The Valley.
I remember the first time I saw her like it was yesterday. It was summer, the start of the Holidays after the term at school finished. I was taking a walk through the countryside and I saw her sitting by the stream. Her blonde hair flowing in the light breeze and shining gold from the warm sun boring down on the scene. I remember just stopping in my tracks taking in all the beauty I could see. The surroundings, the sound of the calm, quiet stream trickling over the rock and debris. Then as I was staring at her, well the back of her head, she turned around. I honestly do not know how long I was stood there staring, looking like some sort of idiot, no doubt, but I was stunned into even more silence. My breathing stopped, I'm pretty sure my heart skipped a hundred beats too. She was indescribable. Her eyes were like the most vibrant green I have ever seen, her lips were the most perfect shade of pink, her button nose, all perfect. The way her hair fell around her face and perfectly framed her beauty was more than my head and heart could take. She smiled the most amazing smile at me which all of a sudden turned to a look of disgust.
'Any reason why you are stood there staring at me?' She blurted. I could feel myself going red. Trying to speak, but instead stammering she stood and was standing in front of me, so quickly and gracefully it almost knocked the wind out of me.
'Well? Creep!'. Even when she was annoyed and freaked she was still beautiful. Her eyes were calm instead of full of hatred and fear like most peoples would have been. She crossed her arms, her posture was relaxed instead of alert.
'I'm sorry, miss, I just.. Well, I just think you're..' I couldn't even find the words when I could finally speak. She had some sort of hold on me like I've never felt before. I was terrified of this small, delicate yet strong girl that she just had me starting and stopping speaking. She started smiling again and laughed. Oh my her laugh was like wind chimes in a gentle breeze. She held out her hand to me, shaking I took it. Her skin was smooth and cold. I took in a sharp breath when I touched her.
'Oh goodness, sorry, I've been dipping my hand in the water, the soft current feels nice' she blushed and quickly took her hand back and blew on it and rubbed it against the other a few times.
'I don't mind, love' some sort of bravery came over me suddenly and I grabbed her hand again as if too afraid to ever let her go. Like if I did, I'd never see her again, be able to feel the softness of her skin again or even breathe. Her eyes looked down at our interlocked fingers and I saw a slight smirk on her face, although her eyes looked sad, remembering a past memory or even thinking, which turned my stomach, that this could never happen again, this was a one off, one time experience. I hated that feeling, it was a feeling I wanted to never feel again. She looked up into my eyes and grinned.
'Follow me, I want to show you something' She dragged me away from the stream and up into a nearby field. It slopped up and up. Fairly steep, and exhausting to climb we ended up taking back our hands so we could part crawl up the slope. We walked along the top of the hill hand in hand. Across a moss cover moor, the spring of the moss making us sink into the ground and laugh loudly at each other losing balance and her scream escape her lips after the hundredth time of sinking and falling, giggling as she did so. We ended up walking for what seemed like hours but we finally made it to the top of the valley. The scene was outstanding, breath taking. But still not as breath taking as her. She walked to the edge and the sun bore down once again onto her shimmering golden hair. She looked so angelic, my heart ached at how my eyes were so lucky to be able to see such a thing. I sat down and the bottom of the mountain that stood towering behind us and took it all in.
She skipped over to where I sat, settled herself next to me and closed her eyes. 'I never asked your name.. Mine's Tamsin, by the way, Tamsin Scott'.
She leaned over and put out her hand to shake mine. 'Nice to meet you Miss Scott, I'm Jake Brown'. I took her hand and kissed it. I felt it was more fitting for a young lady rather than shaken. She blushed and we locked eyes for a solid minute. She blinked and shock her head out of the reverie of her thoughts and looked back out towards the valley.
'It's beautiful up here, don't you think Jake?'
'Yes, it's quite a sight to take in. I've never been this high up before... And it's getting late, I should be going back, Mam would be wondering where I was. Come on, I'll walk you home'.
