I wrote this on my 10 hour plane ride from one side of the Earth to the other. Literally. I'm even updating on vacations! Some people should update faster…
Disclaimer: I own nothing that's not supposed to belong to me. Lol
She was running. She was running in her favourite place—Muir woods. She was running away from Morgead. She was happy.
"You're not going to have it that easy this time!" He was shouting behind her.
She felt the end of her mouth curving into a flashing smile. "I don't think so." She said, speeding up. She peeked behind her—Morgead was running behind her, his hair tousled, blown by the wind upcoming in his face. He grinned when he saw her looking back at him, his green eyes mocking as he caught a tree branch and swung himself up, tossing his body forward and catching another branch.
"Now this, is what you call monkey bars." He said, still grinning at her.
Idiot. Jez thought.
I can hear that, you know.
Oh, that's exactly the point, you idiot.
But Jez's smile slipped from her face. If this goes on, Morgead was going to catch on with her. Soon. She had to admit, he was good.
I know right, I'm good. Morgead thought smugly, catching another branch and swinging himself forward, inches away from Jez.
Stop. That.
Stop what?
Showing off your telepathic skills, monkey.
And with that, Jez threw a screen wall up to protect her thoughts, just as Uncle Bracken has taught her. She imagined a wall od smoke thrown up in her mind, stopping thoughts from going out or anything to go in.
Damn it. She heard Morgead.
With his momentarily distraction, Jez ducked and changed her course, heading west instead, out of Muir woods. It was her favourite place. She loved everything about it. Despite the fact that wood is fatal to vampires, that a wooden stake through a vampire heart can kill them, Jez loved the woods. She didn't know exactly why—there's just something about them—the tall, huge tree barks, circles indicating their long lives. The quietness in the woods, with the exceptional crisping of birds and the chorus of the insects. The smell of nature. The pleasure of feeling the clean, cool air brushing against her face—like now.
"What the—" She heard Morgead again, but this time out loud, a further distance away. Good. She thought. Brushing a few strands of red hair getting in her face away. She'd have to make a note to cut it someday—if she can actually remember and have the time to do it.
"Nowhere out of the woods!" Morgead shouted behind when he realized that she was heading out of the woods, where the trees became less and less.
"I never said I'd play fair." Jez said as she ran, smiling.
"And you always call me the cheater."
Jez ignored him. They were at the edge of the woods now.
Look, let's stop. Said Morgead, now already out of her sight telepathically after a while,
No. She thought back, annoyed that she'd slipped her protection wall and let him reach her thoughts.
Where are you going? People are gonna see us—
Nice try. She thought back, But no. I'm not losing this game today. I'm not in the mode of losing.
Okay, fine, you win.
Jez slowed down. What?
You win. He thought back tiredly, annoyed. She could picture how he looked even if she couldn't see him: Arms crossed, green eyes narrowed, annoyed, impatient. Morgead. Letting her win? She'd expected him to be annoyed, but she didn't expect him to give up this easily. Morgead was very, very stubborn. Like how he always said she was. But remember you didn't win fair this time. Now stop.
I'm not taking orders from you—
You get what you want. Now stop. He insisted.
Oh shut up. You don't tell me what to do—
I'm older than you, remember?
Just shut up, would you? She thought angrily.
Jez was disappointed—she hated him today. She'd expected him to remember. She'd expected him to…do something. Because today was her birthday. The day she turns seven. Uncle Bracken had taught new skills—including the thought-protecting one she pulled on Morgead earlier—as a present for her. Which was very useful. He said that Jez could do whatever she wanted today, and learn to be responsible, was what Uncle Bracken said. At least he said he wouldn't ground her again. But Jez chose to spend her day with Morgead—and he doesn't even know today's her birthday. Not that it matters that much but…Jez had the absurd impulse of screaming and knocking Morgead's head off.
Well, ok. He had obviously heard the rage in Jez's voice, and to Jez's surprise—he did stop talking. The two of them walked in silence, with Jez in front and Morgead behind.
"Okay, at least tell me where are we going?" Morgead said after a while of walking.
Jez hesitated for a while, wondering if he'd go Extremely Excited when he hears the answer. She decided it won't matter. Let him be. She thought.
"The beach."
In a flash, Morgead was walking beside her. "What?" He said, startled. "Why are we going to the beach?"
"Because I've never been to the beach." Jez shrugged. "Just wanna see what it's like." She added casually.
Morgead winced. "Two vampire kids on a beach?" He said incredulously, arching one of his eyebrows up. "A beach? Sunny, bright, warm…?"
