Nebula and Peach's Story
Three pale otherworldly eyes peered into the, miasmic darkness of a long-secluded wood, floating, silently, heralded by now foot falls, only accompanied by an almost Nebulous presents, may hap the name fits for that reason. Often secluded and alone, mistook for a horror. But maybe this time would be different, something or someone small has been moving around, free from fear it seems, and happy. The small taps of Peach's feet were a welcome if not pleasant distraction from the deafening silence of the “haunted” woodland home of Nebula.
Alone on a path in a dark wood, Peach simply hummed and trotted along attempting to distract themselves from the feeling of being watched that they couldn’t quite shake. She could almost swear she’d seen eyes peering at them through the haze higher in the trees, but that couldn’t be, that’d be too high up, none of her friends could do that . . . well at least not she’d known of. But maybe it was the case, but if those were eyes . . . what did they want, what could they want.
The tiny pitter-patter of feet were close now, close to their home, may hap it was a chance to make a friend, or maybe I’d be another horror story to be passed around. A story of a beast deep in the dark wood, haunting, “teeth like the shark,” “eyes like some killer,” a hungry demented smile floating in the dark”. But that wasn’t them, they . . . they couldn’t mean them, they only wanted a hug, someone to hold them when the loneliness became to much. They could only hope and keep trying. So they put on their best smile, and tried once more, “hello, little friend . . .”
Those were eyes, she knew it there were eyes in the woods, eyes on her. All those horror stories were right, all of them. The ones about the beast who ate those who wandered too far into the woods. They’d been following her, a triangle of eyes, and it drew closer with every little step. But she could be mistaken? It could be the sleeplessness, right? Right . . . Before many anything else could come to mind a slow, haunting cold voice from the dark mist shattered the silence the originally only her humming broke. “Hello little friend.” This was it, it’s the end, “who are you, what do you want with me” she stammered ahead of her own thoughts.
“I dunno what you mean, I only want what everyone. And besides your so close to my home” Nebula replied trying not to be scary in the slightest, though that was difficult give their natural disposition. “d-does that mean you're going to kill me, I . . . I don’t want to die please” peach managed to say backing up slowly trying to figure out where to go, cursing her own sleeplessness that brought her here in the first place. Suddenly a flash of realization, she remembered the glow stick.
“Kill you? What makes you think I’m going to kill you . . .” Suddenly a sudden bright light made them hiss.
With a crack she snapped the glow stick, and there it was, the horror. . . what it wait . . . they didn’t seem that terrifying. “y-you’re not going to kill me?!? Then what do you want?”
“I told you want a want. What everyone wants . . . a friend, someplace to belong. Not to be a monster”
Suddenly it made sense to her, they weren’t a monster, despite appearance they were just mistakes. That’s why no one ever died, they were never trying to kill anyone. Suddenly she felt guilty, just because of the stories she assumes they the person watching her was a monster. “Ooh, I’m sorry, I thought you were a monster”
The haze of the light in their eyes cleared, but wait, she wasn’t quivering anymore. But everyone quivered “It’s okay, everyone does. You can scream and run too. It’s okay, I know I’m too much of a monster to belong.” Nebula sank, to the forest floor, and slumped, they’d done it again, scared off another possible friend. With a sudden crash there back was to the forest floor . . .being hugged. Wait... hugged? they’re not been hugged in years.
With a sudden compulsion she hugged nebula, maybe it was the adrenaline, maybe it was the sudden loss of fear. But she couldn’t help herself, she hugs this, ‘monster’. “I’m so sorry I called you a monster . . . umm, I’m Peach. Who are you . . . or I guess rather what should I call you”?
Wait, it worked, was this a friend? “I . . . umm I’m Nebula, well I think that’s what it was its been . . .” they paused with a sigh “too long since anyone asked.”
“Well I asked, and I think it’s time you come out of these dark woods. And make some new friends.” With a tug they were suddenly being lead by the hand towards the town that was always terrified. But maybe Peach was right. Maybe it was time to come out of the woods.