When Leaves Burn

When Leaves Burn ~ Chapter One

 Chapter One

Running has always been a naturual skill of mine. It should, because it comes in handy a lot, with what I am. I'm always running, it seems, every time some guy gets a glance at me. I'm lucky it's so easy, because I'd be long dead by now if I couldn't run and run and run like no ones business.

I've also had a lot of practice, what with being almost 408 and still young. Does that seem like an anomally to you? Believe me, it's not. I may be rare, but there are others. We wander around woods and whisper lullabyes to baby children. We've been around since Zues was popular - and let me tell you, that's a long time. In fact, my mother once met him, although not on the best cirmcumstances. . .

Oh, yes. Running. That's what I was up to now, and I was getting bored of the trees zooming past me and was really ready for this guy to give up. He was really determined though, this one. Whenever I whipped my long hair back and looked behind me, I could still see him huffing and puffing along behind me, completely lovestruck (or should I say luststruck) at the mere sight of me. He would call out every once and awhile, saying things like, 'Beautiful, slow down!' or 'Baby, wait for me!' What did he think this was, cat and mouse? I didn't even know him! I really wished he's stop stalking me.

I guess it wasn't really his fault, though, as much as it kills me to admit it. It was natural for him to be lovestruck, senseless with greed, and partially creepy with his hungry gaze. I was used to it; although it was easier to hide away in the depths of the forest, I had to come out some time. I knew something like this would happen. It always does.

What I'm saying is that I was to blame here. I needed to get him to stop following me and go home, or else he could end up wandering the forest for ages looking for his 'lover'. Delusions.

I slowed down and came to a stop, spinning around to face him. I hoped silently he wouldn't get physical . . . some of them do . . .

I saw his steps were slowing. He trotted up to me, panting heavily, while I hadn't even broken a sweat. Like I said, I was a good runner. I noticed he was actually good looking - blonde, messy hair completley windblown, and hazel eyes glimmering at me hopefully through long, dark lashes. He had a good physique too - he'd had too've, to make it this far with me. He was tall and looked quite strong.

I hope that wouldn't become a problem.

"You stopped. Couldn't go any further?" He murmered, looking exhausted but attemting to go for the husky approach.

"Hm, I had no choice but to talk to you. You need to go home." Sounds harsh? Well, sometimes you have to be. Some guys just don't give up.

"Go home?" he looked at me like I was the crazy one. "But you finally stopped." he began walking towards me. "I finally got you."

Psh! Got me?! I stopped and you caught up!

"Yeah, good for you. I don't know you - go home. It's that way." I told him, stepping back and pointing westard. He didn't look westward though, just kept gazing at me like I was Aphrodite herself and making small, shuffling steps toward me. It made me nervous. He looked like one of the obsessive ones.

Oh, please Zues, not again! Hmm. Maybe I could use this to my advantage. I took in a deep breath before I made up my mind, locking my gaze onto his.

The second I did that, he seemed completely star-struck. I began sa-shaying towards him, and I was afraid he'd stop breathing. I got a foot away and looked up at him through ash-black lashes.

"What's your name?" I said, quietly.

He sucked in air. "Tucker."

I put my hand on his shoulder. "Tucker," I told him. "I want you to go home." I leaned in, whispering, "I'll meet you there tomorrow."

This time, he really did stop breathing. His eyes were wide, his eyes flickering across my face. He found himself nodding, and I smiled encouragingly. I once again pointed westward.

"It's six miles that way."

And then he was gone.

Alright, you might be wondering why that boy, Tucker, he said, was so hypnotized by me. Don't be confused - I'm no witch or Goddess, or some really concieted high school girl who thinks she's the best thing that ever happened. I don't consider myself concieted - my beauty was just apart of me and made me what I am. I definetley wasn't the prettiest thing out there.

The truth is, I was a nymph, something you would never believe if I told you. And the Olympians are real too, all thundery and angry at eachother all the time up in Olympus. I've met Apollo, Ares and Athena. Weren't those the meetings of a a life time! Pfft. Talk about harrassed. It's pretty rare to encounter an Olympian, but I've had the fortune (or misfortune, in Ares case) to come across three of them.

Way back when, they either used you as their play things or they couldn't be bothered with your existence. Nowadays, all the nymphs that live in North America have been blessed by their presence more and more often due to the exponential growth of humans. Serioulsy people, it's ridiculous! Control yourself from having even more children! Almost seven billion people really, truly is enough.

To the point. Like a normal nymph, I live in a tree. Yes, I know it's weird, but I promise! It's a bit more accomodating than your average Sycamore. It's basically like a huge bubble... tree... type thing. Some of the satyrs will occasionally treat us tree spirits to a little song, and those trees balloon out like no ones business to those tunes. The roots bulge (no harm to the tree though, believe me) and if your lucky, you'll have a fair sized house. Mine is a two room, which is quite average since the rooms are extremely small and all I have in there are books, a hammock, a food store, and a gazillion little nicknacks that I hold near and dear. And when I say two room, I mean I actually have two rooms.

Like most trees, it's in the middle of a huge, nice, unpopulated area. Or so it was. Humans get closer and closer to my home every year, and it scares the crap out of me. More and more of my kind are forced to bunker up with the human population. I've heard the worst stories about men. The Gods have to frequently step in and help us out so no one gets hurt.

Not that I haven't been through some pretty terrifying stuff. I've had countless stalkers just like our little Tucker on the edge of the forest, except some get much, much worse. Sometimes I still get nightmares. It may be your dream to be unbelievaby beautiful, but to me, it's a curse. To be as old as I am (and still young, to some) would be like living a full human life.. four times? Yes, that's right. I'm as old as America! Anyway, to be as old as I am you experience so many things and meet so many people. I've told myself I'm in love, only to watch him die by someone elses hand. They always die. Sooner or later, they perish. It's anguish to love and have it ripped away from you and then, decades later, do it all over again. You could say safely I've sworn off men, the good and the bad.

I would tell you all my personal experiences, but if you don't mind, I'd like to keep them to myself. They're pretty personal and kind of . . . depressing? Exactly. They haunt me, but what I have to tell myself is that today is a new day and tomorrow is never coming back. Isn't that the truth of my life?

******************************************************************

Okay, so I finally posted a story I've been thinking about for awhile. I'm really excited about it and have lots of great stuff planned! :D

FAN/COMMENT/SUB PLEASE ILL LOVE YOU FOREVER AND GIVE YOU COOKIES!

<3

Brii:)