The crisp sensation of the late summer leaver cracked under her feet as she made her way trough central park as she stalked pigeons win her crossbow. She needed to clear her mind now that she had been expelled again and would be attending Nevermore Academy soon.
Not because she regrated her actions, but because all great hunters needed a change in routine before the next hunting ground.
Wednesday saw a pigeon, took aim and shot it dead with her crossbow and it fell at the feet of another person in the forest.
A boy, close to her age, so very, very close.
"Easy there Diana. I'm no Acteon." Was what came out of his mouth along with an impressed grin. No fear, no awkwardness, no disgust, just an honest smile on the boy's face.
"But you are a trespasser on my family s private property. "
"If it's private then why where there no visible signs at th3 edge of the property?"
"Are you by chance a lawyer?"
"No, just an aspiring med student."
"Then why are you wandering the forest?"
"I'm a med student with the heart of a poet."
"Shall I check to confirm?" She said with a threatening yet playful glare.
"Maybe some other time." He turned to leave.
"I could shoot you in the back."
"Like you'd ever deprive yourself the pleasure of shouting me in the face." The boy replied and Wednesday could feel his grin even though she could see it.
"How about I shoot you in the back then flip you over before you die to see the light fade away." She challenged and the boy stopped, in a slow deliberate way as if to say 'challenge accepted.'
"Dyeing while on the search for inspiration. Sounds like a fitting end for a poet." The boy challenged.
"How do I know you are a poet?"
"I'll let my work speak for itself." The boy said, turned and then pulled out a puppet that was a cut out glove, a book, some glued on crazy eyes and fingers from the glove.
Did this boy just assembled this puppet while he had his back turned to her?
"I WON'T TELL YOU A SINGLE POEM AND THE CURIOSITY WILL EAT YOU UP UNTILL YOU DIE FROM OLD AGE MWAWAHAHA! NOW LET ME LEAVE OR YOU SHALL BE HAUNTED BY ENDLESS UNANSWERED CURIOSITY!" The boy said in a badly disguised ventriloquist act where Wednesday could see his lips move and an over-the-top grouchy voice.
Then surprising the boy and herself Wednesday pulled out her old devil puppet that she for some reason had on her and replied.
"I'll let you leave the forest, in exchange for you immortal soul."
"DEAL. BUT PUPPETS DO NOT HAVE SOULS, WE HAVE HANDS INSIDE OF US! SO, I JUST OUTSMARTED THE DEVIL! MWAHAHAHA!" The boy said trough his poet puppet as he turned to leave.
"Yes….we shall." Wednesday said as she made the devil puppet rub her hands together as she watched the boy leave.
"See you latter Diana." The boy said as he walked away.
"See you latter….." Wednesday said to the quirky boy. She felt something stranger on her face, it seemed like her facial muscles where acting strange today.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
And so, they did, every day they met in the forest as Wednesday hunted as the boy wrote down on his poetry book.
"When are you going to read me one of your poems Endymion?"
"If I do that Diana you'll have what you want and then I'll lose my muse."
"Perhaps you shall find inspiration in giving me what I want."
"And what is it that you want?" The boy asked.
Wednesday immediately fired her crossbow and down came two pigeons shot down by the same arrow.
"Besides that?"
"To hear a poem?"
"What if it's a bad one?"
"I'm not adverse to pain or suffering."
"Then if I read a good poem, it won't make you happy?"
"Must you always have the last word?" Wednesday playfully challenged.
"Poet and all that, it's kind of our thing."
"And my thing is destroying things that annoy me. Do you want to know how much this conversation is annoying me?" Wednesday said and pointed her crossbow at the boy.
"I do and that's why I keep it up, you are fun to tease Diana."
"Do you not recall the grim fate that befalls mortals to annoy goddesses?"
"Well since Endymion became Diana's lover, immortal, eternally young and sired 50 daughters on her I'd say not such a bad fate." The boy replied.
"You are omitting the fact that he was cursed with eternal slumber."
"You mean I can laze about all day as well? SWEET!" The boy said and pulled out his puppet for the last word.
"Ugh, men, poets and when one is both…there is a reason women invented guns." Wednesday said as they continued to walk trough the forest. She wondered what was that strange sensation on her facial muscles.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
That had been yesterday and today would be her first day at Nevermore as she looked around the campus she….she could not believe it.
"Hey Diana!" The boy said as he came to her from across the lawn.
"Hello Endymion." Wednesday said as she waved to him back.
They looked at each other.
"Lucas, come along now boy!"
"Wednesday the headmistress is expecting us!"
"See you latter Diana."
"No doubt Endymion, I'll find you and get your soul and your poems."
"You'll try." Lucas said and left.
Her facial muscles where doing that strange thing again.
Wednesday hoped whatever it was it would be painfull and everlasting.