Prologue Part One
<b>1860, Texas</b>
Eyes, pools of blue the depth of the unexplored oceans. Hair, a sun kissed waterfall of gold with copper shades expertly woven between locks as though they were undiscovered treasures. Skin, dotted with freckles, which became denser in the areas that caught the most sun. She was the most beautiful woman Major Elias Hathway had ever laid eyes on. Granted, the youngest Major in the south hadn't previously spared much of a glance at women as they passed by him. He concentrated on climbing the ranks within the military.
Della. Her name was Della. He once heard her speaking to a shopkeeper while he rode by on his steed. It was a fond memory.
"Good Morning, Ernest" Della beamed brightly at the older man as he reached to stock the top shelves, his grasp shaky with his age.
Ernest turned quickly, shock evident on his face. Ernest was a father figure to those who knew him in Houston. He was a very tanned individual, after spending many an afternoon in the sun, with an accent than no one had ever been able to place. His brown eyes glistened whenever he spoke about his family or work. He spent his spare hours writing up research he had collected into worn journals.
He smiled warmly when he saw the young woman approach.
"Mornin', Della, Dear." She carefully placed a blue, leather bound book on the table in front of him. It had a couple of pages missing and many unexplainable stains throughout.
"I just came to return this. It was a very interesting read." She glanced at the floor as she said this, uncomfortable with social interactions yet still wanting to converse with the man.
"Thank you, dear" He paused briefly, contemplating what to say next. "What did you think about my… later theories?"
The young woman flushed under his gaze. "You mean the undead sirens? Well it was a very interesting idea, although, not much evidence to prove the theory to be reality just yet, Ernest."
"I thought you would say that." Ernest sighed, turning away to restock the lower shelves.
Their conversation continued while Elias tied up his horse to drink. He swept his dark locks from his face as he listened intently to the pair and found the theories they discussed to be strange but extremely interesting. He had never heard anything like it before. Undead sirens? He supposed that meant they attract men and use them for their own gains… or even kill them? That thought, he wasn't too sure about. It was interesting nonetheless.
As the conversation was finishing, Elias leant against the wall of the shop just through the door, acting as casual as possible and browsing the shelves even though he was extremely guilty of listening in.
Della began to leave with a friendly wave, now carrying an emerald green leather journal, in the same worn condition as the blue one she had returned.
"Good Morning, Sir" She smiled brightly at the Major as she noticed him and carried on with her day.
He watched her leave, his face now a pale shade of pink and sweat beginning to bead on his forehead, due to the late morning heat of course.
Elias smiled to himself at the memory. He was sure this girl had been destined as the love of his life. She gave him the feeling of love like no other woman could ever give him. Her beauty surpassed that of anyone else in his eyes. She was perfect.
The time they met properly and became friends was another fond memory. There had been a birthday celebration for Ernest that everyone who knew and cared about him attended. Elias had been invited personally by the man, as a guest, for his service to the people and military.
It was upon arrival that he saw Della, in all her glory, dressed in the most beautiful plum cotton gown, covering most of her skin as was appropriate. She smiled and conversed freely with the townspeople, ruffling the brown hair of a young boy who looked to be around nine and was clearly going through a growth spurt.
As she glanced up and saw Elias standing awkwardly around the edge of the gathering, she chose to converse with the young Major. She sidled her way through the crowd gracefully, her course clear in mind.
"Major Hathway, it's lovely to see you" She smiled shyly, her previous confidence disappearing now she was in his presence.
"It's a pleasure, Miss Flores" He wanted to chuckle at her nervous demeanor but chose not to embarrass the young woman further. They stood together in a comfortable silence, watching the events of the celebration unfold.
As the night grew on, the two spoke about their lives, hobbies and family. Della quickly realized that the Major was a slave to the military; however, this couldn't possibly put her off. She was in too deep at this point. Over the course of the night, she knew her feelings for the Major were significant enough to speak to him many times more and make the effort to do so.
Elias learned quickly that Della had no significant family, choosing to adopt the morals and values of Ernest and his family. He hadn't before realized how close Della and Ernest really were. Although, you can't learn too much about a person from rare glances, smiles and polite greetings. Elias had always kept a distance from the beautiful woman until now.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
WriteOrFlight
WriteOrFlight Hello Readers!
I've never really posted any of my work properly like this. I've always written stories and such to keep to myself or share with close friends. So, feedback would be nice and the correction of any errors but please be respectful.
Thank you.