The Woodlander

chapter 1

The sun beat down on my neck, leaving trails of sweat down my back. I looked at my blistered hands, the exhaustion of the day finally catching up to me. The past few days had been harder because dad had to cut a few of our workers. The sun was setting and I had to round up the horses. Getting in my old red ford (I know so cliche) I drove around the fields collecting the horses one at a time. I put them in their stalls, fed them, and groomed them. Ready for night to come so I could eat and sleep.
I made my way to the house and wiped my boots. 

"Elena honey, is that you?" I heard my mom ask.

"Hey mom, is there some thing I can eat?" I asked entering the kitchen.

"Sure thing, I just made some food. Its on the stove." Mom said handing me a plate. The smell of the food entered my senses making my mouth water.

"Thank you." I said piling my plate high with food.

I had been in food heaven for thirty minutes when I heard the front door slam. Footsteps sounded in the livining room. I got up and made my way over to the voices. I wonder who that is.

"But- but, I don't have it." I heard my mom say in a unnatural high voice.

"Then I guess we are going to have to teach you a lesson." I heard a male voice say.

Panic started to rise in me. I ran towards the living room and bardged in.

"Stop!" I said.

"Well who do we have here?" The man who spoke before said, his  eyebrows seemed way out of proportion making him seem scarier.

"Elena, go back in the kitchen." I heared my mom say, her voice sounding on edge. But I couldn't keep my eyes off of the man, he was one of the scariest men I had ever seen. "Elena!" This time my moms voice was filled with panic.

"Oh come now Becky, I don't see any harm in her staying." The man said giving me a sick grin. "Besides I might just need her."

"You stay away from her!" Mom said grabbing his arm. He looked down at her and flung her across the room, her back connecting with the wall.

"Mom!" I screamed and ran towards her, but was cut short by huge arms wrapping around my small frame. The man leaned in and smelled my hair, his hot breath tickled the side of my neck inviting unwanted shivers. I squeezed my eyes shut in fear that tears would soon betray me. A hand came and started trailing down my hip.

"You should have run for the hills when your mom tol-" he didn't finish his sentence or assault, and soon his body fell limp on top of mine. I wiggled until I was free from his body. I saw my mom standing over him with a baseball bat, and a sob was caught in my throat. I gripped her in a hug and let the tears fall freely.

"Mom, I'm so sorry. I- I didn't want him to hurt you!" I said gripping her tighter.

"Its ok Elena, we're alright now." Mom said as she pulled back from me and looked in my eyes, grabbing my face. "I wont let anything happen to you or any of the family." I gave her another hug.

"What did he want mom?" I asked, looking at her face. Her once young and lively apperance now seemed worn out, making her seem older than she really was. I traced the lines on her face with my finger. "And what did you mean by you didn't have it?" I asked, hoping that when he regained consciousness he wouldn't try to hurt us anymore.

Mom looked down at her hands and started playing with her ring. "A while back your dad and I borrowed money from this man and he gave us six months to pay him back, well your father was going to take the horses you recently trained and take them to a buyer in New Mexico. But the deal fell through and your dad has been looking for a buyer ever since. And it seems like they don't want to wait any longer. We offered them our horses but they don't want them either."