Chapter Fourteen

The grass was wet against my bare legs, but I barely had a moment to linger on the itchiness as Aerwyna zipped across the field at a fast pace. If I ever lost her in the dim light, she would call out to me, yelling, "Come on!" or "We're almost there!"

She started doing figure eights at the forest line, giving me a moment of light before disappearing into the shadows of the bushes and layered tree. I stayed at the border of the trees, taking a moment to catch my breath as I leaned on my knees. The running from the past week made me feel fitter, but sudden sprints in my nightgown when I was asleep five minutes ago still exhausted me. The forest looked murky, like everything in it was evil. Some branches were lower than others, their sticks sprawled out in awkward angles, the wind moving them so slowly they looked like fidgeting hands waiting to grab me.

I almost backed away to run back to the cottage, but in taking a glance behind me, the cabin seemed so far away, and the tall grass swayed drastically with the breeze. The shadows were more prominent in the forest. Every break in the grass offered a place for something to hide.

I would've brushed it off as paranoia if I didn't distinctly see small figures scurrying between patches of grass.

I gasped and stumbled into the forest, taking the branchy hands over unknown people in the crops. I closed my eyes and pushed past anything in the way, making my way through small shrubs, snapping any branches that snagged on my coat or my arms. After a while of pointless wandering, I fell into a clearing. It was a small space, but pathways started to form. In the centre of the area lingered Aerwyna, whose sudden rush seemed to disappear as she floated from one tree to the other.

I hugged the cloak around my bare arms as I followed her down one of the pathways.

After a while, the creepy gloom of the forest's exterior faded, revealing a majestic line up of trees, moonlight reflecting off the dewdrops in the canopy to make it seem like it was growing sparkles.

I looked up to the spiral the awning created; at its centre were the real stars. "It's kind of bright."

"It's the trail we leave after we've passed by. Our sparkles will stick to things if we get too close." Aerwyna demonstrated by swooping past a tree, some of her sparkles sticking to its trunk. She continued down the pathway, stopping once she got to the end of the path. "Hey, Anya, what's your family like?"

I stopped walking, at first due to shock from the sudden question, but I quickly realised that it didn't hurt to talk about them anymore. "I don't really have one anymore," I answered, continuing my strides, "I was taken in by a lot of my relatives because of my inheritance, but even money couldn't tempt them to keep me."

Aerwyna's voice became velvety, almost angelic, different from her usual lower tones. "Were they kind to you?"

Aerwyna continued through the bushes, disappearing amongst the branches, but I could still feel her presence. When I didn't answer, she said, "Anya?"

I made a sad smile. "I might not have come here if I'd learnt to love them," I replied, "Or if they perhaps loved me."

Some branches started splitting, opening up a new space to reveal Aerwyna holding her hands up as she had just done magic. "Oh?" She didn't sound off-putted like I'd expect from most people. She seemed almost intrigued.

The deeper I got into the forest, the more things I could see. In the distance, I saw the golden eyes of animals, but I didn't fear them. Occasionally, I heard the whimsical laughter of small voices, but it was comforting rather than eerie. The breeze's pointless rustle was replaced by soft wind chimes, its tune making me feel sleepy. The forest started opening, long stretches of grass formed between trees, and walking in the moonshine became rejuvenating.

Aerwyna was right. This walk was relaxing.

But something sat in the pit of my stomach, and I turned around to where we walked. "Hey, we've walked pretty far."

"It's fine!" Aerwyna grabbed my hand and started pulling me by the finger, "We've got to go further if anything." I felt a strange prick in my finger and gasped as I retracted my hand, a small circle of blood on the tip of my finger. Aerwyna had bitten me.

I felt a single vein warm up within me, spreading from my finger, down my arm, across my chest and to the rest of my limbs. It became warm, a nice warm.

"What did you just do…?" I felt light-headed, my alertness gradually lowering, a feeling of sluggishness, but not tiredness, weighed down my head.

"I'm helping you, Anya." Aerwyna's face went in and out of focus as my ability to see her faltered. "We finally duped the Dark Demon!"

"What are you talking about?" I felt her retake my hand and slowly pull me forwards. Somehow, I was unable to fight against her small presence.

"We can take care of you, Anya." Her voice sounded like many, several beautiful, worried tones humming to me that everything was okay. "It'll be a lot easier for you in my world than in the human world."

Tress parted to reveal a round pond in the ground, an overwhelming light erupting from the water. It was a portal.

I managed to stop walking, Aerwyna struggling to pull me along. "I have to go back…" I droned.

