Welcome to Gaia! ::

It all started on a typical fall season. The leaves were I lived. Fell from the trees around me. Vibrant red, pale green with yellow. All quite brilliant but familiar. You couldn't find leaves like this in the city. For the trees were mostly cut down to make space for more buildings. Pathetic buildings, that would only last a hundred years usually. Houses that would become abandoned. Wearing away over time.

I was just a simple cabin folk. Living in the woods in the country side. Far from civilization. This is how I liked things. It was peaceful and it was tranquil. I enjoyed being able to keep my door open on a hot day. Without the fear that some burglar. Some pathetic sneaky villain would intrude on my property.

I could barely see the road from where my cabin sat. Yet, my home was visible from the road. It sat at a high altitude. Just above briars forest. Why it was called Briars forest I do not know. But, despite the place being part of my property. I have kept the name. Out of respect for the original owners of the place. Who I never got to meet.

My cabin was made of large sturdy logs. With a plastic coding over the wood. To make sure the wood would not be susceptible to the moisture of the rain. The plastic was a clear plastic. Much like one would place over there furniture while painting.

Natural plants were grown around the cabin. Fine soil tended by my own hands. Heh, everyone needs a hobby. The main reason I potted those plants in the first place. Was to repel all animals that would otherwise pose a threat to the house or myself.

In front of me, was a large hill. With a thick hay colored grass. The grass wasn't very health. Despite a few attempts to make it grow in correctly as green grass. That I would actually want to role in or maybe just sit down in. The hay like grass was mostly void of moisture. Yet, it wasn't as solid as Hay. It actually felt more like regular grass almost. But, it was more like the grass couldn't make up its mind. Whether it wanted to be grass or hay. So, I'm stuck with this odd hybrid that is rampant in most of these forests.

Closer to the road is a different story. There's green grass in that area for some reason. Why, I do not know. The road is a country road. That seems to be kept up quite well. The pavement is a smooth grey. With very little wear and tear. The other side of the road. There is a lush green patch of cabbages. That is planted on my neighbors farm lands.

Something like that would never grow on my lands. It's not because I don't know my way around plants either. Oh no sir, the man that owns that place is a middle-aged man. Which runs a farm small farm with the help of his children. He has three of the little tikes. A pretty little girl with blond hair. Who is still only one year old. A boy which is fourteen years of age. A moderately tall, medium build lad. Keeps to himself for the most part. He doesn't really say much when I visit with his pops. The eldest is only seventeen. Though, he seems to think he is much older. Onri lad if I do say so myself. He's done some damage to there crops and there home before. But, he is also very hard working. I don't know what to make of that one really. Then there is his mother. Quite the looker if I do say so myself. A tall stalky built women with rich brown hair and glasses.

The family seems content where they live. Though, I have to say. Those kids don't always work when they are supposed to. I see the two of them walking around there farm often. Active lads I suppose.

Old man eric, walked down the less steep part of the hill. To his mail box. Which was placed down by the road. It was something he had to do every day. Despite his current age of seventy. It came with some benefits. He kept in shape from walking up and down those hills. To get to where he wanted to be. But, it also came with some risks. Living up where he did. It wasn't like he could afford to fall and hope that someone would come to help him. That was one of the trade offs to living such a peaceful life.

He tugged at his blue suspenders on the right side of his chest. As he put one foot in front of the other. While placing his sturdy wooden cane into the ground as he walked down the hill. It wasn't exactly anything special. Just a piece of lumber that he had carved into a cane with an axe. There were a few splinters on the wood. Small bits of wood that was sticking out of the cane. He thought as he made his way down the hill, "I need to get that fixed".

Eric spotted the boy on his bike. From where he was on the hill. He held his cane in his left hand and waved with his right. It didn't matter if the boy saw him waving or not. It was just a gesture of good faith.

Eric brushed his white beard with his right hand. Running his hands through it. As he picked at a pimple that was on his skin under his beard. His face wasn't exactly broken out. Just a few blotches here and there.

