Chapter Two - Breathe
- JADE -

"This place is amazing!" Jayden's mother gushed as she took another picture of a little river filled with mossy pebbles. It was as if something magical laid in this forest. Something unbelievable, because the forest looked magical, as if fairies fluttered in it or goblins lurked behind in the shadows. Butterflies fluttered around the river, the hot sun setting. The soft sound of the water trickling down smooth rocks somehow calmed Jayden. She was expecting some kind of unicorn to frolick over to the river and drink from it. Of course, it didn't happen. They weren't real.

"Can we go back to the campsite?" James whined.

"Okay, just one more picture! I want to see you and Jayden standing by the river," their mother spoke. Jayden sighed in annoyance and followed her little brother in front of the river. She wrapped an arm around him, pasting a smile on her face. Dimples showing, she stared into the camera, and the picture was taken.

"Done! Now can we go?"

"Mm.. Well I guess. Okay, come on now," she replied trudging back the path of rocks. Jayden, being the last one to follow, stared back into the river, admiring the sound for a moment, and taking all that magic in. She kept on telling herself it wasn't real. Magic wasn't real, but it just couldn't grip onto her. Jayden turned around, and followed her family down the path leading to the campsite. She caught up to James.

"I got a whole plan set up for this, James. We stay up late to look at that glow-" Jayden blabbered, before being cut off.

"Are you crazy? No way! I'm not staying up to get into some freaky stake-out with you!" James whisper shouted, gazing at his older sister. Jayden pursed her lips and shrugged, nudging her little brother with her arm.

"You scared?" she smirked. James folded his arms, pouting.

"Whatever.. I'm going to sleep," he mumbled while looking away. Jayden snickered to herself and found herself staring upon the two tents they had set up. Both green and boring. She'd have to sleep next to James to do the stake-out. If her mother or father figured out she was looking for some mysterious creature, who knows what they'll do.

Jayden scrambled to her feet, running to her parents.

"Hey! Mom, dad? Can I sleep with James tonight? You guys can take one tent, and James and I will take the other!" Jayden smiled innocently, tugging her brother closer to her so she could wrap her arm around him. Her mother looked at her father with a questioning look. He shrugged.

"I don't see why not," he replied. Jayden secretly cheered. She'd keep her brother awake whether he liked it or not. She had to see where that glow was coming from. It gave her an eerie feeling. It looked like two glowing eyes, staring at her, watching her every move, as if getting ready to pounce.

"What about marshmallows?" her father asked, smiling widely.

"No time for marshmallows, thanks dad, thanks mom, goodnight!" Jayden thanked her parents, and dragged James over to a tent. The tent already had sleeping bags, flashlights, snacks, drinks, and other utilities in it. All James and Jayden had to do was get ready to go to sleep, which they weren't going to do. At least for Jayden.

The sun had already set, now only sunrays able to be seen. It was as if the sun was a little match, waiting to be blown on every night.

Jayden entered the tent, taking off her shoes and tossing them in the corner. James took off his shoes and lightly placed them on the ground. They laid down, said their good nights, and closed their eyes.

Minutes after, Jayden sat up, eyes wide open. She peered over at the other tent. Their light was out. The girl snuck out of the tent and tip-toed to the other, leaning in close to hear. Light snoring was able to be heard. Her parents were asleep. Jayden quietly made it back to her tent to make sure James was still awake.

"James!" she whisper shouted. The boy fluttered his eyes open. He sat up as well, staring at his sister as if she was some psycho.

"I said I'm not gonna do it," he grumbled, now taking off his jacket to show the white t-shirt under it.

"I said I'm not gonna do it!" Jayden said again with a squeaky voice, taunting him. James balled his hands into fists.

"Hey! Stop that!"

"Please James. I need someone brave to help me out on this." Jayden begged her little brother to stay up. After all, two heads were better than one, even though one head was dumber. She looked outside for a moment, then turned back to James.

"Mmgh.. Fine," he muttered. Jayden cheered silently and dragged her little brother outside. James tied his jacket around his waist, now looking into the deep dark forest. They stood together for a while, just staring out, waiting for that glow to appear once again.

Of course, James didn't have much of an attention span.

"How about we go in there?" James smiled.

"Uh-huh, and die?" Jayden raised a brow. James shrugged, smiling even wider as he stepped towards the darkness. He looked back at Jayden, sticking his tongue out. The girl stood in place, worried. Worried for James, worried he'd go running off, worried he'd get lost, worried she'd go after him and get lost as well.

