Glass House, Amberlynn

Chapter 1

        I ran across the field to the well my father used when watering crops and looked inside. I had thought wrong when I assumed the moonlight could allow me to tell if our well had dried up. Picking up a rock with my free hand, I tossed it within the circular structure and waited for the splash. I was lucky enough to get one. I pulled the cork from the bottle and turned the bottle over, allowing the bead to fall into my hand. It felt cold against my skin, but at the same time it felt warm and somehow reassuring. I reluctantly dropped it into the well.

"How many times do I have to tell you: Girls do not leave the house in their sleepwear?"

        I jumped at Jonah's sudden voice and turned on my heel to face him. He was madder than usual. I wondered if Cindy had complained about me not being in my room. She often did that when she would try and annoy me. That's when I remembered the box and note. Had she peeked inside? I hoped that she was wise enough to keep her nose out of my business.

"Sorry Uncle Jonah," I said, down casting my gaze. As I looked at my feet I told myself that I needed to wash them, "I had thought that I saw someone near the well."

My lying was horrible, but he snorted. "I don't see why anyone would want to be near that thing. It's been dried up for months."

        And he thought that I was the idiot? I stifled a laugh at his ignorance and departed from the well first. Hurrying to the house, I slammed open the door and startled Cindy. With eyes full of murderous intent I stared at her as I walked by. I first went to the bathroom to wash the dirt from my feet and then I was off to my room. Pushing open the door that had been left ajar, my eyes fell to my bed. I let out the deep breath I had been holding in. I pushed the door close with my back until I heard the click of the latch push into place. I took a moment after that to contemplate if I wanted to lock the door or not. I decided not to.

        Walking over to my bed, I picked up the letter that sat in the same place I had left it. I wasn't sure why I wanted to hold the note. It was nothing special and yet I held it close as I went to the window and closed it. Once it was locked, I decided to grab the box and place it on the cull.

Glass House...?

        I thought about what kind of name Glass House belonged to as I slipped under the covers of my bed. My dreams had soon come before my thoughts got far enough.

        The next day I hurried around the house. Cindy and her father had left that morning so I was left to clean and polish the house. Though it would have usually been quiet, I had the sound of birds singing to keep me company. I paid attention to their songs every once in a while as I cleaned. My mind was so wrapped around the thought of the bead. Had I truly left it in a safe place? How was it possibly going to come up from that well?

         Bumping my arm against the vase Cindy had left near the edge of the counter, I jumped as it fell against the floor, its glass shards shattering against the wood paneled floor. An unwanted scream past my lips as I was startled by the crash.

“Amy?” I heard Joel call from the front of the house. I could hear his shoes slam against the floor as he ran.

“I’m in the kitchen!” I told him, getting on my knees to pick up the larger pieces of glass. I could feel a few of the smaller pieces push against my skin.

        My cousin made no waste in time as he came to the doorway of the kitchen. I could hear him pant lightly which meant he had to have run from a greater distance than the front door. I felt bad for making him worry.

"What happened?"

I shook my head and placed two large shards of glass in my palm, "I dropped Cindy's vase. She left it on the edge of the counter."

        I could feel Joel's eyes on me as I picked up the last of the big pieces. It wasn't until I threw the glass into the trash bin that my cousin finally spoke up.

"She should have known better."

        Looking up at Joel I gave a half-hearted smile. Joel was a tall man with short brown hair and beautiful grey eyes. Even though we were so far apart in age I felt like he understood me the most. If I could have chosen who would live in the farm house with me, Joel would have been on the top of my list.

        He smiled back at me and I almost felt like hating him. Why was it so easy for a smile to reach his eyes? I thought that I may have been broken.

"Go wash the glass off," He ordered, snapping me out of my thoughts.

        It took me a moment to register what he had said. When it finally hit, I nodded my head and walked my way softly out the kitchen. I couldn't see all the glass so I wanted to make sure I didn't imbed any within the undersides of my feet. As Joel and I passed each other, I felt him give my shoulder a squeeze. I almost stopped right there. The feel of a strong arm giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze reminded me of my father's hugs. I missed him very much.

"Hurry up or I  won't take you to the market."

        My eyes grew wide and I looked over my shoulder. I had been to the market many times in the past, but never had I gone with Joel. My brother had gone with him once before, though. It was during a festival in March. I remembered being mad at the both of them for going while I was sick.

        I suppressed my smile and nodded my head before running down the hall to the bathroom. I washed the glass off my knees and feet before heading to my bedroom. I hadn't noticed how wet the end of my skirt had gotten from the water and waiting for it to dry would have taken forever.

        Facing away from the window, I looked at the end of my bed and removed my dress. After I placed a new one on, I left the room to brush my hair. I had to go back inside not long after that for my shoes. That's when I saw another box on my bed. This time it had a pale blue ribbon.

        I backed out of the room and pulled the door up gently. When I heard the latch click, I removed my hand from the door.

"Are you ready?" Joel asked, poking his head around the corner of the kitchen as I started walking.

        With a nod of my head, he walked out of the kitchen and extended his hand to me. I hesitantly took his hand and together we walked out of the house and to the market.

        As we walked down the dirt road I couldn't help, but wonder: Who was Glass House?