A hard wind tumbled through the branches of the trees that circled the graveyard and Abby had to tuck her hands under her armpits to keep warm. She sat on one of the old stone graves and watched the branches being blown violently, feeling a strange sense of connection to them. They had no choice in how they reacted to the wind; it came and shook them mercilessly, then left them to cope by themselves- a little bit like life really.

Closing her eyes, she breathed in the cold air, enjoying the way it felt in her lungs and chest. This would've been a strange sight for anyone who even knew Abby remotely. She sat still and not a sound escaped her freezing lips. Anyone who didn't know her could've been fooled, she looked almost like a quiet and reflective teenage girl! Her hair which she normally would've worn out, hanging artificially straight down to her shoulders was tied back so it wouldn't blow into her face. She was clothed in a dusty pink denim jacket over a loose black band tee, a heavy gray wool skirt , white tights and skull and crossbone ballet flats. Despite the thick black eye-liner and bright red lipstick which played on the paleness of her skin well, her face was composed and calm. The dark make-up and composed features seemed to war eternally and all-in-all she was a disturbing and surprising creature to find there.

Unlike most people, Grace loved the cold rush of air that Fall ushered in. it was refreshing and felt like it cleaned the earth and everyone in it. She loved being able to walk and feel the air come around her. It was a simple pleasure that brought her much happiness.

As she walked in the forest, she kept her eyes out for anyone or anything. Times were dangerous and to some she might look like easy prey. But she was stronger then she looked and wise enough to not look for a fight.

Walking into the forgotten graveyard, she noticed a young girl sitting alone. Carefully she moved closer to her.

“Hello there.” She said, her voice sweet yet cautious.

Abby jumped and for a moment wondered if she'd really heard a woman's voice or if it was just the wind and the moody graveyard playing with her imagination. Wildly, she looked for the speaker until her eyes landed on Grace. The first thing that struck her was just how pretty Grace was; although she had blond hair, which Abby detested due to the fact that her Aunt shared or at least dyed her hair a similar colour. Abby found herself admiring the way Grace wore it and it's pretty healthy-looking shine. In fact Grace looked a lot like a doll Abby had been fond of when she was little, if she came to life. Abby blushed as she realized just how mistaken she was to think that Grace's friendly hello had been a product of her imagination, but smiled enthusiastically non-the-less.
"Hey!" she called lightly. "I thought I was the only person who knew about this place."

It wasn’t until the girl spoke did grace realize how very young she was. She had to have been barely into her teen years and Grace had to wonder why such a young girl would be alone in the forest. Though Little Salem was small town where everyone knew everyone, times had certainly started to change. More and more strangers were coming into town and with them horrible things were starting to happen.

"I thought I was the only person who knew about this place."

“I spend many of my evenings on long walks so there isn’t much on the island that I don’t know about. “ She replied. Walking closer to the girl smiled softly. She knew that others were very familiar with this particular spot as well and those others would consider this girl to be easy prey. Grace felt uneasy about the ‘what could have been’ but she couldn’t allow herself to show it.

“Though you know it isn’t safe for you to wander here alone. It can be dangerous” She said, her mothering instinct kicking in. It couldn’t be helped, it was her nature and the girl was so young.

"Well that's weird," Abby replied, "'cause I come here a lot and nobody's ever here." Which is fortunate. she finished in her mind. Ever since she'd found it, the graveyard had been a place where Abby had taken refuge from the world. If she'd felt too lonely, too stressed about something she knew she could come here and nobody would disturb her. She'd always liked to imagine that she was the only one who came here and everyone else who knew about it were dead and probably buried in the very ground that she walked on. The news that people knew about the decaying graveyard visit didn't sit well with her.

“Though you know it isn’t safe for you to wander here alone. It can be dangerous”

She shifted she so could look at Grace directly and sent her a look that plainly said 'are you kidding me'. "Pleeeeeaasse! This whole town is about as dangerous as a can of cat food, the worst it can possibly do is make you feel sick." she laughed.

