~[ Arcadia ]~

**AkiTorrien** · 03-10-2009

(Note: Title not by me, Title name was given by Sadrith)
(I wrote this story in January)
(Just a short simple idea I came up with walking home from school)
(The italics are thinking of course but also Songs and then ending..)
(Enjoy)

“Just an ordinary day
Started out the same old way
Then I looked into your eyes and knew
Today would be a first for me
The day I fall in love “

The voice of a young lady echoed thought the forest that beautiful spring afternoon. The trees were bright, lushes and all shades of green. The Sky was as blue as ever with no clouds. The suns rays cascaded across the land and pelted the ground, warming it up. The birds were singing happily that morning and their voices also echoed thought the forest.

I was sitting by a pond that beautiful day. My legs were lightly soaking in the crystal clear river that ran through the west side of the forest. I smiled and looked around, closing my blue eyes. It felt nice having the sun beat down on my long, light brown hair – relaxing and peaceful it was. I brushed my bangs out of my eyes, opening them and letting out a smile. I looked down at my wrists. Around them, on each wrist was a bracelet made from shells. They have been in the family since my grandparents time. My head turned to look at the beautiful painted horse. Her name is Starletta and I have raised her ever since she was a foal. I looked down at my reflection in the water that I could see ever so clearly. I sighed happily, a few bangs falling into my eyes. I genitally brushed them out of my eyes and continued to watch my reflection. Suddenly Starletta let out a loud neigh and raised up on her back legs. She had heard something and had became startled.I jumped up and ran over towards her, lightly brushing a hand along her mane.

“Its okay girl, calm down,”

She neighed again and then I heard the bushes rustling. I turned around and reached into my bag, pulling out a knife and holding in attack stance. Suddenly two men appeared out of the bush, looked around and smirked. One man had amber colored eyes and grey hair and the other had green eyes and redish hair color. I narrowed my eyes and looked at them, staying on alert in case they tried anything. They turned to me and their eyes widened.

“Well well well, what do we have here?” The red haired asked, walking towards me.
“Hmm I don't know, but dannnnnnng is that girl ever hot,” responded the grey haired.
“Hey chick? Who are you..? I swear I have seen you before...are..you like the chick..whats her name?...ohh Arcadia...” The red haired said getting closer, there was a chuckle in his voice and both men reeked of alcohol.

I shook my head and turned to walk away. Suddenly I felt something wrap around my wrists – barbed wire. They had thrown barbed towards me and caught my wrists. I didnt pull because I knew that if I pulled, the wire would cut into my skin. I looked around and saw Starletta was getting very frantic. I had to try to remain calm and think on how to escape. The red haired smirked and pulled on the wire alittle, making me wince.

“I asked you question girly...you..answer it!” The red haired angerly snapped at me.
I refused to answer his question. Suddenly the sound of a bullet being fired echoed through the forest. A bullet flew out for the bushes and perfectly cut the wire that was in the mans hand. I broke free and looked around but no one was around. There was not a shadow or a figure around. The men started to get scared.

“Who's there? Show yourselfs!” The grey haired man called out shaking.
“No one is here....this place is haunted..!!!!” Yelled the red hair man

I blinked for a second and then smirked as the two men ran around in a circle, flailing their arms around scared. They stopped and then stared at each other for a second and then let out a scream. They ran off into the bushes screaming for their mommies.

I chuckled alittle and then I let out a light sigh. I wondered what those two men wanted with me. In these days it is not safe to walk around by yourself. For me...well I have been on my own for awhile now so I have learned to take care of myself. I was born in a small, peaceful town. I was given the name Arcadia. It was my mother's middle name. Birthed too a very kind hearted young women and..I stoped for a second and looked around the area. I had began rideing Starletta again and had ended up on a dirt path. The sun was now begining to set. The sky was now a mx of all very bright colors. Red, orange, yellow, orange, purple, golden now all cascaded across the setting sky, the night would soon be upon the world. Anyway as I was saying, I was born to a kind hearted young women and my father...I don't talk about my father, he was an ass, he abandoned me and my mother when I was only 4 years old. I hate my father for what he did. I never knew why..was it my fault? Was I bad child?...I bet it was that..All I want to know is..why he left me and my mother..didnt he love us..? I guess I will never know why, I don't remember much about that day. Sadly...I have no memory of him...all I remember is that his vocie was calm, lovaly and warmly.. My parents are both dead...I visit their grave every single year.

