Chapter Text
Rays of sunshine traveled through the tall trees as birds fluttered by and a pesky little badger dug its way through the fallen leaves on the ground. The scattered light delicately covered a woman lying peacefully in the grass as a cool breeze wandered through her ash blonde locks. Her bright blue eyes blinked open to the sound of a truck engine making its way down the road. She shot up, dusted off any dirt on her clothes, and hurriedly made her way towards the truck which parked near a rustic cabin.
“Daisy!” An older gentleman beamed at her with arms wide open. Daisy dove into his chest and gave a tight squeeze. It had been 6 years since she last visited the place she grew up – Hope County.
“It’s so good to see you, dad.” She pulled away, “Mom’s making her famous pork roast. I know that’s such a treat for you these days since the doc put you on a diet.”
“We’re not gonna talk about that torture now,” Her dad chuckled, “Let’s go on inside and help your mother.”
“That reminds me! She wanted me to take the truck down to the shop to pick up a few things.”
“Alright.” He sighed before hesitantly gave her the keys, “Be careful. There’s been a lot of weirdos around these parts.”
“Don’t you worry, dad. I can handle myself.” Daisy hopped into the truck and began driving down the road.
The Whitetail Mountains. One of the most beautiful regions of Montana with its snow-capped peaks bursting through the landscape. It was the perfect place to see all of Hope County and its beautiful landmarks. The Henbane River winded it’s way throughout the whole county while Holland Valley and its farms dabbled the land. Three giant letters stood out to Daisy as she drove through the dense woods and into the open view of the hills. Did that spell out the word “yes” or was she imagining things? She shook her head as she pulled into the small grocery store. As she clumsily made her way out of the tall truck someone bumped into her causing her to drop her keys.
“Watch it.” A voice growled at her. Her head twisted around and she scanned the man who so rudely bumped into her. He was incredibly tall compared to her short stature which was slightly intimidating. Sun glistened onto his auburn hair and scarred face as her eyes met with his unexpectedly soft blue ones. Daisy couldn’t help but notice the large hunting knife placed snugly in his thigh holster as he bent down to pick up her keys. She also mentally noted how muscular his thighs looked in the jeans he was wearing.
“You new around here?” He interrupted her thoughts as he held the keys out towards her.
“Uh, erm, nope,” Daisy stumbled as she grabbed them from his hand. “I actually grew up down the road. Visiting family for a few days.”
The man stared at her and gave her no response. Growing uncomfortable with the silence, she held out her hand, “I’m Daisy.”
He hesitated for a moment and gave a firm handshake, “Jacob.”
“You remind me of the city folk back in Atlanta, Jacob.”
“Atlanta, you say?” His hand gripped hers tighter.
“Yeah… Are you from there?”
“No,” Jacob finally freed her hand, “but my brother lived there awhile.”
There was something off about this man and Daisy knew she had to get out of this situation quick. She let out a nervous chuckle as she said goodbye and proceeded to walk into the store. Peeking a glance over her shoulder she could see Jacob stare her down for awhile until he finally decided to get in his truck and leave. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she gathered the items her mother requested. The cashier gladly accepted her cash and she started to head back to her parents’ cabin.
As the sky began to flood with warm colors, Daisy sat promptly on the front porch with a quilt tightly wrapped around her. Her parents joined shortly after and handed her a cup of chamomile tea while a young boy nudged at her to share the quilt. She gave him a funny look before laughing and pulled him in. Born twenty-one years apart, Daisy’s little brother felt more like a cousin than a sibling. He was an unexpected addition to the family shortly before she moved to Georgia for college so she never had a chance to be a real sister to him. Despite all that, there was a special bond between them and he could always make her laugh hard enough to cause stomach pain.
Darkness engulfed Hope County revealing the thousands of stars shimmering in the night sky. It reminded her of the city lights she’d gaze at during late nights at the law firm. Being a paralegal was a time consuming yet rewarding job and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Memories of her first few years filled her mind as she finished the rest of her tea. She thought of the time she spent with the lawyer she used to report to – John Duncan. John was one of the best lawyers in Atlanta until he unexpectedly vanished 7 years ago, leaving the law firm in chaos as they searched for a replacement to run the business.
“We’re heading to bed, sweetie.” Daisy’s mother whispered.
“That’s a good idea. I’m gonna head in myself.”
Daisy folded up the quilt neatly and set it on the porch swing before heading inside. The cabin smelled of firewood and the aroma of the dinner they ate earlier lingered. She opened the door to her old room which still looked like an 18-year-old lived in it. Taking it all in she saw archery trophies and photos of a younger self with friends clutter up the shelves. Educational texts filled the bookshelf near her desk and a worn poster of N*Sync hung near her closet. She slipped into yoga pants and an old oversized shirt with the words “Testicle Festival” on the front of it. Warm blankets hugged her as she fell into bed and shoved her face into the stack of pillows, fatigue finally overcoming her. As she began to fade away into her dreams, wolves could be heard howling outside her bedroom window and she could’ve sworn she heard her parents scream.