Grace knew that the girl was young, but it wasn’t until she responded to Grace’s warning about the dangers of the forest did Grace see how truly young and sheltered the girl was.

"Pleeeeeaasse! This whole town is about as dangerous as a can of cat food, the worst it can possibly do is make you feel sick."

Grace smiled. She had never been given the opportunity to be sheltered and young; from the start of her life she was taught the responsibilities of leadership. Still she didn’t have regrets. She knew that others depended on her and because of that it didn’t matter how much she would have to sacrifice.

“Every place has its dangers. People and/or animals.” She replied softly. It wouldn’t be wise to scare the girl.

“I’m Grace, by the way, Grace Lowell.” She said, offering her hand.

Abby's face lit up as Grace extended her hand and she shook it enthusiastically, without even thinking about any of this danger that Grace was talking about. "Abby Connor-Thatchwed! Long last name, I know. Just what it will be like when I have to fill out legal forms!" She giggled. "And I still stand by the fact that there's no way this place could be dangerous. And besides-" Balling her hands in fists, she pretend to punch the air playfully. "-I think I can handle it!" The sound something shaking in her pocket made the girl stop suddenly and put her arms by her side. Her face turned red with shame.

Abby Connor-Thatchwed!

It was the Connor that struck. This was the same girl that she had seen at the bonfire with the leader of the Connors. But there he had been in form, surprisingly enough on a leash. Someone more foolish then Grace would ask the girl about the situation but Grace was wiser then that. She would wait to ask the man himself, not the poor girl.

“Well it’s lovely you meet you Abby Connor-Thatchwed. Fortunately for you, I and all females we can end up taking the name of our husbands, that is if we decide to get married. So you can always date boys with short names like Taylor, Jones or Day.” She replied. She watched as the girl started to punch the air and could only smile.

“Is something wrong?” She asked, as the girl’s expression changed. She wasn’t sure what had made the noise but whatever it was had caused Abby to blush red.

Searching her brain, Abby found nothing to say. It would too conspicuous if tried to change subject now and she was already blushing furiously. Turning her head, she made the only reply she could think of. "It's nothing, really." And regretted immediately.
What kind of reply is that? She's going to know your hiding something now and then she's going to ask you about it and you're going to have to reply because you basically led her into this! Don't you know how to tell lies? Abby bit her lip, waiting for Grace's inevitable questioning.

Grace would have made the sound a nonissue but it seemed that the girl’s who expression had changed so quickly that it couldn’t have been ignored.

“You can trust me.” She said, hoping that the girl would see that Grace was truly a friend and not a foe. “Besides it has to be something to make you feel so embarrassed.”

Abby searched Grace's face for any hint of a malice, she didn't feel like Grace was bad news and satisfied that she sounded completely honest, Abby slowly tucked her hand in her pocket. "You promise you won't tell anyone?" She asked. She could feel the texture of the small metal box under her fingertips, but she hesitated before showing Grace. Could she really trust this person? No matter what her gut said, she wanted one more confirmation. "You have to promise." she repeated softly.

Graced tried not to smile, as Abby asked her to promise. It reminded her of her childhood, the few days that she was able to let loose and be a kid. She would run around with friends and pinky swear over the funniest things. So and so had kissed under the old oaks or cheated on a test, childhood secrets. But those days seemed to be long gone.

“I promise.” She said.

Slowly and feeling slightly guilty about it now, Abby reached into her pocket and pulled out the small packet of cigarettes. She looked at it curiously, almost like she didn't know what was in there. But she did- oh, she did. "Hardly anyone comes here, so it's always safe to, you know..." she blushed with shame. "I mean, know it's supposed to be bad for you, but, I guess I never think about that part." Her eyes searched Grace's face and she waited for her to tell her off like everybody else would.

Grace’s eyes moved to the object in the girls hands. Her first reaction to the cigarettes was not to show her own opinions but to see Abby’s reaction. Seeing the blush on the girl’s face she decided that it was best not to react too harshly to the girl. Grace had learned, in her short years as head of her family, that accusing and harsh words was never a way to give positive motivation. Still Grace felt that this girl was just too young to smoke her life away.

