Signe locked her door and looked out at the familiar town she lived in, and she breathed in the cool fresh air as she started walking. The thing she loved most about Ireland was how beautiful the land was. Everything was green and fresh because of all the rain, and it made Signe happy.
I love nature so much. She sighed happily as she made her way through the streets and headed out into the forest. As Signe walked, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and swiped the screen, scrolling through Twitter and smiling.
Oh, nice one! Hmm, that's a good idea, I should try that... Signe smiled again. Yes, my plants do look lovely, they're very pretty thank you. I'm very happy with them. She giggled as she walked along the familiar nature trail, buried in the internet as she continued walking. But because of that she didn't notice a jutting root in her path. In front of her was a bridge that led over a steep cliff, but when Signe kept walking her foot slipped under the root. She cried out as she fell forward and dropped her phone, and the bend of the land caused her to roll and fall into the small crevice.
Signe groaned and rubbed her head, and she slowly sat up and tried to move. To her dismay, her good foot was tangled under a bramble, and her other foot felt sprained. She groaned again and laid back down, and she tried to feel around for her phone and shuffled her hands through the leaves.
Oh no... no, damn it! She realized that she had dropped her phone up on the cliff. She couldn't get up, and now she couldn't call someone for help. But even though it was early morning, maybe someone else was here? She couldn't be the only person here!
"H-h-help..." Signe swallowed and groaned before she tried to shout for help. "H-help! Someone please! Is anybody there?" Silence met her ears. There has to be someone around, surely! She tried to move again, but she stopped immediately as pain shot through her, and she stopped moving with a whimper. "Help! Please!" Signe yelled again. "Please, is somebody there? Anyone!"
She heard some birds suddenly chirp and fly off, and Signe focused on trying to get untangled. But she was too tied up in the brambles to get out.
Signe looked back up as she heard something thump around and rustle in the leaves, and then she was surprised to hear an Irish voice call out.
"Hello?" The voice asked. Signe struggled to sit up as she quickly returned the call.
"Hello, yes!" She cried out. "Can you-can you help me sir? I tripped and fell down in this crevice."
"Oh," the masculine Irish voice realized with compassion in his tone. "Are you ok?"
"I'm mostly fine, I-I think," Signe answered. "My ankle's sprained though, and I skinned my knee when I fell down. My good leg is also trapped in these brambles."
"That sounds bad." the Irish accent was loud but soft toned; the speaker was really close by but speaking quietly. "What can I do, do you want me to call someone or-"
"No, I think I'll be ok if you could just come down here and help me-" Signe started to say.
"Oh, um... I-I can't." Signe widened her eyes.
"Why not!?" She exclaimed, frantic. "P-please, I just- I just need to get my foot free and-and I can-"
"I didn't mean I wouldn't help," the voice answered firmly. "But I-I need you to do me a favor." Signe blinked a few times, shivering.
"F-favor?" She whimpered. "I-I don't-I don't have anything though."
"No, not that kind of favor," the Irishman coaxed. "Just... close your eyes, please? I don't want you to see me."
"Why?"
"Because I... look, I just don't, alright?" The stranger pleaded. "Please, just close your eyes ok?" Signe was taken back by his strange request, but she quickly complied.
"A-alright, alright! Ok." She closed her eyes and waited. "They're closed," she said, even covering her eyes with her hand. She heard the bushes rustle, and she waited patiently for the man to come down and help her out. But to her surprise, she felt something wrap around her waist and gently pull the brambles away. As Signe felt herself be lifted up into the air, she couldn't help open one eye and shift her fingers to look.
The pale skin of a giant hand covered her entire body, and it was lifting her out of the crevice. Signe's eyes widened as she slowly looked up, and she found herself staring up at the owner of the hand.
It was a giant Irish fella, and he had a black jacket on over a plain red shirt. His jeans were dark denim, and he wore black shoes that also made his pale skin show out. He had a small well trimmed goatee that curved from his chin and circled around his lips, but with a space at his dimples. What caught Signe's attention the most was his bright ocean blue eyes and his wild green hair.
Signe couldn't help but gasp in shock as her hand flew to her mouth, and the giant jumped in surprise as he yelled a little with realization and almost dropped Signe. Signe yelped and grabbed on to one of the giant's fingers as the giant recovered from his shock and pulled her away from the crevice. Signe found her feet touching the ground as she was set down, but when she looked up she saw the giant running off into the forest to go hide.
"W-wait!" She blurted out, limping forward one step. The rumbling footsteps stopped, and there was nothing for a few seconds. Then the giant Irishman slowly tilted his head out from behind a tree as he looked at Signe with wary. Signe looked at him, fascinated. He has such pretty blue eyes...
