The Vines that Bind Us; Chapter 1

When the Wind Whispers

The first time we met I was nine years old. I walked to the park by myself, my hair covering my shy eyes, blocking them from the harsh rays of the sun.  Walking across the freshly grown grass, I could feel the spring breeze kissing my face, finally returning after a harsh, biting, winter. A large cedar wood tree piqued my interest, I could smell the pollen from the leaves, I could see the green inch worms slowly making their way out of carved wooden homes burrowed deep within the bark. Spring was returning, and I welcomed its embrace with open arms.

I sat under the tree for a long while, my head resting heavy on the burnt bark, listening to the soothing whispers of the wind. A girl walks up to me, her eyes are big and brown, they shine in the soft touch of the sun. She walks the same path as me, the grass absorbing her delicate feet the same way it did mine. The wind blowing her hair behind her framed face, greeting her the same as it did me. I watched her eyes close as she gently smiled against the newly formed breeze, the pastel yellow in her loose dress blowing wildly at the hem, her ankles exposed in the swiftness. Crisp outline of her body glowing against the setting sun.

From this position she towers over me, even though she is at least a foot smaller. She looks at me, searching for…something. I watch as she scans over me, her curious eyes trailing my hair, observing the features on my face, analyzing my clothes dusted with pollen, and my socks tinted green by wet grass.

“Hello.” She says, still looking down to me. Her voice is small, quiet, reminding me of the familiarity of the whispering wind.

“Hi.” I respond in kind, shifting my position to sit up, I bring my knees to my chest and place my head down in between them.

“Do you have any friends?” She asks me, her eyebrows raise, questioning. I wonder if she is teasing me.

Its been a long time since ive tried to make friends. The kids at my school tend to ignore me, they run the other way when I attempt to say hello or play tag at recess. They laugh when I answer questions in class.

It has been a long while since I let it bother me, the wind speaks to me more than people do, and I’ve been content to listen to its calls.

“No.” I answer shortly, averting my eyes from her round face, her pale skin clear aside from the freckles that cover her arms.

“Hm.” She responds, smiling at me still, looking down at me, still. Her presence unsettles me, goosebumps gather on my arms and legs, sending shivers down my spine. She steps to the side of me and leans her entire body on the bark of the tree. I can’t help but think that she will get her dress dirty. The brown of the trunk will rub off and ruin the pristine pastel that shades it.

“Why are you alone?” She asks me, and I think now that maybe she is teasing me, and so I don’t bother to respond.

“Tch.” The only sound that leaves my mouth. I shift again, growing irritated, thinking about leaving.

Before I can get on my feet, she plops down next to me, adjusting her dress so she can sit comfortably, with her feet resting beneath her. She folds her hands neatly over her lap, twiddling her fingers as they rest on top of each other. I can see her closer now, her eyes have a subtle green hue, and her rabbit nose is tinted pink from a light sunburn. Her lashes are the same color as the clouds, and I think for the first time that I might be dreaming. Her hair blows against the wind, pushing her hair in front of her face, shielding my view of her canvas.

I turn my head away from her, closing my eyes and wishing for the wind to cool me down, hoping that the beauty of her mirage dissipates when I open them.

No such thing happens. Instead, I feel a light weight on my shoulder. Her head finds a place there. I open my eyes to watch her, but I make no move to leave. She is still facing forward, watching the trees sway. I can feel her breathing when she sits like this, she isn’t nervous, or scared, she is so content to lay on a stranger, and I wonder if maybe I’m not her first victim, or even her third.

“Let’s be alone together.” She says just above a whisper. I would’ve missed it had the wind been blowing past my ears.

Let’s be alone, together. What does that even mean? How can we be alone, if we have each other as company?  It’s now that I’m sure she isn’t real. The heat from the sun burns my brain, it creates false narratives to trick me. Nothing about her makes sense.

“Okay.” I say anyway.

Author's Note

Hello! Please let me know what you think so far, i'm really excited to dive in to the relationship between the two mcs. Thank you for reading!