“Sometimes there is more danger in something then we care to see.” She said, making a comment towards not only the cigarettes but being alone in the woods. Grace smiled at the girl.

“Still you might want to think about giving them up. You are still so young and these will do nothing but cause you grief. Like when you kiss a boy you have to worry about your breath or when you go to prom you worry about the smell. It’s not worth it.” She said, softly. Trying to keep eye contact with the young girl.

Abby was taken back. She'd never thought about it that way and kissing boys and going to proms were definitely things on her agenda. Staring at the cigarette packet, she wondered if it really was worth it. It no longer seemed like it. She picked it up again gingerly and looked it over. "You know, no-ones ever told me that. Like, all people who found out I smoked drilled me with the health speech. But I guess you're right." She giggled and grinned up at Grace. "Can I ask you how you know?"

Grace smiled at the girl. She knew that the younger you were, the more invincible you felt. When she was young, thirty had seemed like over the hill but now it was just a few years away. Still when you were fourteen and told that your life was shorten to only fifty years, well fifty was already too old for the imagination.

"Can I ask you how you know?"

Grace chuckled. “Well now, I’ll have to have you swear to secrecy on that one. If I tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone.” She replied, with a smile. Hoping that the way the conversation was moving would be comfortable for Abby.



{[Sorry!! I don’t know how I passed this thread. Forgive me!}}

The girl giggled. "Stick a needle in my eye!" She cheered, giving no thought beforehand. She had always been far too curious for her own good, it was a trait that often got her in more trouble than good. Curiosity did that to people, it didn't often end well like in the movies and it wasn't always as interesting as it first appeared. However, that never stopped Abby. Like a small puppy waiting for a treat,, she watched grace bright-eyed with expectation. She could only guess what sort of exciting and awful situations the older girl had been in.

OoC: That's okay, you could try subscribing to the topic so you don't miss it. I find that incredibly helpful.

Graced laughed. “Well when I was younger, just a little older then you… I liked to date the rebel type. I guess there was something fun about the bad boy.” She said with a smile. “Still once I kissed a boy who was a smoker and he tasted disgusting. I think that was partially the reason I avoid rebels now, well that is I at least try to avoid them.”

Grace looked thoughtfully at Abby for a moment. She was so young, it was hard to image what might have happened if anyone else would have found her here alone.

“So Abby have you lived on the island all your life?” She asked, trying to get to know the girl better.

{Haha, would it be bad to admit that I didn’t know I could do that until now? ;) }

Rebel boys! Abby's heartbeat sped up as she imagined the tall, dark haired boy in a leather jacket and black skinny jeans, standing in the corner of a dark nightclub looking soulful and lonesome. She wanted to hear more, but Grace changed subjects before she could butt in and ask. I'll save it for another time. She decided before answering Grace's question.

"Yeah, well, as long as I can remember. My parents died in a fire when I was a few months old. Agatha, my aunt, keeps feeding this stupid story about my dog dropping me off at her doorstep. But it's not like I'm young enough to believe that anymore, I wish she'd just shut up!"

Thoughts of her aunt put Abby in a bad mood. She'd resented her for leaving her alone so often, then treating her like a child when she was home. Honestly, she couldn't decide which was worse! She glared, sullenly, at the swirling branches. "What about you? Where do you fit in?"

"Yeah, well, as long as I can remember. My parents died in a fire when I was a few months old. Agatha, my aunt, keeps feeding this stupid story about my dog dropping me off at her doorstep. But it's not like I'm young enough to believe that anymore, I wish she'd just shut up!"

A dog? No not a dog… but a wolf. A wolf who just happened to be the head of the Connor family. Grace took in all the words that Abby spoke, not letting her emotions change. Clearly this girl had no idea of who she was. It wasn’t Grace’s place to say anything but still she knew eventually Abby would find out. Secrets that big were impossible to keep.

