The Falls - Prologue
The day was young, barely passed eleven in the morning and the sun was just nearing its apex, and already it promised to be a very hot day. The weather was quickly climbing and as noon neared a dull coloured bus just turned off the highway, into a winding pathway that lead through the Jeniau forest. This forest, rumored to be the pinnical of amusement for all youths over the North American continent, was frequently visited by summer camps and daycare systems all over the continent, and it was now bein gifted by the presence of a group of somewhat delinquant and unruley youngsters who all belonged to one system or another. Each of these young adolescents had particular problems or past histories that brought them here, and the faintly yellow painted bus escorting them did nothing to hide their poverty or lack of decent backgrounds. Inside this bus, were five children and two adults. One of these adults, a rather beautiful sea-otter, spoke with a caring, although adamant tone as she began to address the rules and regulations that were to be adhered to during their four month stay at the campsite. She, unlike her counterpart, wore a rather plain looking Hawaiin gown, embroided with flowers and petals and other such designs, her long brown hair held back by a ribbon adorned with a similar looking flowery brooch, and her face shone with youth and energy that was not apparent in most of her age group.
"Alright, children! We're almost at Jeniua Falls, and we've got afew rules to go through.. Abigail, sit down, please." LeiLani shook her head, addressing the only human on the bus, a young fifteen year old girl wearing probably one of the most outrageously revealing outfits available. Abigail on the other hand, just snorted, and flopped back down, crossing her arms angrily. LeiLani then began again. "Okay, as I was saying. We have afew rules... Rule 1: There is no wandering the forest at night without supervision from either myself, or Miss Vorel.." the sea-otter motioned to the silent, stunning dragonness at her left, the only other adult to accompany the group full-time. "Rule 2: There are to be no bullying or fun-making of any of the others. While some of you MAY have the confidence and bravado of Generals on the field, others do not." This rule was mostly to the benefit of one youngster in the group. "And rule 3: You may do whatever you wish within the confines of Jeniua Falls, but DO NOT try to run off.. There are wild animals in the area that would be more tha capable to harm you all.. And now that we have that taken care of, why don't we all introduce ourselves, hrm? My name is LeiLani, and I am the head counselor for this outting, along with.." The sea-otter once again motioned to her companion, the dragonness, who stood and spoke with a soft, albeit somewhat indecipherable accent. "I am Miss Vorel.. And as you can see, I do have wings, which I will use to find any of you little miscreants that attempt to wander off!" She then sat back down, silent and stoic.Vorel, unlike LeiLani, wore a simple outfit of jeans and a tight fitting blouse, cut low along the chest and down to hir navel, exposing quite abit of her beautifully coloured scales. LeiLani, still smiling and giggling, then motioned to the nearest youngster, a spotted-tailed Armolin lad with a quiet demeanor and a pension for keeping to himself. "Caleb.." he said simply. The poor lad, as his file had said, came from a troubled background where silence ment survival. As such, he kept himself locked away most times, never speaking more than needed and rarely opening up, despite having done so on multiple occaisions, forwarding vital information to either Vorel or LeiLani concerning the misdoings of several others. THe next to speak, a young husky boy with a bright face and gleaming, mischievious eyes immediately piped up in a hyperactive, obnoxious sort of way. "Ven! And I'm definitely gonna test your flying, Miss Vorel!" Everyone, including LeiLani laughed at that.. Well, everyone apart the next to speak, a young pudgey beamur with a quiet, diminutive voice that barely came out more than a whisper "I-I'm.. Se-Sevvy.." he said, pushing his glasses back up his snout and hiding his face beneath a mess of slick hair that covered his head, and shoulders quite girlishly. This youth, above all the others, had the most trouble accepting outside companionship. He had been alone on the streets, fending for himself since the age of four. The next however was the resident troublemaker and the most forward of the lot, who shouted with an obnoxiously high-pitched voice "Abigail, and I'm Queen!", which brought several sighs from the rest.
"Well, now that we've introduced ourselves.. Why don't we.." LeiLani began, before noticing that all the kids had gone back to their own things, Abigail and Ven speaking hurriedly, with Caleb staring out the window and young Sevvy simply staring at LeiLani, waiting. ".. Nevermind, I guess.." she finished, turning to sit and speak with Vorel.
"I.. don't think they're going to open up just yet, Lei." the dragonness said, rubbing aside a lock of her hair and smiling. "Well, maybe that beaver back there might, but I don't know about the rest.."
"Yeah, you may be right.. I just hope they'll enjoy the campsite.. There's going to be others there, too.. But they wont be staying near us.. Atleast not in the immediate area.. Jeniua's a big place.."
They both nodded then, and sighed in unison. LeiLani hoped that this outting would be well for the group, giving them ample time to bond with outside influences and adapting to the world around them in a non-hostile enviroment. Vorel on the other hand, had already decided this was a waste, and could not wait to be done with it. Two conflicting personalities, one a motherly, caring type, the other, a silent guardian who could never see the positive in a situation with such hopelessness. From the front of the bus, the driver (A hideiously disfigured pug with a lisp), barked that they had arrived, bringing a bus to a stop in the middle of a massive clearing surrounded on all sides by foilage of various type. Flora decorated the ground in wild bushes of colour and beauty, and the air stank of natue in all its finest. To the west, a cliffface littered with waterfalls glistened in its majestic beauty, and to the east, another cliff face with trees and caves dotting its edges. To the north and south was forest, and only the path that they had driven down, which they noted was gated off, was the only exit out of their new home for the next few months. All of the kids, taken aback by the rugged beauty of the land, gasped and gawked together as they stared out their window, and only young Sevvy had the wits about him to comment
"W-Wow! A... A waterfall!"
From the front of the bus, LeiLani and Vorel exchanged startled looks. Maybe this would be a good thing afterall. Maybe, just maybe, there was fun to be had in this place, with these teenagers. Afterall, nature was the ultimate force of neutrality, never offering unwarranted hostility, and always willing to share its bountiful pleasures.