Chapter 2:Herb

Hello again.

Didn't think you'd come back, but here you are.

Well, I'm still a statue. Yup. Still frozen in this godforsaken forest with no way to get free, and for the record, I'm getting just a tad bit annoyed.

I mean, imagine if you couldn't move any of your limbs, and you've got an itch on your back that just will not go away.

It's enough to drive anyone insane.

AND, I'm surrounded by a bunch of...well, I'm not yet quite sure exactly what they are, but I think they might be herbs.

Herbs, that I think I'm allergic to.

Could this situation get any worse?

Naw.

Oh, wait! Yes it could.

I was just about ready to fall asleep, already exhausted and bored out of my mind from glaring at the giant oak tree situated in front of me, when rustling from some nearby bushes jerked me from my sleepy stupor.

Being a statue, and therefore not having the ability to turn my head, I waited tensley for whoever or whatever it was.

I kind of expected some type of wild animal, or a runaway thief, but instead, I was suprised to see a little girl cautiously walking towards me.

She was about 6 or 7, and wore a dingy looking kimono that might have once been pink, but was now brown. A little pony tail shot out from the side of her head, and it bounced as she suddenly stopped in front of me.

I was expecting her to do something, not just stand and stare, but that's all she did.

She stared...

and stared...

rubbed her eyes briefly...

and stared some more.

What was it that she found so damn interesting?

Finally, when her eyes began to water, the little girl gave me this huge toothy grin and pointed to herself.

"I'm Rin! What's your name?"

I couldn't believe.

She was talking to a statue.

Of course I didn't answer back.

The little girl...Rin...frowned and repeated her question.

"My name is Rin! What's your name!?"

If I could have, I would've rolled my eyes. Did she really think I was going to answer? The kid was cute, but a little on the slow side.

Rin looked down at the ground and seemed to be in deep concentration.

She glanced at the rocks, the trees, the bugs, and at last, the herbs.

Those seemed to excite her, because she jerked her head up and giggled.

"I know! Rin will call you Herb!"

....Herb?

Herb?!

She was oblivious, of course, to my irability, and started prancing around and grabbing the herbs that surrounded me.

"Herbs are not as pretty as flowers, but your name is Herb so you need herbs!"

Sitting on the ground with her back turned to me, Rin fiddled around with the herbs she had collected.

I was curious as to what she was doing, and at the same time, a little wary.

"There! Rin has finished!" She spun around with a necklace made from the herbs, and practically leaped at me.

Before I knew it, there was an herb necklace around my stiff neck.

"Rin has made you pretty, Herb!"

Was it really necessary for her to shout all the time?

After placing her creation on me, Rin wrapped her short stubby arms around my waist and placed her head on my stomach.

"Rin likes Herb because Herb is Rin's friend!" she stared up at me with a cute scowl, "Rin wants Herb to come to life...." The she went back to smothering me with her hug.

I wanted to ask her what she was doing, and why, only someone beat me to it.

There was the sound of heavy footsteps, silence, then a gruff voice spoke.

"Hey, uh, Rin? What the hell are you doing?"

She spun around as I looked to see who it was.

A boy stood there in the clearing, at least, I was pretty sure he was a boy...

But then again, I thought, what boy has silver hair? And amber eyes? And claws...around here I started getting nervous, and fangs? And-and are those dog ears?!'

I glanced at Rin in alarm, as the boy looked pretty dangerous, but she stayed where she was, grin and all.

Trying to move, I willed myself to budge just a little, but it was useless. As if sensing my distress, the angry looking boy turned his gaze on my face, then down at Rin's present. He squinted at it, trying to discern what it was, then blinked, and broke out laughing.

" R-Rincoughdid you makegasp that statue a wheeze necklace?!"

Rin nodded her head proudly and said, " Herb is my friend!"

The laughing boy stooped and seemed confused.

"Herb?" He raised an eyebrow.

'Oh god no...'

"Yup! Rin named her Herb!" My anger faltered as the little girl's chest swelled with pride, but it came back quick when that idiotic boy opened his big mouth again.

"Herb, huh?" he walked up to me, scowling. "This thing looks somewhat like someone I know....but who?" He stroked his chin, " That's right! Awww....but she's more beautiful than this statue."

At that moment, I wanted to smash my stone fist into his cocky face.

But alas, I couldn't.

" Well, enough of that. You'd better go home kid, it's getting late."

Of course, Rin wouldn't settle for that.

" But Inuyasha...! I wanna stay here with Herb!"

I heard something that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle.

" No Rin. Ya gotta go home. So... uh...scram!"

With one last peek at me, Rin stomped off, obviously angry at being told what to do by this 'Inuyasha', who sighed and looked up to the sky.

"Annoying kid..."he glanced at me andfrowned. "Stupid statue....gives me the damn creeps..."

With that being said, Inuyasha bounded off in the direction Rin had left.

After that, Rin came to see me everyday, always chattering away about stuff she had done earlier on.

I learned plenty about her, like that her family was dead, killed by bandits, and how much she loved picking flowers.

The real confusing part, was that at night, once Rin was gone, Inuyasha would walk into my clearing and rest against a tree, just staring into the sky.

He never spoke, just looked in my direction a few times.

End of Chapter 2