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I wanted to know more about my family I had lost, about all of them, but I was too scared. We never really talked about any of them. Even as I grew older. Nona never said much even when I asked. A small feeling that she knew more than she was telling me always lingered in our conversations. That there was something she wanted to say but could not.
It was only later that evening that I had gathered enough courage to ask as she brushed out my hair, her long knobby fingers working their way through my tangled locks with the bone comb. We had dined on a light supper earlier that evening, mainly root vegetable soup and bread, nestled together in front of the fireplace. The copper bathing tub had been drained and set aside, freeing the space up again. I kept my mouth shut as we ate, not knowing how to ask her about them. She clicked her tongue at the couple spots of mud I had missed behind my ear. “I will tell you about your father another time. Right now, it is time for bed. It is time for you, dear child, to go to sleep.”
Nona set the comb down on the nightstand as I crawled into bed. Tucking me in under the blankets and brushing my hair back, before sitting down in the old rocking chair in the corner. As her voice carried through the air, my eyes getting heavier and heavier, she told me another story instead that night.
One I had never heard before.
Thinking back on it now I wish she had told me more about them. More about my father. I wished she had been more open about things, about my life before. I wished. I wished for so many things, and they never happened. Iwishedand here I was. Of all the things that were odd and curious this was by far the most perplexing. Playing the Goblin King’s game. Being in the Fae Realm. Racing across the lands to reach the castle in hopes that I could win.
I would.
The forest went on for what felt like forever, and with each step, I discovered something new. The dense foliage created a canopy overhead, casting the forest floor in dappled sunlight. I marveled at the variety of trees that surrounded me. They were of all shapes and sizes, some with gnarled trunks, others with smooth bark that gleamed in the sunlight. The trees were not like the evergreens in Rothnia that I was accustomed to, they were diverse and each one seemed to have its own personality.
The Ebony Woods were a tangle of twisted trees, with branches that seemed to reach out to grab me as I passed. The snag trees were even more peculiar, with branches that were so tangled that they seemed to be in a perpetual embrace as the reached towards the sky. In the glen, there were paper birch trees with bark so thin it appeared to be peeling off in layers. There was this enchanted forest, where the trees seemed to glow with a soft, otherworldly light.
The forest was alive with the sound of birds and insects. I could hear the chirping of crickets, the buzz of bees, and the soft rustling of leaves as the wind swept through the trees. The forest was full of life, and it was a wonder to behold.
As I walked, my thoughts were consumed by the beauty of the forest. I didn't notice the rock hidden under the mossy brush until it was too late. My toe collided with it, and I went flying forward. It was a natural reaction to brace myself for the fall, to catch myself with my hands outstretched. I expected the pain of the impact to radiate up my limbs, but what happened next was beyond my wildest imaginings.
As my hands touched the ground, little white flowers sprouted from the mossy earth. They appeared to be delicate and fragile, but they stood tall and proud. The moss-grown earth welcomed its new members as they curled up from the dirt toward the beaming sun. The sight was breathtaking, and I couldn't help but stare in wonder.
Curiosity got the better of me as I sat on the ground, surveying the area immediately around me. I placed my hand on the fallen tree trunk that sat closest to where I’d fallen. As I did so, life bloomed where my fingers touched. The white capped mushrooms grew everywhere my fingers had been, leaving behind a trail. It was as if my touch had awakened the forest, and it was responding to me. I snatched my hand back and looked at my fingers, they tingled with a strange energy. I couldn't explain it, but I knew that something magical was happening in this forest.
“Well, that’s a bit odd.”
Definitely another inquiry to ask about because this was more than just alittlestrange. My lungs heaved a sigh as I stood up, the forest was enchanted. It had nothing to do with me. It had nothing to do with what I was just able to do. No. That has to be what it was. There was a magic sitting in here that caused that.
Yes. That’s right. That’s what it was.
Lifting the hem of my skirt I stepped over the fallen log, now covered in mushrooms, they sparkled in the sun as I walked away. Happy that they were in existence, leaving them behind to grow. The sooner I got out of here the better.
* * *
Itraveled the path alone for another couple of hours inside the forest before it opened up again. The path winding in several directions. Stumped as to which way I should go, I took a moment to ponder everything that has happened since arriving here.
Hendrix, The Goblin King, Jesper, the Rock Trolls, the Hippogriff, the Enchanted Forest with its Incubus, the Caves of Desire. This place was riddled with oddities and strange things. Everything about this place made me feel uncomfortable, but it was also so familiar. Everything here made it feel like I was meant to be here.
A semblance of. . . no.
No, this was not home.
What was I thinking?
My lips erupted into hysterical laughter. If anyone were to stumble upon me now, they would surely deem me insane. But maybe they were right. Perhaps this entire experience was nothing more than a fever dream, a manifestation of my own manic state. Had I contracted some sort of illness that conjured up this entire adventure? It certainly would explain a lot.
Or maybe I had hit my head, slipping into a comatose state that brought forth these wild hallucinations. Maybe Caine and Kaston were nothing but figments of my imagination. Perhaps the Goblin King and I never shared any meaningful moments. And Nona, she was probably just waiting for me to snap out of it and come back to reality.
The sound of a bird interrupted my thoughts, drawing my gaze up to the cloudless blue sky. I wondered if it ever rained here, unlike the Mortal Lands where it had rained at least once in the last few days. But here, there were no signs of rain clouds. As I watched the dark silhouette of the bird soaring overhead, I knew what and who it was.
Was he here to check my progress again?
Hoping something would stop me from reaching the end? Whatever it was, he was more infuriating now than he had been before. But a small part of me wanted to see him.
A small spark, the ember in the pit of my stomach fluttered to life as I watched him in the skies above. The hope in my chest bloomed that I would get to see him.
Oh Gods.. . .
What waswrongwith me?
