7

HUGE gratitude to Savvy...you have no idea how much that review brightened my day...here's the next chapter..enjoy.


Cedric was just thinking, jumping across roofs with his impossibly long legs, when he spotted her. A human standing on the edge of a roof top.

He sprinted towards her. She took a step.

"NOOOO!!" he yelled.


She was about to go over the edge when she heard a cry.

"NOOOO!!" someone yelled. She stopped and turned around. A little too fast, as she tipped over the edge. She screamed as she started to fall.

But before she knew it, strong arms lifted her back up, and set her down safely on the rooftop.


Cedric, without thinking, grabbed the human's hand and lifted it up. He set it down gently.

"Are you okay?" he asked. He may be the Pumpkin Prince, but he had a heart, and he genuinely was concerned about this human. How strange...


She shook her head. "I'm...okay...thank you. But I was planning to jump."

The tall, odd-looking figure tilted its head. "I can relate. What's your name?" it asked.

She blinked. "My...my name's Vanessa...how can you relate?" she asked. She couldn't believe this...did she pass out? How was she talking to this strange figure?

"My name is Cedric. I too, think of ending my life. If only it were as easy as jumping off a building for me." the figure said.

Vanessa wondered what this stranger looked like. His face was hidden in shadow, but he was the tallest person she'd ever seen.

"Can you come into the light?" she asked.


Cedric gulped. This was the first person he'd actually talked to, not faking conversation, for a while. If she saw his face, would she think him a monster?

Never the less, he stepped into the light, revealing his true face.


Vanessa was, at the very least, a little surprised.

"Excuse me, but, you're not human are you?" she asked. Cedric shook his skull sadly. "No." he answered. "Its okay if you run away or scream...they all do." Vanessa shook her head.

"I don't think you're scary. I think you're a good person for stopping me." she said. Cedric breathed a sigh of relief. Then hung his head.

"I better go." he said, turning away.

"Wait!" Vanessa called. Cedric looked back at her. "You never told me why you are tired of life." she said. Cedric almost chuckled.

"If only I could tell you..." he said. But, hey, his father wasn't here, why not? Who could she tell who would believe her? "Have you ever wondered where holidays come from?" he started.


"I can see why." said Vanessa. Cedric nodded. They were sitting side by side on the roof top.

"But, you didn't tell me your story." said Cedric.

"Well...I'm disowned. A drunk stepfather, a dead mother and father...when my mum married that dick, I knew he was bad news. She died. As soon as my step dad got guardian ship of me, he didn't need a troubled kid, so he disowned me. I have no family. I got taken in by a friend, but I never know where I'll sleep at night. I'm supposedly smart at school, but its so hard to deal with all of it you know? School pressure...friends...and just surviving. So what do I have to live for?" lamented Vanessa.

Cedric nodded. "Well, we are quite the hopeless cases." he said, getting up.

"Where are you going?" asked Vanessa. He shrugged. "I dunno. You?"

"I was thinking of going down by the river." she said. Cedric tilted his head, as he did when he was confused. "River?"

Vanessa laughed. "C'mon! You should come with me!"

Cedric gulped. On one hand, he really liked this human. He just couldn't explain it...she made him feel, well, good. And that was so rare for him. On the other, he was already seriously violating the 'don't get personal with the humans' rule. But, he had already broken the rules, so why not break some more?

"Okay." he said.