Running away from home taking the identity of her brother hiding from someone that wishes to hurt her while making a new life. What happens when she falls in love with a town's cattle driver? What confusion will she cause to everyone around her?
"Hurry Chelsea, I know you're tired but we have to keep going! We are almost there!" He yelled as we both ran my hand in his. We ran as fast as we could with nothing but backpack as our possessions. "If we miss this boat we will never have a second chance and he will never let us go again."
I ran as fast as my feet could go and then I saw the boat that was leaving Forget-me-not Valley for Leaf Valley. My lungs burned with the cold morning winter air, and my legs felt like jell-o from running none stops from the farm without any sleep the night before through the heavy snow. I kept moving and tripped when the dirt turned to wood and slide across the dock, this caused my brother to stumble and turn. Helping me up, he looked back, his eyes going wide.
"Chels MOVE!" He pushed me forward to the boat as he kept behind me making sure he was between me, and the one we were running from.
"GET BACK HERE YOU UNGRATEFUL BRAT!" The voice boomed as my feet hit the boarding plank running myself up on to the boat before looking back and seeing him, the one that ruined our lives.
"MARK HURRY!" My voice cried out as he pushed the two boarding passes in to the ship captain's hands and bolted up the plank. The Captain quickly moved to block the man from getting on the boat.
"Out of my way those are my kids, my daughter." The man hissed out pointing at us.
"Sorry sir but you pass no ride." The Captain stood his ground crossing his arms. "If you want you get take the next boat that leaves next month, or you can buy a ticket now."
The boat horn sounded and the captain raised a brow seeing what the man was going to do. Once the man backed down and glared at the two on the boat, he stormed off the dock. The Captain walked up the plank pulling it up and waved for the boat to set sail before turning to the two.
"Well, that was rather exhilarating!" The man laughed a bit. "Let me show you to your room. You both look tired could use some sleep."
"Thank you sir, Thank you so much for that." Mark smiled up to the man holding me in his arm tightly.
"No problem lad, just give me the story later so I do not find out I did something I should regret later." The captain smiled and walked us to a small room with a double bed below deck. "You will be on the boat about a week maybe two depending on weather. We will be making a stop by Flower bud, Mineral Town, and Karidia before hitting Leaf Valley."
"Ok Thank you sir."Mark smiled and the Captain left. We walked to the bed and climbed in to it relaxing. "Sleep well Chelsea, we are finally free."
"You to Mark, I just hope he does not come after us." I looked up to my brother still shaking not able to believe we managed to escape.
My eyes opened and I was alone in the bed I shared with my brother. I looked around and he was gone not even in the room, he must have left after getting some rest. I got up, grabbed their backpacks, and pulled out some clothes. I pulled out some overalls and a button up shirt, put them on then threw my coat on. I pulled her boots on then head out of the cabin going top side.
Once I was topside I looked around and saw my brother sitting on a bench drinking something hot while talking to the ship's captain. I joined them quietly and smiled to them. My brother looked up to me; he was wearing similar clothes as well as a blue and yellow baseball hat. The captain looked up to her then back to her brother then smiled.
"Good afternoon." The Captain lifted a thermos and poured her a cup of what looked to be cocoa. "Here drink up; I have lunch being put together for you both. Your brother was just telling me what your plans were once you get to Leaf Valley."
"Yea, I was not sure what we were going to do myself." I took the cup and sipped the hot warm chocolaty goodness.
"So, why are you two on the run if I can ask?" The captain asked calmly not wanting to push if they did not wish to tell.
"That man was our father. He was not a rather nice man and well we got tired of it and took the chance we got to escape." My brother answered before looking to the cup in his hands. "We rather not speak to much about let the past stay in the past."
"Alright, I will not push it." He looked to his watch and got up. "Well we will be docking in Flower bud around Night fall. We will refuel and leave in the morning. So feel free to go on land and look around just make sure to be back before morning when we leave."
The two of us waved our good bye to him then looked to each other then sipped the hot chocolates we were given. We were relaxing and enjoying the view of the water rushing by and the land off in the distance. We had a few hours before we would reach Flower Bud and we were going to relax and enjoy the ride. Both of us moved below deck to their cabin, as it was cold and getting more so the later the day got.
"So do you think Leaf Valley will be a good home for us?" I looked to Mark as he playfully put his hat on my head then jumped on to the bed.
"Not sure till we get there, we will see what happens. We will get a Farm take care of it till you are taken away by some dashing young man." Mark smirked at me
"Hey, I am too young to get married!" Chelsea stomped her foot at her brother. "That's not funny!"
"I am sorry Chels." Mark laughed a bit. "Ok, I will not tease you like that."
We smiled laughed before the boat lurched and Mark fell off the bed and I stumbled to the side. Mark got up and helped me up to my feet before the boat jumped again. We quickly stumbled and then hit the wall before we rushed up deck. The sky had gone black and the sea became a terror of waves. The Captain rushed to us holding life jackets, I became very scared, and I had never been on a boat before during a storm.
"Here put these on quick the boat is being pulled out to sea farther but she is still safe." The Captain left quickly to go back to work.
Mark quickly pulled me down in to the cabin and quickly fitted a life jacket over my head and strapped it for me. He rushed around the cabin, gathered our bags and made sure they had all of our things. He quickly walked to me, helping me put my backpack on before giving me his then tied then both to me. He took my hand tightly before we heard the captain call everyone to deck to evacuate the boat. Without a second thought, Mark pulled me up deck to the nightmare once more.
"Mark I am scared!" I held on to him tightly.
"Do not worry we will be fine as soon as we get to the boat." Mark smiled and pulled me to the small boats.
The boat shifted and rocked hard, a wave rushing across deck making us fall and slide across it. I cried out loudly as I was scared and Mark just held my hand tighter. Mark pulled me close and tried to get us both back on our feet to get across deck when the boat dropped in a swell. We bounced and tilted sharply sliding us to the railings then hit by another wave and forcing us over board. We slipped under the railing and in to the water. I could not see anything over the water pushing me around and I could not hear over the splashing water. What scared me more; was that Mark had let my hand go as we fell and I could not find him.
I splashed around the bags and life vest holding my head above water. I screamed for help, I screamed for my brother. My body was going numb in the cold, I felt so sleepy and that is when I saw my brother again. He was struggling to stay above the water's surface before he disappeared back under and that was my last memory as my vision blacked out from the numbing cold. He never put his vest on because he was more worried about me and now I lost my twin brother and the only person who ever kept me safe.
Thanks for reading R&R obviously. For those of you who have read and finished Harvest truths Thanks for coming back for more. Inspired by A, sassy sexy white haired stoic cowboy having lassoed a rather surprised farm boy, picture that I found, inspired this story. If any of you have seen this picture well you understand the inspiration I got from it however instead of a boy I am using a girl. If everything plays right in the story, it will be kind of cool to see what happens. A further note, I do not usually do first person point of views and only this chapter is going to be first PPoV the rest should be Third PPoV so please forgive any PPoV issues thank you. Until next time R&R and have fun farming folks.