There was a small stream that flowed out near the edge of the manor. During the summer when it was hot the running water felt cold as ice and was quite pleasant for romping in and cooling off. This particular summer Erin and Samantha were nine and a half years old which was nearly ten and thus had been deemed old enough to venture out that far onto the property on their own. It hadn’t come without a large amount of needling however as in past years their parents had insisted that either they or Helen had to come along to keep a close watch over the twins. As soon as they were far enough away from the manor for their parents not to see them they ditched their shoes and ran out barefoot in the grass.
Erin twirled most of the way there, managing to both run at a fairly decent speed while also spinning round and round and giggling as her skirt flared out at the movement. Samantha tried to copy her movements, but only succeeded in tripping herself and falling down into the soft grass. She continued to laugh, however and was joined by her sister who laid down beside her. They lay there until they caught their breaths and continued their romp towards the stream.
One side of the stream was framed by a field that was part of the Defaria property while the other bank was lined with the first trees of a forest. Up above the sun shone hot on the world, but the trees provided a comfortable shadow for them to hide in. The girls sat on the clear bank and stuck their toes in the cool water.
Erin kicked her feet in and out of the water. She liked the way it splashed and was making a game of how big she could make the splashes. Her splashes kept getting bigger and bigger until she splashed as hard as she could and ended up getting water all over her sister. Samantha shrieked and kicked water back at Erin. This of course prompted an all out water kicking war between the sisters.
“Hey! You’re getting water all over my dress!” Samantha punctuated her statement with a kick of water in Erin’s direction.
“So? You’re getting water all over mine too” Erin said, kicking water back.
“What will Mother think when we come back soaked?” She didn’t let this stop her from splashing her sister again.
“I’ll just tell her you pushed me in the stream” said Erin.
“You were the one who splashed me first!”
“But that was an accide–”
There was a rustling in the woods that caused both sisters to pause. They turned towards each other with wide eyes and stared at each other, both wanting to speak, but not having the courage to do so. Finally Erin began to whisper.
“What do you think it is?”
“I don’t know. Are there wolves in the woods?”
“It’s probably just be a deer” said Erin.
“Or maybe it’s a monster” Samantha replied.
“There’s no such things as monsters. They’re not real.”
“Bears are real”
“Bears aren’t monsters.”
“But they can kill you” said Samantha indignantly.
Erin rolled her eyes. “I’m just going to go see what it is.”
“What if it kills you?” said Samantha as Erin started walking through the stream.
“It’s not going to kill me.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I’m not going to die.”
Erin turned her back on Samantha and walked into the woods. Honestly she was scared, not that she wanted Samantha to know that. The thing rustling in the woods could be a bear. Or what if she was wrong and monsters were real? No, it was probably just a rabbit or something. They’d come here with Mother and Father plenty of times in the past and there had never been anything scary in the woods. It seemed ridiculous that there would be something scary only now that they had come alone. Still, that thought did not keep her from being afraid.
She pushed through the leaves of a large bush, not caring as a bit of her dress snagged on a branch, ripping a small piece off at the hem. The rustling had come from here, she thought, but now that she was here there was nothing. Perhaps the thing was gone or it had just been the wind that scared them. It wasn’t particularly windy though so she couldn’t be sure. For all she knew they had gotten scared over literally nothing.
Just as she was about to turn around and go back Erin heard the rustling again. This time it was coming from above her. Slowly she looked up fearing she would see a panther or maybe a bear. Bears could climb trees right? All she saw was a boy around her age hanging from a tree branch and looking just as scared if not more scared than she was. His grip on the branch started to loosen and he slipped down onto the ground with a small yelp.
“What were you doing up there?” Erin demanded as the boy picked himself up and dusted himself off. He wore the kind of clothes one wears when planning on staying inside and doing lessons and had managed to rip off at least three of the buttons.
“Nothing” he replied quickly.
“I think you’re lying. I think you were spying on me and my sister” she said.
“No I wasn’t. I mean kind of” he stammered. “I just didn’t know anyone else knew about this spot. I didn’t expect anyone else to be here.”
“We come here all the time, I don’t know how you didn’t notice us.”
“I only discovered this place last summer and I don’t get to come very often.” He looked down at the ground in embarrassment. “I’m not really supposed to play outside.”
“So you snuck out here?” He nodded. “I can respect that. I’m Erin.” She stuck her hand out.
“I’m Darren” he said, cautiously taking her hand and shaking it.
“Nice to meet you Darren. Want to play a prank on my sister?”
“What kind of prank?”
“Well” she said grinning and looking over at a bush full of red berries.
When Erin stepped back out of the woods and onto the bank opposite her sister she was stumbling and covered in red gunk. She extended an arm out towards Samantha and fell to the ground while calling out her name. Behind her in the bushes Darren shook the leaves and made a sound that was his best approximation of a monster.
“Erin!” Samantha stepped out into the water and stopped halfway through the stream.
“Don’t come any closer” Erin yelled, pulling herself up from the dirt onto her knees. “There’s a monster!”
She screamed as Darren reached out and grabbed her by the ankles, dragging her back into the bushes. As soon as she was out of eyesight she started giggling quietly into her hand. Darren couldn’t help but giggle as well, caught up in their merriment.
“Erin. Erin. Erin!” Samantha’s yells were punctuated by sobs. “Please, no”
“I think we’ve scared her enough” Darren whispered.
“You’re probably right” Erin replied. She stood up and walked out of the bushes. “Sammy I’m ok, I’m not dead.”
“What?” said Samantha between sobs. “But you’re covered in blood.”
“It’s just crushed up berries” she said, wiping some off her face with her sleeve.
“I-I saw you get dragged into the bushes.”
“I met a boy in the woods and I had him drag me into the bushes. You can come out now, Darren.”
“Hi” Darren said sheepishly as he stood up out of the bushes.
“We were playing a prank on you. There is no monster.”
First Samantha looked confused, but then she looked angry.
“Erin! I. Thought. You. Died.” she yelled, splashing water at her after every word. “That was not funny.”
Erin hung her head and looked down at the ground in embarrassment while Darren stood awkwardly behind her.
“I didn’t realize that would scare you this much.”
“Well it did. It was mean” Samantha replied, crossing her arms over her chest with a huff.
“I’m sorry” said Erin.
Samantha looked at her as though she was trying to decide what to say and opened her mouth, but before she could say anything they heard a voice in the distance.
“Erin! Samantha!”
“Oh no, that’s Helen” she said instead of whatever she had planned on saying.
“Who’s Helen?” Darren asked.
“Our maid” said Erin. “She is going to be so angry with us when she sees us.”
The twins looked at each other, soaking wet and covered in dirt and in Erin’s case red stains.
“So should we figure out our story now or....” Samantha trailed off.
“Does this mean you forgive me?”
“Of course, now help me figure out what we’re going to tell Helen.”
“Erin! Samantha!” Helen’s voice rang out again.
“We have to go” said Erin. “But we’ll see you again?”
“Yeah” Darren replied. “I should go home to.”
“Bye” they said, waving at him in unison.
Helen was furious with them of course for ruining their dresses and tattled on them to Mother. She was even more furious with them and declared that they weren’t allowed to leave the house for three whole weeks. Even worse they would no longer be allowed to go to the stream on their own. After informing them of this Helen carted off Samantha in one direction and Mother carted off Erin in another to take a bath while they both kicked and screamed the whole way there.
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