Chuckling, I took a deep breath and opened the rest of the door.
I exhaled and gazed at our "backyard". Really, no one had a backyard quite as beautiful or as large as ours. Since we lived on the outskirts of the village, we practically had the whole country-side right behind us. I looked at the rolling hills to one side, and then to the woods on the other. I blinked up at the sky. Today was an absolutely wonderful day for a picnic.
Luckily, we had had a rain a few days ago, and the grass looked a little more green and a not so dead. I walked through it to the edge of the woods, enjoying the quiet sound my feet made in it. Birds called to each other up ahead.
As I pushed my way into the bracken, the air grew noticeably cooler, and there were soft rustling that came from every which way. A lot of folk from the village wouldn't dare step foot into these woods, but I had practically grown up in them, and I knew all the perfect places.
I followed a small path that I had made a few years ago to the clearing. A couple of times branches had snagged the blanket from my shoulder, but I made it there relatively quickly.
"Here you are!" I said aloud as I stepped into the clearing.
The clearing was one of my favorite places to be. Tree branches shaded much of the open space, keeping it cool, and the grass was lush and feathery. My favorite thing about the clearing was the flowers. Wild flowers dotted the glade, and they bloomed in abundance around the edges of it.
I smiled and spread the blanket on the grass. I reached to fiddle with my waist, but then stopped and looked around. Habit, I suppose, but I didn't want anyone to see me. I was assured that no one was there, and so I resumed taking off my skirt. The long thing was hot and scratchy, and I knew that lying in it on the blanket and running around in it would be uncomfortable. Finally I got it unbuttoned, and I carefully folded it and put under the picnic basket.
I exhaled and gazed at our "backyard". Really, no one had a backyard quite as beautiful or as large as ours. Since we lived on the outskirts of the village, we practically had the whole country-side right behind us. I looked at the rolling hills to one side, and then to the woods on the other. I blinked up at the sky. Today was an absolutely wonderful day for a picnic.
Luckily, we had had a rain a few days ago, and the grass looked a little more green and a not so dead. I walked through it to the edge of the woods, enjoying the quiet sound my feet made in it. Birds called to each other up ahead.
As I pushed my way into the bracken, the air grew noticeably cooler, and there were soft rustling that came from every which way. A lot of folk from the village wouldn't dare step foot into these woods, but I had practically grown up in them, and I knew all the perfect places.
I followed a small path that I had made a few years ago to the clearing. A couple of times branches had snagged the blanket from my shoulder, but I made it there relatively quickly.
"Here you are!" I said aloud as I stepped into the clearing.
The clearing was one of my favorite places to be. Tree branches shaded much of the open space, keeping it cool, and the grass was lush and feathery. My favorite thing about the clearing was the flowers. Wild flowers dotted the glade, and they bloomed in abundance around the edges of it.
I smiled and spread the blanket on the grass. I reached to fiddle with my waist, but then stopped and looked around. Habit, I suppose, but I didn't want anyone to see me. I was assured that no one was there, and so I resumed taking off my skirt. The long thing was hot and scratchy, and I knew that lying in it on the blanket and running around in it would be uncomfortable. Finally I got it unbuttoned, and I carefully folded it and put under the picnic basket.
