leading parallel to the lake. One look in the distance and Aaron knew where it led. The square patches of green and yellow land, the white dots grazing on the grass, a few larger black and white figures accompanying them: it was all tell-tale signs of farmland.
It took Aaron almost ten minutes to reach the end of the path. Again he found himself admiring something he had never given any thought to before. Living the city life in Chelsea, Aaron hadn’t ever had the chance to admire the countryside, or even nature for that matter. He had never been camping, never visited any farms or country parks. If he was honest, he didn’t have the desire to, either. But this – the sight of sheep and cows lazily grazing on fresh green grass, sunlight showering yellow fields that Aaron could only assume was wheat or something – it was all rather...serene.
Further down the path, Aaron passed by a fence, beyond which small, wooden coops were lined along one side. A dozen brown hens were gathered, clucking and ruffling their feathers, apparently feeding. Aaron didn’t notice the woman until she poked her head up from behind the coops. She had blond hair gathered up in a messy bun, blue eyes that were narrowed at him and a streak of dirt on her cheek.
“Well, don’t just stand there,” she said. “Grab her, quickly!”
Aaron glanced down in time to see a hen dart through his legs. Aaron dashed behind it. The hen clucked at him and fluttered away, faster than he thought possible.
“Oh, for Heaven’s sake!” The woman got off her knees, hurrying around the wooden huts. “I’ll just have to do it myself.”
“I got it.” Aaron ran after the hen, hands outstretched to grab the little thing, but it was too fast.
The bird flitted this way and that, avoiding capture. Aaron scrambled behind it, almost slipping on the soft, muddy ground. In a clumsy swipe, he managed to close both hands around the feathery bird. The hen flapped her wings, clucking loudly, trying to get free. Aaron held the thing at arm’s length as he turned around and walked back to the woman, who was smiling at him.
“Here we go.” She took the bird from him. “This one is always trying to break free,” she chuckled. She carried the hen over to the coop and placed her gently inside. She turned to eye Aaron, squinting against the sun’s glare. “I haven’t seen you before. You new?”
“Yeah,” Aaron replied.
He couldn’t help but stare at her. She was rather lovely looking. She couldn’t be older than mid-twenties. Her blue eyes were dazzling in the sunlight.
“You’re not a Shattered, are you?” she asked, walking around the coop.
“A what?” Aaron frowned.
“You don’t look like one.” She mused as she went behind the back of the coops, only to reappear with a basket full of brown-shelled eggs. “You’re out and about; that doesn’t happen so quickly.” She smiled. “What’s your name?”
“Aaron Adams.”
She paused, turning with a frown. She regarded him crossly. “Adams?” she asked. “Think you’re funny, do you?”
“Um...no,” Aaron replied, confused.
She shook her head. “Who put you up to this? Was it Omar?” She scooped a few more eggs from behind the coops and added them to her basket. “I bet it was Ella, that little minx – or was it Julian this time?”
“It wasn’t anyone,” Aaron said. “I’m Aaron Adams. I’m not joking.”
“Ha! Not joking,” she scoffed. “That’s a good one.” She walked over to a wooden block and placed the basket down next to a similar one filled with more eggs. “The Adams aren’t coming back. It’s time everyone let that go.” She picked up the towel beside the baskets and wiped her hands clean before throwing it over her shoulder. She stood with her hands on her hips, eyeing Aaron again. “Wanna give me a hand?”
Aaron opened the gate and walked across to her, taking a basket of eggs. She picked up the other one.
“Where are we taking these?” Aaron
It took Aaron almost ten minutes to reach the end of the path. Again he found himself admiring something he had never given any thought to before. Living the city life in Chelsea, Aaron hadn’t ever had the chance to admire the countryside, or even nature for that matter. He had never been camping, never visited any farms or country parks. If he was honest, he didn’t have the desire to, either. But this – the sight of sheep and cows lazily grazing on fresh green grass, sunlight showering yellow fields that Aaron could only assume was wheat or something – it was all rather...serene.
Further down the path, Aaron passed by a fence, beyond which small, wooden coops were lined along one side. A dozen brown hens were gathered, clucking and ruffling their feathers, apparently feeding. Aaron didn’t notice the woman until she poked her head up from behind the coops. She had blond hair gathered up in a messy bun, blue eyes that were narrowed at him and a streak of dirt on her cheek.
“Well, don’t just stand there,” she said. “Grab her, quickly!”
Aaron glanced down in time to see a hen dart through his legs. Aaron dashed behind it. The hen clucked at him and fluttered away, faster than he thought possible.
“Oh, for Heaven’s sake!” The woman got off her knees, hurrying around the wooden huts. “I’ll just have to do it myself.”
“I got it.” Aaron ran after the hen, hands outstretched to grab the little thing, but it was too fast.
The bird flitted this way and that, avoiding capture. Aaron scrambled behind it, almost slipping on the soft, muddy ground. In a clumsy swipe, he managed to close both hands around the feathery bird. The hen flapped her wings, clucking loudly, trying to get free. Aaron held the thing at arm’s length as he turned around and walked back to the woman, who was smiling at him.
“Here we go.” She took the bird from him. “This one is always trying to break free,” she chuckled. She carried the hen over to the coop and placed her gently inside. She turned to eye Aaron, squinting against the sun’s glare. “I haven’t seen you before. You new?”
“Yeah,” Aaron replied.
He couldn’t help but stare at her. She was rather lovely looking. She couldn’t be older than mid-twenties. Her blue eyes were dazzling in the sunlight.
“You’re not a Shattered, are you?” she asked, walking around the coop.
“A what?” Aaron frowned.
“You don’t look like one.” She mused as she went behind the back of the coops, only to reappear with a basket full of brown-shelled eggs. “You’re out and about; that doesn’t happen so quickly.” She smiled. “What’s your name?”
“Aaron Adams.”
She paused, turning with a frown. She regarded him crossly. “Adams?” she asked. “Think you’re funny, do you?”
“Um...no,” Aaron replied, confused.
She shook her head. “Who put you up to this? Was it Omar?” She scooped a few more eggs from behind the coops and added them to her basket. “I bet it was Ella, that little minx – or was it Julian this time?”
“It wasn’t anyone,” Aaron said. “I’m Aaron Adams. I’m not joking.”
“Ha! Not joking,” she scoffed. “That’s a good one.” She walked over to a wooden block and placed the basket down next to a similar one filled with more eggs. “The Adams aren’t coming back. It’s time everyone let that go.” She picked up the towel beside the baskets and wiped her hands clean before throwing it over her shoulder. She stood with her hands on her hips, eyeing Aaron again. “Wanna give me a hand?”
Aaron opened the gate and walked across to her, taking a basket of eggs. She picked up the other one.
“Where are we taking these?” Aaron
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