Chatterbox: Inkwell

I'm writing yet another story!

After making my NaNo goal, I wanted to write another story!  This one's about ghosts, which is something I write about a lot.

HERE'S THE FIRST PART OF CHAPTER 1

Chapter 1: Ghost Town

I woke up with one word on my mouth.  Cycle.  I was laying on the dirt ground, gravelly beneath my body.  I groaned, sitting up slowly in the sun.  I kept my eyes squinted, since everything was still so bright from just opening my eyes.  After my eyes had adjusted to the light, I opened my eyes fully and looked around.  I was on a trail in the middle of a forest of pine trees, well lit because of the sun above my head.

I got up, my head spinning.  Where was I?  What was this place?  And why can't I remember my own name?  I leaned against the nearest tree, and wait for my head to become less dizzy.

Just as I begin to follow the trail, I hear a voice.

"Hey!"  I turn, my blonde hair following as I whip my head around.  It's a girl, roughly 5' 10," with dark skin and hazel eyes.  Her hair looks naturally curly, and it's in a short high ponytail.

"Um . . . yes?" I asked, adjusting my glasses.  

"You're new here, are you not?" she asked, looking me up and down from where she was five feet away.  

"I guess," I replied, shrugging.  "Am I supposed to not know where or who I am?"

The girl frowned.  "Usually you know who you are the second you wake up.  What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up?  That's usually who you are."

"It's Cycle," I said.  "I'm Cycle," I corrected myself, remembering what the girl had said about the word being who I was. 

"Great!  I've never heard of a ghost waking up without a word," the girl laughed, walking closer to me.  "I'm Valor.  Nice to meet you, Cycle.  Welcome to Ghost Town!" She held out her right hand, as if she wanted me to shake it.

I shook Valor's hand, asking, "Town?  We're in the middle of a forest."

"We call it that because there's really no other town here at all.  No matter how far you are in the woods, you always turn up in town."

"Weird," I said.  "Well, which way back to town, then?"

"It doesn't matter.  Like I said, you always get to town," Valor replied, continuing down the path, passing me. 

"Hey, wait!" I said, quickly walking after her.  "How many people are in this Ghost Town place?  And why is my name Cycle?"

Valor kept walking, calling behind her, "Everyone's name is like that.  Like I said, my name is Valor.  You'll meet everyone soon enough."

I sighed, following Valor back to wherever this mysterious Ghost Town was.

It definitely wasn't what I thought it was going to be.  I thought it was going to be larger.  Instead, it was a small town, with dirt footpaths and small houses.  It didn't look like it was from the past; it looked like towns in the present time, not at all behind in technology.  

Valor walked past houses without a glance, as if she knew exactly where she was going and how to get there.  No wonder, I thought.  All the houses looked the same.  I continued following Valor to wherever she was taking me, looking around and taking in the scenery.

Valor stopped suddenly, making me almost bump into her.  "Valor?" I asked, before looking ahead of her at what lay before us.

It was a fountain, made out of stone, with clear water flowing through it.  "What is that?" I asked slowly, in awe.  

"This," Valor turned, looking at me.  "is the fountain."

Well, duh.  It was a fountain.  I was genuinely surprised that it didn't have a name.  A fountain so large and beautiful should have a name, shouldn't it?  I continued to stare at it's height.  The stone was clean and shiny, and made impossible shapes with water as it towered eight feet above me.

"Does it have a name?" I asked, like a moron.

"No.  At least, I don't think it does," Valor said.  "It would have come with a name unless it wanted us to name it.  No one really wants to name it, because it probably wouldn't like that."

Naming a fountain?  And a fountain coming with a name?  I needed to figure out what this all was, and fast.  I didn't want Valor to be thinking I didn't belong or something, though I didn't know how I'd ever leave.  She did say I'd always get back to here.  But I figured I should play along with it.  Not like I had much of a choice.

"Cool," I said slowly.  "Who else lives here?  Or, I mean, like exists here?" I asked Valor.

"Yes, many people live here.  I figure, it's almost time, some of them might be coming out now.  Usually the first ones out are Squall and 'Fere."

"Fear?" I asked.

"No," said an unfamiliar voice behind me.  I turned.  It was a boy of about seventeen, I would guess, with messy brown hair and green eyes.  "'Fere.  Short for 'Interfere.'  That's me."

~~~

Sooooo yeah.  Critique?