Bloom

Forever

"I-Isadora. What are you doing here?" My tongue lolls uselessly in the cold. But yet, I feel warm.

"Looking for adventure, of course!"

I raise an eyebrow.

She sighs. "You're the only person I knew would come with me."

I stare at her.

"Come on!" 

She turns on her heel and stalks off. She's so little, fragile. Like a bird. She has the personality of a sailor, though. I jam my fingers into my pockets and hurry after her. As I stride in step beside her, she glances over and gives me a mischevious smile, a small quirk of the lips. My heart stammers around in my chest. She doesn't talk as we walk, and I don't prod her into speaking. My breath plumes from my frozen lips like smoke from a factory. If Isadora's cold, she doesn't show it. I haven't seen her shiver or rub her hands or anything. Slowly we near the edge of our small town Delta, Louisiana. There's only really 200 residents here, give or take a few. The border of Delta is surrounded by towering trees that give the forest taht lays beyond a dark and haunted feel. In the night, it's makes you feel as though you're stranded. Still Isadora walks, unafriad, past the safety warning signs. I glance around behind me, yearning for my bed. But I follow her, just as I always have. Just as we reach the lip of the forest, Isadora sits down, cross-legged right there on the muddy grass. I hesitantly kneel before here, feeling the mulch seep through my jeans. 

Almost quietly, she whispers, "Can I tell you a story?"