About an hour later I arrived at a small town. I visit this town every year when I when I visit my parents grave. The town is very nice, the people are not rude or bossy. Everyone is very gental and friendly. Every time I come to this place I always visit this one bar. I dont drink, no never. I have seen what alcohol can do to a person, and I swore I would never end up like that. I petted Starletta's mane and climbed down off her. We approuched the outside of the bar. It was old looking and the brown was wood colored. I grabbed the reins on Starletta and tied them around a post and then I walked inside. I entered the bar and the quietness I was in before outside, had now changed to rowdy, uproaring people. I looked around the place. Nothing was out of the ordinary, except there was a man sitting in the corner with a hooden cloak that covered his eyes. He was sitting there alone, no one was talking to him or even attemping to. I was gussing he was one those people that everyone disliked. Like my mother...I rememeber my mother use to tell me stories how her parents were killed and she was raised on the streets. She would always tell me how people would dislike her and shun her away, even when she was a child. She told she would be beat and tormented by the villagers. My eyes went sad for a second and my head looked down, the bangs covered my eyes as a tear fell from my eyes. She told me that the day she met my father was the happiest day of her life.

I am splitting this up into two posts. next post is part two.

**AkiTorrien** · 03-10-2009

I looked back at the man and then I noticed that people were singing. I loved to sing, so did my mother. When it comes to my looks I took after my father but when it comes to singing, I took after my mothers voice and talent. I noticed that the man who was singing had stopped. I waited for soemone to go up there but no one did. So I climbed up ons tage and walked to the center. Everyone's attention was now fixed on me. I closed my eyes and I began to sing..

“I am standing at the threshold
Of a chapter in my life
I am asking for your blessing
As I'm about to be the wife
Of a man I know who loves me
And I'm proud to be his bride.
Dad the time has come for me to leave your side."

The man who was sitting in the corner looked up and looked around. He removed his hood that covered over his face. He had light brown hair and blue eyes. He looked around more and then he looked at the stage to were I was singing. I finsihed the first song that I was singing, and people were so amazined they clapped and cheered for a second one. I nodded and smiled and began to sing another song.

“And she still means the world to me
Just so you know
So be careful when you hold my girl
Time changes everything
Life must go on
And I'm not gonna stand in your way

But I loved her first and I held her first
And a place in my heart will always be hers
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
And I prayed that she'd find you someday
But it's still hard to give her away
I loved her first”

The man continued to watch him. He closed his eyes for a second and though about something. His face had became interested. It was beginning to make me nervous. Once again the crowd adored my song so I decided to sing another one.

"I promise to protect you..
and I always will be there,
and im here for you,
and I will never leave you..."

After I finished singing this song, the man now was standing up and looking at me in a really weird way. He then let out a small warm smile. Something inside told me that I knew this man, but I had never seen him before. I smiled back at him and then I jumped down. He walked towards me and stopped in front of me. I stopped walking. He just stared into my eyes for a few seconds and then he smiled. He then walked away. I though that it was kinda weird but whatever. For the next few hours I sat around and talked to the people in the bar. No bar fights broke out which I was glad. I had never been in one before but my mother told me was in one before and she told me how scared she was. It was around 11pm when I left the bar. The moon was now shining bright in the blackness that was surrounding the night sky. I left out a smile and I decided to go visit my parents graves. I untied starletta and climbed onto her back as we rode of into the forest.

