Fog (Story Blurb #1)

Instructions

Use the up and down arrow keys to read the story. There is a copy of the story below if you don't want to read it from the project. I do recommend full-screen because then the print isn't so small that you can't read it. Feel free to give constructive criticism in the comments! I saw her through the fog, seemingly talking to herself. I knew that she couldn’t be, though. Nobody had ever heard her speak, and today wasn’t really a special occasion. She looked determined, taking long strides and keeping her eyes focused in front of her. I ducked behind a branch of my tree when she glanced my way. I held my breath and peeked through a clump of leaves. In that moment, it was as if she could see me, clear as day, even through the thick mist and pine needles. She continued to gaze directly at the area where I was perched in the tree. Just when she looked as if she was about to come towards me, or point, or do something, she blinked once, shook her head, and continued walking. Releasing my breath, I carefully stepped down to a lower branch while staying hidden in the greenery. I watched as she continued her walk, but with an uneasy air this time. It was like my very presence had opened a nervous side of her. You could tell she was trying to compose herself, but I noticed her eyes darting back and forth, and her brows were knitted together. She looked so vulnerable and scared, but just kept walking with a quickened space. She stopped suddenly after a few steps and turned around. She pivoted, looked back like she had missed something, and began walking back to where she was when she had stared at me. She appeared to be examining a large cloud of fog. She reached out to touch it, as if it was like a blanket in the air. What was she doing? After a minute of observing the fog, she gently nodded and took a deep breath. Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, she started to climb the fog. I stared, open-mouthed, as she pulled her way up the cloud like a rock-climbing wall. She carefully considered where to put her hands each time she stepped up. She was so high up now that I needed to climb up my tree more to see her better. For a few minutes, it went on like that. She climbed the cloud, and I climbed the tree, careful to stay below her and out of sight. She had to switch clouds every now and then, but they were all in the same general area and I was able to keep up with her. I felt defeated when I reached the top of the tree. It was a tall redwood, but she still climbed. Luckily, she only stopped about 15 feet above the tree. I could still see her, so I ducked behind some pine needles so that she wouldn’t see me if she looked down. I guess I expected her to cast some magic spell or something after she’d climbed up a clump of mist, but instead, she sat down on the top, pulled her knees to her chest, and cried. I felt a pang of sadness, or maybe fear. She looked so haunted and lonesome, floating there above the clouds. I could hear a hollow weeping sound. It was the most noise I had ever heard out of her. Though it was a quiet type of crying, it sounded as loud as thunder in the silent sky. I couldn’t help promising myself that I would try to catch her if she fell from her foggy perch. That was when she looked down. I had been so absorbed in the sad and mysterious scene that I’d been forgetting to hide myself. I hopped to a lower branch in a rush to conceal my face from her view, but I had created a rustling in the tree. A shiver slid down my spine as piercing grey eyes met my own.