"There's no law saying vampires can't go on beaches." Jez scowled. "Face it, Morgy, we don't burn in sunlight." She thought about it for a moment. "Well, maybe our powers weaken, I heard Uncle Bracken say. Still."
Morgead just stared at her. "You're weird, Jezebel." He said slowly at last.
"Don't. Call me that."
"Says someone who ruined a library and now wants to go on a beach."
Jez said nothing but glared at him. He just shrugged as if a matter of fact. Jez stopped suddenly beside him.
"What now?" He asked impatiently.
"What now?" Jez echoed with incredulous disbelief, "Look in front of you, idiot."
Gold. That's what all he could see. Golden sands everywhere, lines of palm trees planted at the edges. And far beyond the golden sand, the blue sea. He could smell the saltiness; hear the cries of seagulls flying above them, children's laughter far away, and the sound of waves crushing against land. And sunlight—everywhere, he could even smell it—if sunshine had a smell. And maybe it does.
"Wow."
Jez was already running. "You know, Morgead, maybe you have reflex problems. Come on." She ran toward the shore, welcoming the waves as one came. He ran after her.
"It's actually the sea, Morgead." She was saying now, her silvery-blue eyes glinting with excitement, red hair shining in the sunlight. She bent down and picked up a seashell at her feet.
"Yes, it is." Morgead mimicked, but followed her.
"Look at this." She gasped.
"I've never seen anything like that." Morgead said, inspecting the seashell Jez was holding. He bent down, touching the sand. Jez followed his moves.
"It feels…like sand." Jez said.
"It is sand." Morgead said.
"I know that." Jez said as she threw a handful in Morgead's direction, then she ran away from him. Along the golden beach, leaving footprints behind.
"You're not going to get away with that." Morgead shouted behind her, and he was chasing her. Again.
Jez laughed, her red flaming hair streaming behind her. She'd gotten a good throw—Morgead's black hair was now covered in sand, making him look like as if his hair had gotten blonde highlights. But Morgead wasn't lying. Before Jez could get a better look of his sand-covered hair, he launched at her with such force that they both were tangled together, rolling and tumbling. When they finally managed to untangle themselves, they both glared at each other, covered in sand. Jez's red hair, messier than ever, was now streaked with gold. Then she started laughing uncontrollably, momentarily forgetting the hatred she felt toward Morgead. Morgead staring at her incredulously, but somehow he ended up laughing with her. All the while neither of them noticed that the sun was already setting, rays of golden sunlight swallowed by the horizon.
Morgead was the first to break out of the hysterical laughing. "It's sunset."
Jez was baffled. "So what?"
"Follow me."
After a while, they were standing in a clearing in the woods. Trees surrounded them; the ground was covered in pine needles and crispy leaves, which makes crunching noise when stepped on. The air was cool and dry, with the last wisps of golden sunlight streaked in between trees. Jez found the place strangely familiar.
"What'd you bring me here for?" Jez asked, frowning.
"You don't remember?" Morgead said slowly, walking behind her.
"I have no idea—" Wait. She stopped herself mentally. I do remember, don't I? The little boy with black hair standing there alone, in a ridiculous position with a stick in hand. And he looked so…lonely. And then that's when she decided to step up, picking up a stick—
"Oh, it's—" She whirled around, and found Morgead standing right behind her. So close that when she turned, she found herself staring right into his deep green eyes, their faces inches apart. She didn't know how Morgead had gotten behind her so quietly—she ought to have heard his footsteps. But somehow he did.
"Happy Birthday, Jez Redfern." He said softly, his emerald green eyes—deepest emerald green—bore into hers. And just for a second, she felt the brush of his lips on hers, so light like the brush of a butterfly wing, his breath warm—
Then they both jumped away from each other, startled. What just happened? She had no idea. But when Jez looked at Morgead again, she found him holding a yew stick, its sharp end pointing at her.
He smiled brilliantly, as if nothing had happened. "Yield or die." He grinned, and tossed her another stick which she caught just in time.
"No, you don't." Jez said, smiling, "It's my birthday, remember? I get the words." She held her stick in a position ready to strike. "Yield or die." She said. " There."
"If you say so." Morgead grinned wickedly, blocking a head strike Jez went for. "Remember that next time."
Kind of a rush…I had no idea what to do with the ending and the title…Xl but it's better than nothing…right?
Constructive criticism is welcomed :p I adore reviews. (Thanks to everybody who did!