Maxx
A Faded Ghost
Snowdrop was not worried; she rarely worried about anything. Her mother, however, was very worried.
Ever since she was allowed to go home from the hospital as a baby, Snowdrop's parents had always been extremely protective. They were worried about the possibility of her dying properly in her first few years, so tried to do everything to avoid that, always making sure that she was never out of their sight. By the time she reached five, her parents decided that there wasn't any risk of her suddenly dropping dead, but they did realize that she weren't exactly 'normal'. They noticed her part Ghost-typing early on, a huge irregularity in a family of pure Fairy types. And they soon learned that the friends she played with weren't just imaginary friends: they were people who had already passed on. Actual ghosts. This worried them at first, but they realized it weren't that bad. The ghosts that young Snowdrop played with tended to help keep her out of trouble. Especially considering her tendency to wander off, her parents were actually glad for this.
Her parents sheltered Snowdrop throughout her childhood, worrying about her being bullied, about her not being able to make 'real' friends, about her future in general. They even took to homeschooling her just so they could control this more. This worked quite well, until Snowdrop started wanting to go out and explore. Her mother really didn't want this, but her father saw that they couldn't protect their little girl forever.
And that's why her mother was worried. Snowdrop had recently turned 17, and that was when her parents had said she was allowed to start her journey, as long as she went with someone else. Because all the recent trouble meant that people starting their journeys had to go in a group, it meant that both these criteria were met. So Snowdrop was starting her journey today.
"Hmm…" Snowdrop hummed to herself, looking through her wardrobe. "Maybe the shorts… Or maybe the dress… Hmm…" She thought about it, trying to decide which outfit would be best. Something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, distracting her from the task at hand. The girl turned to see what it was, and smiled a friendly smile at the ghost who had just entered her room. She was about to say something to them, when she heard her mother calling her for breakfast.
Snowdrop made her way to the kitchen, her hair sweeping against floor her feet had never touched. Entering the room, the first thing she heard was, "Sweetie, I thought you were getting dressed. Why are you still in your nightie?"
"Hm? Oh… I got distracted…" she replied.
Her mum held back a sigh. "Okay, sweetie. Sit down and eat your breakfast, and I'll go sort out an outfit for you, alright?"
Snowdrop gave a half-nod, and sat down at the kitchen table, digging into the pancakes that had been made for her. Once her mother left, she saw a familiar ghost enter the kitchen. She gave the ghost a small wave, and said quietly "Hello there, ghost friend… You were in my room… I don't think I've seen you before…"
The ghost simply stared at Snowdrop, as if surprised that she could see them, before uttering a warning. "Beware the outside. Evil lurks everywhere in this region. Don't trust anyone."
The girl shifted uncomfortably on her seat. This was not a happy ghost, and Snowdrop didn't like it. "Please leave…" she mumbled.
"Did you say something, sweetie?" her mother asked as she walked back into the room.
Snowdrop shook her head, a small part of her mind telling her that letting her mum know about the ghost would probably result in her not being allowed on her journey.
"Okay, if you say so…" Her mother wasn't convinced. "I set out an outfit on your bed for you, and made sure your bag was packed. Go and get dressed now, you need to meet in the town center in half an hour."
"Okay mum…"
The outfit her mum set out for her was one of the ones Snowdrop had been considering before she got distracted. A pastel blue vest-top with white shorts. One of her favorite warm weather outfits. She changed into it, humming to herself happily, the ghost from moments ago forgotten already. After running a brush through her long hair, she picked up her backpack and grabbed her sketchpad from the desk under the window. She returned to the kitchen, where her mum was waiting. "I'm ready now, mum…"
Her mother raised an eyebrow, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "How about your shoes, Snowdrop?" She was so used to her daughter forgetting shoes by now.
"Oh… Right…" Snowdrop quickly went back to her room to put on her black trainers. "Now I'm ready…" she said once back in the kitchen.
