𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 》 JASON GRACE ¹

ᶜʰᵃᵖᵗᵉʳ ᶠⁱᵛᵉ

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𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘴, 𝘢
𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳-𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳-𝘰𝘭𝘥,
𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥
𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴
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''HELLO?''

 Clutching a bird plushie to her chest as she wandered through the open fields was a four-year-old. A few moments ago, she had been having a family picnic with her mother. But then she had gotten curious and began wandering down an old worn path, leaving her mother behind. Eventually, she had stumbled into a clearing in the middle of redwood forest, in front of her was a towering set of ruins of a stone mansion. She looked around when she hadn't received an answer, it was strange, she was positive she had heard someone. Shrugging happily, she turned to walk through the fields once more.

But the fields weren't there, and neither was the path.

''Hello?'' She called again, clutching her teddy, who she had named Pikachu, closer as she span around. Her eyebrows furrowed, she wasn't stupid, she had made sure not to leave the path, and now it had disappeared. ''Mr. Path? Could you come back please?'' She asked, thinking that maybe it was just playing games with her.

''Hello?'' Someone called out to her, their accent was foreign to her and she knew she had never heard him before, but there was some feeling of familiarity in it. The tone was soft as if they didn't want to scare her. She turned to see a boy with blonde hair and bright blue eyes staring at her. He crouched down so he was her height, holding his hands out to show her he meant no harm. ''Hey, there, what are you doing here?''

''The path left me,'' she said, as if it explained everything.

The boy smiled at her. ''Right, of course, how silly of me.'' He lightly his his forehead with the bottom of his palm as he rolled his eyes, earning a giggle from the girl.

''Can you help me and Pikachu home?'' She asked, holding her teddy out at arms length as she introduced him to the boy.

''Nice to meet you, Pikachu. You look - nothing like a Pikachu,'' the boy said, cocking his head to the side.

The girl frowned at him, glaring slightly as she moved to cover her eagle's ears. ''Shh! Let him believe what he wants!'' The boy looked completely taken back at her sudden angry voice as she stuck her tongue out at him.

''Uh, sorry. But it is nice to meet you, I'm Jason,'' he said, smiling in hopes that she would forget that she was upset with him. It worked as she smiled and moved closer to him so they were no longer stood on opposite sides of a clearing.

''That's a weird name,'' she giggled before holding her hands out. Jason rose his brows before shaking it. ''I'm Noelani.'' Jason looked like he was going to faint as he stared at her with wide eyes. He blinked dumly for a few seconds - no wonder she looked slightly familiar, but what was she doing in his dream? And why was she a child?

Then, low grey clouds swarmed them from above, blending in with the ground fog, and cold rain began to fall from the sky. Coming from all gaps around the edge of the clearing, a pack of large grey beasts milled around them, snarling and baring their teeth. ''Wolfie!'' Jason had to grab Noelani before she tried to pet one of them. She turned to him, holding her hands out. Jason got the memo and he decided it was probably safer for them, he wouldn't have to watch over her then, so he picked her up, propping him on his hip as he cautiously watched the wolves.

A wolf gently nudged him from behind, moving him towards the ruins. Jason had no desire to become the world's largest dog biscuit, so he decided to do what they wanted. Young Noelani seemed to have no idea what was going on as she idly chatted to Pikachu from where she was perched on his side. Jason held her tighter when she tried to turn, no doubt to have a tea party with the wolves.