Status: Complete
In the Trees
One.
“Jesus, Venti. Where are you taking me?” Pan groaned out loud.
The two had been walking for at least thirty minutes, and she still had little thoughts of where they were headed. She’d tried her best to use her other senses to gather ideas about the area around her. Every step she made, her feet hit against a substance that had almost a muddy texture. Other than that, there was really nothing else around to feel other than the cool skin of Venti’s hands against her face, shielding her eyes from the sunlight illuminating the location around her.
“Venti?” Pan’s voice wavered as she started to become weary of where they were headed.
Venti hadn’t answered her in what she assumed was about half a mile, and it was beginning to worry her. The area around her was completely silent. There were no animal noises, no sounds of water. Nothing could be heard except for their footsteps and breathing.
“What? Don’t you trust me?” Venti’s strongly accented voice asked. Venti had moved in from Italy a few years back, and somehow had only found friendship with Pan. The question, though puzzling, provided some form of relief to Pan. She at least knew that it was still him behind her, and not some sort of murderer.
“Of course I trust you, Venti. It’s just too quiet. That’s all,” Pan muttered, pulling her arms closer around her body as she felt the thorns of what was most likely a rosebush stab at her ankle. Digging through her mind for some sort of inkling of where rosebushes grew around their hometown. Wagga Wagga, Australia was certainly not the place that thorny plants would flourish.
“You’ll see where we’re going; just give me a few minutes. I promise you’ll like it,” Venti chuckled. He sounded excited about whatever it was they were doing. As Venti led her farther toward their destination, more sound made its way to Pan’s eardrums. Running water could be heard now, as well as the croaking of several endemic species of tree frogs.
“Ventura Criscillo, I want to see it now!” Pan whined, reaching her hands up to pry Venti’s fingers off of her face. He refused to budge, though, and they had finally come to a screeching halt.
“You can’t look yet, Pandora Young,” Venti whispered lightly in her ear. She heard his hand slip into something fabric-lined, probably his pocket, and just like that, the hands were lifted from her eyes.
The sight before her was gorgeous. All throughout the trees were little tea candles, and they illuminated the tree frogs that lived there beautifully. Venti had always known how much Pan loved tree frogs. She claimed that they helped her sleep at night, even though he just thought they were annoying.
“Oh, Venti. This is beautiful,” Pan gasped, looking around at the surroundings. Her bare feet were sunken into the mud from the banks of the river next to them. The substance felt nice between her toes.
Venti circled her so he could kneel in front of her properly, setting himself down on one knee and extending a closed palm toward her. His brown eyes were shimmering out of excitement, and the cool, night air blew between them carefully. He gestured with his hand again.
Pan nodded as she slowly picked open his fingers. The retreating extremities revealed a small, four leaf clover-shaped emerald ring. She had always loved clovers. The superstition of the simple plant had always fascinated her.
“Venti,” She muttered, “What is this for?” They were only teenagers, and she couldn’t imagine why he would want to spend so much money on her. Sure they were best friends, but this was something that she couldn’t wrap her mind around.
“I have to go soon, Pandora,” Venti whispered, standing up. He faltered on his way up, but Pan made sure to stabilize him, gripping his wrist. Between his skin and her fingers was a plastic hospital bracelet that she hadn’t noticed before; it made her furrow her brows.
“What did you go to the hospital for? When?” Pan questioned, becoming frantic at the mixture of his words and the bracelet underneath her fingers. Her breathing quickened and she stepped back, giving him a confused look.
“Pan, please calm down. I have cancer, and they don’t know if I’ll make it,” Venti mumbled as his eyes started to water. “They said the survival rates for this type are slim. If I die, Pan, this ring is a promise that I’ll always protect you. I’ll keep you safe.”
“Venti, I can’t,” Pan stuttered out, but Venti just shook his head and walked forward, sliding the ring onto her slim ring finger. “You’re my best friend, Venti, I can’t lose you.”
“Just pretend you aren’t going to lose me for tonight, please, Pan,” Venti requested, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer to his body.
“But,” Pan began to protest, but Venti shushed her. He led her in a slow dance, just swaying them back and forth.
In the same instant, the tree frogs started croaking their loud music, a natural calming agent for Pan. It was as if they knew that they would be okay in the end. It was possible that they were right, but how were tree frogs to know anything. They were, after all, just creatures.
