He had looked at his wound, and now pulled his Jacket back over it with furrowed brows, seemed to think for a second and then shrugged almost unnoticeable.

„My name is Laelole. I need to talk to you, Jamie,..“,

he started, but she instantly interrupted him.

„Laelole? So your name is...maybe Laelole Kehil?“

He looked at her with surprise, and then smiled slightly.

„Well...it´s not really pronounced that way, but yeah.“

It was him. Jamie jubilated on the inside. Her Father had finally spoken to her, after all these years. Or...had it been months?

Had it been yesterday?

Jamie´s rubbed her forehead and tried to get rid of a sudden and horrible headache. Every time she tried to figure out how, and when her Father had disappeared, her brain put up a fierce fight to not give her those Answers.

„What did you want to talk to me about?“, she diverted the topic, mostly to calm herself down.

The forest Ghost inspected her for a second, then shrugged slightly.

„I wanted to plead you to accompany me for some time. My Family has been captured by Humans and has been abducted -“,

he stopped, making a grim face as though he had bitten on something sour.

„I would have already gone and searched for them, but I realized in the last days that I don´t know enough about humans to blend in, and I can´t risk getting captured as well.“

Jamie´s scalp tingled out of mistrust and excitement, all at the same time.

„That´s why I am asking you to come with me. I will, in return, once we´ve found them, grant you a wish.“

He tilted his pretty head.

„Whatever wish you have, Jamie. I beg it of you.“

This went as well as it could possibly. Still, an unpleasant shudder went through her. It went...almost too well.

„Why do you think I could help you outside the forest? I mean they are outside, right? I´ve always lived here in this village...“

Laelole nodded abruptly, looked at her appraisingly and finally gave her a somewhat sad smile.

„You are human, right?“

„Yes?“

„Then you know more about humans than me. Besides, you helped me tonight. Possibly saved my life. I know very well what most other Humans would have done, had they found me there.“

Jamie raised her eyebrows and wasn´t sure if that was a compliment, or a lot of sentences describing one single thing: her stupidity. She still didn´t really know, what had made her bring a stranger into her house yesterday night.

Well, actually, she did. His eyes. It was his gray Eyes that reminded her of something, buried deep in her Mind.

Jamie scratched the back of her head.

„I´d say I trust you. You´re definitely my best option.“, finished the Forrest Ghost.

Maybe that was true. But what about her? He was an unknown man, not even human.

Still, this was her perfect chance. She would trust her Father and what he had told her. This was a message. The first sign in all these days of darkness. Or had it been months? Or Years?

Something dark and nostalgic gripped her heart, as though she should be sad. It was an unexplainable pain.

Jamie took a deep breath.

It wasn´t even that risky. She would stay with him, for now. Jamie gave him the tenth stare that day, from top to toe.

He was a lot taller than her, but to be fair, so were most humans. The Ghost looked strong, and he probably had more magic power than just those healing ones. He would protect her while leaving the village, and after freeing his family, she would just make him search for her father, as the one wish.

She thought it through a few more times, to make sure she hadn´t forgotten anything, then grinned.

„So when do you want to leave?“, she asked.

She was soon to regret her decision.