Maya drove to the edge of the forest. This was her favorite place to be,
where none would bother her and she could contemplate life in silence. The
woods were enchanting. Her barks were strong and mighty, up and up they
went to the never-ending sky. Leaves so green that even to winter they
would not shield, for they remain in their spring color, even as flakes of
snow cover all that was in their path.
They were the wonder of Turlane. People from thousands of miles away came to see them. Scientist from around the world came to study them. Even the Crone herself had come to gaze at their splendor, that had been a quite a spectacle, with all the witches in the area, all five of them, falling over themselves trying to pay respect.
She left her car outside the forest perimeter and walked deep into it. She arrived at her favorite spot, where a tree had been struck down the middle by lightning, and it branched out like to rainbows. She hopped on one of the arches stretching her body. Her eyes drifted up and she was startled to find a pair of golden one staring back at her, their face hidden among the dense leaves.
"Kisha?"
The leaves raddled heavily and Maya took it as a yes. "What are you doing there?"
She heard a small meow and then, "I got scared."
"Scared? Scared of what?" Knowing Kisha, it would be something very petty. Kisha Monroe was a scary-cat, in ever sense of the word. She was the only shapeshifter in school and junior. She was shy and scared of her own shadow. Kisha gave a new definition of paranoid. It pained Maya to admit it put the girl's only saving grace was her beauty.
She was a rare one indeed. Her smooth, caramel skin had an eerie glow to it. Her long blond hair was intertwined with bronze highlights and her eyes were golden and long dark lashes envelop them. Her features were very aristocratic and at the moment set in fear. What made the situation comical was the fact that Kisha was leopard, a fiercest cat of the wild.
"I've seen people."
Maya nodded. "Yes, that tends to happen often in a small town."
Kisha's head popped out of the leaves. "No! I mean strangers. They were here looking for something."
"What's so scary about that? It could have been tourist."
"No, they were dress weird. They weren't humans but they weren't Night World people either. So, I hid up here till they went away." "Well they're gone. You can come down now."
"Okay, but only if you're sure they're gone." Slowly her willowy figure appeared. She smiled timidly at her. "Hey"
Maya looked at her incredulously. "Kish you are really something. So what were you doing here?"
She looked away, "I like to come here. How about you?"
"So do I." Maya laughed. "What a day."
Kisha's golden eyes shone with curiosity. "What happened?"
Her black hair swirled about her, as she shook her head. "Nothing much, I only got harassed by Victor, again.
"That guy needs serious therapy. If my brother had been there, he would have put him in his place. Gabriel is nothing like me."
She said the last part sadly. Maya's heart went out to her. She thought maybe that was what Kisha's problem was, Gabriel. He had always been so perfect, so gorgeous, so everything. Poor Kisha having to live in her brother's shadow.
She sign and averted her gaze. The flapping of a robe caught her attention. She turned, up some distance were five men in white, hooded robes. They looked very dangerous, holding bows and arrows in their hands.
"Ah, Kish, I think your friends are back."
The fear returned to her eyes, and her features harden. Her whole demeanor changed and May thought she would flee. It wasn't until an arrow flew directly at Maya and missed by her amazing reflexes, that Kisha ran.
Maya immediately ran after her. She matched Kisha's step by step. Easily getting into an even rhythm. "Wait!"
Kisha didn't even paused. "Get away from me! They're after you! Didn't you see that guy trying to kill you?"
Maya held the urge to trip her. "You don't know that. You were there too!"
"But they shot at YOU!" Maya was save from responding by the sound of a motorcycle. It sped right up to them, propping itself right in front of them. They stopped and found themselves looking at Victor.
"What are you psychos doing?"
At that moment arrows began to be shot their way. Kisha and Maya looked at each other and in unison climbed in back of Victor.
"What the hell." His angry words were stopped by an arrow that penetrated into his helmet that hanged loosely at one of the handles.
"Go!" They ordered him.
He drove out with all the speed his bike would go. "What in God's name have you idiots get me into?"
"Just drive Redfern." Maya ordered from behind him.
"Drive where?"
"Just go deeper into the forest, go east, there's a spot I know where it's safe." Kisha told him
Victor continued with Kisha's directions. For once she had her fear under control. This time it was Maya that kept looking back to see if they were being followed. The sun had begun to slowly set and darkness crept into their mist. It seemed like they drove for hours until they arrived at small clearing where a cryptic old cottage sat.
They walked towards it in silence; even Victor had shut his mouth. They were startled when they heard noises from inside. All three cautiously peeked in from the window and gasped when they saw Kage inside, with a girl, or rather inside a girl.
Victor's laughter made Kage look up and his white teeth were stained with blood. He snarled. "Get the hell away from here."
All were surprise when Kisha was the one who answered. "No, Kage you get the hell away from here. This is my place."