"Come on, let's go down."
The two females left the house, heading towards the town center. Barely ten steps away from the house, though, they were knocked into by a young boy.
Dyrk stumbled to a stop, turning to the two ladies he had run into. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking at where I was going. I didn't hurt either of you, did I?"
The older lady smiled and shook her head. "No, you didn't. Snowdrop and I could have paid more attention to the people around us as well. It's fine."
"Okay! In that case, see ya around!" Dyrk took off running again, hoping that he could get to the shop and back to the place he was supposed to be before anyone else showed up.
Dyrk's biological parents died in an accident when he was young. He lived in an orphanage for a while, before he got adopted by - in his opinion - the best parents a boy could ask for. His adoptive parents were the owners of a decently big company, and so were away a lot, but when they were home they spent every waking moment with him, giving him whatever he wanted. Which included letting him go on his journey as soon as he could.
Right now, he was rushing to the store to buy chocolate. Because he wanted something he could share with others in the group he was going in.
Fifteen minutes later, he was nearing the town center, and he saw two figures there. The ladies he had knocked into. "Hello again! Are you two going on your journeys as well, then?"
Snowdrop's mum chuckled. "No, dear, I went on my journey years ago. It's Snowdrop's turn this year. I'm just waiting here with Snowdrop, she has a habit of getting distracted and wandering off."
"Mum, don't tell him…" Snowdrop started to protest against her mother telling her secrets to a stranger, but trailed off as she got distracted by a pretty purple butterfly, following it and watching it flap around a rose bush.
"See what I mean?" Snowdrop's mum laughed.
"Heh, yeah." Dyrk laughed as well, and called over to the floating girl "Hi Snowdrop! I'm Dyrk! It's nice to meet you, it'll be nice going on our journeys together."
"Yeah, it will…" Snowdrop agreed, going back over to her mum and the boy.
The three of them waited for more people to show up, Snowdrop and Dyrk talking about how excited they were for their journeys, and Snowdrop's mum telling them tales from hers.
Ever since she was allowed to go home from the hospital as a baby, Snowdrop's parents had always been extremely protective. They were worried about the possibility of her dying properly in her first few years, so tried to do everything to avoid that, always making sure that she was never out of their sight. By the time she reached five, her parents decided that there wasn't any risk of her suddenly dropping dead, but they did realize that she weren't exactly 'normal'. They noticed her part Ghost-typing early on, a huge irregularity in a family of pure Fairy types. And they soon learned that the friends she played with weren't just imaginary friends: they were people who had already passed on. Actual ghosts. This worried them at first, but they realized it weren't that bad. The ghosts that young Snowdrop played with tended to help keep her out of trouble. Especially considering her tendency to wander off, her parents were actually glad for this.
Her parents sheltered Snowdrop throughout her childhood, worrying about her being bullied, about her not being able to make 'real' friends, about her future in general. They even took to homeschooling her just so they could control this more. This worked quite well, until Snowdrop started wanting to go out and explore. Her mother really didn't want this, but her father saw that they couldn't protect their little girl forever.
And that's why her mother was worried. Snowdrop had recently turned 17, and that was when her parents had said she was allowed to start her journey, as long as she went with someone else. Because all the recent trouble meant that people starting their journeys had to go in a group, it meant that both these criteria were met. So Snowdrop was starting her journey today.
"Hmm…" Snowdrop hummed to herself, looking through her wardrobe. "Maybe the shorts… Or maybe the dress… Hmm…" She thought about it, trying to decide which outfit would be best. Something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, distracting her from the task at hand. The girl turned to see what it was, and smiled a friendly smile at the ghost who had just entered her room. She was about to say something to them, when she heard her mother calling her for breakfast.
Snowdrop made her way to the kitchen, her hair sweeping against floor her feet had never touched. Entering the room, the first thing she heard was, "Sweetie, I thought you were getting dressed. Why are you still in your nightie?"
