Evening Strolls

    Marion stared out the large window. Her eyes set on the snow covered forest. She watched a small white rabbit, barely noticeable, and watched as it carefully made its way through the treacherous surroundings. Her grandfather, still peacefully puffing on his pipe, watched her standing before the window.
    Where has the time gone? he thought. It seemed like it was only yesterday that he had taken her into his home. But he knew that she would soon be leaving him. It would only be three years before she would leave this house for schooling and her own life.
    Marion suddenly screamed, jumping away from the window. Her grandfather bounced up from his chair. He moved with amazing ease considering his age. Quickly, he moved to where his grand-daughter stood.
    "What’s wrong?" he asked, looking at her fear-stricken face.     Marion said nothing. She couldn’t. She was breathing far too fast, and her grandfather assumed that her heart was beating a mile a minute.
    He stepped toward the window, ready for whatever had terrified the girl.
    He looked outside, bracing himself, and saw nothing but the small rabbit scurrying off into the forest. He looked at his granddaughter with an air of confusion.
    Seeing the expression on the man's face, Marion made her way to the window as he walked away, muttering something incoherently. Just then, she screamed again.
    The old man spun around, only to see a ski mask-covered face peering into the room. You little shit! he thought, his mind registering who their assailant was. He couldn’t help but chuckle.
    Hearing the sounds of her grandfather’s laughter, Marion turned toward him, then back to the window.
    "I’ll kill him!" she shouted, running to the front door, tearing at her jacket and taking off after the shadowed figure trying to escape her fury.
    "Marion, don’t hurt him..." was all her grandfather could say before the door slammed shut. He stepped toward the window and watched as his grand-daughter raced toward her assailant and tackled him like a pro football player. "Oh are you ever in for it now," he muttered, watching his grand-daughter drag the struggling snow-covered figure back to the house.
    Henry Stone watched in amusement as his grand-daughter showed no mercy toward her friend. She opened the front door and threw him into the entrance, giving him a few more scrapes and bruises to match those from her tackle.
    "Hello mister Stone," said the teenager as the old man walked into the entrance, only to see Marion take the boy by the collar and lift him until he could stand.
    "Hello, Daniel. Out for an evening stroll I suppose," he said, casually puffind away on his pipe.
    "Well, it was such a beautiful evening. I didn’t want to stay cooped-up in that house," said the boy as he took off his coat.
    "So, you decided to come and scare the living crap out of me?" shouted Marion, anger boiling over with each word.
    "Well, I had nothing else planned for this fine evening so I thought I’d come and pay you a visit," said Daniel as Marion walked past him, heading toward the den.
    "Daniel," started the old man slowly. "You could have chosen a more suitable way to say hello."
    "Such as?" inquired the boy with a smirk.
    "Try knocking next time, Daniel." The white-haired man answered a little sternly. "You’ll have fewer wounds that way," he finished as he pointed out the bruise on Daniel’s jaw.
    "But it’s just so much more amusing this way," said the boy as he followed the old man into the den.