Hunted part 2, keeper of the woods, written by Naomi Finn.

Derek came to see me a month before my mother died.

Although he's my brother's son, Derek is a year older than me, so our relationship was

like that of cousins, more than Aunt Nephew.

Growing up in my hometown of Willard Springs, we were close, but he graduated high school

and spent a year away at college before realizing that an advanced education wasn't for him.

He came home at the end of the spring semester and began working on my father's farm and

time to wish me a fun farewell as I packed up my international scout and moved to St. Louis

Missouri.

I don't really know why I chose St. Louis.

Chicago would have been a more logical place given our location.

Minneapolis would have made sense as well.

I think I felt like they were not far enough removed from Willard Springs.

Big cities like New York and LA were too far removed, and St. Louis felt right and here

I've lived for the past 40 years.

At the time of Derek's visit I had been home exactly once.

That was when my grandfather died.

I was blessed to have good and loving parents and a large, closely-knit family, but my

universe centered around granddaddy.

I followed him wherever he went and mimicked his every move and did my best to model myself

after him.

My name is you Lely Jane, after my granny who died before I was born.

...