Short stories.

Memories Echo

          "*giggles* Come on Hotaru! You're so slow,"

          "No, I'm not, Hey! Wa-oof." The boy, Hotaru said as he fell. Picking himself up he looked around for his twin, Nariko or Riko, that he had been chasing seconds before.
          "Wha- Where?" He started looking around the backyard, behind the tree, by the door, and it wasn't until he checked the bushes that he found a small hole in the fence.
          "Riko?" The boy called, he was well aware of the danger-filled forest behind the yard. He has heard the rumors of how haunted that forest has been since forever ago, dubbing the forest Waith Forest. Knowing that Riko, who knew the rumors and dangers as well, had most likely left the yard to go explore the shadow forest. So he did what any older brother would do, taking a deep breath and crawled through the space. Exiting the other side, and dusting himself off, he looked around for Riko.
           "Riko, Where are you?" Hotaru walked around the forest, calling his sister's name. Out of nowhere, he hears a scream, 'Riko,' He dashed to the sound, only to come to a halt in front of a cave,

           "Riko! You in there?!" The boy called, the echo followed by silence unsettled him. He gulped. 'No response' he thought after a few seconds of silence. He took a deep breath and stepped into the large cave.
           "Riko, come on, this isn't funny!" Nothing.
           "Riko, this isn't funny!" silence.
           "Nariko?" he whispered, nothing. Hotaru sighed, not seeing the rock in front of him. He then tripped and fell into this slide-like hole.
           "Wooooaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!" He screamed, he braced for impact, but when it happened he landed in- flowers? He stood up and looked around, The ceiling had bioluminescence on the top of the cavern, it made it look like the night sky. There were glowing and non-glowing flowers in shades of red and orange, yellow and blue too. In the middle was a willow tree decorated in lightly lit green leaves with purple and white glowing flowers. A turquoise river flowed through the It was a breath-taking place. He wandered around to see if his sister had fallen down here.

           "Hi, Taru!" Hotaru whirled around and there, standing in front of him was Nariko smiling at him. His twin had a crown on top of her head made of the willow leaves and the purple/white flowers, and a yellow and blue flower braided into the crown. 
            "These are so Pretty! Aren't they bro-bro?" She asked, showing a bouquet of 2 of each colored flower in her hand. A finished crown, just like hers but with red and orange instead of blue and yellow, was hanging around her right wrist.

              "Riko, what the hey!" Hotaru exclaimed, "Why didn't you respond I called you like- like a bajillion times! And what about-" 'The scream' "Are you hurt?! Did-" He was cut off by Nariko hugging him, he looked at her shocked. 

              "I'm sorry, I just got curious and just wandered off, I didn't mean for you to worry. I'm sorry," Nariko said sadly, Hotaru sighed and pat his sister's back.

              "It's Okay," He explained, "Hey, what's that tree over there?" Taru said changing the topic.

               "Okay!"

             Hotaru sighed. Opening his eyes, he fixed the Willow flower crown that was on his head, he looked down at the Blue-Yellow willow flower crown in his hands, a sad smile placed on his face. He placed the crown on a stone that was placed near the base of the Naiad tree, as his twin had called it. The stone had  Blue yellow flowers near it, as well as some white/purple flowers that had fallen off the tree 'Her favorites' Taru smiled at the memory a fallen flower echoed. He stood up and opened the leaf curtain to leave and head back home, He looked up at the Star-like roof, as one of the flowers repeat the memory. He takes one glance back at the stone and sighed as the gentle breeze danced in his hair. A single tear rolled down his cheek,

"Miss you Riko, Goodbye for now."