Hi guys! Remember me? I decided to take my mind off of Simabelle for a second and write this. Give this a chance, mm'kay? This is not your ordinary story :)
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
One
"Are you going to be okay there?" My mom, Jocelyn Fray, asks me. I look up at her, pausing my tying of shoes. My mom is a very beautiful woman who can pass up as my sister. She has long, wavy auburn hair- always put up in a bun held by a pencil, but now, it's down and she looks more beautiful because of it. She's wearing a white t-shirt underneath her paint-splattered overalls. She's a painter- and a good at that also. Her green eyes are steady and her lips are curled into a smile. A Barbie doll. She looks like a Barbie doll.
I smile back at her. "Of course I am. Uncle Luke would take care of me, like always."
"Don't forget your luggage on the train, okay? Don't zone out and miss your stop." She reminds me.
I stand up and turn to her, "Jeez mom, I'm 17 already. Besides, I've been going there every year, I'll be alright."
She nods and hands me a pretty-looking hat with a pink ribbon embellishment. "Here. So you don't get heat stroke."
I shake my head. "I'm fine." I hug her and she kisses the top of my head. I go out and she waves at me.
"See you soon!"
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.
.
I sit down and wait at the bus stop. The weather is good today. The sun's shining, the birds are merrily chirping, the wind is blowing calmly. I smile as I let my thoughts wander to where it all started.
The first time I met him…
Every summer, my mom makes me go at Uncle Luke's farm house. To relax, unwind, take off my mind from the urban-ness of the city.
I was eight years old when I got bored and decided to wander into the forest. Uncle Luke told me not to go there for it is dangerous. He told me many spirits lurk there. It's called the forest of the mountain God. But I was curious and had nothing to do, so I went there.
The forest was not scary-looking at all. As I walked, I scrutinized everything; from the tree-roots, the grass, the pretty flowers on the forest floor. I was hoping to bump into someone, a person or a… spirit. But to my disappointment, I did not.
After three hours of aimlessly walking, I finally realized I was lost. I was lost and couldn't find my way back. I sat down under a tree and began to cry. My body was tired from all the walking and I was scared and lonely.
I was just eight years old. Who can blame me?
So I sat there for a good five minutes, bawling. Hoping someone would hear my cries. But I know that was useless, I was deep in the forest. No one would hear me.
And then I heard it.
"Psst. Little Mundie."
A voice. A human voice! I look up and saw him- standing behind a tree, a few feet from me. He was wearing a cat mask, covering entirely his face, but I know he's a he. From his voice, and from his clothes. A white polo shirt and jeans. His hair was blonde. He looked like he's fifteen or sixteen from his height.
"Little Mundie. Why are you crying?" He asked.
I sniffed and without thinking, ran up to him shouting, "It's a person! I'M SAVED!"
He side-stepped when I was near him and I tripped, falling down face first. I laid there, motionless for a few second before sitting up, shaking the leaves out of my short red hair, and then glared at him. Meanie.
"I'm sorry." He said.
I was still glaring at him when he said, "You're a human child, right?"
I was surprised. Of course I'm human! I stared at him- at his mask, rather. The lips on the mask was curled upwards. Smiling.
"If a human touches me, I'll disappear." He stated.
Huh? "If a human? You're not… human?" I asked.
"I'm… something that lives in this forest."
That brightened me up. If he's not human… "Then you're one of the spirits?" My voice was excited.
He didn't say anything.
I frowned, remembering his words. "But what do you mean by disappear?"
He still didn't answer.
Out of curiosity, I reached out to him. He moved away. I didn't know what was I thinking, but suddenly, I was chasing him. I was so focused on reaching him, touching him- to see what he meant by his words, that I did not see him bend down and grab something so fast.
I was having fun already when suddenly, something hit my head. I fell down on my face again.
He hit me! With a stray branch!
"Y-You're not human a-after all." I muttered, rubbing my forehead. "No human would hit a child like that!"
"To disappear means to be obliterated." He finally said.
I sat up and looked at him, the pain finally gone. He was looking away, at something only he could see.
"That's the spell the mountain God placed on me." He continued. "If a human touches me… that's the end."