"C'mon! Is it really that scary?" James scoffed. Then, as if on que, the glow re-appeared, as bright as ever. Jayden froze in place, squinting to see what on earth that glow was coming from.

"Hello? Jayden?" James said, trying to get his sister's attention. He dared to turn around, the strong light blinding him. He stepped back, now standing beside Jayden as the two siblings stared at the glow. It blinked. On and off. It seemed as if a car was blinking its headlights right at them, but who would have their car in the forest?

Jayden scrambled to her feet, opening up the tent and reaching out for her flashlight. No matter how dangerous it could be, she had to know what that thing was. In seconds, Jayden was back with a flashlight. Hesitant, she opened it up, and flashed it up on the glow.

The thing looked like emeralds shining from the moonlight. Jayden squinted. She knew what that was, but she didn't want to believe it. The glow immediately went off, this time not turning back on, and disappeared into the night.

Jayden could only hear the sound of grasshoppers, and her heavy breathing.

"A dragon," James whispered. Jayden whipped her head at James.

"What? No! Dragons aren't rea-" she snapped, but was cut off.

"You saw those scales! It's a DRAGON!" James shouted. After noticing what he had just done, he widened his eyes and covered his mouth. He hoped that their parents wouldn't wake up by his voice. Luckily, they were heavy sleepers, and were still sound asleep.

"It's not," Jayden whispered.

"I'm going!" James said, now running towards the darkness. Jayden groaned, running after him. She couldn't let her brother get killed. Trying to reach for the collar of his shirt, Jayden tripped, and lost trace of him, the darkness eating him up whole. Jayden opened up her flashlight, looking around.

"James?" she called out. It was starting to get cold. Jayden walked further away from the campsite, in search of her brother. The leaves crunched below her. She should've wore some shoes..

"James, this isn't funny! Come out!" Jayden flashed the flashlight to her right. The sound of heavy breathing was all she could hear. She wondered why she was breathing so loudly. Maybe it was because of how quiet it was, but as Jayden walked more and more, she noticed that,

- the sound of heavy breathing was coming from somewhere else. She whipped around behind her, gulping.

Breathe, Jayden.. Breathe, she kept on telling herself that, but her heart started skipping beats, beating faster and faster by the minute. She was starting to get scared. Where had her brother run off to?

"James where are you?" she shouted. No answer what so ever. Jayden felt tears starting to form in her eyes. Blinking them away, she kept searching, until a voice called back to her.

"I'm over here," it wasn't even a shout. It was just a calm voice of James. Jayden looked around, and spotted her brother staring at something. She didn't care. Jayden picked up her speed and ran to her brother, surrounding him in a hug.

"I was so scared!" she said, and let go. James didn't say anything, though. Jayden could still hear the heavy breathing, louder this time. A light snore would come up every so often. The boy, paralyzed, pointed to a part in the forest where the moonlight shined. Jayden rose up her flashlight for more of a light, and there she saw..

nothing. Absolutely nothing. James was pointing to a patch of grass.

"I don't.. understand," Jayden whispered. James blinked a few times, and set his arm back down at his side. He didn't say anything. Jayden looked at her brother, wanting to catch his attention. He's never stared at something for so long. Jayden studied his face. Pale and shocked. Eyes widened, as if in fear. She waved a hand in front of him, touching his cheek. He was cold.

"James? Are you okay?" Jayden grew concerned. James nodded. He looked like he had just seen a ghost.

"Let's just go back," he mumbled and turned away from Jayden, starting to walk back. Jayden looked around with her flashlight. They must've not gotten that far away. She was sure they were only a few feet away from the campsite. Jayden was surprised though, to find herself at the campsite ten minutes later.

She entered the tent along with James, who didn't speak at all that night. They both laid down on their sleeping bags, staring up at the hole from the tent they had opened up to gaze up upon the stars. It was so silent. The heavy breathing had went away as soon as they left the darkness of the forest. Jayden was glad about that. All she could hear now was grasshoppers and the soft sound of leaves in the wind.

"What did you see?" Jayden asked her brother. His back was faced towards her. Seconds later, the boy answered.

"Something I wish I didn't see."

Chapter Two - Breathe
- JADE -

An:
I haven't updated this in FOREVER! My apologies, I hope this chapter can make you forgive me though. I promise to update more often now. I forgot all about this! (since I have three accounts that is..)