“I’ve lived on the island my whole life. Born and raised, and I’m sure I will die here. My parents died when I was fairly young, I never knew my mother but my father and I had a very good relationship.” She stated. ‘But I’m happy enough. I have a great family and I go to college. I like to paint.”

Something about what Grace had said struck Abby as odd. "...I’m sure I will die here..."
What on earth was that supposed to mean? Sure, she seemed pretty happy with this boring mud hole, but she couldn't be so happy that she'd want to die in the same place she was born, right?
"But, don't you want to go places? I mean, don't you want to see the world? I can't believe that anyone would be happy just to sit there and paint their whole lives!" It was just wrong, that's what. Just plain wrong.

Turning her head, she studied Grace again like she had the first time she'd seen her, and wondered how someone so young could be so grounded.
"Don't you want to be famous or something?" She asked. All the girls Abby knew wanted to be famous, a famous singer or a famous athlete, maybe even a famous actress. Abby knew what she was going to be; a famous stunt-double, she was going to the best woman around and all the big movie companies would pay mega bucks to have her on their shoot. Then there'd be people asking her to come on talk shows, and whole websites dedicated to her! Perhaps living on an island you whole life shrinks your mind? She shuddered and swore that wouldn't happen to her, no matter what!

Grace smiled a thoughtful smile. It was true that she would spend her entire life on the island. Her whole world was here, her family was under her care, and she was responsible for their wellbeing. It wasn’t a role she asked for, but rather a roll that she was born into.

“I paint and study art. I often think how lovely it would be to travel to Rome and Paris. To see the art I study up close. But as nice as it would be to travel, I believe that my own art comes from my life. And my life is here. The people I love, my history and my future. I know it’s hard for you to understand, but sometimes we are just bound to honor and responsibility.” Grace answered. It wasn’t always easy for her, sometimes certain days were harder then others.

"Don't you want to be famous or something?"

Graced laughed. “Isn’t everyone famous in a small town?” She joked.

“But no, I don’t want fame. I don’t want people knowing when I get coffee or when my pants don’t match my shirt. I like being able to be who I am without people judging me for the little things that I do. I want to grow old, with my family around me. I want to be surrounded by people that love me. I want to be happy with my life and what I have. Not worried about who I can trust. It know its not as glamorous as fame and fortune, but at least it’s a happy life.”

Abby tilted her head as what Grace said began to sink in. It was an odd sensation, to hear such a foreign concept for the very first time. Although she couldn't really grasp it, she could tell that there was some truth in what Grace had said and she realised that she was beginning to respect Grace. The way she talked and acted was so different to the way Abby would've expected and definitely different to the way movies and magazines expected! It felt like she was content with the smaller things, something which scared Abby, but at the same time made her curious. Perhaps life wouldn't so bad if you weren't amazingly successful? Perhaps being unspectacular wasn't such a bad thing?

It still struck Abby as strange that Grace didn't bother going to Paris though. Inspiration from life was all fine, but it wouldn't hurt to go to those huge galleries and learn a few trick, would it? The girl started to wonder if there was something more behind the woman's drive to stay put. Something a little more than just family loyalty. "Do you have a boyfriend, Grace?" She asked, coyly. It was the only conclusion the girl could make, as small-minded as she was and having no idea that she was living in an underground struggle between supernatural forces.

"Do you have a boyfriend, Grace?"

Graced laughed. She couldn’t help it. She laughed because she had once had ‘boyfriends’ in school. But that was nothing more then knowing that she would have a date to the dance, or someone to hold her hand to her locker. Boyfriends weren’t in her life, she didn’t really have time for one. And besides she was the head of her family, she didn’t have the time for dinners and movies.

“Not currently.” She answered honestly. In truth she would one day hope to find someone one day. But now her concerns were on her family not herself. She was young, she had to many years before she needed to worry about settling down.

“What about you, do you have a boyfriend?” She asked, with a soft smile. It seemed like the right thing to ask. The right moment.