“Veronica, where are you? It's dinner time!” My stepmother yelled from inside the house.
I was a step away from entering the forest behind our house when her irritated voice rang out. Two birds flew off the branch they had been perched on. I paused, the forest calling to me like it always did.
I stepped forward into the forest. The trees and thick leaves at the entrance parted to let me through and embracing each other after I'd walked past.
At that young age, I had no friends. After my mama died and father remarried, replacing my dear mother, I lost interest in being around people. The forest became my comfort place. Deep inside was a giant oak tree with thick roots protruding from ground like twisted arms. I loved sitting there and reading. The air was clean and cooler.
Sometimes when the breeze rustled through the leaves, I would feel as though the tree was trying to tell me something. Or maybe it was my wild imagination.
Still, my quiet self earned me a name among my townspeople. She’s a brooder, they often whispered. I didn't mind so long as no one bothered me with meaningless chatter.
Then one day, I met a girl about my age in the forest. She was frail with unevenly cut hair framing her hollow cheeks while her eyes were unnaturally gray and bright against her brown face. Like me, she rarely spoke. Just a faint smile and a nod so we'd sit in silence beneath the oak tree while she peered over my shoulder at my book until it was time to go home.
That evening she was waiting for me beneath the oak tree. A smile tugged at her lips and her eyes gave off a spark that disappeared quickly. “You came.”
I paused and nodded. She beckoned and pointed toward the far edge of the forest. “Come closer and see this.”
I did and saw a boy standing beside a tree near the edge of cliff. He did look like a boy but I wasn't sure. I pushed my thick glasses up on my nose to get a better look. “Is...is he even wearing clothes?” I blurted before thinking and the girl gasped.
The boy turned and saw us. He looked human but not entirely so. His eyes sparkled like polished emerald. His nose was broad and too big for his face while the ears were pointed at the tip, like an elf.
At first glance, it seemed like he had no clothes on. But when he shifted and ran in the other direction with unnatural speed, I saw he had on the thinnest fabric I'd ever seen, same colour as his skin.
The girl turned to me, her eyes wide. “Do you think he lives here?”
That was a good question but hearing it made my stomach turn as a quiet dread settled into me. “Who are you?” I asked quietly.
Her eyes grew wider as she sucked in a breath. Then she grinned, revealing perfect white teeth I had never seen before, and ran in the same direction as the boy.
My skin prickled with goosebumps as I realised how dark it had become. I ran home determined to return the next day and find the strange boy and girl.
I hope you enjoyed reading this short piece. It's inspired by the Freewrite #dailyprompt phrase "Is he even wearing clothes?".
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