The wind howled, its force great and Alle couldn't help but shudder. She sighed, hands shaking uncontrollably as she tried to calm her her quick sporadic breaths. Closing her eyes, she hoped against hoped against hope that maybe they wouldn't find her, that maybe they'd give up and go home, that maybe they're finally gotten tired of picking on her.
"Come out, come out, where ever you are!" they taunted, voices uneven, menacing, as if they enjoyed the extremity of the young woman's fear.
Alle could hear the coming closer, their heavy steps crunching the soft autumn leaves below, destroying what shed imagined was a beautiful assortment of vibrant color.
"Come on Forster, we just wanna have some fun." Someone called out, unstable laughter erupting from the group.
"Please, please don't let them find me." She prayed, careful to be still and not give away her position from behind the large oak tree, for that would mean obvious disaster.
--
Jesse Tuck stared at the well kempt grave disbelief clearly portrayed in his countenance.
She was gone. These were the only words that would reveal themselves in the depths of his mind, those three small words that seemed so powerful.
Winnie Foster, the girl whom he loved, the only girl whom he would ever love, had passes away, old and sick.
He could not imagine it. Winnie Foster, lying in her bed, aged. He could not imagine the straw white hair, tasseled from months of stationary activity on a bed. He could not imagine the contours of her face, wrinkled and dry, or her lips, chapped and unkissed. He couldn't imagine it at all, nor did he want to. For him to dwell in his pain would be his destruction.
Why did she not drink the water, he cursed, silent tears slowly making their way to the surface as he traced the words of the limestone headstone with numb fingers.
Winnie Foster Jacobson
She Saved The Lives Of Many
1899-1999
It was almost too much too bare, eternal life without Winnie Foster, or better yet, life at all. He couldn't. He wouldn't. He refused to live without her. Life without Winnie was no life at all. But he couldn't die. He couldn't be with her.
A pained sob escaped his throat and his hands couldn't help but tighten into a fist.
He had never even said goodbye, he thought as he flicked away his hot tears. There was only one thing to do, he thought, he had to say goodbye. He had to...no. He would be with her. He would go to the forest and be with her the only way he could.
Straightening what he could of his composure, he made his way to the forest, or rather, the park they had created since his departure. He would be with Winnie once more.
--
Alle hissed, trying to ignore the pain she felt burning around her wrist like a hot coil. They, had caught her minutes previous when she had attempted to run away, only to have tripped over a large rock, leaving plenty of time for her pursuers to catch up to her.
"Please let me go." She pleaded, hot tear threatening to dribble from her eyes as her assailant tighten his grip.
"But Alle, we were just trying to help you. You should be thanking us for helping you up, right boys?" he asked, as his group grunted in agreement.
Alle could feel her knees grow weak, her resolve lessening with defeat. They would never let her go now. Not when they had her where they wanted her.
"Jaime, it hurts. Ouch!" she screeched as she felt someone grab her other arm, pulling her to him roughly.
"Yeah Jaime, she doesn't want you. Come one darling, lets go away together, just the two of us. Bet we could find some place nice and quiet." He told her with a slow drawl as she felt someone's hand slip up her leg and somewhere beneath the knee length dress she wore.
"No," she yelled indignantly, "leave me alone!"
Suddenly, she could feel he wind being knocked out of her and she forced herself to get up, to get on her feet, bracing herself on the oak tree they had thrown her against.
"Come one guys, no more playing around." Jamie said as they all near closer. A strangled cry escaped Alle and she closed her eyes, still hoping still wishing that someone would save her.
"Hey! Stop it!" someone called from a distance, as they charged towards the teens, his steps angered and rapid.
"Come on, let's go." Jamie cried as he pushed Alle to the ground before departing.
Alle coughed, trying to force he lungs to work after having the wind knocked out of her. She could feel the stranger beside her, kneeling, worried, his hand on her shoulder as he tried to help her sit up.
"Hey are you okay? Those guys were pretty rough." He asked, running his hand up and down her arm in a comforting gesture.
"Yes," Alle replied breathlessly as she tried to assess the damage mentally, "I...I think I'm okay."
"What happened?"
"Oh," she began, head bowed in shame, "they were just picking on me. It's all right, I'm used to it. I guess they have reason to, seeing as I'm..."
"Hey, it's never all right to pick on someone smaller than you are." He responded, voice soft, as he ran his hand through her hair, in a way an adult would with a child when they were frightened.
"I guess..." she answered uncertainly as a sudden stab of pain raked across her forced, forcing her to release another hiss.
"You're hurt. Here let me see," he replied as he raised her head, finally catching sight of her distinguishing features.
He could make out the shoulder length brown hair, soft he reflected, he visage, her lips, exactly the same...but it was her eyes that reminded him or her. They were so pure, so innocent, shy, but so full of life. But there was something else there, a fear he had never seen in his Winnie that this girl possessed.
"What's you name?" he asked, his voice not louder than a whisper, his thumb rubbing Alle's skin gently as his rough hand cupped he cheek.
"My..." she tried for she could hardly speak. She was entranced by the strange young man before her, hypnotized by his eyes and warm touch.
"Your name." He repeated, almost desperately.
"Alle, I-I mean Alice. Alice Foster." She answered just as quietly as she had asked, seeing something change in his eyes.
She didn't know who this man was, but there was something about him that drew her to him.