It took less time to get back down to the valley, I wish it had taken longer. I didn't want Tamsin out of my sight not once. She was perfect, so truly perfect. I walked her to her stunning little cottage and realised she didn't live far from me, just the next street over. How I had never seen her before I do not know but it made me happy knowing she was so close to me. It eased my ever turning stomach a little bit even though there was still a chance I would never see her again. 'Thank you, Jake, for walking me home. Please come see me tomorrow?' Her eyes were pleading me to say yes, not that they needed to as she probably knew my answer without having to ask.
'No doubt, I'll meet you on the green at noon? I need to run some errands for Pops first' I smiled, excited.
'Yes noon is perfect, I'll even bring a basket of treats and we can sit and have a picnic' she tiptoed and kissed me on the cheek 'Goodnight Jake Brown, I'm so glad I met you' she whispered and with that she spun round and skipped up the pathway and into her cottage. I stood for a minute, not realising I was stroking the spot she kissed me. I finally broke out of my trance at the screeching of an owl and with a smile spread across my face I went home.
The next morning I woke early. The sun was shining as brightly as the day before and my cheek still tingled from where Tamsin had pressed her soft lips the night before. Still feeling groggy the memory made my mind alert and remembered my plans with the ever beautiful Tamsin Scott at noon today. I dressed in my scruffs and skipped downstairs for breakfast.
'Good morning Mam, what's cooking?' I asked cheerfully.
'Oh morning Jake, eggs and toast. You're happy this morning, for once' She smiled her warm smile at me. It had been so long since I'd been happy. My brother Harry, was murdered. We don't know who had killed him, as far as we knew the killer was still around and possibly someone who lived in the valley. I was terrified for a long time, too scared to leave the house on my own. I'm 16 years old and had to have my Mam walk with me to school. No one ever laughed though, not many people at my school walked there on their own any more. They were either with a larger group of people or with their parents like myself. It shook up the whole village in the valley, it was always so quiet here with the occasional shop lifter and vandalism here and there.
'You'll see Mam, you'll see'. I scoffed my breakfast and ran outside to start on the errands my Pops had left for me. I wanted to get them done quickly so I could spruce up a bit before going to meet Tamsin. She always looked perfect so it was my turn to look perfect for her.
I was done by 11 am so I quickly washed and dressed in my nicest button up shirt and trousers. My braces were nice and neat on my trouser line and I swung my jacket over my shoulder. My hair perfectly slicked back and my cap on straight. Shoes spot on and shined. I was nervous. My mind going into haywire. What if she doesn't turn up? What if it was a dream? I had been feeling lonely and down the past few months that I may have just made her up because I needed something good to happen in my life. I walked to the Green anyway. What's the worst that could happen, right? I didn't need to worry. As I got closer the the Green she was already there sitting on the grass next to a picnic basket. She was wearing the most beautiful vibrant coloured yellow floral dress with a snow white cardigan. She had her eyes closed, face turned towards the afternoon sun. I couldn't control the butterflies in my stomach, they were on overdrive. It felt great. She opened her eyes and turned towards my direction, her face lit up when she saw me. Springing to her feet and quickly patting out her dress, I couldn't have imagined anyone better to be spending my Sunday afternoon with. As I approached her I noticed that she seemed tense, our first meeting she was relaxed and content, so maybe it was just nerves.
'Hello Jake, I didn't think you were coming. Been sat here for a while, maybe I was just early' she blushed and smiled at me. I took in her beauty again like the day before. Her blonde hair pinned up and curled. Her eyes shining that vibrant green and without warning she tiptoed and kissed me on the cheek again. She saw my surprise and giggled. Hand over mouth as if trying to hold it in physically. I couldn't help but laugh with her and suddenly I felt myself cupping her face in my hands and looking deep into her eyes. Both our breathing quickening, both knowing what I was about to do. Mostly, I was trying to figure out where I'm suddenly getting all this courage from, I kissed her. It was like I imagined. Her lips were soft against mine, warm and plump. It was over pretty quickly but it wasn't bad for our first kiss I guessed. I pulled away and she stayed put. Touching her lips she smiled and sighed. She opened her eyes and I could see happiness in them. Her eyes were so easy to read.
'Shall we go then?' I quickly said, slightly embarrassed but happy she wasn't bothered or noticed my reddening face. She bent down to pick up the basket and took my outstretched hand and we made our way back to the stream and to where it all began.