The two had been walking for at least thirty minutes, and she still had little thoughts of where they were headed. She’d tried her best to use her other senses to gather ideas about the area around her. Every step she made, her feet hit against a substance that had almost a muddy texture. Other than that, there was really nothing else around to feel other than the cool skin of Venti’s hands against her face, shielding her eyes from the sunlight illuminating the location around her.
“Venti?” Pan’s voice wavered as she started to become weary of where they were headed.
Venti hadn’t answered her in what she assumed was about half a mile, and it was beginning to worry her. The area around her was completely silent. There were no animal noises, no sounds of water. Nothing could be heard except for their footsteps and breathing.
“What? Don’t you trust me?” Venti’s strongly accented voice asked. Venti had moved in from Italy a few years back, and somehow had only found friendship with Pan. The question, though puzzling, provided some form of relief to Pan. She at least knew that it was still him behind her, and not some sort of murderer.
“Of course I trust you, Venti. It’s just too quiet. That’s all,” Pan muttered, pulling her arms closer around her body as she felt the thorns of what was most likely a rosebush stab at her ankle. Digging through her mind for some sort of inkling of where rosebushes grew around their hometown. Wagga Wagga, Australia was certainly not the place that thorny plants would flourish.
“You’ll see where we’re going; just give me a few minutes. I promise you’ll like it,” Venti chuckled. He sounded excited about whatever it was they were doing. As Venti led her farther toward their destination, more sound made its way to Pan’s eardrums. Running water could be heard now, as well as the croaking of several endemic species of tree frogs.
“Ventura Criscillo, I want to see it now!” Pan whined, reaching her hands up to pry Venti’s fingers off of her face. He refused to budge, though, and they had finally come to a screeching halt.
“You can’t look yet, Pandora Young,” Venti whispered lightly in her ear. She heard his hand slip into something fabric-lined, probably his pocket, and just like that, the hands were lifted from her eyes.
The sight before her was gorgeous. All throughout the trees were little tea candles, and they illuminated the tree frogs that lived there beautifully. Venti had always known how much Pan loved tree frogs. She claimed that they helped her sleep at night, even though he just thought they were annoying.
“Oh, Venti. This is beautiful,” Pan gasped, looking around at the surroundings. Her bare feet were sunken into the mud from the banks of the river next to them. The substance felt nice between her toes.
Venti circled her so he could kneel in front of her properly, setting himself down on one knee and extending a closed palm toward her. His brown eyes were shimmering out of excitement, and the cool, night air blew between them carefully. He gestured with his hand again.
Pan nodded as she slowly picked open his fingers. The retreating extremities revealed a small, four leaf clover-shaped emerald ring. She had always loved clovers. The superstition of the simple plant had always fascinated her.
“Venti,” She muttered, “What is this for?” They were only teenagers, and she couldn’t imagine why he would want to spend so much money on her. Sure they were best friends, but this was something that she couldn’t wrap her mind around.
“I have to go soon, Pandora,” Venti whispered, standing up. He faltered on his way up, but Pan made sure to stabilize him, gripping his wrist. Between his skin and her fingers was a plastic hospital bracelet that she hadn’t noticed before; it made her furrow her brows.
“What did you go to the hospital for? When?” Pan questioned, becoming frantic at the mixture of his words and the bracelet underneath her fingers. Her breathing quickened and she stepped back, giving him a confused look.
“Pan, please calm down. I have cancer, and they don’t know if I’ll make it,” Venti mumbled as his eyes started to water. “They said the survival rates for this type are slim. If I die, Pan, this ring is a promise that I’ll always protect you. I’ll keep you safe.”
“Venti, I can’t,” Pan stuttered out, but Venti just shook his head and walked forward, sliding the ring onto her slim ring finger. “You’re my best friend, Venti, I can’t lose you.”
“Just pretend you aren’t going to lose me for tonight, please, Pan,” Venti requested, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer to his body.
“But,” Pan began to protest, but Venti shushed her. He led her in a slow dance, just swaying them back and forth.
In the same instant, the tree frogs started croaking their loud music, a natural calming agent for Pan. It was as if they knew that they would be okay in the end. It was possible that they were right, but how were tree frogs to know anything. They were, after all, just creatures.