The Initials | Nanowrimo 2023

0| Prologue One

Cloud drew blood with one wrong note, freeing himself from a loop of his own creation, plucking until he could pluck no more and his slender fingers slipped over the quivering strings.

Avoidable, perhaps, but enough to bring the melodic whining of his acoustic guitar to a sharp and unceremonious end.

Without knowing he'd channelled up a storm, letting it slip from his grasp and unravel beyond his control.

Golden hour had well and truly descended upon their small little town, the weather perfect enough for a herd of deer to trample over acres of wildflowers whilst he and his friends lay in the fields, surrounded on all sides by evergreen.

Cloud scrunches his brows together as the amber hues of afternoon sun fracture into a spectrum of blinding light like tiny little rainbows.

He tilts his head away but not before soaking up the light to humble the restless bubbling of unease churning inside his gut.

The Everwood Forest had shown a side of itself that he'd never known, an ugly face, so cruel that his skin prickles at the thought.

After lowering his instrument, he struggles to keep his eyes open as a rash of heat crawls up the nape of his neck but only after wiping the beads of sweat dripping down his forehead does he give any attention to the cut on his index finger.

"You're playing that song again?"

Seemingly ignoring her question, he squeezes his palm into a fist, shifting his green eyes to his right to look down at the girl with the chestnut hair that he's already spent hours playing with and the deep brown eyes that he spent years of his life getting lost in.

She hadn't been paying him much attention before now but that didn't come as a surprise when she was busy with her head in a book, flitting from page to page like some sort of olympian, still laying in the same position she chose as soon as they were done spreading out the tartan picnic blanket in the middle of the clearing.

She pushes herself up into a sitting position after tucking a bookmark in-between the pages of her leather bound book, reaching for her bag near the picnic basket at their feet to retrieve a packet of sanitary wipes.

"Are you worried about having another episode?"

Cloud tries to protest but she simply bats his uninjured hand away with no effort at all, gently unclenching his balled up fist to clean the blood now coating his palm.

He watches her silently as she works, seeing her pull out a box of floral pattern bandaids next, letting her wrap one tightly around his finger to stop the bleeding.

"Sky..." She's so close now that he can smell her perfume, deciding to take her hand in his before she can stop him, deepening his voice as he whispers into her ear simply to throw her off balance. "...since when do I worry about anything?"

To his surprise she does the opposite, doubling down on his flirtatious behaviour by lifting his hand and gently placing her lips against each of his knuckles. "You're so right, how could I forget."

That giggle.

So sweet that it hurts.

Kissing her right now, it would be so easy, but then their year of hiding would have all been for what?

The very idea of breaking the rules they established way back when, whilst tempting, is definitely the opposite of what she truly wants.

And she deserves it all.

"Y'know, it's no fun when you tease me back." He moans, dropping his head in defeat, letting her antagonise him some more.

"I think your ego can handle it." She replies, running her fingers through the mop of curly brunette curls on his head. "But you'd talk to me though, right? If you ever...if you were afraid? I'd be there for you."

Cloud lifts his head slightly so that his eyes are still mostly covered by his hair, opening his mouth to speak, the light draining from his face as he rethinks his next choice of words.

"Of course." He replies, awkwardly clears his throat afterwards, the words leaving his mouth like an automated response as he adjusts his posture.

The girl is undoubtedly the love of his life, his great love you could say, even if she doesn't quite know that yet.

So why can't he find the right words to explain to her how wrong this all feels?

"Sky I th-"

"-I said I was sorry!" Casey yells, accidentally interrupting their conversation after tripping over his own feet and tumbling onto the blanket head first, only managing to roll onto his back moments before the dark shadow descends upon the three of them.

"Save the weak apology for someone who cares." Neith growls, her shoulders rising and falling whilst she catches her breath, water still dripping from the tight coils of her hair that stop spiralling at her shoulders. "Did you really think you could outrun me, Greyson?"

Casey holds his hands up, using his elbows to shuffle back as he squints his baby blues. "Yo chill, it was just a prank."

Neith tilts her head, her nostrils flaring as the plastic bottle in her grasp is crushed just a little more. "Then let's see how much you like it."

Sky's protests go unheard as Neith takes her revenge, sprinkling the remains of the water over Casey and getting the other two as collateral in the aftermath.

And after that It isn't long at all until they're on their feet, streaking through blades of overgrown grass like a private school of fish, splashing each other with water until there isn't a single dry spot left for them to claim.

They're forced to pack up and head back to the parking lot, leaving individual puddles around the car whilst Casey struggles with the keys.

"Greyson, I'm freezing my tits off. Could you be any slower?"

"Yeah yeah, quite your..."

Neith crosses her arms, leaning her weight to one side whilst cocking her head to the side. "No please, finish the sentence."

"...nevermind."

Sky sits in the front seat with her feet hanging out of the car whilst Cloud leans against the door, the pair talking quietly amongst themselves whilst Casey squeezes everything into the boot of the car and Neith slides into the back seat.

Sky casually pulls out her phone but when the colour drains from her face, he feels the pit in his stomach hollow out.

Here it was.

The Dark.

"What?" Cloud tries at a half smile but it doesn't hold up, the slight quiver in his tone drawing Neith's attention from the back seat whilst his eyes flicker back and forth between her and the phone. "What is it?"

"They found a body...in the river."

Neith leans forward in her seat, and quickly, forgetting all about the uncomfortable feeling of soaked denim. "And?"

"Freya."

"What? Did she text you about it?"

"No it's Freya...guys she's gone."