The Five Who Haunt the Forest

one

Ben
  There was rain, cold and sharp as tiny blades. Ben sat beneath the sky, waiting for Roman to tap him on the shoulder, for that was how he knew that the game would begin. Today, it was Roman's turn to help Ben find the other three. Yesterday, it was Rayleigh's job, and Ben always loved it when it was her turn. He could not hear much, thanks to the rocks in his ears, but Rayleigh loved to sing. She sang about her insects, arachnids and butterflies. She sang about love, mythical creatures and the sky. And the sound of her singing would trickle into his ears until he was smiling wide enough for the pebbles in his mouth to fall out.
  But today he was saddled with Roman.
  Everyday the five of them would play hide and seek. And everyday, it was Ben who wanted to search for the others. So the other four would rotate turns everyday to help guide him through the forest and find the others.
  Lately, they hadn't wanted to play as much, saying they were too old for it. But Ben was only eleven, and he enjoyed it. Even if the others were all either sixteen or seventeen.
  But today, after hide and seek, Ben was going to tell Rayleigh what he had been hiding for so long, then they wouldn't see him as childish anymore!

Raleigh
  After hide and seek, Ben told Raleigh that he loved her. She laughed and gave him a hug, whispering to him that it might happen one day.
  But she knew that it couldn't.
  Her bugs surrounded Rayleigh before all settling on the branches above her. Their entire bodies turned when she twisted her head, and as her heart aches, one of the Morpho butterflies glided down from a tree to sit on her shoulder, all of the bug's wings wilting.

Roman
  Roman ran through the forest with Mirabella after hide and seek. They had asked the others if anyone wanted to join, but it was really only the two of them that cared about staying in good shape. Roman twisted to the left, cutting off his sister and cackling when she scoffed behind him.
  "Catch me if you can, Mira!" He shouted to her. When she laughed in response, Roman turned to see her directly behind him. He showed, then unfurled his reptilian wings and took to the skies.
  Tried too, at least.
  Mira snatched the one of the claws that portruded from the top of them and yanked him back down to the ground. She reached for one of the swords embedded in her back, squinted until it became wood instead of steal and swung it at his throat. Roman jumped backwards, then flew up into the air and circled around her before spiraling down toward his sister. She dove out of the way, spat the dirt of her mouth then ran before launching herself onto his back and tapping his throat with the sword.
  "I win." She grinned.
  Roman frowned, then ran on the path they were originally taking, her mocking cackle following behind him.

Max
  Max turned away from the two idiotic siblings as they began to run in the forest, the fire at his feet blackening the grass.
  He guided Ben back into the cave and got him settled down for the night before going back out and sitting next to Rayleigh on one of the stumps that he and Roman chopped up once every week.
  "I should've gone with them..." Rayleigh whispered.
  Max didn't look at her as he said, "You know that they don't really mean it when they ask us to go running with them. They're just . . . worried."
  She closed her eyes, her eyelashes laying against the beautiful brown skin of her face. Rayleigh looked like the perfect protrait of a saddened faery. "I know. But it hurts when they go running like this."
  Max knew what she meant. The twins would leave for days before returning to the cave, pretending to try to 'explore the forest and the world outside it.' But they all knew that the two of them were hoping for word of their brother. Whether he was dead or alive, if he was safe or scared.
  So he held her hand until the sun sank.

Mirabella
  She could feel it. Something was brewing. Mira looked over at her sleeping brother and walked to the edge of the lake they were camped. In the surface, she could see the sky.
  And somehow, she knew he was near. They just had to find him.

A/N
To the probably one person who reads this, hi!
I am so sorry I haven't posted for a while, and I know this chapter was short...
But sis are you in for it!  I am gonna start posting regularly soon so you guy(s) can get to know these characters and hopefully maybe even like my story??
Anyway, thank you, hope you enjoy!