Tempt In The Trees

Two

After having followed Vincent deeper into the woods, I started having a few doubts. What if he killed me? There was no way I was going to let Jasmine lose everyone. She was my life. All I cared about. All I knew.

"Just about another half a mile or so." Vincent murmured as he turned left for about the seventeenth time.

"Yeah, sure. You said that about thirty minutes ago." I said, rolling my eyes. He let out a slight chuckle at my response.

"Still not going to tell me your name?" He asked.

"No."

"Can I give you a new one?"

"What?"

"A new name."

To be honest, I was kind of shocked. What type of person gives someone a new name? I was already creeped out that his name was like a greaser from the '60's or something, but, this took the cake.

"Emily." I muttered, fiddling with my thumbs. I had always been ashamed of my name. It was bland and boring and basic. 'The Three B's' as the kids called it when I was in school.

"Emily? That's sort of pretty." He said, his smirk that had a slight hint of mischief in it.

"You're the most annoying man I have ever met." I retorted, snorting to try and coax back my laughter.

"You must not know a lot of guys, then. In my opinion, I'm the best man on the planet! All the ladies want to be mine." He said, with a click of his tongue.

"Not all of them." I replied, narrowing my eyes into a glare at his arrogance.

"Oh right. Not yet. I have yet to woo you." He said with that signature smirk of his. Heavens, he was the most obnoxious person ever.

After another ten minutes of walking, we had arrived at a small community with tents and a few buildings made out of logs. There were a couple of guys around the age of twenty who were standing by the entrance, as if anyone would have the time to search for this location. Seriously, who takes a million lefts and makes camp?

A girl who looked to be thirteen approached us with a warm smile. She had a head of straight ginger hair with pale blue eyes and freckles dusted across her face. "Vincent! How are you? Are you okay? Did you find something? Who's she? She pretty! Is she your girlfriend? Do you like her? I love her hair! Why's she dressed like Cinderella before the makeover?" The girl said, speaking at a rather rapid rate.

"I'm fine, Chloe. How are you? Yes, I know she's pretty. No she's not my girlfriend. She's difficult. I'm not sure if I like her yet. She was tossed away by some guards." Vincent replied, seemingly able to understand the second universe language the girl was speaking.

Before anything could come out of my mouth, the girl skipped off, leaving me slightly annoyed. "She's quite... different." I said, venom in the last word.

"You are, too. You're stubborn and quite angry, aren't you, sweet pea?" Vincent said, adjusting his belt where his pocket knife was.

"Don't call me that!" I said, annoyed beyond my wits end at this boy. He was sure to annoy me to the point where tea could boil on my head.

Our little 'disagreement' was cut off by a tall boy who looked about my age, maybe a year older, running into me, causing both of us to fall. Vincent let out a hearty laugh as I spat on his foot in anger. I looked at the boy who ran into me. He had straight, black hair with piercing green eyes. He was slightly chubby and seemed a little flustered as he simply stared at me.

"Sorry! I'm so sorry, ma'am! I... I... I...." The boy stared, clearly at a loss of words. Vincent patted the boy's back in a rough manner.

"Come on, Zachary! Sp...Sp...Spit it out!" Vincent said, mocking Zachary. I glared at Vincent and jumped to my feet, holding out my hand to help the poor guy up.

"Thanks..." Zachary said before quickly running off. I tilted my head at him and waved at him, watching him run off. Everyone here has clearly lost their minds.

"Aw. He liked you. Not surprised. You are quite the sight, Em." Vincent said, smirking.

"Don't you dare call me Em! Only my sister can call me back!" I yelled, jabbing my right pointer finger into Vincent's chest in anger.

"Woah! Calm down, girly!" He said, holding his hands up in surrender. "So... Want a tour?"

"Not really."

"Okay... I'll just take you to the Infirmary, then." Vincent said.

We walked to an average sized log building without a door and no windows, only cavities in the building. Inside there was about three people in beds and two nurses. On a bed all the way at the end, I saw a head of curly brown hair, facing away from me.

Quickly, I walked over to that bed and used my right hand to turn the person onto their back. A girl with tan skin and an upturned nose faced me. Jasmine. I placed my right hand on her cheek and felt how cold her skin was. I grabbed her hand and held it with my left hand.

I moved my hand up and traced her hairline, which I always found odd. There was not defined line where her hair started. There was only a jagged, messy line. As I reached her left temple, I noticed something. Something like a wet indent in her skin. Thinking nothing of it, I slowly tilted her head to examine her temple. Her hair waved in the way of the temple and I slowly removed it.

There, right on the area of her left temple, was a gunshot wound. It was hollow and felt wet. Her blood stained my fingertips. With my left hand, I felt under her jawline for a pulse, clearly panicked. Nothing. I sank to the ground and let all of my emotions wash over me. There was only one word going through my head.

Jasmine.

Jasmine.

Jasmine.

(1,032 words)