Well, I know I'm not so great at fiction at the moment, but if you point out where I'm going wrong, I'll try my best to fix any bad habits. This is mostly for NaNo, partly because I'm pretty out of practice, and partly as it's a prequel of sorts, and I'm trying to get to know my characters without writing anything that could end up in the actual novel as that'd be cheating. Thanks in advance for any replies. =)

.....

It was almost dusk, the sun glowing a fiery red as it started to melt into the clouds around the island, yet it was still relatively warm. Autumn was on its way, and had touched leaves on the maple trees. They had crinkled at the edges, some darkening in colour, while others burned scarlet and umber, just like the sunset behind them. An odd sunset; one which disappeared into cloud, never into cold earth or the waves below, too far to be properly seen.

A young girl perched herself on top of a craggy grey rock, a dull colour in comparison with its surroundings, and watched as the sun disappeared completely, and the pink and orange hues in the sky gradually vanished, turning instead into dark blues and light greys. It was too early for the moon to be seen yet, and so for now, the sky appeared empty. No birds this late, though there were not many that ventured here even during the day. Sometimes she would see bats at this time, dancing in the sky, their squeaks almost a song – but she never did understand the words they sang.

Behind her, a branch snapped, the sound of wood breaking.

She did not even have to turn to know who it was. Dark brown hair, hazel eyes, on a face a few years younger than her own. That was what she knew she would see. But she stayed where she was, took a wrinkled brown leaf from the ground beside her and tore it in half, being careful to keep the sides even.

“Sister?” The voice that called out to her shook a little, breathless.

They were not real sisters. In truth, not one of the girls on the island remembered their parents’ names or faces, and had there been any siblings among them, none would have remembered that either. Some had taken to adopting others as their own though, searching for the closeness they needed.

“I’m here.”

The short hair of her friend was messier than usual and there was dirt on her cheek. She ran at Sister and flung herself onto her lap. Sister jumped, but seeing the tears in the girl’s eyes, acted at once, taking her into her arms and stroking her hair.

“Hush,” she whispered, “What happened now? Were the other children teasing you again?”

The girl nodded, wiped her face with the back of her hand, and sniffed.

“Children can be cruel. But you’re a brave girl, you’ll survive. Right?”

Another nod, another sniff, and then a grin. “I’ll survive. You too. We’ll do it together.”

Sister could only smile weakly back at her. “Of course. We’ll both survive.”

The girl jumped down, off her lap and onto the soft grass below. Laughing, she rolled in the sea of green, breathing in the smell of the flowers around her. But suddenly Sister was there, holding onto her arm tightly, before hugging her tightly, and when she opened her eyes she saw the drop, closer than she had thought.

“Not too close to the edge. Not yet.”

“When?” the girl whispered.

“You’ll know.” Sister’s breath on her neck was uneven, excited, nervous. “It calls to you, it calls out, and you hear it in the wind and you see it in the rocks and in the trees and when that happens, when that happens, you know you’re ready.”

The girl’s mouth had gone dry. She could hear the hidden meaning in those words, but she didn’t want to be able to hear it. She wanted to ignore it, make it go away. They couldn’t take her sister away from her, they just couldn’t.

“Can you hear it now?”

Sister nodded, and the girl wanted so badly to cry, but it wouldn’t be fair on Sister, and even if she could not bear the thought of her leaving, neither did she want to be the one who stopped her. So she clung on to Sister, and Sister clung onto her, and they stayed like that until dawn, when Sister chose to leave while the little girl was sleeping. She hesitated a little, tears forming in her eyes as she looked back at her little one, but she forced herself onwards. The call was too strong, and instinct took over. She stepped out into the emptiness.

When the little girl woke, Sister was gone.