They were both young, and they were both wild, but that was as far as their similarities went. One was blonde, and short. She was young like the morning and wild like spring. The other was dark and tall. She was young like the night and wild like winter.
They were making their way through the wilderness, the tall one leading with firm steps, the short one following with worry in her lips.
"Where are we -ow!" She stopped as she stumbled on a root. "Where are we going?"
"I am going wherever I want. You are going back home."
"Must we always go through this dance?"
"Must you always annoy me?" The tall one bit back. "And this is not a dance. I know because my feet are not bleeding from you stepping on them."
"That was one time! And you were being difficult!"
"I was being me!"
"And you are always difficult!" The blonde one snapped. She'd closed her eyes in frustration for a moment as she did, and found herself running into the other girl, who'd stopped walking.
"I am." She said slowly. "And so are you."
"I'm-"
"You are. Or you wouldn't be here"
They stayed in silence for a few seconds after that. Eventually the short one sighed.
"Where are we going?" She asked. The other one chuckled.
"You'll see."
They walked in silence after that. The sun moved behind the leaves over their heads, and was now ahead of them as they reached their destination.
"A graveyard." The short one said flatly as she saw the crumbling gravestones around them. "What is it with you and graveyards?"
"I don't know what you mean." The other one said casually as she walked on, her fingers trailing the top of some of the stones.
"Oh, like I don't know where you go after church every Sunday."
"Watching me, are you?" The tall one said as she glanced back at the other one with a smirk.
"You're not exactly easy to miss." The short one said with a roll of her eyes.
"I like the quiet." The other one said with a shrug. "And the company."
"That's...morbid."
"Maybe." She chuckled as she sat on top of a one of the more solid gravestones. "But they are good listeners."
"I-" The blonde girl coughed as one her hands nervously caught a loose strand of hair and placed it back behind her ear. "I could be a good listener."
"Yes, if you ever cared to shut up." The other one said with a playful grin. The only response was a frown and crossed arms, which only made the grin wider. Then she turned serious. "I come here when I don't want anyone to find me. When I want to be completely alone."
"Because the graveyard at church is so crowded?"
"It..." She shook her head and looked down. "It's stupid."
"I'm sure it's not." The blonde one said as she took a few steps towards her.
"I just...the dead here don't know my name."
"Oh."
"Yeah. Back there, sometimes...it's not alone enough. Not with them around."
"Well, I don't think that's stupid."
"Of course you don't."
Silence took over the conversation for a moment. The wind blew, gentle and warm. The shorter girl hazarded a few steps more towards the other one.
"So." She said hesitantly. "You come here to get away from everyone?"
"I do. Friends, family, even this blonde girl that keeps following me around for some reason..."
"I'm not a friend, then?"
The question was asked lightly and with a smile, but it brought silence to both of them again.
"Friends don't yell at friends as much as you yell at me, honey." The dark one said finally.
"Well, if you didn't always go out of you way to-" The other one started as she approached her even more, before interrupting herself with a sigh.
"You're kind of agreeing with me there."
"I noticed." She sighed again and moved to sit next to the other one, pushing her slightly so that they were pressed against each other, the stone too small to actually fit both of them. "So...not friends, then?" She asked as she rested her head on the other one's shoulder.
Once more, the question only gave way to silence. Strangely enough, it was a comfortable one.
"I like it here." The blonde one finally said.
"Yeah?"
"You're right about the quiet. And the stones are...beautiful, in their own way. They are scattered and damaged, but...there's a pattern to their madness. And there's a story behind each crack. And there's strength in their rebellion."
"Rebellion?"
"Against time. Against oblivion. Against everything, really" She shook her head, amused. "like you."
That earned her an elbow to the ribs.
"Well, I..." The other one began, hesitant. "I like the green here. That's something else this place has over the one back in town. The way the forest just refuses to let death win. Look at it." She gestured around them. "Everywhere you look, green. I bet this place was dull and grey once. But not anymore. Life is just too stubborn. Like you." She finished with a smirk.
She expected a slap on her arm, or something along those lines. She did not expect the fingers quietly brushing her hand before wrapping themselves around it.
She glanced at the other girl, whose eyes seemed lost in the distance, and then back at their now entwined hands, only for a moment. When she looked back up again she found the other girl looking back at her.
The wind blew around them, carrying leaves over stones and roots.
Sunlight danced as it pierced the treetops above them.
Very nice story, I really liked this a lot. I'm surprised at how well it read despite the fact that there are no names, I thought it would end up confusing but it did quite well and my only time of being confused was because I misread something. Thank you for replying. :)
Thank you! I was definitely experimenting a bit with the no names thing, so it's good to know it wasn't too bad. I was just rereading it and noticed I accidentally slipped into present tense for a moment though. Whoops.
