Hi. I'll keep this short. I am super tired, 'cause I couldn't fall asleep last night, so that will reflect on the story. Yay.
I also don't write in first person all that much, so it might be a bit... rough around the edges. (I prefer third person, with an omnipotent story teller.) But we'll see what happens.
____________________________________________________________
My heart sunk a bit at the goblin's words. "You don't know Christmas? It's a lovely thing, a... a holiday! A celebration. You have decorations and presents and lights and a feast. It's a time to be merry and kind to others. It's a speckle of light in the middle of the winter, to help keep our spirits high through the cold and dark. It's, it's..." I struggled for words. How could I explain all that is Christmas to someone who had never heard of it. The goblin tilted its head and leaned on the shovel.
"You must mean Yule. That's just around the corner, that is," it said and looked me up and down. "You really aren't round here, are ya?" I shook my head. I didn't really have words.
The goblin made a hrmmph sound, before picking up the shovel and stretching. "Well, better get going then. I can't leave a lost thing like you in a place like this. Ain't the nicest neighbourhood, y'know? And looking that weird who knows what'd happen to ya." The goblin kept talking as it started along a road that lead into the forest a bit further away. I just stood where I was, not sure if I wanted, or was supposed, to follow. The goblin turned around when it noticed I hadn't moved. "You coming, or what?"
"Oh. I don't- Um..." I glanced back where I came from. There was no house there, just an empty field. I turned back to the goblin, who tilted his (I was pretty sure it was a he, though I couldn't be sure as I didn't really have any prior reference) head again and frowned.
"Lost somethin'?" he asked. I shook my head and, with one last glance back, followed the goblin.
~x~
"So, uh, where are we going?" I asked after we'd walked for some twenty minutes. We'd reached the edge of the forest, which was a thick coniferous forest. The spruces were big and old, with lots of beard moss hanging from them. They lined the sides of the road, which in itself was a rather wide sand road. There was snow piled on the shoulders, and it kept weirding me out, what with the temperature somewhere along plus 15 degrees. The goblin looked up at me.
"We're goin' to see a friend o' mine. She lives just up ahead, before we reach town. She reckons living in a cottage in the forest is somehow more mysterious, but I don't really get all that. Anyway, she calls herself the Witch of the Forest, and I s'ppose she is a witch, what with all the magic and potions and everythin'. She sorta looks like you, but her skin is brown an' she is much more... curvier," he looked me up and down when he said that, which was rather annoying, but I didn't say anything. "What are you anyhow? Some kinda troll?"
I scoffed. "I'm a human, not a troll."
"Human, huh? I've heard of 'em, but never seen one in the flesh. Always imagined you lot somehow sturdier. You're awfully skinny for someone so tall, or is it a common trait in your kind?"
"Not really, humans are very different in height and build. I've always been a bit on the smaller side of the scale, I suppose."
The goblin hummed and continued, "Too little to eat, I reckon. If you don't eat properly, you get all skinny. And what are those splotches on yer face? Is it some kinda disease? It's not contagious, is it?"
"Would you stop that! They are freckles and not a disease. Besides, isn't it a bit rude to ask all these questions? I don't know what frick you are, but you don't see me poking my nose in your business!" I snapped and the goblin fell silent for a second.
"Well with a nose that small, I'm not all that surprised," he countered and I don't know if it was the confusion or surreality of the situation or a heat stroke, but I actually laughed. The goblin seemed taken aback by my sudden burst, but soon chuckled along and we fell into an easier silence when my laughter subdued. It was another few minuted before he spoke up again. "I'm a forest goblin, in case you want to know." He looked up at me again and there was a twinkle in his eye. "The name's Hizi. I reckon people call you something as well?"
"I'm Cinnamon."
"Cinnamon?" The goblin's eyes widened slightly as he looked me over. "Seems fitting." He was silent for a while, which was actually rather nice. I hadn't known goblins were so talkative. Then again the previous day I hadn't known there were goblins, so I suppose I wasn't the best judge at the time. It all felt really surreal. Like I was still sleeping, and I would wake up any minute and walk out my door to find my actual yard with actual snow and no goblins. Of course I didn't.
We walked for another fifteen minutes before we reached a small clearing in the woods and Hizi pointed a finger at a big tree.
"Under there. That's where she lives."
I looked at the tree and I saw a big green door on the side. As we got closer, the door opened and a woman leaned into the door frame. She appeared to be her thirties and as Hizi had said, she was very curvy. Her skin was a dark brown, similar in color to the trunk of the spruce, and her hair had a greenish tint to it. She blended very well into the forest behind her and if I hadn't seen the door open, I might not have noticed her before she spoke up.
"I've been waiting for you. Please, come in. Have some tea."
____________________________________________________________
Haha, this took me the whole day. No really. I have not had enough time at once to write this, so it's been written in three parts. It also didn't get as far as I planned. I meant to include the part where they have tea with the witch but w/e. That's your job now! Sorry this is so late....
I quite like the goblin. I imagine he speaks with a British accent of some kind. Don't know why.
Also, forest goblin = metsähiisi. Just wanted to clear that up. Your topic for tomorrow is "Squirrels". Bye~
Pie out.
No comments:
Post a Comment