The Forest; Grandmother

Grandpa's smile immediately faded, his gaze turned sombre as he remembered 'The Darkening'— written decades ago by his family. He couldn't bring himself to tell Vincent about it. He just couldn't.

He sighed and took a deep breath. "Like I always tell you Vincent…" he began. 

"In the dimming hours, when dusk draws near,

Greatly fear the darkening you should;

In the forest, when you hear whispers sear

Follow my teachings and advice you would.

Amidst the woods, where silence reigns, 

A boundary stands, where darkness stains, 

To cross its border is to court despair, 

And face the dangers that linger there.

So stay within the safety of the day, 

And never venture into under the clouds array, 

For what awaits beyond the river's shore, 

It may be a fate you'll regret forevermore." Grandpa finished his poem, coughing. "I haven't said that in years," he chuckled softly.

Vincent reluctantly nodded. "I understand." he said. "I will heed your advice."

"That's my boy." Grandpa said, as he smiled. "So, tell Lily and I what happened out there with Isabella, hum?"

Vincent cleared his throat. "Well," he began. "Nothing special, we caught a BLUEfin after several days of trying." 

Grandpa chuckled, "Aha, you pronounced it right this time. Yes yes, I figured it was a bluefin when I heard Lily's excitement. What else?" he said.

"Bella and I heard strange noises from the depths of the forest."

Lily gasped, "Noises!? What noises!?"

Grandpa raised his eyebrow, his face wrinkly. "What did they sound like?"

"They kind of went 'baa' or 'meh'. And we heard lots of rustling from there." Vincent explained.

Grandpa's eyes widened with intrigue. "'Baa' or 'meh' you say? How fascinating!" He leaned forward, his interest piqued. "Could it be?"

"Could be what, father?"

"Oh, my son. Those sounds you heard..." Grandpa's voice trailed off, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "They might just be what we call 'sheep'. Woolly creatures that graze on grass and plants."

"What? Sh-eep? What…?" Lily asked.

"Ahh… so long ago… the taste of sheep meat— of mutton… how I miss it." Grandpa mumbled to himself.

"Meat? Wool…?" Vincent asked.

"Like fish, it is food. Sheep are what we used to call 'animals'. Sheep were a source of food and wool, back before the great tragedy. It's been so long…"

"Food, hmm…" Vincent mumbled.

"You and Isabella should bring a few to a pen. We can slowly breed sheep over the years." Grandpa asked.

"I see. Okay." said Vincent.

"But grandpa? What is uhm, whool? 'ool?" Lily asked.

"Wool. It's like an animal's cotton."

"Ooo! Is it comfortable?" she giggled, imagining the softness of sheep's wool.

"Yes, and very warm. Good for winter." Grandpa smiled, gently ruffling her hair.

"We will bring as many as we can, father." Vincent said.

Grandpa let out a sigh, a smile playing at the corners of his lips as he looked upon his family with pride. "Indeed, my boy. With sheep, we'll have wool for warmth, meat for nourishment, and perhaps even companionship." he said.

"Comp…ani…? Lily's voice trailed off as she couldn't remember the word.

"Yes, company. Sheep can be quite gentle creatures, once they get used to us. They'll become a part of our family." Grandpa said.

"Wow! I can't wait to eat blouofin with them!" Lily said. Hearing Lily's reply, Grandpa let out a hearty laugh.

"Sure you will." he said. "You will be the shepherdess of the flock, the sheep queen. Just like how your grandma used to be…" the old man sighed.

Vincent nudged his father. "Father? What happened to my mother?" he asked.

Grandpa sighed, his gaze falling to the floor. "Your mother was a kind and gentle soul." he said. "She loved everything, especially sheep."

Vincent shook his head. "But what happened to her, father?" he asked, as Lily silently watched the two.

"Your mother…" Grandpa's voice trailed off again. The silence stretched, filled with only sounds from the kitchen, where Isabella was preparing dinner. 

"My mother what, dad?" Vincent persisted.

"She… she was lost beyond the river." he murmured.

Lily's eyes widened, she couldn't keep silent anymore. "Lost beyond the river!?" she gulped, her heart pounding.

Vincent's brows furrowed. "Lost? How?" he pressed.

"Far away… much, much deeper into the forest, there is a bridge that lets you cross the river. But I forbid you to ever cross it, don't you dare!" Grandpa exclaimed, pointing a finger at Vincent.

"I won't, father." Vincent nodded. Then he turned to his daughter, Lily, who was nearly going to cry. "Don't worry, Lily. I won't go there. Dad will always be here for you. My sweet sheep queen." he smiled.

Lily seemed to calm down, and she hugged her father, burying her face in his lap. "I will never forgive you if you leave!" she said, as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Grandpa's eyes softened with nostalgia as he watched the tender moment between them. He chuckled to himself.

"I promise, Lily." said Vincent.

Grandpa placed his old, wrinkly hand on Vincent's head, and the other on Lily's. "Bless you both." he said. "We are family, through thick and thin."

And just then, a mouth-watering aroma began to fill the hut—a scent of freshly cooked fish that seemed to wrap around them. Isabella's voice rang out from the kitchen, cutting through the stillness of the moment. "Vincent! Set the table!" she called, her tone warm and inviting.

"On it!" Vincent said, as he pulled away from Lily, his movements swift and purposeful as he began to clean the table with a handkerchief, wiping away the dust.

But Lily glared at her grandpa, her mouth agape and her eyes twinkling. Noticing this, grandpa chuckled at Lily. "Scared, huh?" he teased gently.

"Yes…" she gulped.

Grandpa reached out to pat Lily's hand. "Don't worry. Nothing can harm you here. Not even the dangers beyond." he smiled.

"Okay, Grandpa." she said softly, her voice steadier now. "I trust you."

He ruffled her hair affectionately. "Now let's go join your parents for dinner." he smiled, and got up with a groan. With Grandpa's hand guiding her, Lily rose from her seat and followed him to the table, where Isabella had laid out a spread of delicious food.

"Hey, Bella. You won't believe the source of the noises we heard earlier!" Vincent said, as Isabella glanced at him, her head leaning towards his.