.dare to believe over one last time. [open]

[jay]

Sometimes life can get a body down. And sometimes you just need to let it all go. And sometimes these two things can happen in a very short span of time. It's different with every person. As it stands with the one Mr. David Levine, he has yet to hit the letting go stage.

Life just wasn't the same anymore. Nothing really made sense. Overwhelmed with the immense feelings of grief and loss, David merely sought to get away from it all. So, he packed up for the day and headed for the lake. He brought nothing but the clothes on his back, the boots on his feet, and the desire to forget with him.

Pulling his well-worn baseball cap down further over his brown eyes, David picked his way over one of the rockier paths that led to the lakeside. Reaching near the water's edge, he stood and gazed out over the glassy surface. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans, allowing his mind to wander. Squinting slightly against the glare of sunlight off the lake's calm surface, David thought back to all the time's he'd gone fishing with his old man on this very lake. Nothing would ever be the same now.

"I miss you, dad," he whispered softly, tears prickling at the back of his eyes.

[harley]

The ex-model drove down the winding road, the hood on her baby-pink VW Bug down, black leather interior out in the open to be seen by all, the messy ponytail the eighteen year old’s hair was in was looser than before, probably from the constant wind that come over the top of her head as she drove. Hitting the brakes lightly as she went through a tight turn, her tiny car executed the turn perfectly, sticking to it perfectly, not loosing grip on the semi-new tires the Bug had. Music blasted from the speakers, a mix of new music and old, usually the songs were up-beat and catchy.

Arriving at the lake, Halley parked the little car with ease, pulling into a parking space with space on both sides, a little crooked, but good enough. Grabbing her mesh bag with her towel, sunscreen, and two bottles of water, Halley walked through the huge group of people gathering on the sandy beach of the lake, little kids screaming and throwing sand at each other. Shaded eyes were searching for only one thing, a quiet place to catch up on her writing and reading, maybe swim a little to cool off a bit. Navy blue Aviator sunglasses were pulled over her crystal blue eyes, a hint of sad and worry blossoming in them.

She continued along the beach, the grainy sand slowly turning to rocks and pebbles. Pink loafers found their way carefully over the rocks, and spying an open space, in the midst of the lack of screaming and sand-throwing, with golden sand, rocks surrounding it in a circle. Sitting down in the warm sand, she put her bag next to her, just sitting there, looking out over the water. She reached in hr bag, pulling out her bottles of water, sunscreen and the small novel before being able to pull the large towel out of the large bag. Lying it down on the sand without a wrinkle in sight, she stripped down to her white bathing suit, shorts and navy blue shirt were folded and put back into her bag, along with the pink loafers.

Noticing someone down the beach, not in the usual lake-attire. Cowboy boots and a cap, she didn’t look right for attending the beach, let alone standing that close to the water. Standing up, she walked, rather quickly, down to the water, standing in it with her average-sized, polished feet. Being about fifteen yards away from the man hadn’t stopped her from looking him over, and hearing the four simple words she had been saying since she left for Paris.

[jay]

David was caught up in his memories, so much so that he didn't notice the arrival of someone else in the secluded area. Not many people came this far around the lake, everyone wanted to stay in the sandy area because it was more like a beach. David had no real use for it, he preferred the rocky side. It was where his dad had always taken him and it was where David hoped to one day bring his own child. But, those weren't the thoughts occupying David's mind today. No, today was a day of remembrance and reflection.

David watched silently as a few birds flew over the water's surface. With a soft sigh he realized that he might want to think about getting back. There's was still some work to be done, even though he only had two horses currently in residence at the ranch, and they were even his own horses. But, something his father had taught him was that a rancher's work is never done. David didn't really mind though. He had been born and raised at Hidden Acres Ranch and it was simply second nature to get up early and get chores done. Still, there was always something that needed doing. Especially now that David was the only one left. His older sister had gotten married and moved away several years ago, and his younger brother had been accepted to some prestigious university before their father had gotten sick. Now, after Richard Levine's passing, the sole ownership and responsibility for the ranch he had built was handed to David.

Even though it had been a few months, David still hadn't been able to bring himself to move into the master bedroom that his parents had occupied. Well, his father anyway. David's mother had left them all shortly after Lucas had been born, and no one had heard from her since. Even attempts to contact her about Richard's passing went unanswered, not that it really mattered.

Suddenly, David felt as though he was being watched. He rubbed a hand quickly over his face and looked around, only to see a young girl standing in the water. He looked away quickly, trying not to stare and freak her out. Clearing his throat, David shifted his weight slightly, realizing that standing on rocks in cowboy boots was not the brightest idea he'd ever had. So, he looked around quickly and found himself a large boulder to sit on.

