered, looking at her. A deafening silence filled the room, and I could see her contemplation. Her pink lips shook when she muttered, "Do you...." My stomach twisted as I waited for her to finish that question, but all was cut short when she shook her head.

"Nevermind." She scooped a spoon full of the stew and continued to eat. I froze, looking at her as questions filled my mind. What was she going to ask me? And why didn't she ask me? I shook those questions out of my head to allow myself to enjoy the stew.

After minutes of stuffing my face with Cora's stew, I leaned back on the sofa and felt the warm stew move around in my stomach. Three or four empty bowls were stacked on the coffee table. "When will Cora be back?" I asked Hannah who was picking up the empty bowls I left on the coffee table. "I'm not sure, but she should be back soon. She's probably finishing up with getting the food for you guys." "Oh, okay..." I said.

A few minutes pass, and the front door opens; Cora walks out with the wagon stacked with so many wooden crates more than a month's worth of food is on the wagon. My eyes widened at sight. "I know it's tough to live out in the woods, especially in the winter," Cora said. I could buy more crates by trading some of our things with the man who gave me the crates." I looked at the wooden crates and imagined how happy my people would be to see them; my eyes watered as a wave of overwhelming gratitude filled me. "Thank you, guys. You have no idea how grateful I am." I looked at both Cora and Hannah. "Of course, Clovius. We are always here for you and your people." Cora said. "Always." Hannah added.

I took a short nap on the soft sofa before returning to my people. I was excited to see them again but also sad to leave Hannah. There's no telling how long it'll be until we meet again. There'll be no need to return to Clacton for a few months with all of the food Cora blessed us with. My eyes opened slowly; nothing but the fireplace burned, and the soft crackling made my ears tingle slightly.

I lifted my head to look around the area; I first saw the balcony glass door and the glowing color of white from the snow that covered the entire ground and houses outside. Turning my head again, I saw Hannah resting on the sofa next to the one I was lying on. She looked just as beautiful when she was sleeping. I stared at her beauty momentarily, my heart saddened at the thought of leaving. Finally, I got off the sofa and dressed back into my winter attire. Cora, who was in the kitchen washing dishes, noticed me zipping my winter coat on. "Leaving, hun?" She asked. "Yes, I have to. I don't want to keep my people waiting any longer." Cora nodded, "Well then, it was a pleasure having you here, Clovius. We'll miss you."

"Thank you for having me." I slipped my gloves on, and Hannah yawned on the sofa. Then, rubbing her eyes, she asked, "Oh... You're leaving?" My heart ached; I wanted to stay longer with her. But that would be selfish of me to do with the responsibility I had. "Yes, I am." I said. Hannah got off the sofa and slid her boots and coat on. "I'll walk with you on your way out then."

We left the glass door; I said my goodbyes to Cora and walked down the quiet neighborhood alongside Hannah. We approached the hidden door, "Um, Clovius...." Hannah muttered, fidgeting with her fingers.

"Yes?"

I watched as she hesitated with her words, "I was wondering if you'd like to...." My stomach twisted again as I waited for her to finish, "...hang out with me Friday night?" I blushed at that question; my heart fluttered, and my stomach grew butterflies. Finally, she looked at me with her beautiful hazel eyes for an answer.

"Yes, I would love to." I stuttered.

Hannah's face flowed with a smile, "Really? I'm so happy to hear that! I'll be waiting for you at the hidden door as always." I asked, "Okay!

I'm looking forward to it, but what exactly will we do?"

"It's a secret. You'd have to find out when you come here on Friday night." She winked. Curiosity grew in my mind; I wanted to know what we would do. But I knew trying to get an answer out of her wouldn't work.

"Alright, I guess I really have to wait until Friday to find out, huh?" I sighed.

She giggled, "It's only a couple of days away. You'll be fine." I looked at the white sky, "Well, It's time I leave now. My people are waiting for me." Hannah's smile faded slightly, and she approached me with open arms. We hugged for a moment and finally said our goodbyes. Throughout the journey back to my people, I wondered endlessly what we would be doing when Friday came. There was nothing I could do but wait to finally meet her again.