Grave Convictions The Protection of Trees Nicole watched as her sister and Alyson sat under a tree and began to talk. She figured that the girls probably wanted time alone so she decided it would be best not to disturb them. She turned to Jenn, who was shakily hovering over May's plaque with Kim close beside her. She approached the girls and looked down at the plaque. "Did you know her?" She asked with true concern in her tone. "She was my best friend." Jenn said sniffling back the sobs. "I'm sorry..." Nicole fell silent. She placed her hands behind her back and gazed up at the tree, "I was told that these trees protect and kept souls happy. I wonder if there is a tree near my mom and dad." "Your parents died?" Kim asked sadly. "Nicole." Jessica had a warning tone to her voice. "Actually..." Nicole turned to look at the redhead, "no..." She then looked up at the tree again, "I just wish that a tree was watching over them." She glanced around at the other trees, "I always feel safest around the trees... I don't know..." She shrugged then glanced over at her sister, "Sis always told me that she could feel them watching over us... maybe I shouldn't believe her..." "Sis?" Kim followed the girl's gaze, "Alyson?" Nicole shook her head, "Although I really wish she was at times. Nat is my real sister... though she is never around much to act like one." "Your sister?" Kim stood and stared at her blonde friend who seemed to be in a heated discussion, "She never told me..." Kim said astonished by the news. Nicole blinked at Kimberly, "Have you known my sister long?" She asked curiously. "We met a few years back." Kim nervously looked from Natalie to Nicole. The two looked nothing alike. Natalie was athletic with long silky blonde hair while this child was skinny with short black hair cut cleanly at the neck and across her brow. The only similarity was in the girls' eyes, which held the same intense blue. Nicole had her eyes currently fixed on Kim and seemed to be sizing the girl up. "I know you now." Nicole suddenly said, "You are that girl that went missing after her parents were murdered." "Murdered?" Jenn stood to her feet unsure if she heard the girl correctly. Kim, however, felt her blood turn cold, "Who... Who told you that?" She nervously swallowed hard. "Nicole!!!" Jessica's warning this time came with an edge of anger, "You know better!" She walked over to the child and set a hand on the child's head. "I'm just telling her what Sis told me." Nicole stated, "She is the girl Sis has been searching for, isn't she?" She asked innocently blinking at Kim with her big eyes. "She has?" Kim looked over at the blonde to see her suddenly get to her feet and run away, "Nat?" Kim was about to go after the girl when she felt a small hand take her own. "Stay..." Nicole said softly, gripping tighter onto the redhead's hand, "She is only filled with hurtful words when upset." Jenn knelt next to the girl, "Has she hurt you before?" A smile suddenly came across the girl's face, "Nope, I just said that to keep you here." She said, however the smile didn't stay long as the girl turned to watch Alyson start to stand and Kris run to the girl's side, "Do you love my sis?" Nicole asked Kim bluntly without moving her gaze from the two girls in the distance. "Ummm..." Kim stammered glancing from Nicole to Jenn, "That is... she is... just my friend..." Jenn's face turned long at the way Kim stuttered over the answer. Nicole was the one to voice the thoughts in Jenn's mind, "Then why did you hesitate?" She asked, then let go of the girl's hand and started towards Alyson, "You'd better not get between them or else." She let the threat hang in the air and she ran over to Alyson and gave the girl a hug. "That is one scary girl." Jenn admitted once the child was out of ears length. "Just ignore her." Jessica declared, "She is a trouble maker. Always protective of her sister and Alyson." She shook her head in displeasure "I don't know what I'm going to do with that group." "She seems nice enou-" Kim started to say when she felt her strength slip away from her all of a sudden. "Kim?" Jenn asked watching her friend sway, "Are you alright?" "I don't feel to good." Kim mumbled, holding her head, she started to slip to the ground as she felt darkness envelope her. "KIM!?!" Jenn slipped her arm around the girl to help her stand. "Easy there..." Jessica wrapped an arm around the other side of the redhead, "You should be in bed like Amy ordered." She stated with a snicker. "I... just..." Kim struggled to speak. "I know." Jessica grinned at Jenn, "You just wanted to be with your love." "We are not!" Jenn protested with a blush as she struggled to help Kim to her feet only to find herself still exhausted from the past days events. "I'm just kidding." Jessica defended worried by the anger in Jenn's eyes. "What happened?" Alyson asked as she approached the girls and began to assess the situation, with Kris and Nicole followed closely behind. "She is just dizzy from the loss of blood is all." Jessica said lightly, "We just need to get her back to bed." "Let me help." Alyson grasped Kim's wounded arm and recoiled from it as if the girl's arm was on fire. She quickly took Kim by the hand instead and pulled the girl's sleeve back to see the set of bandages that covered her entire forearm and gave Jessica an intense look, "What cut this girl?" She asked sternly. "Just some glass from a mirror." Jessica replied with a shrug, "Nothing much, however it did cut her rather deeply." "Hold these!" Alyson commanded as she dropped the apples into Nicole's awaiting hands, with the dagger still protruding out of them and then took Kimberly from the girls, "Show me to her room." She lifted Kim into her arms as if the girl was nothing more than a small child and started towards the dorms with everyone following closely behind her. ***** To be Continued...
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