After dinner, which consisted of ham, potatoes, and corn Anna and Nicholas sat in their cousin's room. Well, it use to be his room...when he was younger. Michael was twenty now though. He had kind hazel eyes, and a mop of brown hair, which was slightly curly. He was tall too and pretty strong as well.

Michael picked up Nicholas easily by his arms, lifting him a couple feet off of the wooden floors, "Your growing... Soon you'll be taller then me, Nicholas." He said with a wide grin.

Nicholas laughed, "I will be! Just you wait!"

He smiled then set Nicholas down onto the floor, "I think my mother's make a pie... Why don't you go and help her?"

Nicholas nodded and ran to the door, but he stopped and turned around, "Apple pie? I only like apple pie... Don't I, Anna? I only like apple."

Anna nodded, "Yes...only apple."

Michael nodded, "I think it is apple pie. Go and see." He said nudging Nicholas out of the door.

"Okay!" Nicholas walked out of the room, and Michael closed the door.

He sighed then turned back and looked at Anna for a brief moment, before sitting next to her on his old bed. Silently he looked down to the blanket. Anna frowned, watching her cousin. He'd be the one that she'd look up to for advice of some kind and Michael always did his best to answer her. When he couldn't though, he'd tell her that she should ask her mother. "But I'm asking you, Michael..." Is what she'd always she to that.

Letting out a soft breath, she continued to watch him and slowly he lifted his eyes to her. After a moment of hesitation, he reached out and held his cousin's hand. He gave it a squeeze, forcing a smile. Anna did the same.

"I believe you, Anna."

"About...?"

"I don't believe you caused those we do not speak of to come into the village, Anna... I don't believe for a second that you caused it."

She glanced down to the blanket then back to him, "And why do you believe me?"

"Because... The day before I went into the forest..."

Anna stared at her cousin in disbelief. "But... Only doing that shouldn't cause all this."

He tilted his head to the side, looking at her, "I went into the forest... For quite a distance I did..."

"But why?"

"I thought...Well I wasn't thinking..." He took a breath, weighing the words in his mind, "It wasn't a wise thing, I see that now... But I went into the forest and I... I took half of the meat that we threw into the forest... I took half of that and dropped it into a very deep hole I found... I thought they'd jump in after it and get stuck there, and die... I thought it would be a good idea... I was only trying to help the village." He let go of Anna's hand as he stared down to the floor.

Anna opened her mouth to say something, but she found that she couldn't.

"They know that I was trying to kill them... I crossed the line, took their food and dropped it in a hole to kill them... That's why they came into the village." Michael faded off for a moment but continued on, "And I heard that you were being blamed... I didn't want you to be, Anna....But I- I couldn't work up enough courage to say what I did... They'd surely kill me."

"The creatures?"

"The elders." Michael said softly.

"They wouldn't..."

"They would." He got off of the bed and took something out of the sack he had with him.

Anna watched him, "What's that...?"

He flashed a painful smile to Anna as he threw on the yellow cloak, "I've got watch duty...I'm not sure if it's lucky or unlucky that someone else is with me." For the past days, two people had to be on watch.

"What do you mean?"

"Well... I'd be deathly afraid to stay in the tower by myself, because then the creatures could easily get me. Then again, since someone else is with me... They may be killed just like I will be."

Anna stared at him, her mouth opened in shock, a shiver ran up her spine. He didn't say 'like I could be' but he said, 'like I will be'.

Anna shook her head, "You wouldn't be killed, Michael."

"Let us hope not... But Anna, you too went into the forest... So be very careful...please."

"If you'll be."

Michael nodded then hugged Anna, and she could feel that he was shaking. He gave her a weak smile, then left her in the room.

Michael's voice though was still heard as he opened the door, "Ah, I see it is apple pie!" Then came a couple good-byes before she heard the door shut behind Michael.

Anna sat there, her face in her hands.