The Flora Children Chronicles
Chapter 2: ShadowsRose practically skipped down the train. Her feet felt light enough to dance, and her heart was merry and excited. Why shouldn't she be? She would soon be at a school where it would be normal for acres of land to be suddenly plowed, for leaves to unfurl at her urging, for her to hide among the roses and never once be scratched. She was completely in tune with Mother Nature. Being the eldest had its charms. She giggled. Charms!
She was so gleeful she didn't see a young man a bit older than her, walking swiftly to the head of the train. Occasionally he would peek in a cabin or two but did not stop. At least, until Rose ran into him.
"Look where you're going!" he yowled at her, rubbing his sore shin. He rose angrily and moved to let her pass.
Rose looked him over, thoroughly unimpressed. He wore a thick coal-colored trench coat with a hood attached. His pants, which matched his coat, were ripped and frayed at the bottom. The shoestrings and soles of his Vans were painted black as well. The hood of his coat hid his face from her eyes. "Whatever, Inky. I'm just here to see my sister." His eyes narrowed behind her as she slipped into Mari's room. She shut the clear glass door in his face with a wicked smile.
Marigold Flora was draped around two grungy looking guys who were kissing her cheeks and bare arms as she chatted in a mixture of French and English on her cell phone. "Yeah, Mark, I know we've been together for a month but I don't think the long distance thing will work out." She rolled her eyes. "C'est la vie. You can't always have what you want." Rose's younger sister snapped her phone shut and looked up at her with a wink. "What brings you here, Rosy? I didn't think you liked ma petites poupouletes en susucre."
Rose grinned and matched her sister's stare with one of her own. Leaning against the wall, she raised her eyebrows at the comment. "Sugary-wugary chickie-wickies? What will you think up next, Mari?" She opened the door and slid out, hoping that her sister might join her. But it was an empty hope. Rose knew she wouldn't leave her suitors.
She sprinted sadly down the hall as quickly as down from a thistle. But upon reaching her room, Rose collapsed onto the couch. For reasons she could not understand, she began thinking about the boy in black. "Inky!" she had yelled at him scornfully. She cringed at the thought. Wasn't she always proclaiming that you shouldn't mistreat others? Hypocrite, she called herself. You are the world's worst, meanest, most awful—
Knock, knock, knock. She looked up to find the boy in black looking calmly at her through her window. Jumping to her feet, she smoothed her dress and straightened the tie around her waist. She opened the door expectantly and smiled shyly at him. "Um… hello. I—"
He grinned slyly. "Mind if I come in?" he asked breezily.
She gawked, mouth half-open, in response. "Uh… who are you?"
Leaning against the doorway, he smiled that secretive smile. "Name's Shadow. Now can I come in?" Seeing a suspicious look on her face, he pulled the hood from his face. She could see that his appearance was exceptionally handsome, and very mysterious. His eyes held the look of an animal hungering for something. For a moment she felt it hungered for her.
The moment passed. "Pardon me, Shadow, but I usually don't let strange guys just wander into my room whenever they feel like it." Her mouth had taken off again. "I really don't think—"
"No, you don't think, do you, nymph?" he interrupted. His eyes smoldered her, and she backed away from him, into her room, leaving the door open. All she could think about was How did he know? How does he know that I am part forest nymph? "If you could think, you wouldn't have opened the door." He strolled in and began to rummage through her things.
With a cry, she came at him; but before she could take two steps she was engulfed by shadows so thick that she choked. She sank to her knees, weakened. She half-crawled, half-dragged herself as far as she could.
"There you go, not thinking again, my damsel," she heard his voice sneer. Mother Nature, she thought desperately, help me…
Energy seared through her, her Mother's small token. She ran through the thickening shadows as it ebbed, tears streaming down her face. She choked, gasped, and there! Sunlight, oh, sweet light! She threw herself at the boy, trying to hurt any inch of him that she could.
Interesting, Shadow smirked, catching her wrists in his hands. She prays to the nature goddess. He saw the tears flowing down her face, heard her short gasps, and knew that goddess or not, he had nearly killed her. He pushed her against the wall, where she fell, sobbing, into a pile. "Virgin, I am afraid that I must now take my leave. But fear not! I shall return for you someday." Pulling her face up to his, he kissed her soundly and left, his laughter echoing through the hall.
Shuddering, Rose felt the teardrops sliding down her chin and onto her dress. All hope she had had for the new school was gone. The contents of her bags were strewn everywhere. Her wild clothing lay rumpled every which way, plain undergarments had been scattered around, and wisps of shadow still circled around her ceiling.
Virgin, he had called her, and nymph, and damsel. Sugarcoated names that his sinister mouth used against her. I'll be back for you? What did that mean?
Rose stood uneasily, and touched a hand to her mouth as she stared out the open door. A few more tears trickled down her face. She loathed Shadow, and always would. But you liked it when he kissed you…
OOC: Shadow's a jerk, huh? Very creepy. But who can tell? Maybe he'll turn out okay…
…
Well, maybe not. Like always, RATE!