If she keeps walking, maybe the trees will thin out.\n\nShe takes to walking a straight line, something she hopes won't lead her in another circle. The sound of the wind rushing through the trees serves as less of a background and more of a reminder of how cold it is. She isn't one to dress for cold weather, being someone who doesn't typically lose herself in far off places a whole lot, and the effects are taking their toll on the poor girl.\n\nShe tugs her short cloak a little more down her shoulders, as much as she can muster, and hopes that maybe she'll land somewhere warmer, somehow, if that even makes sense, which it DOESN'T, but she'd like it anyway, please, maybe if she hopes hard enough...\n\nIt isn't too many minutes in that she hears something else.\n\nThere's [[a rustling|sound]] coming from the trees ahead.

She's pretty sure she's passed this tree [[three times now.|begin]]

Nothing happens.\n\n\n[[She peeks her eyes open.|look]]\n

Spec walks directly into a tree with the very first step she takes.\n\n[[Maybe it's a sign.|cont]]

Opposite her, the figure that emerged jumps back with a start, bumps back into a tree, drops something, and scrambles to pick it back up.\n\nSpec finally manages to move, stumbling backwards only to <i>also</i> hit a tree and fall on the ground.\n\nTerrified, she brings her shaky hands up over herself in a defensive stance, squeezes her eyes shut, and waits.\n\n[[...|...]]

Melanie continues talking, and it continues to go right over Spec's head.\n\n"I still don't remember what I was looking for... but maybe if I don't remember that means it wasn't important? Then again my memory isn't that good... I mean, I can't do anything about it now, so I guess it doesn't matter anyways."\n\n<i>I'm glad I'm not dead, but...</i>\n\n"I found you instead. Except I still don't know who you are, but that's fine. Right? Or at least, I don't think it's bad or anything. You seem alright. I don't know what happened, though, so maybe it is bad..."\n\n<i>Still, I still don't know where I am, and I'm-- I'm being lead away?!</i>\n\n"I wouldn't really know, but I don't think people walking in the middle of the forest is TOO common. It's really late, too. Or at least, like, kind-of really late. Though I'm not reeeally one to talk, because I'm the one who found you."\n\n<i>I don't know what's going on? What about my family?</i>\n\n"I already explained that, though. Huh, I guess I probably should've just asked from the start. What were you doing out here anyways?"\n\n<i>What if I never see them again ever?!</i>\n\n[["...Hello?"|hello]]

Hesitantly, Spec reaches out to accept the help, opening her mouth to respond and then closing it soon after. No! No, nothing is okay ever. She's scared and she's cold and she's scared and she's really, REALLY scared, and she doesn't know who this is!\n\n"Yeah, then? I mean, you screamed, but I don't know why. I didn't know you were there. Oh, unless you didn't know I was there either? Did I startle you, maybe? I was just looking for something, but now I don't remember what. ...Are you shaking?"\n\nShe doesn't answer that either.\n\n[[&gt;&gt;|intro]]

spec story

... ... ...\n\n... ... [[...|.....]]

Spec had left very early in the morning, before anyone else was awake to see her off, and now it was roughly 11pm at night.\n\nNot that she'd know that. She knew it was dark, maybe, except that also it always seemed dark since she got herself helplessly lost. Maybe she'd upset the balance of the universe by leaving home and she'd accidentally sent the earth plunged into [[eternal darkness|dark]]. Maybe it was going to be dark until she got back home, and she would get in trouble for messing up everything.....\n\nOh... oh no. She didn't think of that until now. Everyone would be really mad at her if she went home now, especially if it really was late, except even if it wasn't they'd probably still be mad. What if they yelled at her? What if they were mad at her <i>forever</i>?\n\nThe idea of everyone being mad at her forever is terrifying. The idea of being lost for the rest of her life is considerably more terrifying, but also, she left home for [[a reason|reason]], and the idea of going home and having to deal with that reason is also terrifying. Everything is terrifying. Everything is terrifying and scary forever.\n\nSuddenly she's not so sure if she should [[keep moving|cont]] or just [[turn back|turn]].

!!! !!!\n\n[[&lt;&lt;|melanie]]

That's something a witch would do, right?\n\n[[&lt;&lt;|begin]]

Offering the tiniest nod she can give, Spec glances over the girl she'd been too scared to look at before as she continued talking about, um, whatever she was talking about.\n\nShe's short-ish and kind of chubby, wearing a hat that seems to resemble a [[witch's|witchy]] hat. Her hair's longer than Spec even knew hair could get, hovering just slightly above the ground and covering up her eyes. \n\n...Wait, how could she see?\n\n[[&lt;&lt;|intro]]

\t\t\t<i><b>I'm going to die.</b></i>\n\nSpec's immediate instincts tell her to run. She doesn't run. She freezes the second she hears the sound, and doesn't stop being frozen. She can't bring herself to move!\n\nSucking in her breath, she braces herself as the sound continues, then seems to move, and then...\n\n[[Something comes out.|scream]]

The figure-- a person-- a girl, shakes off the thing that she dropped and puts it on her head before actually noticing the cowering kid on the ground. Spec shrinks back a little more as she turns towards her.\n\n"[[Jeez, you scared me!|voice]] I didn't even think anything was here. You walking really quiet I guess, or maybe I'm a bad listener but I'm usually kind of okay? I think I'm okay.... Oh, right, I should probably ask."\n\nThe girl holds out a hand.\n\n[["You alright?"|question]]

There was no way-- it couldn't be a coincidence that every story she'd ever heard that had a witch in it, something terrible happened to them. It absolutely, positively couldn't be.\n\n...Right?\n\n[[&lt;&lt;|begin]]

[[Spec screams.|girl]]

This was a bad idea from the start. All she's made of is bad ideas. She's cold and she's sad and she's scared and maybe a little homesick even though she's hardly even been gone for one day. If she waits longer, she'll just get in more trouble because it'll mean she goes home even later than she would if she just does that now.\n\n[[She turns around.|home]]

"Uhh, anyways, you seem pretty shaken up and all. I don't think I've ever seen you around. I mean, I haven't been here too long, but still... plus you were in the middle of the woods. My name's [[Melanie.|melanie]]" She doesn't let go of Spec's hand after pulling her up, noticeably. "You can call me Mel if you want, though."\n\nMelanie walks forward, gently pulling Spec along, who's a little too lost in her thoughts to even process that she's essentially being lead away by this new stranger.\n\n[[&gt;&gt;|lead]]

ghost witch

The voice is quick-paced, mid-tone and smooth, and just loud enough that Spec flinches when she starts talking.

She heard that part; she shifts as though she'd just been jolted awake from a dream.\n\nim going to bed