Shorts Stories by CrimsonDevil

A Summer's Eve

         A/N:  Another inspiring idea to write between the characters I love to use, please enjoy!

                          Visiting the countryside where her Uncle and Aunt lived, young Mika would take a bus out for the summer to spend her vacation in the small town hidden among the hills of crops that the farmers worked hard on each year. She was only ten years old and yet capable of traveling all on her own, the people in the small town were nice enough to one another but rumors of a gang moving in were spread about making law enforcement aware but unable to do much.

Hearing the adults talk about such things even out in the country was somewhat frightening but not for Mika as she was too busy playing out in the forest of her family's home. Such a carefree young girl she was and while exploring the vast forest of the countryside, she came to find a warehouse of sorts, watching cars and men standing outside looking suspicious. Dressed in black and wearing sunglasses, turning to leave the area and head deeper into the forest where she heard stories of magical beings and spirits dwelt.

"This is a surprise, what is someone like you doing out here all by yourself?" The man's voice made her whirl around to face someone dressed in white, leaning against a tree holding an apple, he had long blond hair to his shoulders, strands hung over his deep blue eyes which gave him a sullen expression even though he was smiling. Mika stood to face the other, as small as she was, the young girl didn't hold any fear towards the man who seemed lonely,

"I'm just exploring, visiting my uncle down in the village. What about you, you live around here? Maybe in that big building down over there?" A look passed through his eyes, his smile deepened as he gave a sigh,

"I do not live there. If I were you, I'd never go near that place. Understand?"

"Hmm, I don't even know who you are... I'm Mika!" He raised a brow and offered his hand to take hers, placing a kiss upon it,

"You can call me Lou~"  The child was charming, mortals always seemed so at first until they showed their true colors, yet the young girl had a spirit about her that intrigued the man. When it grew dark, she left back down the forest towards her Uncle's farm, the strange man she had come to know was named Lou, no one knew him but heard stories of a being who would grant wishes for a price.

"Whoa, you mean like a genie?" Mika would be wide-eyed listening to the stories at the fireplace with her Aunt and Uncle,

"Well more like... hmm a spirit who causes misery for others by lying and claiming he can give them what they want. The stories have carried on from generations but no one has seen him..." the look between the adults told Mika they were lying about that last part, she had seen him and knew the others had seen him from time to time. Still, she wasn't afraid, heading up there each day to play and explore, she found herself hanging from a tree upside down after falling down from some branches trying to reach an apple.

"Need some help there, little Mika?" She gasped and went about pushing up her dress that had fallen, Lou was standing below her smiling at her dangling form.

"I um... well... yes please, Mister Lou!" He laughed and went about reaching for her to hold with his hands under her arms, she was small and frail not so heavy to hold. Setting her down before handing her an apple, she smiled brightly to take it and have a bite, the apples within the forest were the most delicious.

"Thank you, these are so good. I never understood why no one comes to pick them," Lou's expression changed for a moment as he looked around at a few of the apple trees that grew wildly in the forest.