Unfortunately, it was a little too big to simply hop onto and needed to be climbed. Cue stupid idea number two, number one being the wearing of cowboy boots to the lake. Getting an ok handhold on the boulder, David attempted to haul himself up, only to have the smooth bottoms of his boots slide ungracefully out from under him. The result was David falling backwards onto the rocks below. Now, it was only a drop of a foot or two, so he really wasn't hurt, just embarrassed and a bit sore. Standing and dusting himself off, David felt himself going red and hoping the girl hadn't (a) seen him make a fool of himself and (b) hadn't thought he was trying to show off.

[harley]

Halley watched the man in his attempts to climb a boulder. She snorted, quickly covering her mouth with the back of her hand.
“It might be easier to take off your shoes, sir.” She said with a wide grin, trying to keep herself from laughing. Then, a laugh like the sound of tinkling bells escaped her mouth, blue eyes shinning furiously. She walked to the water’s edge, keeping clean feet in the water to protect them from the burning rocks that may result in injury.
“I’m Halley by the way.” She said to the man who was turning as red as a tomato. She wasn’t the one to judge though, she would’ve done the same thing, and just laughed at herself.

Putting her hands on her hips, she rested one foot, it almost coming off in a ‘y’ to her other foot. She was kicking herself for the pathetic introduction she had given, and the man infront of her wasn’t that bad looking himself, but she was seen as a dumb blond, blue-eyed blond and many other things that most men wouldn’t want to have for their life-long relationship, and she’d been turned away from many blind-dates and asking one of her ‘guy friends’ to come with her on a night on the town. Maybe they were afraid the up-beat girl was too much for them to handle. In her modeling days, the girl was always tired from long days at a photo shoot, or a late-night runway show.

Smiling, young Halley walked closer to him, trying to get a better look at him. She walked gracefully, looking like a giraffe on the savannah, and that was a compliment. Hands going to her neck to take hold of a small silver heart pendant on a simple silver chain she was never caught without. Holding it between her right index finger and thumb, she rubbed the thickest part of it, a sign from her showing anyone that knew her well that she was either in deep thought, or nervous. It could’ve been either thought or nerves that had taken the blue-eyed, blond-haired bombshell into their grasp.

[jay]

She was laughing at him. Politely trying to hide the fact, but laughing nonetheless. The really embarrassing part? David had climbed this same boulder in these same boots just the other day. But, despite everything, even he could see the humor in the situation, so David half-turned towards her as he shrugged with a sheepish grin on his face. He shot a glance over his shoulder at the large rock and shook his head. "Yeah, maybe," he said after she mentioned taking off his boots might help. "But, with my obvious luck I'd wind up slicing my feet all to pieces."

Turning back to the boulder, David was now more determined than ever to climb it. Retaking his handholds, he chose different spots to put his feet. After a mental countdown, he strained, using mostly his upper body to pull himself up onto the rock, not noticing the steady trickle of blood down his forearm from a gash near his elbow. Managing to haul himself up onto the rock, David turned back to the girl and grinned. "Nice to meet you, Halley," he said, trying to sound more cheerful than he felt. "I'm David."

She was a very attractive girl, there could be no doubt about that. So, he made a real effort not to start. It was probably bad enough having guys her own age staring at her unabashedly without someone 5 or more years older than her ogling her as well. He did notice, however, the heart pendant she held in her hand. It reminded him of something he'd given his sister for her birthday a few years ago.

OOC: Sorry for the short bleckness of this post. Muse is running low. [/blockquote][/size]

[harley]

Laughing at his comment, she looked him over once again, noticing the steady stream of blood on his arm. “Um, you’re uh, bleeding.” She said, walking out of the water to meet him at the side of the bolder he sat upon. “Looks like you worked a little too hard to get up there, huh?” She said with a giggle. Suddenly her once fiery, fierce eyes turned icy and cold, almost seeming to glaze over; a blast from the past…

“ He was sitting on a large rock, in the middle of the desert. A young girl danced at his feet, pots in her hands. The young girl was about five or six, her blue eyes and blond hair were bright and shinning. She continued to dance, banging the pots together, chanting something. “Think that worked, Daddy?” She asked the man, in a voice comparable to a Tellitubby. The young girl wore a silver heart pendant around her neck, placed on a delicate silver chain. “You think she’ll be happy in heaven now, Daddy?” The little girl asked, the man on the rock, presumably her father, nodded with watery eyes. “What’s wrong, Daddy?” She asked, clambering up on the rock with him.

The man held her close to his chest, grazing her head with his chin. “I’ll miss your Mommy, Halls.” He said, blond hair at age thirty was already thinning, and his health declining. Blue eyes resembled those of his daughter’s, while the girl had her mother’s nose and sense of humor.”

