The day was quiet now. The children that had been playing all morning slowly trickled out of the park as the sun rose higher and the coolness of morning shifted into an uncomfortable heat of midday. Leaning against the trunk of one of the park's few trees, I closed my eyes with a sigh. Here in the shade, there was still a hint of the morning's coolness.
It wouldn't last much longer, but I intended to enjoy it.
Simply breathing for a couple of minutes, I felt content. Smiling, I opened my eyes.
"Augh!" I yelped, smile disappearing as I stared into light hazel eyes.
"Hi." The word came out quickly, followed with a giggle as the girl leaned even closer to me.
"Hey, could you back up a bit?" I told her, bark digging into my back as I pressed against the tree.
"Oh," the girl blinked twice, then pulled away.
Relaxing a little, I couldn't help but frown as I got a good look at her. "Isn't it a bit early for Halloween?"
The girl had leaves mingling with the curls of her pale brown hair. The gray shirt and pants she wore were speckled with green patches of lichen. A little cape covered with bright green leaves was draped over her right arm.
Tilting her head, the girl smiled. "What's your name?"
"Oliver." I said after a moment, reaching for my bag as the girl leaned toward me again.
"Oh!" The girl's smile grew, her eyes widening as she leaped to her feet. "Rosalind said you'd come!" The girl was bouncing on her bare feet.
Slowly, I got to my feet. Now I remembered why I didn't come to public parks. Cautiously, I inched a little to the left and prepared to run.
The girl stopped bouncing with a gasp. "But if you're here, that means Knoll is in danger!" Before I could bolt, she grabbed my wrist. "We've got to go."
"I don't want to-" My protest was cut off as the girl leaped into the tree, dragging me in with her.
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