Disclaimer: I do not own Neopets.
Author's Note: Thanks for the review Yoshi and Kirby Fan and eTIRNITYs11! Really appreciate it. Please be patient about the story, I'm real sorry how slow it's coming but the school year's coming to an end so homework is taking over my schedule! Oh, eTRINITYs11, I looked at your work but I wasn't really interested in it because I haven't watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Dragon Ball Z for that matter. I'm not that big a fan of Harry Potter either. Sorry.
Chapter 8
When Morning Came…
"Morning Sister!" I said as my sister brushed past me, or through me as the case was. I watched her turn the corner and listened to her descend down to the basement. Grinning from ear to ear, I rushed putting on the attire I had laid out on one of the couches. Racing out the door I barely remembered to cast the solidity spell as I ran into the still dark woods. I soon slowed my pace as I came to the clearing I first saw Skip. He wasn't there. Someone else was though.
"Good morning child. Expecting someone? Skip, I think you said his name was." Moro smiled. Then suddenly her ears twitched. "Goodbye child. But remember light is yet to come." she called as she leapt from the clearing and into the forestry. Almost as soon as Moro left Skip landed in the clearing, easel and canvas tucked under his arm and paint pallet and brush in his free hand. From behind a tree I watched him work. Some how I knew he didn't see the scenery as the old, crooked and dead looking trees most people saw. My mind drifted back to the picture he'd done of me. He made the trees here green and full of life. I stared at Skip as his eyes scanned the surroundings and like the fool I was didn't realize how close his line of sight was to me until he was staring straight at me.
"Eep!" I cried when I noticed our eyes were locked. Running towards town, I cursed at the sun and myself. Why the heck did I sit there like an idiot? Why did the dang sun take so long to rise? And as long as I'm asking, why did Skip have to get up so early??? I didn't stop running until I was at the forest edge. It was still dark so I just sat there looking at the practically empty town.
"Well that was dumb. Moro even told me it was still dark out! I wonder what she was doing there though…" Continuing to look out into the vicinity I noticed Skip landing in front of his sister's store. Checking the sky to make sure it was light out I almost ran over to the potion shop. Opening the door I heard that blasted, but still unnoticed, bell ring and my ears were alerted to a conversation. A conversation about me.
"-her again did you? Listen Skip, I've heard a few of my customers tell some pretty tall tales but I have to say a ghost Usul in the Haunted Woods is pretty normal."
"How about the fact that it is always staring at me when I see it? Hmm? Oh, and let's not forget Kate."
"Oh no let's not forget the orange Usul that you happened to see right after your first sighting of a ghost Usul. Skip, Kate sounds like a nice enough person and judging by the number of times you said she whacked you over the head… she's pretty much alive."
"What about the fact the ghost Usul is always running away?" Skip told his sister about me. Had he told any one else besides her and me? He had let it slip with me (though I already knew). I got panicky but stayed to listen.
"What about the mutant Lupe that came in here yesterday telling all of it's occupants that unless everyone wore a white dress this coming Saturday the world would be over run by man-eating pigeons? Skip who cares? Do you realize where we are? The Haunted Woods! Haunted means ghost. Ghost means creepy appearances. Hence this ghost must just watch you because you're in a clearing that it's inhabited. Got it? I mean, sure it's docile, but you should be happy at that. Remember Mr. Walden? Set up camp in that clearing surrounded by brambles and the Ghost Lupe attacked him. Now drop it." Celtic was leaning over the counter so that her face was about an inch from Skip's. Skip grinned, then suddenly stepped back and flipped Celtic to his side of the counter. She seemed dizzy at the sudden flipping and held both her head and counter top.
"Yeah, yeah." He said picking up his painting. He turned towards me, well the door, but who cares? When he saw me, he turned back to his sister.
"Hey Cel? If you're alive you need to get a louder bell." then he grinned at me, "How is it you came in unnoticed?"
"I have no idea. She going to be okay?" I said walking out with him, after glancing at Celtic stumble back behind the counter. After he nodded smiling, I continued. "So tell me about this ghost of yours." I asked hoping to divert any connection of me the idiot in the woods to me the idiot now. Skip shrugged then handed me the painting.
"She looks just like that. Same one in the picture you saw yesterday. Celtic says she'll stop bothering me eventually. I wouldn't say she was bothering me though. I mean she's beautiful. I could paint her better but all I've gotten of her is two short glimpses." Skip looked at me and then at the painting I was holding. "You know I don't recall it wearing that shirt in my first painting. I don't know maybe I had you on my mind but you realize that that ghost Usul and you are wearing identical outfits?" Kate you are an idiot. As soon as Skip said it I noticed. Shirt, gloves, bows the same. Fortunately I didn't break down in panic.
"Yes that is interesting." I said pretending to study the picture. "Maybe you're just imagining it." Skip shrugged. I knew he didn't believe me but it had been worth a shot. Note to self: Stop showing up in the clearing you moron.