Apparently Kage got the message because he got up immediately and they three stepped away to give them privacy.
"Wasn't that Mrs. Trina?" Victor asked, rubbing his chin in contemplation.
"Our English teacher?"
They were the wonder of Turlane. People from thousands of miles away came to see them. Scientist from around the world came to study them. Even the Crone herself had come to gaze at their splendor, that had been a quite a spectacle, with all the witches in the area, all five of them, falling over themselves trying to pay respect.
She left her car outside the forest perimeter and walked deep into it. She arrived at her favorite spot, where a tree had been struck down the middle by lightning, and it branched out like to rainbows. She hopped on one of the arches stretching her body. Her eyes drifted up and she was startled to find a pair of golden one staring back at her, their face hidden among the dense leaves.
"Kisha?"
The leaves raddled heavily and Maya took it as a yes. "What are you doing there?"
She heard a small meow and then, "I got scared."
"Scared? Scared of what?" Knowing Kisha, it would be something very petty. Kisha Monroe was a scary-cat, in ever sense of the word. She was the only shapeshifter in school and junior. She was shy and scared of her own shadow. Kisha gave a new definition of paranoid. It pained Maya to admit it put the girl's only saving grace was her beauty.
She was a rare one indeed. Her smooth, caramel skin had an eerie glow to it. Her long blond hair was intertwined with bronze highlights and her eyes were golden and long dark lashes envelop them. Her features were very aristocratic and at the moment set in fear. What made the situation comical was the fact that Kisha was leopard, a fiercest cat of the wild.
"I've seen people."
Maya nodded. "Yes, that tends to happen often in a small town."
Kisha's head popped out of the leaves. "No! I mean strangers. They were here looking for something."
"What's so scary about that? It could have been tourist."
"No, they were dress weird. They weren't humans but they weren't Night World people either. So, I hid up here till they went away." "Well they're gone. You can come down now."
"Okay, but only if you're sure they're gone." Slowly her willowy figure appeared. She smiled timidly at her. "Hey"
Maya looked at her incredulously. "Kish you are really something. So what were you doing here?"
She looked away, "I like to come here. How about you?"
"So do I." Maya laughed. "What a day."
Kisha's golden eyes shone with curiosity. "What happened?"
Her black hair swirled about her, as she shook her head. "Nothing much, I only got harassed by Victor, again.
"That guy needs serious therapy. If my brother had been there, he would have put him in his place. Gabriel is nothing like me."
She said the last part sadly. Maya's heart went out to her. She thought maybe that was what Kisha's problem was, Gabriel. He had always been so perfect, so gorgeous, so everything. Poor Kisha having to live in her brother's shadow.
She sign and averted her gaze. The flapping of a robe caught her attention. She turned, up some distance were five men in white, hooded robes. They looked very dangerous, holding bows and arrows in their hands.
"Ah, Kish, I think your friends are back."
The fear returned to her eyes, and her features harden. Her whole demeanor changed and May thought she would flee. It wasn't until an arrow flew directly at Maya and missed by her amazing reflexes, that Kisha ran.
Maya immediately ran after her. She matched Kisha's step by step. Easily getting into an even rhythm. "Wait!"
Kisha didn't even paused. "Get away from me! They're after you! Didn't you see that guy trying to kill you?"
Maya held the urge to trip her. "You don't know that. You were there too!"
"But they shot at YOU!" Maya was save from responding by the sound of a motorcycle. It sped right up to them, propping itself right in front of them. They stopped and found themselves looking at Victor.
"What are you psychos doing?"
At that moment arrows began to be shot their way. Kisha and Maya looked at each other and in unison climbed in back of Victor.
"What the hell." His angry words were stopped by an arrow that penetrated into his helmet that hanged loosely at one of the handles.
"Go!" They ordered him.
He drove out with all the speed his bike would go. "What in God's name have you idiots get me into?"
"Just drive Redfern." Maya ordered from behind him.
"Drive where?"
"Just go deeper into the forest, go east, there's a spot I know where it's safe." Kisha told him
Victor continued with Kisha's directions. For once she had her fear under control. This time it was Maya that kept looking back to see if they were being followed. The sun had begun to slowly set and darkness crept into their mist. It seemed like they drove for hours until they arrived at small clearing where a cryptic old cottage sat.
They walked towards it in silence; even Victor had shut his mouth. They were startled when they heard noises from inside. All three cautiously peeked in from the window and gasped when they saw Kage inside, with a girl, or rather inside a girl.
Victor's laughter made Kage look up and his white teeth were stained with blood. He snarled. "Get the hell away from here."
All were surprise when Kisha was the one who answered. "No, Kage you get the hell away from here. This is my place."
Apparently Kage got the message because he got up immediately and they three stepped away to give them privacy.
"Wasn't that Mrs. Trina?" Victor asked, rubbing his chin in contemplation.
"Our English teacher?"