The summer heat was in full swing, though today wasn't as bad with the sun hiding behind the clouds. A figure, male old cowboy hat, white shirt, jeans, and boots was unloading bags of horse feed from the back of his truck. Stopping for a moment Chris took his hat off and wiped the sweat from his brow before putting it back on and hauling the next bag over his shoulder and into the barn. A week before the farm he worked on had been visited by what the city called 'negotiators' for his boss to give the land to them.

He doubted the land was going to the city, plus he liked working on a farm it was where he belonged even though it wasn't his families land. The income from the job was good. Sighing he stopped mid-step, still the old man hasn't told me what would happen to the land when he passed on. Chris shook his head no need to dwell on something he rarely liked to think about in the first place.

Starting to move once more he grabbed the next bag, and hauled it toward the barn. yet the city wants me to go to college instead of doing what they call grunt work. People from the city don't understand, a farm boy will always be a farm boy, even if he goes to college he'll end up with his own piece of land. At least for people here it ended up true people from the country didn't like the city. Too many people and cars where instead you could drive on a backroad for days and your only company is the radio.

Looking toward the road his brow furrowed at the dust cloud coming from the old dirt road that came into the farm. As far as Chris knew, no one was supposed to be coming today and his friends knew not to come and try to hang out with him while he was here. Shaking his head he grabbed the next bag putting that in the barn. For now he'd leave it alone if the old man had someone coming and he knew about it then Chris would leave it alone. Going back to his truck he grabbed the last bag going into the barn and putting it down with the rest. Walking back over he closed the tailgate.

A sigh escaped him, before he went back into the barn and grabbed the slop for the pigs. That's at least what he called it since it was in the word slop. Walking back out the bucket in hand he watched for a moment as the dust cloud grew closer. Shaking his head he made his way toward where the pigs pin lay. Putting the food or slop into their trough he watched as they got out of the mud and racing or if you call hobbling pigs racing to the trough to eat.

“So… this is Alabama…” A young blonde muttered to herself as she picked up her nearly purchased car, well it wasn’t so much a car as it was a wrangler jeep. Of course it was white, pretty clean white; however the sales man was rather insistent that she get a small lift on the jeep to help get her through the town. “Oh where? I’m here to help my grandfather on his farm. I’m excited!” The blonde said sounding way too excited for someone who’s driver’s license said they were from New York City.

“Who’s your grandfather?” The seller said as he dropped the keys into her hand.

“Adam Ratcliff.” The young man looked stunned but the blonde ignored him and skipped to her jeep. Climbing inside a bit awkwardly before settling in to the seat and wrapped her small hands around the wheel. A grin moved across her face as she started the engine and it roared to life. Back home she rarely drove because travel was so simple so excitement was easily read on her face. The salesman tried to ask her a question about her grandfather but she ended up driving away before she could hear it.

Unlike in the city, it was difficult for her to find cellphone service; however her jeep came with a built in box the salesman called a ‘CB’, but she had no clue what that was about. Using the directions she had written down she found a long, long LONG dirt road she began to travel up. Keeping her window up, she pushed her sunglasses up on her face and was glad she didn’t have the top down. Despite the high sun she was thankful not to get caught in a dust cloud. Little did she know exactly what she was getting into by agreeing (and slightly getting forced into by her parents) to come.

Driving up the road she noticed a truck, her jeep slowed down but the person was out of view. So she shrugged to herself and went to the house. Her grandfather met her at the door, she charming old man with a cane. “Hey Kiddo.” He called to her as the jeep shut off and the door opened.

“Hi pa!” She called out as she shut the door and dashed to her grandfather giving him a big hug. “How are you?”

“Oh… that’s a topic for later. I’ve got something I need to do here before we go in and talk, I need to collect the eggs from the chicken coop.”

“Oh I can do that pa, just like when I was a kid right.”

“Right but…” Her grandfather tried to say something but then stopped with a sigh. “The basket’s right there.” He said with a smile.

Without giving it much thought, the blonde grabbed the basket and skipped towards where she knew the chicken coop was. “Hello chickens.” She called out just like she did when she was a child. Pushing open the little gate she kicked it shut with her tennis shoe covered foot and walked towards the coop. That was until she heard a cry; actually it was more like a screech. Her head turned to see something she had never seen before, it looked weird… a darker colored chicken with a red thing hanging off its throat. She raised a blonde eyebrow at it before it cooed at her again and CHARGED.