Everything was going very well while I rode, nothing was happening and I felt safe. The evening air was cool and calming and the forest was quiet. Suddenly out of no were a bullet was fired and it scared Starletta that she got up on her hind legs and threw me off her back. I landed on the ground and watched as Starletta ran back towards the town. I stood up, but by the time I got on my feet the two men from before jumped out of the bushes and stood in front of me. They stood there and grinned an evil grin. They had a gun pointed at eye level. I glared at them.

“What do you want?” I asked starting to back up.
“We want you to come with us..” replied the guy with the grey hair looking, smirking.
“Yes, come with us and we will not have to kill you..” Seconded the red haired.
“NO! Never,” I shouted and turning to run.

The man who had his grip on me smirked and pulled me back, throwing me to the ground. I fell, landing on my back and before I could get up, the man stood above me, holding the gun to my face. His friend had ran around my side and stood in front of him smirking. I was scared. Both men had guns pointed at my my face, one pull of the trigger and I was dead. Suddenly a black shadow appeared between the two men, it was a guy. He flipped of his hood and it was the same man from before. The one who was in the bar, the one who was smiling at me. He took out a gun also. I closed my eyes, knowing he was going to kill me. Suddenly I heard the two shoots going off and then silence. I wasn't hurt at all. I looked up and looked into the mans eyes, there was a serious look in his eyes. He put the gun away and turned to face me. His face went warm. He got down to eye level with me and smiled.

“Are you alright?” He asked, taking my hand and pulling me to my feet.
“Yes, I am alright...thank you,” I said, looking at him.
“No problem, Arcadia,” He responded, still holding my hand.
“How did you...I mean...How do you know my name.” I asked?
“I know more about you than you think.” He smiled.

I blinked confused for a second. He got up and began to walk away, oddly enough he was heading the same way I was. I fallowed him to see were he was going. We stopped walking about ten minutes later and then I gasped. We were at my parents grave. I walked away from him and over to my mothers grave. The man just watched me.

“How...How did you know about this place...I mean this my mother and fathers grave...they are both gone now..”
The man walked over towards the grave beside mothers. He got on his knees and smiled and lightly traced a finger down the letters. He smirked and then he turned to me and spoke in a calm voice.

“Because I am not dead,”
“What do you mean?”
“Arcadia..”
“You...oh my god..no..you're dead,”
“I am not dead, I am alive..daughter,”

My eyes widened and I stared at him. I couldn't believe that my own father was alive all this time. Tears started to form in my eyes, all I wanted was to know why my father left, but I never expected to find my father. He reached over wiped the tears from my eyes, but I swiped his hand away.

“Where have you been? Why did you leave? Was I bad child? Did you not love mom?? How could you leave just liked that, you didn't even say a goodbye!!”
“Arcadia...calm down...let me explain..” He reached over and placed a hand on my shoulder.
“.....”
“I left because of this,” He said beginning to reach into his pocket.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a a small golden pendant. Around the pendant there was a piece of paper that read. “And I never promise to be true, to anyone unless its you,” He then placed it in my hand and looked into my eyes.

“Arcaida...I brought this for your mother on our fifth wedding anniversary. I left to go to another town just to buy it for her. When I returned the whole town had been massicured and your mother was dead...you were no were to be seen...Arcadia...I loved your mother so much, she was the world to me. She was the greatest thing to happen to me. And when you were born...my life was complete. I loved you both so much, and after your mother was killed, I though you were dead...I vowed never to return to that town again...”

I looked at him, I looked into his eyes, the truthfulness in his eyes were proof alone he loved her. I smiled and hugged him, he hugged me back.

“How did you know that I was your daughter?”
“That last song you sang...your mother sang the day we first met,”

He pulled me to my feet and then he looked at me and smiled. We walked off into the forest. My quest was over.

The figure of a young women appeared above the grave of my mothers. She had light brown hair and green eyes. A smile on her face. She took her hand and placed it upon her chest as she watched the two of us walk away.

“My love...I love you too...”

She closed her eyes and then she smiled and began to fade away.

“Just an ordinary day
Started out the same old way
Then I looked into your eyes and knew
Today would be a first for me
The day I fall in love “