Found Me In The Forest 1

Here is a pic of Ryder!!

My mother and father were the type of people who hold me to close. They want the best...and only the best for me. It made me feel...Oh..what's that word. That feeling that rises in your chest where you want to run down your drive way and into the world and leave everything behind...oh yes. The word I'm feeling for is trapped.

I laid out in our lawn next to the little pond in my white sundress, speaking to the frog about how..I wish I could just..LEAVE. He gibbered his agreement. The water trickled and time seemed to stand still. "Briar!!" My mother's voice cut through the silence like a knife. I closed my eyes and prayed to god it was just my imagination. To just...let me stay here for a while longer and enjoy the sil- "BRIAR!!"
Guess not.

I sighed and brushed the grass off my dress and sulked to the big white house that seemed to be my prison. "There you are. You silly girl. Your father and I want to talk to you." My mother meant well. She loves me..I know that. She just has a funny way of showing it. I sat on the couch across from my mother and father. My mother...she was the beauty and pride of this town. With her golden hair and Doe like big brown eyes. We were exact opposites. With my olive toned skin, dark hair, and wide blue eyes. I looked like my father. So handsome and strong. There they sat. Staring at me. This wasn't good.

"Darling...when are you going to become a woman?" My mother pleaded with me.
"Mother I am trying." She knew I was too. My father sighed and took my mother's hand. Oh boy..this wasn't good at all.
"Briar. We know you are trying. Maybe you need a little boost. We want you to go up to a little town in Pennsylvania. There is a school where girls go and when they come out, they are perfectly well-mannered and successful women." My father's identical piercing blue eyes searched mine.

"What school.." I asked warily.
"Destiny Hall." My father stated.
"Father no! You KNOW that place is like..a..an institution!" I cried getting to my feet.
"Darling please! The women that comes out of there, becomes our future! Isn't that what you want...a future?" Mother said.
"No! I want to stay here. I want Nana to school me like it always is. Please mother..do not send me away." Tears fell down my cheeks.

My mother quickly turned away from me. "Do not cry. Tears make you weak." Even though I could see them collecting in her eyes.
"No...NO I WILL NOT GO!" I said and ran out of the house. My feet carried me to the hard metal fence and held on to its cold bars as I let my tears fall. I'd never been outside these bars except to go to town the few times I had with my parents and go to church. I stared yearningly out into the woods. I'd always wanted to just...explore the woods. I wanted it so bad. The tears fell harder. Is this what I'm supposed to be for the rest of my life? A woman. No. I want to be different.

And that is how my story begins. By carefully putting my shoes throw the holes of the fence and climbing over and running into the thick dark beautiful woods. I ran. Ran like never before. I felt free. The leaves whipped my cheeks n twigs tore at my hair. Finally I gave up and took the rest of the pins out of my dark brown hair and let it fall around my shoulders. I ran till my chest and legs hurt and finally collapsed next to a wide lake. My hands clutched the grass as i breathed hard and fast. Trying to fill my lungs all the way. I looked around me...and saw only beauty. The big Oak trees surrounding me where covered in moss that grew beautiful tiny delicate white flowers.

The water to the lake...clearer than any glass I'd ever peered through. The sky which before from the windows of my room had held promises of storms was bright and a brilliant shade of blues purples and pinks as the sun set. It was as if I was transported to another world filled with only beauty and happiness. Quickly, to rid myself of any reminders of rules I stripped off the itchy layer of my dress and ripped off the corset that was forbidding my normal breathing, leaving my simple white dress. My arms were free and the wind could caress them. I spread my arms out and screamed. I'm free. I collapsed so I was laying flat on my back in the soft grass and giggled. My heart still raced. I closed my eyes and breathed in the air. Beautiful.

"I'm terribly sorry about this Miss." Said a voice that nearly made me jump out of my skin. I opened my eyes just in time to see a cloth come down on my face. It smelled funny..and then everything went black.

My back was pressed against something warm. I let my eyes flutter open and saw trees fly past me. What in the world...
I finally came to 100% and notice I was on a horse, with a man sitting behind me holding on to me tightly. It was then I realized how stupid I was for running away. "Please..Ill do anything...just..take me home."
"Afraid I can't do that." Said a gruff voice belonging to the man keeping me captive. From the way my bottom hurt, we must have been riding for a long time. I turned to see my kidnapper. He looks about... 25 or 24. His moss-green eyes startled me. Stubble was around his mouth and his dark hair was messy. He smelled of alcohol. I just sat still, my body feeling strange after whatever he drugged me with. Finally we arrived at a rather large log house.

"Look what I got ma." He said and helped me off the horse. As soon as my feet hit the ground I started running, but he was too quick. He quickly grabbed me and heaved me over his shoulder.
"Please..put me down..Ill do anything...at least don't hurt me." I cried softly.
"Oh Richard put the poor girl down!" The lady said, her Irish accent thick and comforting. She pulled me down and hugged me to her. "Now miss. Don't you worry Miss. We aren't going to hurt 'cha." She said and pulled me at arm's length to get a good look at me. "Well now. You're a pretty one aren't 'cha. Come on in. You must me exhausted. My husband and my other boy will be back soon." Gently she ushered me into her house and I looked around nervously. It was decorated very home like..making me relax a bit. She sat me down in a chair and I couldn't help but shake nervously. "Oh Miss stop shaking..don't you worry about anything." She smiled. "My name is Rhonda Deshling. It's a pleasure to meet you Miss..."