“AAAHHH!!!” The blonde screamed in terror and took off in a run away from the thing. After running around in a few circles she scrambled up onto the chicken coop. The roaster cooed at her, flapping it’s wings threateningly at her and kicking up dirt in anger. “GO AWAY!” She yelled in terror, a small scream leaving her as the rooster cooed at her again. It had peaked her quite a few times prior to her sitting on top of the coop clinging onto the fabric lined basket to collect the eggs. “Leave me alone you ugly chicken!!!” The blonde haired girl in blue jeans and a soft yellow tank top was Lillianna Ratcliff, Lily for short and she was getting attacked by a rooster on her first 10 minutes on the farm.

The moment that Lily walked away from the porch, Adam went into the house and picked up his radio. “Chris.” He called into it, “Head to the Chicken Coop when you’re done with the pigs, the eggs need to be collected here shortly. Thanks than you can take your lunch. Thanks.”

Setting down the bucket as he shook his head, pigs were and always were gonna be big eaters that was why the slop was mixed in with whatever left overs his boss wouldn't eat. Grabbing the radio from his belt when he heard his name, "yah boss?" Listening before nodding. "Gotcha will be there," with that he grabbed the bucket made for the barn.

Putting it by the door before he made for the chicken coop. Though this wasn't gonna be like any other trip where he had forced the rooster to another side of the coop. Nope instead he found it trying to peck a young woman maybe a few years younger than him. He fastened his pace a bit, before nudging the rooster with his boot. "Go on get we got no time for you being a proud protective male." The animal screeched at him, pecked his leg it didn't hurt as much as when he was wearng shorts glad he had picked jeans for today.

"Shove off go and bother one of the females." Chris looked down at the animal before shoving it toward the other females hoping that this stupid thing would get the message. It did he watched it run over to the other chickens, probably to boast or something he never understood the stupid thing. With that he turned to the woman, "he shouldn't bother you not with that stupid display he'll probably call it protecting them from a big bad threat." Shaking his head a sigh left his lips, "anyway miss come on your holding the basket to collet the eggs. Might as well before he gets the idea again."

He never would understand rooster pride, probably never would. "Must be the granddaughter the old man was talking. Names Chris work for your grandfather." Ok so didn't the old man say take lunch after this? Yes yes he did, which wouldn't be much just sandwhich and chips along with water. Helping her down from the top of the coop, he remembered her reaction. "I'm guessing that the rooster wasn't here the last time you were here." He remembered people who had never dealt with the over proud male rooster, hers was along that.

“Stupid… ugly…” Again the rooster screeched at her and she let out a small scream of terror. She wasn’t up too high but she was lucky that the chicken coop’s roof was flat. Why was this thing so mean?! Why was it so scary and why was it attacking her to the point of no return!? She had attempted to get down a couple times only to have her legs attempted to be peaked off by the annoying creature on the ground.

Shaking her head she was about to let out another call for help before a young man came through the gate and to her rescue. She watching him shoving off the rooster and turn to her. A grateful look moved across her face as Lily has never been one to be able to hide her emotions, and she took his hand as he helped her down off of the chicken coop. “The big bad blonde, we are a threatening bunch.” She said with a small laugh and letting out a sigh as her feet hit the ground.

“Yeah then again it’s been years and years since I’ve been here. He only had three chickens and a horse. Certainly not a rooster…” She couldn’t help but shoot the rooster an evil look of disapproval before turning her attention back to Chris and giving him a genuine white smile. “I’m Lillianna, but you can call me Lily.” With that the two entered the coop and Lily began to gently remove the eggs from the basket that she left comfortable on the stool so they could work together. “How long have you been working for my grandfather Chris?”

A small laugh escaped his lips at the words. "Depends if the blonde can pull off the big and bad look." He moved with a grace that showed he had been at this for awhile. Working his way from the floor to the top of the doop putting the eggs in the basket. He blinked at her words, brow furrowing as he tried to remember when he had come here for work.

"A few years back at most, the old man needed help and I was looking for a job at the time to help my parents. Ever since then I've stayed and worked here." Honestly he couldn't see himself in a suit or behind a desk. Getting dirt on him and sweaty was his kind of thing. Yes the tempatures of the summer were killer, but the old man allowed him inside whenever he was on break to enjoy the air conditioning before he had to get back out and deal with the rest of the farm. "So what brought you here Lily?" He was curious you couldn't blame the guy, having not seen anyone else on this property much except his boss.

Taking a breath as he placed the last of the eggs on his side in the basket. "Besides haven't seen you before, so where do you live?" He hadn't as much as stepped foot outside the small town a few miles away from where he lived. God he hand't even traveled out of state, but he was fine where he was even though locals kept saying a smart man like him should be in college instead of working out in the fields and dealing with animals.

