The woods stand across the park. Trees are separated by wind but together they create an intensity of green. They stand highly even. The empty, clean and desert field that supports the United Companies - as read in several office containers and mixed up types of cranes - construction ground clashes with the serene and ecologically balanced background of the forest.
Two years ago Josh Grace was employed along with some other engineers to run the project. Nothing very complicated just supervising the construction site and getting along with the other employees. It is take-your-child-to-work day and Mr. Grace pulls the hand of his only son along the arid space. Normally his outfit of the day set would be something checkered and poorly washed, but today, to impress his child, JOSH went for an elegant suit and sparkly moccasins.
He kneels before the blue eyed and brown hair 12 year old Noel Grace. The boy stands beside him checking the environment thinking of how wonderful of a site this would be for a perfect Robin Hood movie sequel.
‘You stay here. I'm just clearing it with my boss.’
The boy smiles and nods. He is glad he isn't in school but in some place new where he can easily run and pretend to be a knight of the Round Table. His father runs inside one of the office containers leaving the little boy alone with his own imaginary world.
His trainers kick an invisible obstacle but it only lifts up brownish dust. Noel is a very open minded kid and his imagination doesn't find any valid boundaries. Despite his regular child fit clothes he wishes to be more.
He looks around as if wary of the perimeter. His eyes narrow, no one around. In a sudden movement NOEL thumps the air, his fist arising over his head to look as if he is wielding a sword.
‘Ah! I knew you would return.’
The scenery remains lifeless except for him. He starts to grunt preforming sounds of struggle while his makeshift blade slices the air for an improved fight. He turns around, his own body facing the made up opponent. He breathes heavily.
‘I had a feeling we would meet again.’ He grins. His eyes are blue as ice and his forehead sweaty with reflections from the sunlight.
The pretend fight goes on for a few minutes and Noel looks tired but not like he is giving up to the imaginary opponent.
However this does not last for long. He glues his attention to someone. A girl. Backwards, she walks not very far from him next to an office container, hidden. Her brown long hair reflexes reddish highlights and swings with rhythm.
He flinches the fight and approaches the individual, amazed by her figure. The girl walked strangely; first her toes would find a place on the ground and only then would her heels land.
Quite like a ballerina.
Noel finds this behavior peculiar and awfully uncanny but he continues his quest towards the young woman. Her clothes follow her conduct's pattern, black and sinister. Both the trousers and the sleeveless shirt were glued to her skin but this last ornament was hidden under the leather tough jacket.
‘Why do you walk like that?’
The girl halts. Her head turns and he stops as well. She is in profile now, her body still facing north but half of her head turned to Noel as the other part of her face is hidden in shadows and unknown. Her view is lied down on the floor.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Toes first, heels second.’ She nods. Noel takes a deep breath and continues. ‘That's a very odd way to walk.’
‘What's the right way then?’ Her visible eye looks directly at him. His expression changes to startled look.
‘First heels, Toes second.’
‘Oh!’ She seems enlightened now.
The mysterious figure turns fully to him. Her eyes small dark brown find his. Despite the freckles and tiny outlined eyebrows, her appearance lacks care. Noel does a small victorious smile.
‘You're so beautiful, you shouldn't hide yourself.’
Her careless figure is shown off by her tired and hard expression. Her left eyebrow lifts up, in a signal of misunderstanding and little patience.
‘I wasn't hiding, I was walking, just like you said.’
She hardly knows how to react before such young child but in other hand, his perspicacious and sassy intelligence captures her attention.
Noel’s smile remains untouched as he thinks of Belle’s cleverness on changing the matter so sharply. But like a sudden lighting his ways modify to seriousness. He looks scared.
‘Have you seen them?’
‘Who?’ asks her confused.
‘Those pirates and their allies, the stormtroopers.’
‘Stormtroopers?’
His voice tone lowers intensively. His neck leans forward; his eyes narrow that way he will be able contain safely his secret.
‘They were planning something bad. I heard it as a whisper from the forest, like they were little vicious rats squeaking in the sewer. They come and go in their naive way of thinking I don't hear them.’ He grins and his voice raises the tone. ‘But I'm smarter.’
She however remains clueless of whatever he was talking about. She is not a babysitter and her patience is running out. He doesn't care though, and keeps talking. While proffering his speech Noel reaches for his pocket. He grabs a curious object. On his hand a sharp diamond sparkles with the sun. He throws it and grabs it back to give in some style and sweetness.
‘I even took this from them and they didn't notice. Now you... can put it back in the sky.’ He opens her hand and gives her the gleaming stone.
Way behind them, Josh Grace is back from his conversation with the boss. After descending the three steps that separate the office from the ground, his eyes search the perimeter for his son. He calls loudly for the boy, raising his hand and making a back and forward movement when he finally spots Noel.
‘Noel! Where are you? Come on inside!’
The boy plays a genuine smile and starts running away back to his dad's office. He doesn't give her a chance to react. Both father and son enter the office as soon as Noel reaches Josh. At the same time both their right foot step on the office.
