Three Kings, One Girl, One Decision

Chapter 4: A Walk in the Forest

When I wake up the next morning, I'm still tired and want to go to sleep. Sadly, that's not what Gabe has in mind.

"Hellooo little sister~" he says in a singsong voice. I groan and put my head under a pillow. I hear his muffled laughter through the pillow. At least it's Gabe and not Gabriel, I think.

"Come on, Cici. We're going for a walk," he says and rips the covers off of my body. I groan again and curl into a ball. He then picks me up and carries me to the bathroom. Once inside he sets me down, hands me some clothes, and leaves.

"Shower and get ready," he says. "I'll be waiting in the living room~" I sigh and quickly get in the shower, knowing I can't just refuse him or else Gabriel will come back. I shudder at the thought. Once done in the shower, I get out and dry off. I put on the shorts and t-shirt he gave me and put my hair up into a ponytail. I leave the bathroom and walk to my room, grab my tennis shoes and sketchpad, and head to the living room. Gabe is waiting for me on the couch. When he sees me he gets up and heads out the door, me following close behind.

"Where are we going walking?" I ask.

"Through the forest," he says, which lightens my mood a bit. I love the forest probably as much as I love the beach. We make out way to the woods, which is a little ways down from our house. We walk in silence, not wanting to ruin the peace and quiet of the morning. When we get to the edge of the forest, Gabe gets a phone call. He has a quick conversation and then hangs up. He looks to me, somewhat sad.

"Sorry Cici, that was my boss. I just got called in because Riley is sick. Looks like I won't be walking with you," he says sadly.

"That's okay, I understand. Maybe another time," I say. "But, I think I'm going to do a little walking on my own. If that's alright."

"Yeah, go ahead," he says as he begins to walk away. "See ya later."

"Bye," I say, and then begin my trek into the forest. It's nice here, that's why I like it so much. Sometimes I come here and draw because it's peaceful and I'm able to concentrate. As I walk through the woods, I listen to the birds and sounds of other animals. As I listen I hear something else. It sounds like...humming? I listen closer. Yep, it's definitely humming. But I don't know of any animal that hums. So that means someone else is out here. I listen and follow the sound.

After walking for a couple minutes, I come to a small clearing. There's a large rock in the middle of the clearing. On top of the rock sits a boy. He's not facing me but I can still see a strange characteristic about him. His hair. He has green hair which is darker on the bottom and lighter on the top, where his hair is fashioned into a single spike. I watch him curiously as he hums. For some reason, I get the feeling that I shouldn't mess with him and begin to leave the clearing silently. Until I step on a stick and it cracks. Damn, I curse myself silently. I look back to see the boy's reaction, but he's gone. I quickly try to escape the clearing, but turn back to find the boy in front of me.

I gasp and stumble backwards, falling on my butt. I look up at the boy, who is simply looking at me curiously. After staring at me for a bit, he offers me his hand. I cautiously take it and he pulls me up without effort.

"S-Sorry for intruding," I say, stuttering. "I'll be g-going now." I begin to walk away quickly, but he stops me by grabbing my hand. I look back at him, blushing a deep red. He drags me over to the rock and sits me down. He let's go of my hand and sits on the ground in front of me crisscross style, elbows on his knees and hands holding his head. I sit there, blushing like crazy, not sure what to do. Finally I decide to speak, trying hard not to stutter.

"Is there a reason you're keeping me here?" I ask quietly.

"I'm bored," he says matter-of-factly. I look at him in confusion and shock. Bored? So because he's bored he's keeping me here against my will?