The Deadly Forest

Jadyn absolutely loved the forest. Full of natural beauty, it was her favorite place to draw. She came here almost everyday, lost in her art. Her favorite place was the creek. it was a good 30 minute walk, but it was most definitely worth it. Her best drawings were here. The turquoise and ripples of the water, the trees reflected in it- she loved it. She was so caught up in her thoughts about what she would draw next, she jumped when she found a boy there, reading a book. She stared at him for a minute, twisting her naturally white hair in her fingers. The boy couldn't have been much older then her. Finally, she shouted to him, "Whatchya readin'?" Her thin German accent making the slang sound dumb.

Jadyn looked at his outstretched hand, shrugged, and shook it. "Jadyn Christine, Daughter of Melinoe." Jadyn half- expected him to jump at her mothers name. The daughter of the queen of ghosts..... not exactly someone you would mingle with. At that, she plopped down at on a rock across from him, and put her sketchbook in her lap.

Jadyn laughed silently at his obvious discomfort. She watched as he finished the book, and stare down at the last page. "Gods, that book has to be very interesting, with you rereading that page over and over." Then she flipped open her sketchbook with one graceful move, and started to draw her shoes- the only thing that she could see if she kept her head down, trying to stay clear of eye contact.

Jadyn looked up at him and grinned. "You like it?" She asked, holding up a photograph-looking picture of her converse shoes. When she saw his hand on his sword, she looked up at him. "Do you need help?" She asked. He didn't even need to say; all of the spirits surrounding him spoke it out clearly. Of course, he couldn't see them. If he could, he probably be dazed by the sight of the blood from the battle wounds and missing parts everywhere. Another thing she hated about being the daughter of a ghost queen: the ghosts.

Jadyn studied Adam for a minute. Through out that minute, her smile grew wider and wider. "First of all, you didn't look like you were going to attack me. Second of all, if you did, I could totally kick your butt." She watched as he played with the dirt. She smiled up at him. "Dear Lord, you really aren't good at talking at people, are you?" Jadyn looked away. "Its alright I think this is the longest convo I've had with a living person, anyway." After she said it, she froze. 'Really, Jadyn? She thought. 'why in the name of Zeus would you say that? Its not like everyone talks to the dead.' Jadyn silently counted the seconds until he ran off.

Jadyn nodded with relief. "Well, if you want me to add this to my records.... you talk." She made a 'go on' gesture and smiled politely at him, waiting for him to start.

Jadyn was so fascinated by the weapon, she nearly fell over. Ten she realized she was getting off topic. "Wow," she said soundlessly. Then she looked at Adam's face. "Ok, what else?"

"Um, I was born in Ohio. I used to have a country accent... and I like horses." Adam really didn't know what else to say. What was he supposed to say? Nothing, he would just like to say nothing. He was being forced to say stuff, and he just wanted to shut his own mouth. He tapped the butt of the spear on the log, it returned to a 12 inch ruler. Adam put it back into the scabbard. He sat back down, looking at his hands like they were interesting.

Jadyn stared at him sideways. His discomfort was so thick, she was sure she could cut it with her knife. "Well, I suppose its time to introduce myself. I'm from Germany, as if that isn't obvious enough. I grew up with my good-for-nothing dad in a town of 250 people." She started to play with the hidden dog tags around her neck. "I've lived here since I was 8, and I can see ghost- including the one playing with your hair."

Jadyn wasn't lying about the ghost, so she didn't laugh when he told it to stop. She did laugh, however, when Adam shook his head, and the ghost- a young women who suffered a knife to the throat- got annoyed. "So, Adam," Stretching the 'M" out in his name, "why did you decide to stop in at the dark side of the woods on this very fine day?"

"I like to come here and draw," Jadyn said, sweeping her hand around. She then got up, her back facing Adam, and sat at the very edge of the water, dipping her already cold hand into the freezing water.

"Your a good artist." He said, glancing at the photo-like drawing of her shoes. The best thing he had ever drawn was a cartoon of his mom that kind of looked like a sideways alien dog monkey thing... In other words, he was not an artist. And he liked it that way.

"Thanks." Jadyn didn't want to tell him that she began to draw like that when she was four.... after she saw her first ghost. An ugly, bloody thing, with ruby red blood pouring from a cut on its stomach. She drew it out, and has been making art ever since. She spun around, cross legged, facing him. She stared at him, and then started to see the angles of his face, and the way his gray eyes sparkled in harmony with his golden armour and... damn it. She hated to do this, to get lost staring at someone or something, thinking about how she would draw them. She tore her eyes away from him, staring at the ground, and hoped he hadn't noticed.

Jadyn could tell he was having an argument inside his own head. It was as if he was saying something, hoping it to be true... but ending up different. After years of living on the sidelines, Jadyn had gotten good at reading faces. She had to admit, he was cute- in the messy hair, shy kind of way. She really wanted to draw him.