username- .:Firefly Stars:.
name- Aedre Benjamin (Benjamin is his middle name, but he'd rather people call him Ben since it minimizes the chances him having to correct people on the spelling and pronunciation of his name.)
gender- Male
story- Ben breathed in the cool, crisp summer air. The school bell had rung, a symbol of his freedom for the remainder of the summer. He wasn't particularly social, being what most people called a nerd or a dork, and being incredibly awkward and not knowing how to interact with other Gummikits. He padded away from the school which he had come to know as a prison, walking along his usual trail.
There were two trails that all the school kids normally went down: The path near the busy, bustling road and the path into the quiet but eerie forest. Most Gummikits used the sidewalk next to the road, as it was easier, less scary, and shorter. He, on the other hand, didn't mind it and went down his own, quiet path every time.
He traveled down the musty trail, calmed by the scent. He was caught up in thoughts about his daily life, and thinking about the universe when the forest got dark and he realized that he had taken the wrong path. His heartbeat quickened as an owl hooted in the distance. Bad omen. He thought. He was a Gummikit of science, sure, but he knew a death omen when he saw one. His ears went flat against his head as he continued padding, trying desperately to find the trail. He opened his map, a musty thing that he hadn't looked at in ages since he memorized the trail. He always kept it though, in case of a situation like this. It was faded. Lovely.
He continued walking, finding a familiar tree. "Yes!" He muttered, praising his knowledge of the forest. The clearing should be near if he went straight. He had been walking for about 15 minutes when he heard a twig snap behind him, and every hair on his pelt stood straight up. He turned to look at the sound, and he realized that he had never been this terrified. He saw nothing. He continued walking, shivers sent down his spine with every step he took. Fears started racing through his mind as he finally found it, the clearing.
Shafts of light came down, lighting the grass and he let out a sigh of relief. He was close. It was at that point that he heard footsteps, and when he turned around he saw a figure. "W-who are you?!" He asked, trying to be brave. The figure didn't speak, but when it stepped out of the shadows he was overcome with relief. It was just Kate, his cousin that had been out of town for a while, and was coming back today to stay with him and his family. He had almost forgotten.
"You scared me half to death!" He exclaimed, batting her over the head playfully. "Hey! I was looking for you everywhere, you know." She said. "Well you could've said that you found me earlier." He rolled his eyes, turning back to continue walking. "I just found you a few minutes ago..." She didn't follow. "Oh." He shook off the feeling of dread rising in his throat. "I'm sure it was nothing." He shook his head, and they containued walking home in silence.
To this day, he doesn't know what the twig snapping was. Though it was probably a squirrel or something, he still cant shake the shivers down his spine whenever he recalls the experience.