Chapter

1

The sun is glaring in my eyes. I walk up a road to a field of bright pink and yellow flowers. I see a boy lying in the flowerbeds with his eyes closed. Is he dead? "Hey. Hey. Hey!" a small girlish voice says. He opens his eyes and looks up at me. Suddenly, I am at a farm, where the same boy is all packed up to go somewhere. A tear rolls down my cheek. He comes up to me and gives me a hug. He promises to come back. He turns and waves goodbye with a smile. I watch as he fades away in the distance. I try to run after him, screaming for him to come back to me, but my feet refuse to move. He doesn't hear my frantic cries for help, and he fades out into the distance. I'm all alone crying into my arm. All alone, alone, alone…

I jolted awake, cold sweat streaming down my face and back making my nightgown hot and sticky. The dream again... it's been 10 years since I last saw him. these nightmares came out of nowhere, and I end up remembering painful things I had long forgotten... an unpleasant tingle went down my spine. I shuddered, and wrapped my arms tight around my body. He really did say that he would come back… but he probably forgot. After all, we were just kids. I looked around my dark room and sighed. I tried to close my eyes and go back to sleep, but it was hopeless. I got out of bed and stumbled toward my curtains.

I threw the curtains apart, and bright morning light shone into my room, illuminating it. I stretched and peered out lazily at the new day. I yawned and moved sleepily towards my vanity table. I squinted at the mirror. Everything was blurry. I groped around and found my large, round-framed glasses and shoved them onto my face. Everything became clear. I glared at my features critically.

My long black hair was all disheveled and wild, and my eyes were full of sleep and droopy. I sighed and went to the difficult task of brushing it. While I was doing that I studied the rest of myself, to see if I could make any improvement for the day. My dark eyes glared back at me, magnified by my glasses. I looked at the rest of myself and sighed once again. I finished brushing my hair, then put it into a braid. I looked through my drawers for something to wear. I glanced towards the calendar. Monday. I finally chose a white dress with long sleeves and a dark blue center. I took one last glance at the mirror before grabbing my book off of the bed stand and curling up on my bed.

"Mary!" My mother Anna called from downstairs. I sighed. Always just as I start reading.

"Are you up yet?"

"Yes Mom!" I shouted back.

"Good! We need to go to the supermarket today. Hurry up!" I groaned, then dragged myself off the bed. I thumped down the stairs, trying to prove how grumpy I was. Mother looked at my appearance and nodded with approval. She's so paranoid about what about what we look like. I don't really see the point, since this is such a small town, who really cares? She was wearing a white dress with ruffled sleeves and turquoise rims on her neckline and dress hem. Her hair was in its usual style, a sort of black, mushroom shape around her head. I slipped on my shoes and followed her out the door. It was early in the morning, but already warm bordering on boiling. Summer around here is torture unless you have air conditioning.

On our way to the market, Mom ran into her friend Sasha, Jeff's wife. Jeff is the guy who owns the market. They're both really nice, although Jeff isn't what you would call a 'powerful' man. He's ill a lot, so the store is closed often. Sasha is one of the kindest people in town. She always makes time in her busy lifestyle for her friends and the elderly. Wish her daughter were a little more like her.

Karen is nice and really sweet, although Jeff spoils her rotten. It also doesn't help that she's incredibly beautiful. She drinks a lot though, and she can't cook to save her life! She's a very talented singer, and always sings at the Music Festival. Maybe all that wine helps her sing better? Anyway, whenever my mother and Sasha hook up, they can go on for hours! (And they often do!) So I sat on a bench nearby and fanned myself with my hand. I listened to them a bit, just to be kept up to date on what's going on, although not much happens in a little town like Mineral Town.

"Did you hear?" Sasha said eagerly as she brushed a dirty blonde strand of hair off of her face. "Thomas told me this morning! A new boy moved into the farm!" I looked up and listened more intently.

"No, really?" My mother said excitedly, obviously desperate for a new piece of gossip.

"Oh yes! Apparently old Jack left the farm to him. I bet it's that nice little boy that visited us all those years ago!" Sasha gossiped.

"Could be. He and Jack were tight and always kept in touch. Jack was like a grandfather to little Matt." My mother agreed.

Could it be him? Could it really be Mathew? Could Mathew have come back after all these years, just like he promised? I continued listening.

" Have you seen the farm since Jacks funeral?" Sasha asked her.

" Its run down quite a bit since he died hasn't it?" my mother said sadly.

"Yes, its gonna be quite a job to restore the place. Me and Karen were thinking of going down there later and welcoming him here properly."

"That's a fantastic idea! I'm sure he would appreciate some of your good cooking. Most men are such lousy cooks." My mother added sagely. Sasha smiled.

"Yes, Jeff couldn't boil water without burning it. Maybe that's where Karen gets it. Well, it's been nice chatting with you, but I've got to get going." She said looking at her watch. Mother nodded, smiling.

"Of course. Bye, and don't let Karen help with the cooking!" she finished with a chuckle. Sasha laughed, waved goodbye, and walked away.

I got up and my mother and I continued on our way.

"Hey mom," I said slowly.

"Yes Mary?" she said not even looking up from her shopping list.

"I was wondering if we could do what Sasha is doing? You know, welcoming him to Mineral Town?" I asked carefully. She put away her shopping list and looked at me.

"It's a nice thought Mary, but I'm busy all week, and your father won't be home until Thursday. I'll tell Sasha to tell him we say hello."

"I can do it. Why can't I just go welcome him by myself?" I asked more desperately. she shook her head.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

"But-"

"No if, ands or buts." She cut. I folded my arms and grumped the rest of the way there.