Lily listened to Chris’s story as they went through the coop and collected the eggs together. That was like her pa, looking out for those who needed it and offering jobs to those who are willing to work. A smile crept across Lily’s full lips as she thought about how her pa use to donate food to local food drives and sold a good amount of his crops at the local market for much lower than he should. Her father would always complain that pa was ‘giving away the farm’ but he never said anything about it directly to his father. Instead he just laughed it off and let the man do as he pleased.

“I’m sure my pa is really happy you stayed.” She said with a nod as she collected a few more eggs and carefully put them into the basket. “I’m just here for a visit; I’ll be here for a week or two just to get away from it all.” Her voice was a little melancholy as she spoke. Half of her wanted to be here to relax and enjoy the countryside but the other half wasn’t too sure about actually being here, why did her parents insist she leave anyway? “Actually I love in New York City with my parents. You wouldn’t guess by talking to my dad that he grew up here but he did.” With that she placed the last bit of eggs into the basket and picked it up. “Thanks for your help Chris, it was a pleasure meeting you and I’m sure we’ll cross paths again.”

At that the two parted ways before Lily skipped back to her pa’s house and entered it. It wasn’t but long before the blonde shoved the front door open and walked in a shocked daze out onto the porch, down the steps and into the front yard. Her head hanging low, her steps little and her hands shaking she sat herself on the single swing hanging from an old tree and stared down at her hands in her lap. Was what she just heard… real?

The man looked to her as she spoke, nodding as she said her grandfather was real happy that he had stayed. Nodding slightly, "yah honestly can't see myself do much of anything else being out here is better for me than being in a dity where no one cares about your life." Which was true, he had been to a city and yet he never really wanted to go back to one again. Though a smal smile made it to his lips. "Makes sense honestly with how you reacted to the rooster that you were from the city." People who usually lived out here on farms or the country in general knew how to deal with roosters.

Chris nodded as she welcomed him for his help. "You are welcome Lily and i have no doubt that we'll cross paths again." He watched her skip toward the house before going back to his truck and grabbing the bag that held his lunch. Opening the tailgate, he sat on it and pulled out the sandwhich, chips, and water. He wondered what would change now with his bosses granddaughter on the farm. Shrugging that thought off he dug into his lunch, halfway through his sandwhich he saw the front door to the house open again.

Watching as Lily made her way through the front yard to a swing. Something was up from the way her head hung low and her steps little. Honestly he couldn't tell weather or not her hands was shaking from this far out. Frowning he set his sandwhich down before getting onto his feet. Making his way over he atopped for a moment wondering weather or not he should get in on what was going on. Pushing that back down he moved stopping in front of the woman before kneeling down. "Lily what's wrong?"

Lily’s hazel green eyes stared down at her hands as they sat in her jean covered lap. Was what she heard… real? Was this what was really happening? Her thoughts traveled back to when she was a kid; coming out here and playing on her pa’s farm, riding the horses, swimming in the man-made lake her father and pa dug together over the years. Her mom and Ma would cook and bake in the kitchen all the time while Lily had free roam of the massive amount of land. There wasn’t a care in the world… until now.

Her small hands shook drastically in her lap; unable to take the sight of her trembling pathetic hands she closed her eyes. A voice called to her from a distance, a voice she came to recognize since she was on the farm and she took a deep breath in before slowly letting it out. Her eyes didn’t open but that didn’t stop tears from beginning to roll down her cheeks. She was never one to be able to hide her emotions and this time was no different despite who she was in front of.

“I wasn’t---” She let out a shaky breath trying to keep herself as calm as she spoke; though her hands were anything but calm and the tears streaming down her face were truly working against her. “I wasn’t -- brought here for – for, for a vacation…” This time she opened her eyes, the vibrant green crystal flakes in her eyes standing out thanks to her tears. “I was brought here because pa wants to leave me the farm… he’s… he’s---” At that moment she had her meltdown, tears leaking from her eyes she cupped her hands over her face in an attempt to hide what she was dealing with. What a great first impression this has been, what a wonderful day this has begun to be and… now this…

Chris tilted his head slightly to the side wondering what has her this upset. For a woman he barely knew, he knew one thing ahe didn't hide her emotions like so many other people did. Taking one of her trembling hands in his he hoped that he could provide some comfort to whatever it was that was bothering her in the first place. Blinking when he heard her words his brows creased in concern something was up with the old man, it wasn't surprising that he was leaving the farm to family. What surprised him was he was leaving it to a city girl.

Hand reaching up to wipe the tears from her face, "first calm down get a hold of yourself then tell what's going on." He needed her calm to figure out the old mans condition. Concern and worry were setting him on edge, making him tense he had known this guy for almost all his life the man was like a second father to him. All Chris wanted was to know if he was all right or not. Though he banished the not part, he wouldn't worry about that till he knew what the hell was going on.