-Prologue-
The mist was lying thick over the fields behind Eileen as she walked on to the pier. It was early into the night but she had to get out gathering her thoughts and breathing some fresh air. The sound of water gently hitting the rocks on the beach and the sound of grasshoppers playing their violin was the most soothing sound she could ever hear. She walked out to the end of the pier, took of her shoes and sat down with her feet dangling just above the water. The full moon was lighting up the water like straight from a fairytale. She bent her feet just a little bit, letting her toes touch the water.
How she loved this place. For a big city girl as herself the one time a year she spent out here was like heaven on earth, making most of her troubles drift away. One week a year she would let her guard down, and actually give people the benefit of the doubt instead of locking them out, afraid of letting them in and being hurt. She had been hurt a few times to many in her young life and didn't let anyone new get close to her, unless she had checked and double checked all their personal information, end even then trust was a hard thing for her to do.
She lifted her left hand up to her necklace, her hand found its way to the engagement ring. Her boyfriend knew how hard it was for her to trust others, and she had given him a hard time during the time they had been together. But he had stuck it out with her, spite all of her issues. Probably because he's somewhat all messed up like me, Eileen thought for herself, as her fingers twisted the ring. He had done the whole proposal thing as perfectly as it could have ever been done. Not forcing her to say yes.
---
"Eileen… I have something important to tell you."
These words made Eileen freeze up, and usually meant that something bad was coming next. For the first time she had had a long relationship with someone who actually loved her back without strings attached. This was the only guy Eileen had ever let herself fall for after her father had died. She thought she could never have a normal commitment with anyone after her hard life alone with her father, and had gone from one bad relationship to another, not ever feeling alive, just existing, like a useless pawn in the game of the world. But when she met him, something changed.
A tear rolled down her cheek as she though this was going to be another failure in her life, and she was going to lose the one thing she loved the most.
His right palm touched her face gently, wiped the tear away and gave her a loving smile.
"Don't cry, this is a good thing." He reached into his pocket. "I want you to know…" he held his fist tied up in front of her, "even with all the problems we have had through these last years, we have always managed to get our self on to our feet again… together. I know I would never have survived some of these problems on my own, and thanks to you I'm still here. So…" His palm opened up. "Even though I know you're not ready yet, I am. I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you, I know you are the best thing that could have ever happened to me… "
Eileen didn't know whether to smile or cry. Her feelings were out of her control and all she managed to do was to steer at him, trying to understand what was going on. She took the necklace slowly out of his hand and looked down at it. She looked up again hear eyes meeting his… "but…"
"I know..:" he interrupted. "As I said… I know you aren't ready yet. So I don't want you to give me an answer now. You can have all the time in the world if you want, I'll never push you into anything. If you ever decide that you are ready… just take the ring from the necklace and put it on your finger." He smiled, leaned in and gave her a gently kiss.
----
Eileen smiled. This was her favorite moment in her whole life, and the one memory she would always hold closest to her heart.
A whole year had gone by and not a single day without her thinking if she would… if she could give him everything. As the wind blew a fresh breeze she made a decision. The biggest decision in her whole life and the biggest decision she would ever make. She took off the necklace… held it in her hand for a few minutes before she let the ring slide off. She gave it a hard squeeze with her right hand as she threw the necklace chain into the lake with the left. She opened her pawn… she smiled, and put the ring on her finger. A strange feeling of peace came down on her and she breathed out the air she was holding in just in case here whole life with him would disappear the second she put it on. She chuckled as she realized that it was just another stupid thought, and that he would be in her life… till death do us part.
She stood up on the pier, a big smile brightened up her face like never before. She looked up the hill to the hotel. God I love this place… it's just… perfect. She started to walk the path up the hill towards the hotel. It was dark as the lights from the hotel had been turning themselves on and off the last few days and was now close to off except a few flickers once in a while. If it wasn't for the bright light from the moon she wouldn't have seen her own hands in front of her.
----
"pheh"… Eileen breathed out as she finally reached the stairs up to the hotel back entrance. Am I out of shape or what? She thought for herself, as she glanced down the path she had just walked. The lights who had seemed to be off started to flicker as her right foot stepped on to the first stair. She felt a shiver going down her spine… creepy… she thought. Looked fast around and walked fast up the stairs. As she came to the top, the lights shut off again. She turned her face towards the lake again and started to giggle for herself. Seriously… get a grip! Been watching too many scary movies lately or what?
She gave the field in front of her a glance. Her eyes caught something. At the old warrior tree there was something hanging from a branch. She tried to focus on it, was it a person? She shook her head, it couldn't bee, and it was too far away and too dark for her to be sure.
Her gut turned into a big knot as she set her foot down at the stair again, with the intent to figure out what this was. Slowly she stepped down, and started to walk towards the huge three. It looked like something was tied up, but she still couldn't make out what.
Sounds of footsteps came behind her. She turned around slowly, but there were nothing there. The wind blew up, and made the three shiver in the moonlight. No matter where she turned she heard footsteps running towards her from behind. She tried to speak up, but couldn't get a single sound out into the dark night. The lights started to flicker again. She turned around again and looked up at the thing hanging from the branch. She felt pure fear going thru her whole body as she realized this was a human being. The horrible sight made her sick, but she couldn't move at all. She just stood there looking up at this being that used to be a human, but had been turned into a piece of sliced flesh. The running footsteps behind her came closer. The wind made the body turn and as she realized who this was, something hit her hard into her side.
A girl who lived in the hotel opened up her window. She thought she heard something, but there were nothing out there. Not even the sounds of insects were anywhere to be heard. Outside the lights were on, and as the wind settled down, a low sound of a girl's last word became clear, "Heeeenryyyyyyyyy….."