Hood Part 1

I Was Acting, Right?

Okay so last night's update was really short and since I'm not so tired anymore I'm going to give you an extra update. Also I figured out how to do bold/underline/italics on my phone so yay!

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"What is the meaning of this?" John asked when we woke him and the rest of the underground. "First the boy and now another one? At least he can help feed himself! Now you're bringing us an invalid!"

"She needs help!" Robin shouted

"There's lots of people who–"

"She did something–"

"How dare you interrupt me!" He screamed.

With those words John hit her across the face. For a moment she just stood there. Absolutely stunned. Then she turned on her heel and ran.

"Go," whispered a soft voice in my ear.

I didn't even take the time to discover who's voice it was. I just followed the instructions. I tore after her at full speed. Once outdoors I followed her footprints. I tracked her to a cliff where I found her sitting with her legs dangling over the edge. I walked up behind her and placed my hand on her shoulder. She jumped slightly but didn't scream.

"Go away, John," she said.

"Well," I said. "I'd do that, but I'm not John."

She twisted around to look at me.

"Phillip? What are you doing here?"

"I was worried about you," I said, sitting down next to her "I mean, there are so many terrible things that could happen to such a pretty girl alone in the woods."

"I'm not pretty," she muttered.

"Beautiful, then," I said teasingly.

"I'm not beautiful," she said louder and more firmly.

"Maybe not when you're caked in dirt and covered in tears, but give yourself a good wash and the stink should come right off," I said, still joking.

"This isn't a joke!" She yelled at me. "I'm not pretty! I hate it when people tell me lies to make me feel better or because they want something from me!"

That's when it clicked in my brain.

"Who told you weren't pretty? It was John wasn't it?"

Her silence was just as good as a yes.

"How the hell can he not see the beauty of a girl who is gorgeous inside and out?" The words just started to tumble out and I prayed that I didn't really believe anything I said. "Robin your radiance can't be matched even by the sun. You're skin is the polished ivory of the moon and your eyes sparkle like two freshly cut emeralds. Your lips are the shape of two waves merging peacefully and the curves of your body are the perfect hills and slopes of the eastern grasslands. You are as beautiful as a goddess and when I first saw you I was stunned by your face. Now you are even more beautiful, for I see your inner beauty as well. You are a rose. Your face is the delicately beautiful petals, which conceals the thorns along the stem. But the thorns are beautiful in their own way. Their danger makes them perfect and beautifully designed to protect something so beautiful. Then there is the smooth green stem under the thorns. Locked up to all but those who take the time to peel away the thorns one by one. But it's worth it, because it reveals the soft, flexible, and sweet stem of the plant. You are a perfect, beautiful, delicate, and dangerous little rose."

She was crying freely now. Openly balling like a baby. She clung to my shirt and her tears soaked it through. But when she pulled away she smiled at me.

"Thank you Phillip," she said.

"You're welcome, but we should be heading back. We need to find something cold to put on your face."

The bruising had begun and it didn't look too good.

"Okay."

I pulled her to her feet and we headed back toward the cottage. But just before we went inside Robin stopped me.

"Thank you," she said one more time.

Then she reached up and kissed me. It only lasted a second and it was on the cheek, but I felt something strange. I'd only ever felt it once before. When Elaine, the daughter of the owner of the local the tavern, and I had snuck off one day, after months of planning, to have a picnic in the woods. I'd whispered sweet things in her ear and she'd fed me things like strawberries and grapes until we'd been discovered. We were forbidden to see each other again. But a few days later she'd come to my window and suggested we run away together. I agreed and we stole two horses and headed for the forest. But her father was there waiting for us and when he saw me he accused me of kidnapping Elaine and tried to shoot me. But the bullet meant for my chest never made it. Instead the gun misfired and it hit Elaine. She was twelve, I thirteen. She fell off her horse, but I managed to catch her. In her last moments she reached up and kissed me. Then she died in my arms. I'd loved that girl so much. Whenever I was with her, there was almost like a special part of my heart that only worked when she was around. When she was gone, it was like that part of me had died with her. But Robin had brought it back to life.

No! Robin had just reminded me of Elaine when she kissed me and that's why I was feeling this now. That was the only explanation. I could never fall in love with a petty thief.

But was she really that bad? questioned the little voice in the back of my head. She'd been nice to me and let me stay here."Go away, John," she said. 

No! The other side of my brain argued. She is a criminal and it is my duty to turn her in to the guards.

But she's kind and sweet, not to mention pretty, the devious side of me argued back.

It doesn't matter! I told myself. She's a thief and therefore I have to turn her in. It's not up to me.

That shut the other side of me up. I tromped inside and climbed back in my hammock. But just as I drifted off, that bad part of my head asked me, but what if it was up to you?

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Well, there you go. What do you think?