Elena pulled Karla along behind her by the hand. Elena was vaguely aware of Karla complaining and making snarky remarks behind her. This would usually amuse Elena, but her blood was alive with the thrill of a possible adventure.
Of course Elena knew it was a fluke, they always were. Elena liked feeling like she was on an adventure though. Like she was about to jump into one of her novels and fall into wonderland herself. Elena broke her arm when she was 8 because she convinced herself and Karla she saw a fairy, (and she swear she did) and they ended up running through Karlas back yard until It got so dark that Elena couldn't see where she was going and felt of a small cliff and onto a the rocky shore of the stream that ran through the woods behind Karla's house.
Another time Elena had gone on wild goose chase when she swore she saw a winged dog running down the street with a dragon tail. Elena had chased it until it was dark and she couldn't recognize the street she was on. When the group home found her she was sobbing hysterically at a gas station and planning exactly how she was going to have to live on the street.
The group home said she had an active imagination, Karla joked that she was a compulsive liar who got off on tricking other people. Sometimes Elena could actually feel like she did see things, little things, like a tiny person, or a man with one to many eyes, or a white rabbit.
Elena ran, she couldn't be crazy, she could see the creature ahead, running around corners just and she turning into an alley, ducking behind people just as she past. The fire of Excitement that only adventure could bring burned in her veins and setting her eyes on fire. She had a good feeling this time, she could catch it. She couldn't let another one get away.
Karla's snarky comments had turned into concerned please and she was trying to pull away, to pull Elena out of her state. Elena ignored her, keeping her eyes glued to the flash of white fur ahead. The feeling was hot now, burning her chest from the inside out, she was so close.
"Elena!" Karla yanked her hand out of the other girls hand. Elena stopped, she continued to stare of into the distance, her eyes glassy and distant. Karla grabbed her friends shoulders and shook.
Elena shook her head, she seemed to finally notice Karla. Elena's gut twisted painfully when she saw the worry in her friends eyes.
"did it again, didn't I?" Elena's voice was small. Karla had told her once that Elena was scary when she went on a chase, like she was in some sort of daze. It terrified Elena that she could get like that, and especially to have Karla see her like that. Elena's eyes stung and her face felt hot.
"Thank you" Elena said, her voice barely a whisper. Karla exhaled, sighing with relief and patted Elena's hair.
"You scared me there"
"Sorry" Elena looked at the ground.
Karla smiled, a small and gentle smile. "Nah, I shouldn't have let you go off in the first place, my fault" she placed a comforting hand on Elena's shoulder, who shuddered.
Elena was suddenly very tired, her legs shook, threatening to give out underneath her.
"Woah!" Karla yelped as she was suddenly burdened with the weight of another person.
Karla helped her friend over to the nearest bench.
"Are you ok?" Karla sounded concerned again.
"Woozy" Elena replied putting a hand to her forehead.
You need food!" Karla declared, reaching into her own bag and searched for something inside. She put her bag down with a groan.
"Dang it, I already ate my last snack bar. I'm going to run and buy one, will you be ok alone?" Karla asked.
Elena nodded weakly, to tired to protest. Karla gave her a long unsure look before dashing off.
Elena sat alone for a long time. She could feel the energy slowly returning to her body. How long had she ran to be this tired? Karla ran too and she wasn't ready to pass out. Elena's limbs still felt like jelly with weights attached. Her head felt like led. Though she didn't feel like crying anymore so that was a plus.
Maybe I am crazy Elena thought to herself, makes sense, crazy like the mad hatter. Elena huffed out a tired laugh at her own joke.
"I'm to old for this shit" an older mans voice intruded on her thoughts. Elena looked up from where she was sitting to look that the source of the voice.
The first thing Elena noticed about the man in front of her was his coat. The old man wore a huge oversized brown coat with too many pockets. It was dirty and worn with repair patches all over it. The pockets were the strangest part. There where pockets filled to the brim with keys, and another one with dirt and some purple spotted plant sticking out. Elena could have sworn she saw something move in one of them. The jacket looked like it belongs to homeless person. But the man didn't look homeless. He had an old weathered square face, he looked like he had once been handsome, but the years had lined his face and greeted his hair. Underneath the jacket his clothes were nice too, a grey pinstripe button up shirt and black slacks.
He looked like he had walked straight out of a book.
Elena stared at he man open mouthed. He was bent over breathing hard like he had been running, his hands on his knees.
"Stupid rabbit, I'm going to kill him when I find him, roast him and eat him for my dinner" he growled. His voice was low and gruff. The man seemed to notice Elena gawking at him. He raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"Do you need something young lady?"
Elena shook her head frantically and shut her mouth. She didn't stop looking at him though. Elena watch as he reached into one of his many pockets and pull out a half eaten chocolate bar. He pulled at one of the sides of the plastic rapper and took a huge bite.
The man had very blue eyes, like the bluest blue Elena had ever seen. She could even see them from where she was sitting. They had a sort of intelligent spark that shone even from behind the wrinkles and smile lines of old age. The man scanned his surroundings, chewing thoughtfully. Elena supposed he was still looking for the rabbit. Wait-
"Did you say rabbit?" Elena asked, her voice was still a bit weak from the chase but she spoke loudly, determined for the strange man to hear her.
The man looked at her, he straightened slightly. He looked revitalized from the bite of chocolate. She hadn't even realized how tired he had looked before he had taken the bite. Elena wondered if it had special properties.
"What?" The man asked, his voice unreadable, and something else in his blue eyes.
"You mentioned a rabbit. A white one right?" Elena continued, "have you seen the rabbit too?" She added. There was an edge to her voice, her desperation for proof that she wasn't crazy was slightly apparent in her voice in the form of a determined boldness.
The man looked at her for a long time, his face remained blank and unreadable. But Elena could somehow tell he was thinking and processing. It was the eyes that seemed to give him away.
Finally the man seemed to make a silent decision, walking up to Elena. The younger girl tensed at being approached by a stranger, she gave him a reproachful look. But the man ignored her.
He snapped a piece of chocolate from his bar and help it up between them, before pressing it into her hands. He pressed a finger to his nose, eyes sparkling. "Chocolate, helps with the exhaustion." He said it so much like a fact, Elena believe it probably was.
Elena looked up at him confused "But how did you--?"
"Elena!" Elena's head shot towards her name, her eyes caught on a flash of strawberry blonde hair and freckles in the crowd. And then Elena could see Karla running towards her in the crowd waving a granola bar above her head excitedly.
Elena turned back to the man, maybe to thank him, maybe to question him further. But he was gone.
Elena's heart beat in her head as she searched for the man. How did he manage that? What was he, every single mysterious Magic character in ten history of fiction. Elena popped the piece of chocolate into her mouth without much think of it, After all she'd seen him eat the same chocolate himself.
Elena instantly felt much better, a giggly energy spread through her limbs and warmed her from the inside. It just tasted like normal chocolate though. Maybe it worked with all chocolate.
Karla arrived at Elena's side waving the granola bar she had bought proudly in her face. Elena ate it out of pity and kindness for her friend. And Elena wasn't sure she wanted to tell her worry wart friend that she excepted chocolate from strange old men in big coats.
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