I understood. I was stupid. "I-I'm sorry."
"Here, Mundie." He offered me the other end of his branch. "You're lost, aren't you? I'll lead you out of the forest."
I was so overwhelmed with joy. With joy that finally, I'm gonna get home that without thinking- with a smile so big, I stood up and reached up to hug him.
"Thank you!"
I thought I caught him by surprise. I never saw him move, but then the branch was above me and pain hit me on the top of my head.
He hit me again!
"Didn't I just tell you?" He was breathing heavily.
I rolled around. The pain… "Sorry, I just-"
Stupid.
.
.
.
After calming down, we began walking. He was holding the left end of the branch, I was holding out the other. I was happy.
"It's just like going on a date!" I told him.
How naïve and childish I was.
"Not a very romantic one." He muttered.
For a few minutes we were silent, and then he said, "You aren't afraid."
I looked up at him, smiling. "Of what?"
"Never mind."
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.
"If you go straight, you'll hit the mountain path." He told me. He was facing me, a few feet away. "Bye."
That's it? "Are you always gonna be here? If I come back, can we meet again?"
I was hoping he would say yes to me. I was glad to have found a friend, spirit or not.
"This is the forest where the mountain God and spirits live. Set foot within, and you'll lose your way forever." He answered. "You can't come here. That's what they say, right?"
The wind blew softly around us. I smiled. "I'm Clary Fray. You?"
He didn't speak again. Just looked at me.
The wind continued to blow softly, making my hair flutter.
A few moments passed and we were still silent, still looking at each other, until I thought I saw something behind the holes of the mask for the eyes. I took a step back. "Anyway, I'll be back tomorrow with a thank you present. Bye!"
I began to run. I don't know… I was sad he didn't tell me his name. And I was bothered. By what, I don't know.
"It's Jace."
I stopped in my tracks and looked back at him.
He was gone.
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.
.
"Clary!"
I was walking home and I saw Uncle Luke not far from me. I cheered up immediately. "Uncle!"
I ran up to him to hug him but he poked me lightly on the head, stopping me. What's with my head?
"Clary! If you go into the forest on your own and get hurt, what are you going to do?"
I didn't hear him. I was just happy to see him.
.
.
.
My uncle was holding my hand while we were walking. I remembered Jace and his branch suddenly. A thought began to form in my head.
"Uncle." I said.
"Huh?"
"Is it true that there are spirits living in the forest?"
"Oh.. The mountain God's forest. Who knows? That's what they say." He answered. "When I was little, I wanted to meet the spirits, so my friends and I went into the forest often. In the end, I never met any, but I had the feeling I'd occasionally spot something from the corner of my eye."
From my mind, I saw Jace. His mask piqued my curiosity. Why was his face hidden behind it? Does he look like a ghost? Or a monster? Was his face that scary?
"On summer nights, you could hear the sounds of the river coming from the forest." He continued. "And now that I think about it, Maryse said she and her friends went and had fun at a summer festival in the forest. But there's no way the villagers would've held a festival inside the forest. So then, whose festival could it have been? It started this crazy story that they must've snuck into a festival for the spirits."
Spirit festival? Does Jace attend that? I thought, still looking at my uncle.
He laughed. "Man, that takes me back! We were so stupid back when we were kids."
I stayed silent, letting nostalgia envelope my uncle.
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That night, I tossed and turned on my bed, unable to sleep. I stared at the ceiling, and found it weird that the patterns on it were like Jace's mask. I thought back to what he said.
This is the forest where the mountain God and the spirits live. Set foot within, and you'll lose your way forever.
I looked at the strange pattern on the ceiling again and that seemed to comfort me. I fell asleep in seconds.
What do you think? Too fast? Good? Bad? Should I continue this?
*This is going to be a three-shot. And for once, Jace isn't a Shadowhunter. Or a mundane. How cool is that?
*The others, Izzy, Alec, Magnus… they're not going to be here in this story :( Bummer. Simon is, though! Watch out for him.
Reviews are accepted, in fact they are encouraged. Stay with me people.
See ya next chapter!