"Briar Ray. But you can call me Briar." I squeaked nervously.
"Oh what a beautiful name! Briar..that means..Wild..am i correct?"
I smiled at the fact. "Yes ma'am. Suits me perfect."
She laughed, "Well then you'll get along her just fine Miss Briar." and smiled warmly. I heard the whinny of a horse. "That will be my husband Jonathan." And again fear took over me. "Oh! And our son Ryder. He's a handsome one!" She laughed to herself and went to meet them. Oh no. Whenever a mother says that her son is "handsome" it usually means he's butt ugly but she's still going to try to fix us up. Damn it!

I heard boots on the hard floor coming towards me. I kept my face to the floor letting my hair fall in a curtain around me. "Jonathan, this is Briar." Shyly I glanced up at the man who was Jonathan. He was tall and well-built. He had a black shorter beard and dark hair, it flopped in his eye the same way Richard, my kidnappers did. He had kind laughing brown eyes and a booming loud masculine voice that greeted me.
"Well hello there miss!" Same Irish accent. "It's so very nice to meet your acquaintance." He said giving me a big cheesy bow that made me giggle.
"Hello." I said, my shyness beginning to melt away. Suddenly there was more boots on the floor.

"Mother! It is so good to see yo-" Irish accent. Again. I turned to see who it was, a bit startled. Staring at me...was..a boy. Looked about my age..17. He had his mother brown hair the fell to about his chin and his mother's moss-green eyes. His skin was beautiful. Flawless. Something inside my chest fluttered.
"And this..this is Ryder. Ryder this is Briar." I could here the knowing in her voice. Ryder took my hand in a firm hand shake.
"Good-evening miss." He kissed my hand making my cheeks go dark red. I nodded back to him.

"Let me guess. You were stumbling' round the woods weren't you now." Jonathan said to me making me tear my eyes off Ryder.
"Yes she was Pa." Richard said, leaning in the doorway.
"Why..why did you take me?" I asked Richard.
"Don't worry miss. We'll return ya soon enough." Rhonda said.
"No..I want to know why. Why am i here?" I stood my ground.

"Please Miss. It's awfully late, and you look so tired. Plus, you must be hungry. Let me get you something to eat and you can be off to bed." Rhonda pleaded quietly. It was then I noticed how heavy my eyes felt and suddenly my legs gave out and two arm caught me. "Jesus Richard, how much of that stuff did you give her?" I heard Rhonda hiss. But all i could think about, were the two arms holding me. I could tell by the insane fluttering feeling in my chest and the heat in my cheeks they were Ryder's but my eyes were too heavy to open.

"Psst...Miss Briar. Miss Briar, you awake?" A voice hissed. My eyes blinked open to see Ryder in my doorway.
I sat up in bed and blinked sleepily at him.
"Good!" He exclaimed and sat on the end of my bed. There was a window in-between us, the moonlight filtered in making both of us visible as we stared at each other. "Hi." He whispered.
I laughed softly and smiled. "Hi."
"Where are you from?" He asked in a soft whisper.
"Greenfalls. You?"

"All over the place."
"What do you mean?"
"I've lived all over. Ireland is where I was born. But I've lived in England, Russia, Florida, California, Paris..all over."
I gasped. My eyes wide, "Paris?"
"Oh." He gave me a crooked smile making my blood hot.
"Was it beautiful?"
"Of course. The light, the music, the people."
"Wow..."
"Ya.." He looked lost in thought for a bit. "How old are you?"
"Seventeen. How about you?"

"Nineteen." He grinned..like he had a secret. "Tell me Miss Briar, do you have a boyfriend?"
I laughed. "Me? A boyfriend? Never."
He chuckled. "Why not?"
"How far away are we, from Greenfalls?"
"I can't tell you how far Richard says..but I can tell you it's where we go on the rare occasion we need something."
"And you haven't heard of me?"
"Nope!"
"I'm Briar Ray. The misfit daughter of one of the most powerful men in the state. Many boys have tried but the wealth wasn't worth putting up with me." I grinned evilly. His laugh made my heart pound fast.

"Oh really. And how are YOU a misfit?"
"Well. Instead of becoming a successor woman I'd rather travel the world. Go on adventures. And any boy who I try talking to about his disapproves. 'Stay in your place Briar.' 'Settle down Briar.' It's what they all say." I rolled my eyes to empathize my annoyance.
"Well Miss Briar, I like your adventurous talk." He smiled warmly. I smiled back, but then a yawn slipped out. "Seems that your tired. See you tomorrow?"
"Yes. Tomorrow."
"Goodnight Briar."
"Goodnight Ryder."
He kissed my hand, then without a sound he was gone.