Heltertown-Chapter One

It was a brisk day in the early autumn season, many leaves had already departed from their mother trees and crunched beneath the feet of passer-byes.  The air had a pure, bold scent, making it seem cleaner and fresher than the air of warmer days that were now in the year’s past. Summer was surely over, fall had arrived upon Heltertown.1

It was early Saturday morning; I’d risen before the sun today, for a change, just to see the dawn break and beat the birds out of the nest. Saturdays were usually mine for sleeping late, my father gave me this luxury only once a week and for the first time I had disregarded it this morning. I dearly hoped I’d not spoiled my gift of extra dosing time for nothing.2

“It’s ‘bout time you showed, was beginning to think you’d not be able to move so early,” a girl’s voice spoke, a teasing tone from out of the darkness, still blanketing the valley.3

I swirled my head around, trying to see where she was. This girl was a sly one, the whole tiny village of Heltertown knew. She could be worse than a young lad in his trouble making-youth years. That did not lower her reputation much though among most of the residents, Miss. Deedra-Marie Severns was beloved by many ladies who made her their fawn after her mother’s death. She hardly fancied the attention from these older broads though and sough out to make known she was not anyone’s daughter besides her father’s. My eyes finally made contact with her dazzling green ones that even gleamed brightly in the shadows.4

“You look near dead,” she told me bluntly, rosy lips in a smirk. I rolled my eyes and brushed past her to take a seat on the bank. My tired eyes gazed at the slow rolling water of the river Massey, the currents just barely visible by the cracking dawn and the ripples gurgling and snapping. She followed me over and sat closely beside me, her thigh touching mine.5

“Why am I here, then? What is it you said I had to see?” I asked of her, for it was she who had convinced me to wake so early this day.6

I turned to face her for her reply, but she simply nodded her head to the scene before us, those green eyes transfixed on the rising orange ball. The sky had changed immensely in it seemed just seconds, the darkness had turned to a dull lavender hue. Blues, pinks, and a yellowy-haze coated the skies over Heltertown. This is what I missed every day, I thought.7

“It was so quick,” I said my thoughts aloud.8

“Yes, the best things in life are,” she said, sounding beyond her fifteen years. “Now, for some breakfast,” she exclaimed, jumping up and already grabbing for my hand, “I’ll show you another reason why it’s best to be one of the first customers at Bailey’s bakery on a Saturday.”