Coming back to reality, she found herself grasping the necklace like she would if someone she loved dearly was falling off a cliff. She dropped it, eyes going back to their normal state, and looking towards her right hand, where there was a perfect indent from the pendant. She sat down on the ground next to the large bolder, still in her white bikini, her blonde hair and upper body still dry as bone. Looking out over the water, she spotted boats, jet skis and people get hauled by both types of water vehicles, either in circular tubes or water skis.

Looking to the top of the rock, as if looking for a long lost relative to lean on, she watched the man, a single tear falling from her left eye. Unmarked body crumbled over, her back slouching over her outstretched legs. The young woman needed someone to lean on, and with her dad back up to a good health, and her mom gone, she had no one. Shaking her head, she stood, leaning on the rock for support as she collected herself. It had been years since the last one of these; why had her memory chosen this moment to show her a fragment of itself?

She looked herself over, noticing nothing wrong with herself besides the impression on her hand. Last time she had cut herself with a nearby pen, and had felt nothing and there was no one around to ask what happened, and the only thing she remembered was the flashback. This was when she was sixteen, young, naïve and stupid.

[jay]

David looked down at Halley, confused when she informed him he was bleeding. He then looked at his arm and noticed the blood dripping slowly from his hand in thick drops. "Well, I'll be damned," he mumbled, twisting his arm to look at the gash near his elbow. "Would ya look at that. Musta smashed myself on those rocks harder than I thought." The cut wasn't all that deep in the end, but it was fairly long. David pulled a red bandanna from his back pocket, where he always kept one just in case, and quickly tied it around his arm, covering the wound.

While he was dressing his wound, he noticed that her eyes had glazed over slightly. With her hesitancy in telling him he was bleeding and this sudden change, David was worried that the sight of blood might make the poor girl faint. But, after watching her for a few moments, he realized that she was lost in a completely separate train of thought. He had been about to say something when she sat down rather suddenly and bent over as if she was hurt or about to be sick.

Reacting instinctively, David jumped down off the boulder, just barely managing to keep his balance and avoid falling again. He had seen the tear fall down her face and felt his own heart wrench. 'I know how you feel, beautiful,' he thought miserably. He made his way over to her as she stood and leaned against the rock. Gently, he reached out and laid his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, you ok?" he asked, his face conveying nothing but deep concern for this girl he had just met.

[harley]

The girl nodded at the man's question, eyes falling to his arm, where a red bandanna was now placed. "Yeah, I'm good." She said, wiping her blue crystal eyes. "I should sit down for a minute though." Sitting back down on the rocks, she breathed deeply, hands framing her fairy-like face. She thought about the sudden flashback, and what had a chance of triggering it. It had been the rock, and someone sitting upon it, the holding of her mother’s necklace, and maybe even the thought of her father minutes before. She remembered the date, and where she was, along with her name, so nothing should be wrong besides the sudden lack of energy.

Standing back up after about two minutes of sitting, Halley smiled weakly, laughing at her own stupidity. “I’m guessing you don’t have the best of luck, huh?” The girl herself had seen better days, when she was younger, in eighth grade and voted for Queen for the valentine’s day dance, in a field of over three hundred other girls. In high school, she was Prom Queen twice, during her modeling time, but before she hit it big. She had dated in school, but not seriously, most were just really good friends who just happened to be guys.

[jay]

David crouched beside Halley when she sat down. He was no doctor, so he had no idea what was wrong with her. But, she didn't appear to be in any pain, so he assumed that she was just feeling dizzy or something. Still, he was feeling a little awkward sitting next to her silently. But, what was he supposed to say anyway? He didn't know her and she didn't know him. They just happened to be at the same part of the lake today.

When the girl stood again, David rose slowly from his crouched position. His leg muscles protested and his knees popped after being compressed, but other than that he stood fine. When she teased him about his luck, David scratched at the back of his neck with a shrug and sheepish grin. "Yea, I guess you could say that," he admitted, "I'm not the most graceful guy around. But, it doesn't take much grace to lug a wheelbarrow full of crap from point A to point B."

[/blockquote][/color]

ooc: Sorry for the shortness. Low on muse.

[harley]

Halley didn't mind the presence of a stranger when in her strange state. She laughed at his comment, her hair out of its high-set ponytail and bent her neck forward, snapping it back with a quick nudge of the neck and head, putting the hair band on her dainty wrist. Smiling she held out her hand for a proper greeting. She stood about as tall as the man, and at eye level, she looked directly inter his eyes, like she was in the middle of an important conversation.

“I should get back on the road. I’m looking for a place to board my gelding that’s under three hundred dollars. I’m bustin’ the bank as it is with the move over here.” She laughed a little, the sound of twinkling bells filling the air again, eyes going back to their natural, cheery state. It was also about time to call her dad up again, but she never liked to use her phone while driving, so he’d have to wait until she got home. “Thanks for everything, David. We should meet somewhere sometime. No bars though, I’m only eighteen.” She laughed jokingly, blinking her eyes twice.

