Into The Trees

Chapter One - Harper's Tree

Sorry for the cliffhanger XD 

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Arthur looked up. The sky was a dull shade of grey and Arthur couldn't help feeling that he was lost. The trees surrounding him seemed too tall and the bird calls, too loud. He was used to the city, with its tiny trees and city noises. He was on a camping trip, something his parents recommended. His friends had told him to wait for them. Naturally, he wandered off. And now he had no idea where he was.

Arthur started walking, pushing the hair out of his eyes. It was getting late, and Arthur really wanted a bag of chips, a coke, and his xbox. He wished for the city noises and the familiar feel of all of the buildings.

Arthur stood to rest next to a stream. His short, black hair was dirty, his orange shirt was ripped and his brown eyes were worried. He scooped up a bit of water and ran it through his hair, trying to get the dirt out. The sun was setting and it was drizzling.

Arthur walked over to the nearest tree and slumped down under it. Before he knew it, he was asleep.

ᐁᐃᐁ

Cassie climbed the tree up to her tree house. Lotus-Corpse looked down on her, her blue hair waving in the nonexistent breeze. "Today is awfully dreadful," she said, cackling. Cassie groaned. "Do you have any fries, dear?" Lotus asked.

She had known Lotus since her parents abandoned her in the forest. Lotus had taken care of her, though she was a bit of a pain. Cassie decided to take her chances in the rain and she walked back out. Though Lotus liked everything exceptionally damp, she hated the rain. Anything that pure burned her.

"Are you getting fries dear?" Lotus asked, watching Cassie disappear. Cassie plunged into the rain, the drops stinging her skin. She walked through the familiar trees, stopping under one that provided cover from the rain. It was next to the river. She slid down the tree, sitting on something hard.

"Ow!" Someone exclaimed. Cassie looked down and saw she was sitting on a boy's foot. He was barely wet from the cover of the tree. He appeared hopelessly lost. Cassie scrambled to her feet. "Who are you?" She asked. She hadn't seen another person since her parents died, besides Lotus but she was a ghost.

The boy blinked his sleepy eyes. "I'm Arthur." He widened his eyes, taking in her long, brown, braided hair, her homemade clothes, and her painted eyes. The rain stopped and Cassie quickly walked away. She couldn't risk Arthur seeing Lotus. Arthur scrambled after her, barely keeping up with the taller girl's strides.

"Wait," he said. "I didn't even catch your name!" Cassie turned around looked at him. He had pretty brown eyes and was clearly italian. Cassie felt Lotus lay her hand on Cassie's shoulder. "This is not a french fry," Lotus said with a frown. Arthur gaped at the zombie-ghost. Then, he started laughing. "James was right," he said. At the blank looks from Cassie and Lotus, he started to explain.

"James is one of my friends from the campground I came from," Arthur said. "At some point, he's probably going to come for me. He has great tracking skills." As if he had heard Arthur, a boy popped out from behind the trees. "Arthur!" The boy said loudly.

He stopped and stared at the Lotus. "Ha! I knew ghosts were real. I told you!" The boy said triumphantly. "You must be James," Cassie said, looking at the boy. He was tall, with dark hair, almost black. The first thing she noticed though, was his eyes. They were big, with long lashes that cast shadows over his fine cheekbones. They were also green. Not a dark green like most people's, but a green like new leaves.

Cassie never really liked pretty boys. She found that though they pretended they were tough, they relied on society more than they would admit. James was different. He looked like he lived outdoors.