"Hm? Oh… I got distracted…" she replied.
Her mum held back a sigh. "Okay, sweetie. Sit down and eat your breakfast, and I'll go sort out an outfit for you, alright?"
Snowdrop gave a half-nod, and sat down at the kitchen table, digging into the pancakes that had been made for her. Once her mother left, she saw a familiar ghost enter the kitchen. She gave the ghost a small wave, and said quietly "Hello there, ghost friend… You were in my room… I don't think I've seen you before…"
The ghost simply stared at Snowdrop, as if surprised that she could see them, before uttering a warning. "Beware the outside. Evil lurks everywhere in this region. Don't trust anyone."
The girl shifted uncomfortably on her seat. This was not a happy ghost, and Snowdrop didn't like it. "Please leave…" she mumbled.
"Did you say something, sweetie?" her mother asked as she walked back into the room.
Snowdrop shook her head, a small part of her mind telling her that letting her mum know about the ghost would probably result in her not being allowed on her journey.
"Okay, if you say so…" Her mother wasn't convinced. "I set out an outfit on your bed for you, and made sure your bag was packed. Go and get dressed now, you need to meet in the town center in half an hour."
"Okay mum…"
The outfit her mum set out for her was one of the ones Snowdrop had been considering before she got distracted. A pastel blue vest-top with white shorts. One of her favorite warm weather outfits. She changed into it, humming to herself happily, the ghost from moments ago forgotten already. After running a brush through her long hair, she picked up her backpack and grabbed her sketchpad from the desk under the window. She returned to the kitchen, where her mum was waiting. "I'm ready now, mum…"
Her mother raised an eyebrow, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "How about your shoes, Snowdrop?" She was so used to her daughter forgetting shoes by now.
"Oh… Right…" Snowdrop quickly went back to her room to put on her black trainers. "Now I'm ready…" she said once back in the kitchen.
"Come on, let's go down."
The two females left the house, heading towards the town center. Barely ten steps away from the house, though, they were knocked into by a young boy.
Dyrk stumbled to a stop, turning to the two ladies he had run into. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking at where I was going. I didn't hurt either of you, did I?"
The older lady smiled and shook her head. "No, you didn't. Snowdrop and I could have paid more attention to the people around us as well. It's fine."
"Okay! In that case, see ya around!" Dyrk took off running again, hoping that he could get to the shop and back to the place he was supposed to be before anyone else showed up.
Dyrk's biological parents died in an accident when he was young. He lived in an orphanage for a while, before he got adopted by - in his opinion - the best parents a boy could ask for. His adoptive parents were the owners of a decently big company, and so were away a lot, but when they were home they spent every waking moment with him, giving him whatever he wanted. Which included letting him go on his journey as soon as he could.
Right now, he was rushing to the store to buy chocolate. Because he wanted something he could share with others in the group he was going in.
Fifteen minutes later, he was nearing the town center, and he saw two figures there. The ladies he had knocked into. "Hello again! Are you two going on your journeys as well, then?"
Snowdrop's mum chuckled. "No, dear, I went on my journey years ago. It's Snowdrop's turn this year. I'm just waiting here with Snowdrop, she has a habit of getting distracted and wandering off."
"Mum, don't tell him…" Snowdrop started to protest against her mother telling her secrets to a stranger, but trailed off as she got distracted by a pretty purple butterfly, following it and watching it flap around a rose bush.
"See what I mean?" Snowdrop's mum laughed.
"Heh, yeah." Dyrk laughed as well, and called over to the floating girl "Hi Snowdrop! I'm Dyrk! It's nice to meet you, it'll be nice going on our journeys together."
"Yeah, it will…" Snowdrop agreed, going back over to her mum and the boy.
The three of them waited for more people to show up, Snowdrop and Dyrk talking about how excited they were for their journeys, and Snowdrop's mum telling them tales from hers.
