"It is very important that you do not tell anyone!" said the boy. "Why of course! Where would be the fun in telling everyone?" She answered. They continued to talk through out the night. In the morning, when the house had woken up, Mother went to check on the envelope. When she saw that it was no longer there she started to yell. When she and Grandmother had come to see what all the racket was about, Mother had sunk to the floor in despair. "Oh no! She cried "Not again, it can't happen again!" While Grandmother helped Mother upstairs, She hurried to grab the envelope from her room. She stared at her name on the front"Alaina" It was the nicest handwriting she had ever seen. She quickly climbed up to where the envelope was supposed to reside and placed it there, now empty, and climbed back down just before Grandmother walked into the room. "Whats wrong with Mother?" She asked "You're Mother has just had a good scare that's all" Her Grandmother replied, while covertly trying to look at the envelope. When she had caught sight of it she visibly relaxed. "Let's go outside today. We may even catch sight of you're Father, he is supposed to be arriving home soon."
They spent all day outside. Alaina would try to slip into the forest to see if she could find The Boy of the Forest, but every time she would draw near to the edge Grandmother would snap at her "Child! We do not go into the forest" She would then draw back and wait until Grandmother's attention seemed to waver then she would try again, but she would always get caught.
Her Father did not come that day, or the next, or the next. Three whole months went by and he did not return. The whole time Alaina would comfort herself with her new friend, and the wonderful secret they shared. She would talk to him every night, by talking to the sand in her bedside desk. Tell him everything about her life, how her Father was so very late coming home, and how her Mother was growing sicker each day. She would ask him every night what she could do to help him, and every night his answer was the same, "Come and find me. As soon as you can I need you to come into the forest and find me." Of course he understood her predicament with her Father being so late and her Mother so sick and was content to wait and listen to her. But they both knew he could not wait forever.
The next year her Mother and her newborn child died in the winter, and Alaina had given up hope on her Father ever returning. She was completely alone except for Grandmother and The Boy of the Forest, but as she grew, she and Grandmother grew farther and farther apart, and she sunk deeper and deeper into despair. Her one glimmer of hope was her unseen friend in her bedside desk. Her Grandmother began to worry about her and would invite young men and women from town to visit. She was always polite but distant, and quiet, and the others seemed to sense her desire to be ignored and would only include her if her Grandmother was in the room. Alaina would endure these visits only with thoughts of The Boy of the Forest, and after would always lock herself in her room for hours to talk to him.
One day her Grandmother had had enough of all her moodiness and poppycock. "Alaina" she approached her "What in the world is the matter child? I am aware that you have lost both your parents, but that was years ago! You must move on with your life!"
" Grandmother I can't, I just can't" Alaina replied
"Nonsense! You were so full of life and excitement for living when you were young, and that can't all just be gone!" Her Grandmother was getting frustrated now "It's because you talk to your desk at night isn't it? Oh yes I know about that!" she said in response to Alaina's look of shock. "I figured since you were grieving you had made a friend for yourself, but it must stop! You're fifteen for Heaven's sake! Tonight is you're last night in you're room, we are moving tomorrow. I am sorry that I did not tell you earlier."
Alaina stood frozen with shock for a moment. Those words she had never expected to fall from her Grandmother's mouth. She couldn't leave! The Boy of the Forest needed her! And what of her farfetched hope of Father returning? Without a word she ran from the room and into her bedroom. "Oh! Oh, Boy of the Forest!" she said gasping on her tears
"What? What has happened Alaina?" came his voice from her desk.
"Grandmother is making me move! I will have to leave the forest! And what if Father were to return? I just can't do it, but there is no convincing her!"
After a while his voice came again from her desk. " Alright, I think I know what to do." he said "I have hated to ask you this since so much tragedy has befallen you, but I think it is what must be done to end both of our plights. You must come to me Alaina."
"C-Come to you?" she stuttered through tears
"Yes, pack everything you can and meet me at the forest's edge at midnight. It is time we finally see each other face to face don't you think? I am sure you are a beautiful as your voice is. Will you come?"
"Of course! Will I then know your name?" Alaina asked
"Yes, yes. You will then finally know my name." he said "I must go now. Be brave. I will see you at midnight."
I will finish it for real next time promise!! :D
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