"Back to what?" Aerwyna begrudgingly let my hand go, the overlapping humming getting louder, the unknown voices vocalising in beautiful, saintly notes. "Back to be a demon's pet? To be less of a human?"

On the edges of the clearing, more sparkles rose, the sparkles unaccompanied by fairies as they swirled around the pond. "Back where you are constantly reminded of how pathetic they think you are?"

I tried to turn around and walk back, but the moment the portal was out of my sight, the angelic voices turned harsh, yells of people from my past I never thought I'd hear again.

"You freak!"

"You're a monster! Nothing more than a monster!"

"A witch, that's what you are. Some sort of Satan spawn."

My heartbeat quickened as I turned back to the pond, the insults fading back to the vocalisations. "What have you done?"

"I'm making you see," Aerwyna informed, she was floating slowly away from me, and like I was on the end of a string, I shuffled closer to her. "You can come home with me, An. The Fairy Kingdom is passed here. We'll find a place for you in our world, you'll be useful, and you'll be wanted there." She did a big loop, landing over the pond, her arms and wings outstretched as if waiting for me to run to her. "It's a super fun world, just for you and us. We can be a real family, equals."

I shook my head, "Aerwyna…"

I tried to turn around again, but white silhouettes surrounded me, their faces featureless and their beings almost see-through. When I looked at them, they made these high pitch moans, like they were crying. I felt like I needed to panic, but my body couldn't bring itself to panic. Their moans turned to words, "Why do you act this way, Antionette? Don't you know people are trying to help you?" One of them reached an arm out to me, and when they missed, they fell against the ground, turning into a disappearing cloud of fog.

"Why can't you just be normal?" another wailed, trying too to grab me. Its hand went straight through mine and made me feel cold.

"You are a disappointment, Hayhurst. But we can work to change that."

The longer I stared, the more aggressive they became. Its sad remarks became angered demands. "There's nothing there!" One swiped at me. This time their strike was real, and I could finally feel panic when the sting lingered on my arm, reminding me of the times I had been hit.

"You're seeing things!" Another didn't touch me but came very close, inches from my nose as it passed.

"It isn't healthy to lie to me, child." They clutched onto my arm, and I couldn't break free, the warmth evaporating from my arm and its cold enveloping my side.

"No…." my voice squeaked.

"Do not back talk me!" One went straight through me, making me stumble backwards, short of breath.

"Oh, it's the school's witch."

"You know what we do to witches? We burn them." Small circles on my chest glowed orange, a burn following as I recoiled.

"Aerwyna…" I whined, stumbling away from the dark figures.

"Freak!"

"Weirdo!"

"Mistake!"

I covered my ears, but the taunts were in my head.

"No wonder your parents left you."

"You're nothing. Just go away!"

"The world would be better without you in it."

"You're such an inconvenience."

"Stop that stupid whining!"

"If it weren't you for, your mother would still be alive."

My hands trembled, my muscles tensing up as I tried desperately not to act out.

"You're a liar!"

"A freak!"

"You're crazy!"

"I'm not crazy!" Blue lightning formed on the tips of my fingers and projected outwards, electrocuting the dark figures and destroying the angelic voices from the space.

It was one moment, but my breath heaved, and my heart throbbed in my ears. All I could hear was my heartbeat.

"Yes, An," Aerwyna's voice crooned, "Let it out, let it all out."

My hands scrunched into fists, tears of frustration pouring out of my eyes as I clenched my teeth, trying to internalise it, trying to stop it from overwhelming me, but it all spilled over. I watched the lightning form in my hands, and in one cathartic moment of release, I squealed at the top of my lungs and sent the energy upwards, cutting through the trees and disappearing into the navy sky.

Lingering electricity buzzed in my hands, blue lines wrapping around my fingers and arms and zapping me, at times seizing up my muscles.

I fell to my knees, heaving over as I sobbed, my hands grabbing handfuls of the grass and mud.

Soon after, I was all cried out and sat up. Losing my balance, I leaned back, bracing my hand against the ground. My hand was wet.

I sniffed as I looked behind me; I had made it to the edge of the pool, my fingertips in the pearl colour light. The water was warm against my hand, and when I pulled it out, it was silver when it dripped off my skin. I lifted my eyes to find Aerwyna, but instead, I saw myself.

A mirror image of myself, but with blue eyes, pale white skin and glowing hair. "Antionette," my mirror said to me, it was Aerwyna, "Let's go."

I wiped my nose on the back of my hand. "I have to go back…" Despite my words, they had no resolve, and I stayed kneeling on the ground.

