If you happen to be reading on mobile, I apologize in advance if the format is weird, I've honestly tried to fix it so many times and it just won't cooperate :(
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I woke up to the usual cliché aesthetic; golden morning light filtering through my bedroom window; it was soft and warm but just bright enough to pull me away from my dreams. I lay in the sunlight, basking in it's warmth like it was a fuzzy old blanket, until my growling stomach pulled me from my half-awake half-asleep fantasy world.
"Alright, time to get going!" I scolded myself, stretching out over my bed, much like a cat would have. I hopped out of bed and headed to the kitchen to begin my day. Feeling the building heat from the fire I had started in my small, wood-burning stove, I filled a kettle and left it on top to boil while I stepped out the back door, wicker basket in hand to collect the eggs my chickens had laid overnight. While I hadn't changed out of my sleeping clothes, I wasn't especially concerned. If anyone were to come visit me today, it would take them a long time to make the journey out to my house. I preferred to live out here, anyways. It kept things peaceful. It kept things safe.
As I collected the newly laid eggs from each nest, I began to make a mental list of the things I needed to accomplish today. Today's agenda was to weed and water my garden, milk the cows, and check on the new beehive I had built, among other things. I'd been trying to convince bees to start living there, and a few days ago I had seen a few buzzing around near it, so I had decided to leave it alone for a few days to hopefully encourage progress. Realizing I had been standing outside in my pajamas staring off into space for the past few minutes, I shook myself back to reality.
"I look like a complete lunatic," I whispered to myself, laughing quietly as I slipped back into the house and set my basket on a nearby surface in order to tie my hair up. After cracking a couple eggs into a frying pan with a satisfying sizzle, I watched the steam rise from the newly-poured mug of water, color leaching from the tea bag and flavoring the clear liquid. After watching the eggs cook and scooping them onto a plate, I neatly sliced up an apple into wedges and set them on the plate as well. Carrying both my mug and my plate over to the small kitchen table across the room, I watched the breeze make the leaves of the various plants in my garden dance, reminding me once again I really needed to weed today.
After collecting the proper silverware and digging into my meal, I wished for the thousandth time that I had bacon or sausage or any kind of meat to go with the meal. I knew it would be fairly easy to get either of those foods, but I had never liked raising animals only to slaughter them later. I had a bad habit of getting attached to living creatures far too easily, and as much as I loved bacon in the morning, I don't think I had it in me to harm an innocent pig, or any other animal for that matter. Finishing up the last few bits of food left on the plate, I drained what was left in my now-cooled mug of tea, and quickly cleaned up the small mess I'd left on the stove.
Feeling like I had wasted plenty of time already this morning, I headed back to my bedroom to get dressed for the day. Opening my wardrobe, I grabbed a set of clothes suitable for working outside all day; slightly faded sage green and white striped t-shirt, worn yet comfortable denim overalls cuffed at the ankles, sturdy yet dirt-covered sneakers, and a black headband with an attached hair scarf to keep my annoyingly thick, wavy hair out of my face. Though I didn't care much about how I looked today considering I was meant to be quite busy outside, I still stopped in front of the mirror I had hanging on the wall.
While these were what I considered work clothes, I thought they were cute, and that they complimented my brown hair and eyes quite well. Finally ready to get to work, I stepped out the back door again and headed over to the part of the garden where I was currently trying to coax some carrots to grow. As far as I knew, it was going well, except for the mass outbreak of weeds that was spreading faster than a bad cold.
"Okay then," I said to myself, "a little dirt never hurt anyone. Time to save my little garden world from the weed-plague!" Kneeling down in the soft, brown topsoil, I began to pull out the invading plants and toss them to the side, away from the growing vegetables. I'd move them to a wooden box I was trying to make compost in later. After I'd cleared the first row of parasitic plants, I looked out over the rest of the gardens and sighed. It was going to be a long morning.
~
I had finished my chores faster than I thought I could. My vegetable gardens were now in pristine shape, the cows were milked, the sheep were fed (though they would need shearing soon), and various other tasks had been completed all before what I had estimated to be noon. I had a clock inside the house that would have told me the time, but I was enjoying my current activity too much to go check.
There were many attractive things about living on my little patch of farmland; being far away from conflict, the feeling of being independent and able to support myself, the ability to pursue whatever hobby I choose. But my favorite thing by far was the small, natural, freshwater pond I had discovered and promptly built my home near. I had spent hours carefully constructing a short, wooden dock while doing my best to avoid marring the thin strip of sandy shoreline, if you could even call it a shoreline. But the best thing about the pond was the wildlife.
This special little pond was apparently the exact conditions needed to allow a small family of axolotls to survive. I had never once seen a creature quite like the axolotl in my entire life, only ever finding rough sketches in practically ancient biological journal entries. But now, I live next to a few of them. Every day, I set aside time to sit by the pond and watch them swim and play with each other. Eventually, they grew to trust me; some of them even began to like me. Now, I could dangle my feet in the water and they would swim up and brush against them or even poke their heads above the water, as if to say hello. I knew they were technically wild animals, but I still thought of the little aquatic salamanders like pets, and I'm certain I would go out of my way to protect the small creatures. Though, from the amount of time I had spent observing them, I know that they're capable of protecting themselves.
I sat in my favorite spot on the end of my dock, smiling softly down at the water, the occasional ripple forming at the water's surface as the axolotls swam around. A slight breeze had begun to blow, and by chance I looked up only to spot a small, unrecognizable blob of a person off in the distance. I quickly stood up as my thoughts began to race. People didn't often visit since my farm was so far away, and when they did, it was usually because of some sort of major event. Shielding my eyes from the sun with my hand, I squinted in an unsuccessful attempt to figure out the identity of the person approaching my farm. I had no idea who it could be, only that they were wearing something that was mostly navy blue.
"Might as well get ready for a visitor," I said to myself after taking a deep breath while moving towards the back door, "considering I don't get those very often." As old fashioned as it might've been, I liked to treat the people who did manage to make it all the way out here as honored guests. Setting a kettle of water to boil for the second time today, I produced a plate from a cabinet, and some muffins I had made the other day. Even though I'd stored them carefully to prevent staleness, I worried that they might not be as fresh as I would've liked. After quickly but neatly setting out small plates, teacups, silverware, and anything else I could think of potentially needing, I stepped back to look at my work and gave a small nod of satisfaction.
"Not bad for being in a rush," I said before turning to the front door and heading out onto my small porch to invite my surprise guest inside. As I closed the door behind me and looked out to the winding path heading away from my house, I couldn't help it as I broke into a huge grin as I finally learned the identity of the man striding towards me with such confidence.