OOC://Sorry, low on muse \\

[jay]

David looked down at her offered hand for a moment. They'd already introduced themselves, so a handshake at this point seemed kind of pointless to him. But, still, he didn't want to be impolite, so he reached out and took her small hand in his calloused palm. He shook it firmly, but gently before releasing it. He had the hands of a farmer and a manly handshake. Her hands certainly weren't those of a farmer.

When she mentioned looking for a place to board her horse, David perked up slightly. He'd lost all his boarders after his father's death since the ranch had dropped to nearly zero functionality. Now that he was slowly feeling back to his old self, he would be looking for boarders again. "Well, you could always check out my place," he suggested with a shrug. "Generally my board is $400 per month, but if you're willing to do your bit in cleaning and stuff with gelding I could cut you a deal until you get back on your feet." Cutting a deal would make things tight for David, but they'd still be better than they were with no boarders.

When she mentioned that she was only eighteen, David had to work very hard to keep his jaw from dropping. She was a bit younger than he thought. Great... just great. If word got around town that he was making passes at minors he'd likely wring someone's neck. Rumors were the last thing he needed floated around with all the stress he was under. "Well, you name a time and place then," he said with a grin. "I'm up for just about anywhere.Except a club or something. I don't dance."

[harley]

Halley laughed silently at the hesitation of the handshake. Smiling widely like a chesire cat, noticing the rough hands of the most likely older man, but he couldn't be more than three years. Twenty-one, right? Ohwell, age is just a number, right? Maybe not, but it didn't matter to the young girl of eighteen.

Hair moving to the right side of her head with the gentle breeze. Nodding her head, she replied to his statment about boarding. "Money's a bit tight, I can hardly afford three hundred, but I'll do all the cleaning, and maybe help you out with cleaning up the barn and stuff if you need it." Money had been a little too tight for the girl, hardly making enough money for herself without it going to her animals or rent. She'd only gone grocery shopping once this month so far, and had mostly went into stores to get free samples on things for lunch. A little diversity couldn't hurt, could it?

Not noticing anything out of the ordinary, she figured the man knew she was under twenty, as it seemed everyone did, of course they said twenty, but try two years younger. She smiled again, bubbly personality pushing through. "Sounds good. You should expect me at your place later today to check things out." She crinkled her nose at the sudden change of smell. Someone was barbequeing, and it smelled dee-lish. "That good enough for now?" She asked playfully, walking back to her sandy spot to pull on her shorts and shirt, before folding up her towel and putting her sunglasses over her face, mile-long legs outfitted with loafers making their way over to the rock where she'd last seen the man.

[jay]

David listened as Halley offered to do all the cleaning for her horse's care and even some extra if he needed the help. Unfortunately, David knew he might just need the help. With no income he couldn't hire any ranch hands yet. And if she was willing to help him out then he might be able to cut her an even better deal. He knew about money being tight. Having the whole ranch to care for by himself plus his own two horses made things a little difficult, but he was still managing to get by.

With an inward groan, David realized that he still had yet to work either of his horses. And that would make it 3 days since either had been actually worked. That could only mean a disgusting amount of energy that would need to be worked off. That was just one of many reasons to get home soon.

When she mentioned that she might stop by later to check the place out, David grinned. "Sounds like a plan," he said, glancing out over the water. "And speaking of my place, I'd better get back there. Still got a lot to do today. It was nice meeting you, Halley. See you later."

[harley]

Halley thought she herself should also get going, take a quick See you later, David." She said, walking up the rocky beach to get the the fully-packed sand beach, swerving her way around towels and ducking more than once to avoid either some kind of ball or the occasional frisbee.

Finally getting to her car after what seemed like a mile-long walk, she unlocked the doors with the remote on her keys, the car beeping when she pressed the "unlock" button twice. She opened the door and plopped right inside, then closed the door behind her. The keys were placed in the ignition and the engine turned on, shortly followed by the radio and rolling down of all four windows. She quickly backed out of her space and drove the the ranger's station, showing her recipe, she drove away, and towards her friendly little apartment, where both dog and cat were waiting.

OOC://Closed after you post?\\

[jay]

OOC:
Might as well.

IC:
David was glad she didn't offer any objections to his having to get going. For some reason he had thought she might get all clingy and want him to stay a little longer. But, he might just be losing his mind too.

"See you," he replied, kicking himself for his unoriginality. Oh well, what was to be expected? He only met her, and it's not like there was anything going on. They were simply parting ways before meeting up at his place later to talk business. God that sounded awful....

With a sigh, David turned and picked his way across the rocks and back to the path he'd taken to get down there. Once he reached the path, he walked along it slowly until reaching the smaller parking lot of the lake where his old beat-up pickup was waiting for him like a faithful dog. He opened the door and smiled at the familiar squeak from the hinges before getting in and turning the engine over. It was time to go home.