"Back to what?" Aerwyna asked, "You don't even have a family waiting for you. We can make sure you live a happy life on this side." I watched myself stand up and smile down at me. I found it strange how natural she made it look. "Isn't it time to go?"

I felt a blanket weigh down my mind, the hand up appealing. "You're right…" I breathed, reaching a hand up to hers. The mirrored me's hand was cold to the touch, but I held my hand tenderly, interlocking our fingers and tightened the hold.

"You have no one," Aerwyna's voice purred.

"I have no one…" I mimicked.

I could hear the angelic voices drone in the bushes.

My pearly clone tugged me along, allowing me to walk in the ankle-deep pond, heading towards the centre. "I can be yours, Anya," Aerwyna cooed, "We can depend on each other."

She stood in the centre of the pond, our hands still connected, as she held out the other for me to take. I just wanted to sleep. Aerwyna leaned forwards and rested her forehead against mine, the simple gesture warm and comforting.

'I don't blame you.'

The thought made me gasp.

'You're family to me now, Anya.'

I straightened my posture, our foreheads separating.

'It will be my job to care and protect you now.'

Aerwyna gave me a quizzical look as I leaned away from her.

'You can depend on me.'

"I can't…" The water splashed up my leg as I tried to pull away, Aerwyna still holding my hand, too strong for me to break free.

"What's wrong, Anya?" Aerwyna asked.

"I can't," I repeated. "I have to… I have to go home."

Aerwyna's grip on my fingers started to ache. "Why? There's no reason you must go back to that cottage. Theodore can't get to you here."

I had turned my back on my mirrored image, our only connection now being our hands as I stared at my reflection in the water. "No one ever told me I could be there. But Theodore told me…" The water rippled as new tears dripped from my eyes. "Even if I'm just his toy, even if he throws me out when he's bored of me, he told me I was family. Even if it was just that once, and he didn't see it as a big deal, it meant the world to me."

I let go of Aerwyna's hand, trying to slip through our interlocked fingers, "I'm sorry, Aerwyna. But I have to go home."

My cloned image cast her eyes down, her fringe hiding her eyes as her hands held mine desperately. I managed to pull my hand free. My mirror cracked and shattered when our touch separated, sending out a blinding white light as I fell through the water and sank into the bitter cold.

The world below me was black, and the world above me had a moon shining on the surface of the water.

I started swimming for the surface in a frantic motion, but I heard unintelligible whispers and something tugging me down. I watched my air bubbles float above my head and escape upwards.

Something black clutched my leg, and despite my kicking, it spread up my shin and grasped my other leg, disabling my ability to swim. My lungs started to burn, and my nerves grew numb from the cold. The blackness stretched up to my waist, restricted my arms and continued to pull me down until it enveloped my face and eyes.

A gloved hand lifted from my eyes, and I could see. "It looks like Anya has learnt where her den is," someone said.

I looked up to the man, noting his gleaming purple eyes and long black coat. "Theodore."

Something glowed white in front of me, making me gasp as I looked at it. Aerwyna had taken on a different girl, still pale complexion and white hair, but blue wings sprouted from her back, making her a human-sized fairy. "How did you know where we were?" Aerwyna's voice sounded hollow.

Theodore rested his hands on my shoulders, his fingers pinching the string of my necklace and showing off the pearl's dark colour. "So she doesn't lose her way," he informed. He dropped the necklace, pulling me closer to his side as he looked to the blue fairy, "Now be gone, Aerwyna. I'll forgive you just this once."

Aerwyna didn't seem grateful by his words, just maintaining her neutral expression. "You don't deserve her, Theodore," she said, shaking her head sadly, "And she doesn't deserve you."

She turned into a bright light. I buried my face against Theodore's jacket to hide from it, but Theodore endured the full blast, almost like it was a moment of pride as the light shrunk to the size of a small fairy. "You don't need to remind me."

The small light fluttered over to me when she floated before my eyes. I could see the details of her little body. Her hands reached out and cupped my cheeks, and she paused, the two of us staring silently at one another. I felt a moment of dread pass through me from how sad she seemed.

Her small face leaned forwards, and she planted the smallest of kisses on my forehead, one that reignited the warm feeling from earlier. She slowly pulled away. I had to hold back my urge to reach out to her as she returned to the centre of the pool. "You can change your mind whenever you want, Anya," she informed, "I'll always be right here."

All the light suddenly picked up, swirling in a slow whirlwind as everything got sucked down the pond, all the light, the sparkles, the harmonies, the warmth, the colours, everything, leaving us only the cricket chirps of the night and the crisp cool of the night air. The glowing pond turned into a regular, dark circle of water.