Project Griffin (Discontinued)

Chapter 10 (Shining Forest)

It was a simple day so far. No school (weekend), no Hydrokinesis training, no worries.

I decided to go for a walk. Why not? 

It was beautiful outside. The forest around Rivershine had stunning trees with translucent leaves that made the ground sparkle. It was weird because I had never seen leaves like that before. I wondered how they did photosynthesis. Once, I grabbed one of the leaves to see how it felt. It felt cool like I was rubbing crystal or glass. The air was warm, but not humid. A nice breeze blew in from the lake and kept me cool.

It was silent while I walked. Peaceful. 

As I kept walking, I stumbled across a small pond. There didn't seem to be any wildlife around. The water was crystal clear. It was so clear that I could see the bottom of the pond. The trees surrounded the pond thickly as if they were hiding it. The breeze didn't reach here either, keeping the water and leaves still.

That pond became a spot to go to when I needed a break from life. School was hard, and I missed my human parents. I just wanted pure, thoughtless bliss.

It was so calm and quiet. I loved it.

One day, Leo came over unexpectedly.

"Hey, Griff," he said, "you up for some Hydrokinesis lessons today?"

I thought for a moment. I trusted Leo. He trusted me. I knew he could keep my pond secret. I knew the point of having my own safe space was to not share it, but I wanted Leo to see it. It also may have had something to do with my opinion of a romantic setting.

In the end, my heart beat my brain.

"I have a better idea."

I led Leo through the forest and to the pond.

"Welcome to my safe space," I said.

He looked around happily.

"It's beautiful," he said, "I'll keep the pond secret if you want."

"That would be great." A/N This would be quite a romantic spot, huh Leo and Griffin, cough, cough.

We spent some time there, just sitting and relaxing. I loved the feel of the grass between my fingers, the sand between my toes near the pond, and the smell of the flowers that grew on the treeline.

I spent more time there than at Rivershine, which made Marla and Tenner suspicious about what I was doing, but they never said anything. I couldn't tell how they felt about it, but Marla seemed a little hurt. Nonetheless, I kept the pond a secret.

I spent more time exploring to get my mind off school, which led me to hidden waterfalls and coves, among other things. It was exhilarating to explore every nook and cranny.

Soon, I knew the entire forest around Rivershine for a two-kilometer radius.

"You spend so much time outside when we aren't at school," commented Marla one day.

"Yeah," I replied, "It's fun to explore. I know the close parts of the forest like the back of my hand now."

Marla nodded. She looked interested, which made me wary about what she wanted.

"Do you think you could take me with you one day?"

I was going to say no, but I could go in the opposite direction of my pond. Marla would be none the wiser. I didn't want to lie to her, but I wanted to keep the pond to myself (and Leo technically). 

There was something about the pond. Something deep inside told me that I couldn't tell anyone. Something bad would happen if the pond was discovered by too many people. I didn't know what would happen, I just knew something would. Or maybe I was just being paranoid. I don't know.

"Ok," I said reluctantly, "would you like to go out today?"

"Yay!" squealed Marla.

I took that as a yes.

We trekked through the forest for two hours. 

I showed Marla waterfalls, caves, coves, the tallest trees, and more. Thankfully, we stayed away from the pond, and Marla never found out. I didn't know why I wanted it a secret. I guess I just wanted something of my own. To keep for me. And Leo I guess for reasons I can't explain. Or maybe I just don't want to explain.

"Wow!" she said afterward, "that was great! Anything else?"

"What-do-you-mean-I-don't-have-other-stuff..."

"Like that pond?"

"How did you..." I said, "Are you mad?"

"Of course not," she replied, "but I want to know why?"

"I honestly don't know," I said, "I just had a feeling."

"I understand, I keep a lot of things from my brother, like where I hide the mallowmelt in the fridge."

I smiled.

"Thanks, but still. How did you find out?"

"I followed you one day to make sure you weren't doing anything bad," she said.

I nodded. I was kind of glad Marla found out, but that was still another person who knew.

I decided to head back out into the forest to clear my head.

"I'm off!" I said, "I have to go check something out. See you later."

"Bye!"

I jogged off into to forest for some alone time.

Wish me a happy birthday, guys! It's coming in 3 days!!! July 11th!