Nicola woke up confused. She was sure something was amiss, or something significant had happened to her recently, but she couldn't quite think what. It was probably just some half remembered dream, she figured. Something involving a witch seemed to ring a few vague bells.
Getting out of bed and opening the curtains gave her no clue to anything being any different than how it should be. The farm looked as peaceful and idyllic as always, and there wasn't another soul around. Running a farm alone at such a young age wasn't an easy job, and it didn't even really fit with Nicola's ambitious, impatient and somewhat abrasive personality. But somehow it felt like what she was supposed to be doing.
Having dressed, Nicola strolled outside and took in the crisp, fresh air. These early starts didn't really suit her either, but it had to be done. She tried to remember what it was that had made her want to be a farmer in the first place, but she didn't have a clue. It was just what she was.
As she began her daily chores, nothing seemed out of place. But something strange did happen once she made it as far as the animal pens. James, one of her pigs, immediately ran to the bars of the pen where he and a few other porcine creatures resided. He was snorting and squealing as if he was in some distress and trying to get her attention.
"What's the matter boy?" Nicola crouched down, stroking his back gently, which seemed to calm James a little.
Still, he continued snorting animatedly at the farm girl as if he were trying to tell her something. It was strange and hard to explain, but Nicola felt this particular pig was more a friend than livestock, that somehow she and James shared a bond. It was a ridiculous notion of course, what did she have in common with a boar? Still, the feeling lingered.
As she walked away James continued to snort desperately at her. What was up with him today? Then she began to remember.