Forbidden Extras

Walk in the Woods

Authors Note: This scene was originally in "Lake Ella". Before I had the prom idea I wasn't sure what they should do at the lake house and just figured I'd write about them exploring the place. It was almost published but at the last second I pulled it out and changed the chapter completely. It's just a short little scene but still something that took me hours to write (mainly because of the research). It just goes to show how much effort writers out in their work even for a small part of their novel.

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I knew that the lake house was beautiful on the inside, but the outside was even better. To pass the time, Jasper and I decided to spend the day enjoying all it had to offer. The lake was a beautiful sight, but I was more drawn to the woods surrounding it. Therefore we grabbed our boots and headed out for a little journey.

As we walked along the earthy path we held each others hand not wanting to let go. Even when I got distracted by all the beautiful flowers and ran ahead to see them, Jasper held on as I jerked him with me.

This place was really changing us and exposing all the different qualities we didn't know about each other, including my love for nature. I probably got it from my father who picked up gardening after flipping so many houses. So as we walked, Jasper would test my little hobby and point to different flowers asking questions about it.

"What's that one?" he pointed to a small yellow flower.

"That would be a celandine."

"And that one?"

"Still a celandine, but I think a bug was munching out it earlier," I made a face.

We walked a few more steps before his eyes landed on another and he asked, "Is that a celandine, too?"

I paused to look at the flower he was talking about. The large, ivory petals were curled up towards the sky hosting a yellow center of anthers poking out. I released his hand to bend down and look at it in awe.

"Oh wow! This is a really special flower. I haven't seen this one in a while. I wonder what it's doing all the way out here?"

"Probably was tired of being picked on in the big city and wanted a change in lifestyle?" Jasper offered with a smirk.

I threw him an annoyed look before turning back to the flower. "Granny told me something about these flowers before. They are called anemone."

Jasper crinkled up his nose. "The stuff from the sea?"

"No, that is different. This is the flower anemone, not the plant."

He was silent for a moment. "But . . . flowers are plants--"

"Moving on," I cut him off plucking a flower and holding it up for him to see. "This is an anemone nemorosa, sometimes called windflower. It has a story behind it about the death of Adonis."

"The Greek Adonis? Loved by Aphrodite?"

I nodded. "And Persephone, but mainly Aphrodite. Granny told me of a story about how one day he was in the woods hunting wild boar when one of them charged at him and stabbed him through with its tusk," I made a stabbing motion on Jasper's own chest. "Aphrodite heard his cries of pain and swooped down to see him was laying in a field of white anemones that turned red from his blood. She wept over his dying body promising to never love again."

I looked up at Jasper who was eyeing me fiercely. I could only imagine what was going on in his head. Still I continued.

"Some legends say that the boar was placed there by Persephone who was jealous of Aphrodite's love for him. She wanted him all to herself, and since she is the queen of the underworld the only way to make him stay with her is to keep him there forever."

Jasper frowned and looked down at the flower. "I remember this story. It's very messed up."

"It is," I looked down at the flower myself, twisting it around between my fingers, before putting it in my hair. "But it's just a story."

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Authors Note 2: the reason I had this part in the story was to foreshadow what was to come about Lexi/Rachel trying breaking Jasper and Allison a part with rumors. Originally it was because Lexi was super jealous of Allison, but I switched it up slightly. Hope you enjoyed!