Entrapped

02 - The beginning

It was only a few weeks ago that Chloe's life changed drastically. It all started on the evening of her coming of age party on their farm, the Eastwood Estate. Since then her life had become a torrid mess of intrigues. She was oblivious of the fact that dark phantoms in the background silently switched their plans into second gear.

***

The evening of her birthday is a beautiful Friday evening. The sky is clear with hardly a breeze. Her family and bosom buddies are in attendance. The beautiful, slender Chloe smiles, slightly embarrassed, where she stands in front of the round table while all sing the 'happy birthday' song. She is dressed neatly in black with a close-fitting top and denim trousers that accentuate her beautiful curves; the thin sexy waist against her full breasts and round, alluring buttocks. Her hair hangs femininely over her shoulders. Her face with the striking, blue eyes sparkle as always, full of vitality. Confidently she stands in her sturdy farm boots; the typical, beautiful farm girl, maybe with more beauty than the average. She is quite oblivious about her Miss World class beauty and is ready and able to take on any man's competition on the farm.

Two longshanks stand at her sides. On her right side is the young, handsome Leo, cleanly shaven and with neat, short hair. He could easily pass as a lock in any rugby team. He lightly touches her right shoulder and smiles towards her as soon as the singing and clapping end.

"Congrats Chloe, you are now an independent lady. May I ask the lady for a little kiss of congratulation, please?"

She turns her cheek for his peck. Instead, he suddenly grabs her in his arms and kisses her shamelessly and pulls her body passionately towards him in front of all the people. Surprised she pushes him away. "No, Leo. Give you the little finger and you simply grab the whole hand. Sis, you audacious pig!"

They all burst out in laughter. Tony, to her left, the grey-haired man quite of age, pulls lightly on her left hand. She turns with a smile and looks up to him. He smiles through all the wrinkles that pucker his whole face and looks at her with big soft eyes. "Congratulations, my lovely, youngest daughter with your 21st birthday. Come and show us how you can blow out all the candles with one blow." He bends over and softly kisses her forehead as if she still is a teenager.

She smiles and looks up to him in awe. "Thanks, Dad. There are too many things to mention. I don't have words. You are simply the best dad in the whole wide world."

She turns and studies the birthday cake, decorated with a big key and twenty-one small candles. The key symbolizes her coming of age. She inhales deeply and with one mighty blow, she extinguishes all the candles. Then she jumps up and down like a small, naughty girl while she makes silly waves with her arms. "Yippee, now I am eventually my own boss. I'm not my father's apple of the eye girl anymore that he wants to protect and look after every minute and every turn I make anymore! Yippee ...!"

They all explode in laughter at her antics and shout remarks of support. Extremely happy she starts to address them all, looking each one straight in the eye when she speaks to him or her. "Thank you, all your beautiful people. I'm so happy that you all are here on the farm this weekend. Zoey, my sister, her husband Quinn and Lyle, your son, which ventured over the dangerous mountain pass to get here, I'm so glad you are safe here with us. We certainly don't see you often enough. You are as scarce as chicken's teeth. Lyle, it's always a great pleasure to have you on the farm for a while before you must go back to the hostel of your school on the other side at the foot of the mountain. Ronnie and Hayley, my partners and bosom pals from our school days, we went through many hardships but survived with our furniture shop and workshop. Thank you for being here."

She hears Leo cleaning his throat. She pushes him playfully away from her and berates him: "Yes, Leo. I haven't forgotten you. In any case, you are always circling me like a shithouse blowfly."

All of them are splitting their sides with laughter. Tony then ensures that every one dish up and is seated around the table. After an enjoyable dinner, they all jump into the heated swimming pool and frolic in the water. The farmhouse is built like a big rondavel. In the middle, it surrounds a big round area where Clea, Chloe's late mother, made a unique garden. The garden hides the inner walls of the house all around the swimming pool in the centre. The dining room looks out on the swimming pool and can be reached through glass sliding doors that are now wide open.

After a while, Chloe climbs out of the swimming pool and in her bikini walks to the veranda at the front end of the building. The cool breeze softly caresses her while she admires the starry sky. She always feels so minuscule beneath the myriads of stars; so lovely without the pollution of light from the city.

The garden once again reminds her of her mother that passed away in her sleep one year ago. The garden was Clea's passion. She imported seeds of rare species and indigenous and foreign, exotic plants still adorn the garden with their breath-taking colours. She now acutely misses her mother! She is now alone on the farm with the three giant men and it doesn't help much that she is slender. They treat her as a small girl that needs to be protected every minute.

These days she notices that Ronnie and Leo are looking strangely at her. She is getting the feeling that for them their friendship isn't enough. The silly men! Leo usually tries to isolate her while Ronnie stares occupied into a dream world of his own. They are like brothers to her instead of friends. Ronnie, that lost his father in a car accident and his mother via cancer and later his brother disappeared, grew up with her and is like a stepbrother to her. On the other hand, she and Leo clicked and enjoy many hours together in their free time. He quickly became like a brother to her. Although both are attractive, strong men, she looks upon them as brothers and not as potential boyfriends.

Everything started to change when Clea passed away. From then on it was as if they were competing for her attention as if they became jealous of each other. Nowadays she feels uncomfortable in their presence and she feels lonely amongst them. A little tear runs over her cheek.

She feels warm hands on her shoulders and hears Leo's voice: "Chloe, what are you thinking? Are you pining? Is it Clea?"

Chloe turns slowly, look up and wonders how it is that he reads her thoughts so well. "She would have been glad to be here. I've got this empty feeling here where my heart is that nothing can fill."

Leo places his hand full of compassion on her heart and with his left hand he takes her under the chin and lifts her head so that she has to look straight into his green eyes. Softly and lovingly he wipes the tear from her cheek.

"Chloe, I've been trying for a long time to get you alone because I must tell you something very important. Now is the right time. You are twenty-one, an independent woman. We have enjoyed such nice times together riding horses, swimming in the dam, racing with cars and motorbikes and what more. For me, it is marvellous to be with you. You are so full of life and competitive. Your smile, your laugh, the way in which you talk with your whole body and those beautiful eyes! I can't sleep at night, because you are occupying my whole existence. You are the driving force behind my success as farm manager on your farm. I can't think of living without you and no girl will be good enough to take your place in my heart. I love you so much it pains."

Chloe is flabbergasted. She gets the feeling that this man has funny plans for her future and all she can think of today is her freedom and independence. Now he inundates her out of the blue and she must face it.

She is trapped!

Entrapped 03 follows in Edition 03