My Golden Life

Chapter 1

I grew up in a rural and happy town in a breathtaking part of the countryside. To me, it was an absolute paradise. The luscious green fields stretched for so many miles I hardly knew when it ended, the morning sky just as the sun awoke from its slumber was something out of a painting. The blends of colours that came together during sunrise made it something to look at every day. As a child, I would go on walks and take in the perfect scenery around me; the hedges and hills would rise and fall like waves being blown by the gentle breeze. 

I had always dreamed of seeing the ocean for myself and not just in stories and paintings. There were lots of people who lived in the village which didn't make sense to me growing up, as it wasn't that large at all. However, they were all friendly folks who looked after one another and got on pretty well. I lived in a cozy farmhouse with my mum, dad and younger brother Daniel.

It was a pretty old house. Mum inherited it from her grandparents when they passed away. Ever since then, she always kept it in perfect condition. The rocky walls had been weathered away by the many weather elements, Dad now and then would patch up parts of the outside walls so that the house still looked semi-decent. Daniel and I would always watch him do this, and every time he finished, the walls looked terrific. You couldn't even tell that there were holes on the walls. 

My relationship with my family fantastic, well not with everyone. I loved my mum. She was a caring and humble person who loved her children with all her heart, even when they got in trouble. Mostly I fell into that category. She would firmly discipline me and give me her 'Life lessons', and I've carried them all my life to this day. Daniel was a gentle soul who didn't do anything wrong, unlike me. Though he was four years younger than me, we still did things together.

"Katie," He asked me one day while we were walking through the woods, "Can I ask something?"

"Yea, what is it?" I asked, picking a stick and using it to hit and poke around through the bushes.

"Promise you'll tell the truth."

I grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around to face me. He began to scratch his arm and look down on the ground. He dared not look at me.

"Why would I??" I added.

He remained silent, still not looking at my face. I lifted his face so that his eyes looked at mine, the corner of his mouth was twitching slightly.

"Daniel... What is it?"

There was a slight pause before Daniel spoke, he stuttered a little before he was able to say something.

"Why do you let dad force you to steal things?"

I felt something sink in my stomach. I could feel myself start to sweat a little, and so I continued walking down the path.

"I-i don't know what you're-"

"Don't lie, Katie," He caught up with me before blocking my path. "I know what dad has been making you do. Why are you letting him make you do those things?"

I stood in front of him, a million thoughts buzzing through my mind. I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

The truth is... I honestly didn't know.