He continued down the hill. Legs somewhat unstable beneath him. He didn't notice the one in the clearing. The only person he knew that was anywhere nearby. Was the boy riding on his bike on the road. But, that was quite a ways in front of him. It would take a few minutes to reach the road at this pace. By the time he reached him. He would be long gone.

As he made it to the halfway point. He looked into briars forest with weary eyes. It was a small group of trees, compared to what was around his own home. But, there was something unsettling about the place. The trees were peculiarly worn. A faced grey bark could be seen on the base of the trees. If it wasn't for the parts that appeared almost white, the tree would have no depth to it.

He dismissed his feelings of uneasiness. As nothing more than a mild feeling of fatigue. He felt somewhat odd. For whatever reason he did not know. His body felt as if gravity were pushing down on it. Yet, this trip to his mailbox didn't normally wear him out. He knew his limitations. So, he ignored his fatigue as he made his way the rest of the way.

He stopped in front of his mailbox. It was just a wooden post placed into the ground. With a piece of metal on top of it. That looked like a dark grey tin can only larger. He tilted his head downwards a tad. Noticing just one envelope. He turned the letter over to read its writings. Then, he read outloud in a disinterested tone.

Publishers sweeping house Million Dollar Contest.

Eric looked at the right corner of the letter. It read Utah and some town he wasn't familar with. He turned slightly, with his left shoulder facing the mailbox. Letting out a large breath of air.

ssssssssspppppewwwwww

He'd pressed his lips together like he was going to whistle. So, it sounded oddly as he breathed.

Epona had noticed the boy out on his bike earlya but she had been so absorbed in her thoughts she hadn't seen him aprouch. His sudden appirance suprised her almost cauresing her to fall off the log. slightly anoyed she insapected the intruder.

Normally she tried to avoid all contact with other people but the boy who looked a year or so younger than her seemed harmless enough and was unlikly to report her.

She tried to keep the anoyance out of her tone when she replyed. " No i'm simply passing though. How about you? you don,t really look like you belong round hear either" All though she loved the area and tried to visite oftern it was clear that he did not eaven if he lived hear.

As Eric started back up the hill. He looked to his right. He could see the old forests from where he was standing. They seemed odded dark from where he was standing. It wasn't night out. In fact, the darkness would not come for another couple of hours. He leaned over closer to the forested area. He could have sworn he saw something move in there.

The rustly in the leaves. Made a sound like a snake slithering across the leaves. Then, he spotted someone staring back at him from the forest. He realized that it was not a snake that he had heard. But, an old ragged brown cloak. That they were wearing as clothes. It was mighty peculilar to see them in those woods. He didn't exactly believe the old legendands about that place. Though, the tales had been more than enough. To disaid most from traveling into that area.

The tales spoke of an odd black creature. That had been spotted hiding among those trees. It was an old story. That Erics father had told him when he was but a boy. The tale spoke of a time. Around three-hundred years in the past. An odd black creature was spotted around that area. Then, a white flash of light was seen coming from that brush. Even those that happened to witness this happening. Couldn't explain what had happened. But, ever since that day. The dark creature was never seen or heard of again.

The younger folk in the town. Had forgotten most of the story. Remembering only that the brush was an ill omen of some sort. It just made them feel un-easy when they stared at it in the night time. So, only those daring there friends. Maybe a random loner that was curious. Would actually venture in there. But it was rare for anyone to actually go into that part of the wood. Eric called out to the figure he'd seen. Placing his right hand up to his mouth as he spoke.

Hello, hello stranger!

He waited for abit but there was no answer.

Sighing inwouldly Epona complied.

" sorry its been a long time since i spoke to another person. my name i Epona, my last name is of no importance as i no longer consider myself as part of a family. who was that you waved to?"

Epona had noticed the old guy earlya on but had not paied much attention untill he aproache the trees and seeminly talked to himself. joe seemed convinced that he was talking to him but Epona was not so shore. there was something starange about theses woods and this clearing especially.