A feverous, ghostly shriek sends every hair on my body to stand erect in terror. This adorned crown jerks high and right; glancing warily at the line of endless wood from which the cry had come. Nothing. Both these ears slowly drift back to rest against my skull, while dual pools turn anxiously back to the path ahead. My once easy pace quickens. I shiver, unable and unwilling to allow my mind freedom to give name of that perilous cry.

Be brave...just a little nightlife, a forced smile. Yet when that scream rose again my flesh was quivering and the heart within my breast was racing. Whatever it was, this body/soul creation wanted nothing to do with it.

There weren't any 'unique gifts' I'd ever hoped to be blessed with - aside from the occasional shot of vanity that came with a youthful heart when I caught sight of myself in a puddle or lake. At least for tonight, while struggling through this creepy forest, there is one unnatural boon I desire above all other youthful fantasies. Extremely GREAT vision. This depressing wood, with its dancing shadows and spine tickling sounds would lose power had my sockets been fashioned with eyeballs that bore unnatural sight.

Not excessively powerful vision, just good enough to see through the deepest shadows and barriers. Such talent would've sharply changed my future direction and altered this current aimless march to veer sharply away from unwanted conversation. Try as I might, no amount of peering could pierce those thick trunks that seemed so large around they might reasonably be hiding a ghoul or two. Just ahead, fallen across the roe trail is a thick sprawl of timber, bramble and bush. Marring this woodland path. Spiny black branches, accented sharply; their tiny leaves angled like little knifes. Poking vines and cordage that looked more like dangling nooses.

Much to my delight I'm forced to pause and forge a different trail -- all the while being totally unaware that there is a listening soul just beyond this blockade. Twigs, dry leaves and other noise making ramble snap beneath my toes, making quite the ruckus. A female vocal rises from the other side, a questioning tone...I jerk again -- flinging my antlered head and sending those small chains to jingle their soft melody violently. "W-who..?" I began before my brain caught up with the wild leash that was my tongue.

Limbs slowly maneuver around that mess, bumping the length of each wing against two trees as I squeezed through. After a moment I caught sight of the girl, standing near the bush and for many moments my mind forgets the goblins and monsters of old. It drinks in this dark female, who was taller, older, and in the company of a...Gems drift to it...whatever... it was. Let's just say, "deerlike creature." One of the other things I notice (aside from the deer) was those long locks. Like...the kind which would surely drag in the dirt, collecting ticks and lord knew what else. Out of habit, my feline tail flicks to the side from its bended position; drawing the length of those sunfire hairs across the forest floor.

I had trouble keeping this average amount of hair clean. How in world did this creature manage to groom and untangle such awkwardly long tendrils. A comical vision of this lady running and tripping over her hair came flashing in my mind. She could always just chew it off -- though that certainly was not an idea to be suggested from me. "Uh." It was becoming painful awkward now that I've gawked at her for longer than was reasonably acceptable, "S-sorry" I stammer out, not really sure what there was to apologize for.