She tilted her head, still in awe when she finally used her voice again. "Um... I-I'm sorry," she apologized. "I-I didn't meant to scare you, I... th-thank you for helping me." The giant stared back with wide eyes before he shyly scratched the back of his head.
"Uh, n-no problem," he said quietly. Signe frowned.
"Why are you scared?" She asked. The giant bit his lip.
"Um..." He cleared his throat and then came out of hiding and nervously sat down. "Giants aren't suppose to let humans see them," he explained.
"Why not?"
"Well..." the giant's chest heaved as he sighed and ran his hand through his hair; Signe found her eyes still locked onto his crystal blue ones though as he continued. "To put it at the simplest I can, people are afraid of giants because of the lore on us, all of the scary man eating stories and shit," he sighed. Signe looked up at the giant.
"You don't look scary," she quietly said. The giant smiled a little.
"Well gee thanks... too bad others don't see it like that."
"... well, um..." Signe limped to her phone and picked it up, groaning when she saw it was cracked. She looked up at the giant and gave him a warm smile. "What's your name? I'm Signe." The giant's eyes widened a little before he grinned.
"My friends call me Jack," he replied in a cheery voice. "But you can call me Sean, that's my real name anyway." Signe smiled back at him.
"Well nice to meet you then Sean." She looked down at herself to see that her clothes were trekked with dirt and leaves, and she sighed. "Oh great, I gotta get these washed," she sighed. She looked back up at Jack. "Well, thank you again for saving me a lot of time and trouble."
"Yeah no problem," the Irish giant answered. He paused for a few seconds, then asked, "Hey Signe? If it's alright with you, could we maybe meet again, maybe here tomorrow?" Signe widened her eyes in surprise, then smiled.
"That sounds great."
"Awesome!" Jack sat back against a tree and looked in the direction of the town. "You want a lift?" He suddenly asked. "I can't just let a pretty little lady like yourself be wandering around in the forest injured and all alone." Signe blushed and put her hand over one side of her lips.
"Well as long as you're ok with it and I don't take up any of your time," she mumbled shyly.
"It'd be my pleasure!" Jack lowered his hand and set it down flat on the ground. "All aboard the Jack Express!" He exclaimed with a goofy grin. Signe giggled and walked over to the giant, and she glanced up at him before she stepped onto his hand. The surface of it was warm and almost squishy with the soft skin that covered his large hand, and as Jack slowly lifted his hand up Signe found it unstable until she got used to it. Jack was careful with the small human as he held his hand to his chest, and his movements were slow and steady as he turned and began walking to the town. Signe sat in the palm of his hand and leaned against his chest, and she found that she was smiling and enjoying herself.
Jack was friendly as he chatted with Signe along the way, and Signe found herself hanging on his every word. He was so bubbly and optimistic, and everything he said was either genuine or funny. He talked about how he grew up near Athlone and went on about his hobbies, but what struck Signe the most was that he actually one hell of a gentleman. When Signe commented on something, he would immediately give her his full on attention, and he would listen to her and her opinions; unlike the rowdy boys in her town, he was a real sweetheart and a great listener, and he had a pleasurable sense of humor.
Jack stopped at the edge of town and crouched in the bushes.
"Ok, this is where I have to stop," he murmured. He looked down at Signe as he set his hand down on the ground. "Can you make it from here?" He asked as she shambled off his fingertips.
"Yeah." She turned and looked up at the giant as Jack laid down on his stomach to be face to face with the human. "Thank you for the lift Sean," she said as she tucked her hair behind her ear and twirled a strand around her fingers. Jack smiled.
"Thanks for not being scared of me," he replied. Signe smiled and turned to walk into the town, but then she didn't start walking. She paused there for a few seconds before turning and quickly limping up to the giant, and she shyly kissed the tip of Jack's nose. Immediately the Irish giant's cheeks reddened as he awed softly and covered his mouth in a fail to hide a shy smile. Signe smiled and shyly stepped back.
"Just as a little goodbye until tomorrow," she explained. "And a thank you to my big hero for saving me."
"W-Well it wasn't any trouble at all," Jack mumbled, still covering his mouth and blushing. Signe laughed and shrugged her shoulders, but then she winced as she was reminded of her sprained ankle.
"Well thank you either way." She backed out of the bushes as Jack sat up and hunched over to watch her go, and Signe waved goodbye before she turned around and started making her way back home; her mind was already buzzing with eager to see Jack again.