The Storm

One day when it was changing from summer to fall. While Evan was at sea, out of nowhere came a violent storm. Big black clouds rolled over the horizon, and the sky turned an eerie yellow green. Evan saw the clouds and started to shore. But then the wind that was moving the clouds reached him, and started tossing the boat. The waves became choppy. On top of that the rain began to fall. Now it was a full fledged storm. The wind was thrashing, the waves were crashing, and the rain kept poring out of the sky. It was all Evan could do to keep himself from being forever lost out at sea. The boat almost flipped a number of times till at long last Evan managed to get it to shore. He glanced up at his cottage there was something dark at his door step, but he had no time to think of it. He grabbed his nets and carried them up to his out building. Those being put away Evan went on to his cottage. The wind was now blowing the rain side ways. Evan saw the dark mass was still on his door step, it looked like seaweed that had been blown up there by the wind. But as he got closer he realized what it was. Evan bent down, and touched it. With a start it scrambled onto its feet. It was in fact a ...girl!

She looked just a few years younger then Evan, and only stood to about five feet high. She was not small in her features. But her eyes, a book could be written about her eyes alone, they were green, gray and deep blue all at once, looking into them was like looking out at sea, always the same, yet always different, and always feeling something deeper then you could see. It was her hair that had covered her, it was dark brown almost black, and its length went all the way down to her knees. “Oh I am sorry," she exclaimed "I was lost and it started raining, I thought if I was by the house it would block some of the wind. But I will move on now if you wish." "No, no come in at least till the rain stops." So Evan started a fire in the hearth, and gave the girl some blankets to wrap herself in for she was drenched to her core. She attempted to say more but she was coughing so much Evan stopped her and said she was in no condition to say anything till she had something warm inside her. He gave her some hot broth then let her tell her tale this is what she said;

"Well my name is Ella. I am the daughter of a man who lives about three day’s trip inland. My mother died when I was just a wee lass. Two months ago my father married a lady just a few years older then myself. When they wedded I was excited, I thought everything would be splendid. But she has turned out to be extremely mean and selfish. At last I could not take it any longer, so I left my fathers house, determined never to return while his new wife lived. I had no real plan of what I was going to do, I just started walking. I have been wandering a few days now. When I saw your cottage I thought it might shelter me from the storm."

While Evan listened to the girl he saw she was in no condition to keep 'wondering the world'. She had been coughing and looked like she had not eaten for the past week. "That is a sad story indeed but what shall be done now?" he asked Ella. She looked out the window mournfully "Well I suppose I will be leaving now that the rain has stopped." Evan also looked out the window the wind was still thrashing the land, and clouds of charcoal tint were still overhead. "But only to soon start again, you are not well, stay here until you get better I have an out building that is dry and out of the wind there you will be warm" Ella agreed to it. It was a good little building no cracks in the wall, and a well thatched roof over head, and if you don't mind the smell of fish, it would be quiet ideal.