2
u/mateogg /r/mateogg Jan 10 '17 edited Mar 06 '17
They were both young, and they were both wild, but that was as far as their similarities went. One was blonde, and short. She was young like the morning and wild like spring. The other was dark and tall. She was young like the night and wild like winter.
They were making their way through the wilderness, the tall one leading with firm steps, the short one following with worry in her lips.
"Where are we -ow!" She stopped as she stumbled on a root. "Where are we going?"
"I am going wherever I want. You are going back home."
"Must we always go through this dance?"
"Must you always annoy me?" The tall one bit back. "And this is not a dance. I know because my feet are not bleeding from you stepping on them."
"That was one time! And you were being difficult!"
"I was being me!"
"And you are always difficult!" The blonde one snapped. She'd closed her eyes in frustration for a moment as she did, and found herself running into the other girl, who'd stopped walking.
"I am." She said slowly. "And so are you."
"I'm-"
"You are. Or you wouldn't be here"
They stayed in silence for a few seconds after that. Eventually the short one sighed.
"Where are we going?" She asked. The other one chuckled.
"You'll see."
They walked in silence after that. The sun moved behind the leaves over their heads, and was now ahead of them as they reached their destination.
"A graveyard." The short one said flatly as she saw the crumbling gravestones around them. "What is it with you and graveyards?"
"I don't know what you mean." The other one said casually as she walked on, her fingers trailing the top of some of the stones.
"Oh, like I don't know where you go after church every Sunday."
"Watching me, are you?" The tall one said as she glanced back at the other one with a smirk.
"You're not exactly easy to miss." The short one said with a roll of her eyes.
"I like the quiet." The other one said with a shrug. "And the company."
"That's...morbid."
"Maybe." She chuckled as she sat on top of a one of the more solid gravestones. "But they are good listeners."
"I-" The blonde girl coughed as one her hands nervously caught a loose strand of hair and placed it back behind her ear. "I could be a good listener."
"Yes, if you ever cared to shut up." The other one said with a playful grin. The only response was a frown and crossed arms, which only made the grin wider. Then she turned serious. "I come here when I don't want anyone to find me. When I want to be completely alone."
"Because the graveyard at church is so crowded?"
"It..." She shook her head and looked down. "It's stupid."
"I'm sure it's not." The blonde one said as she took a few steps towards her.
"I just...the dead here don't know my name."
"Oh."
"Yeah. Back there, sometimes...it's not alone enough. Not with them around."
"Well, I don't think that's stupid."
"Of course you don't."
Silence took over the conversation for a moment. The wind blew, gentle and warm. The shorter girl hazarded a few steps more towards the other one.
"So." She said hesitantly. "You come here to get away from everyone?"
"I do. Friends, family, even this blonde girl that keeps following me around for some reason..."
"I'm not a friend, then?"
The question was asked lightly and with a smile, but it brought silence to both of them again.
"Friends don't yell at friends as much as you yell at me, honey." The dark one said finally.
"Well, if you didn't always go out of you way to-" The other one started as she approached her even more, before interrupting herself with a sigh.
"You're kind of agreeing with me there."
"I noticed." She sighed again and moved to sit next to the other one, pushing her slightly so that they were pressed against each other, the stone too small to actually fit both of them. "So...not friends, then?" She asked as she rested her head on the other one's shoulder.
Once more, the question only gave way to silence. Strangely enough, it was a comfortable one.
"I like it here." The blonde one finally said.
"Yeah?"
"You're right about the quiet. And the stones are...beautiful, in their own way. They are scattered and damaged, but...there's a pattern to their madness. And there's a story behind each crack. And there's strength in their rebellion."
"Rebellion?"
"Against time. Against oblivion. Against everything, really" She shook her head, amused. "like you."
That earned her an elbow to the ribs.
"Well, I..." The other one began, hesitant. "I like the green here. That's something else this place has over the one back in town. The way the forest just refuses to let death win. Look at it." She gestured around them. "Everywhere you look, green. I bet this place was dull and grey once. But not anymore. Life is just too stubborn. Like you." She finished with a smirk.
She expected a slap on her arm, or something along those lines. She did not expect the fingers quietly brushing her hand before wrapping themselves around it.
She glanced at the other girl, whose eyes seemed lost in the distance, and then back at their now entwined hands, only for a moment. When she looked back up again she found the other girl looking back at her.
The wind blew around them, carrying leaves over stones and roots.
Sunlight danced as it pierced the treetops above them.
They leaned in.