Through Her Eyes

Chapter Nine

2009-07-30T09:05:45Z

Chapter Nine
Arborview - October 4, 1:15 p.m.
The heat from the sunlight overwhelmed me and I sweated. Beads of sweat lined my forehead and rolled down my face. I realized that I hadn't changed clothes since yesterday. This wasn't rare, I would keep in the same clothes for days. No one would see me anyway.

I changed into baggy, comfortable clothes and tied my hair back. Much better.

I wasn't sure of how to handle the situation, my father had obviously not told me the truth about last night and my mother was in on it. I felt odd, strange - my parents had never left me home alone, my mother had to be around somewhere, may be she called my father from outside. I had questions I wanted - no, needed answered.

They wouldn't leave me home alone, they always made certain not to. I felt nervous, my routine was fading away. What would my parents have to hide from me? Such simple people and suddenly they became complex.

I unlocked the front door and walked down the steps. The sunlight stung and my eyes burned, I hadn't been outdoors in...too long. I lived life outside through the scenes I spotted from my bedroom window.

May be she was gardening, that was one of her favorite past times. I searched through the bushes, hoping that she was beneath a tree, trimming the shrubs nearby. But she wasn't. I continued to search the garden.

"Mother?" I only heard the buzzing of bugs in the distance.

Frowning, I looked at the shed. That blue and white shed. I'd never actually been in there before but it was a last resort. My mind was filled with anxiety and I had to ease it by confronting my mother.

The shed door wasn't locked, but I wasn't sure if it ever was. It took a bit of effort to open anyway. It was filled with odds and ends - a refrigerator, some gardening supplies, and plants that had been forgotten during the winter and died. Weird. A key glistened on top of a table.

Something about this place seemed...off. I felt lightheaded, my fingertips tingled.

The single lightbulb hung above my head, it glowed faintly. I realized that it was already on before I entered the shed. Was I alone?

I wanted to get out quickly. Something about this place wasn't right and I felt weak.

Beneath my foot, I felt something round and rolled my shoe over it a few times. It was under the mat. Much like my curiosity for the rest of the world through online articles, I lifted part of the mat and looked around. There was a knob. A door knob.

It was a tiny door and it nearly matched the shed floor, it blended in flawlessly as though it wasn't supposed to be discovered. I reached down to open it, only to realize that it was locked. The key.

The key worked and I placed it near the door. I twisted the knob and glanced down at a ladder and a brick hallway. My knees felt weak but it was too late to stop and turn back. I had to go down the stairs. I was curious.

Something was wrong, terribly wrong.

Return to Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

2009-07-30T08:58:54Z

Chapter Eight
Arborview - October 4, 12:58 p.m.
Afternoon approached and I continued to scan the news online, reading about the main city of Eastvale and its sister cities. Most of my class mates had aspired to go to Eastvale on vacation, it had much more action than Arborview did. No one here could afford to live in Eastvale or adapt to the lifestyle so simply a trip to the city would do.

In comparison to Eastvale, Arborview was a speck of rural landscape with far too few people. Some country town with more cows than citizens. I enjoyed Arborview, it held all of my memories and the bedroom I chose to hide in.

I scrolled down the list of articles until the fuzziness of my father's voice through the shut bedroom door became audible.

"Yes, she knows."

"No, she can't hear through the door, Ines. She didn't even know we held a conversation last night after that unexpected trash showed up. She only knows about the shouting outside."

"Yes, I told her what happened. She believes me."

"Don't worry."

"Pick up the ingredients? That's fine, I'll go to the store and call you. You can list the ingredients over the phone to me there."

"You too. I will call you in a bit." He hung up.

The phrases "she believes me" and "don't worry" rung through my head. Something wasn't right and I mindlessly clicked links in the browser to pass time.

Fortunately, I wasn't eavesdropping in front of my bedroom door when my father bursted in. He looked upset and just as tired as before his "nap." I wanted to ask him about the phone conversation but knew at this point there was information I wasn't supposed to know.

"Moss..." His sad eyes looked at me. "I'm going to the store and I will be back shortly."

"Okay," I said.

Father headed for the door and paused, he looked like he was really going to cry this time. He didn't make eye contact but stared off as he always did, lost in thought, zombie-like. I continued to stare at the computer screen, I didn't want him to see the worried look on my face. "Moss."

"No matter what happens, ever, we will always love you."

He shut my door and left the house. The keys clicked in the front door. He had never said "I love you" to me before. My mother had yet to. And this was the first time they left me in the house alone.

Something wasn't right. Where was my mother?

Note: Because this chapter was so short, I've added chapter nine as well.

Return to Chapter Seven

Continue to Chapter Nine

Chapter Seven

2009-07-20T00:49:44Z

Chapter Seven
Arborview - October 4, 11:08 a.m.
Sunlight spilled onto me, I felt warmth against the curtains and the wooden floor of my room. I opened my eyes and realized that I had fallen asleep while waiting for the car to return.

My body ached, the wooden floor proved an uncomfortable place to fall asleep. I remembered the ribbons of light from the car and the hiss of my mother's voice at the figure, my heart leapt. I stood up.

I had questions to ask and I needed them answered. The constant silence of our household was put to a halt and I felt uneasy, uncomfortable. It had never been this way before.

Every day was routine and the routine felt lost with last night's arrival of the silver-haired woman in the car. She looked celestial in her white silk outfit and I couldn't come up with any reasons as to why my mother would shout at someone like her.

I opened my door and spotted my father in the living room, his blank gaze.

"Father?" I asked.

"Moss..." He stared at me. He looked like he had cried or hadn't slept. His eyes burned holes through me.

"Is there something the matter?"

"No, Moss, nothing is the matter," his voice drifted off, his response somehow incomplete. Like last night's dinner, he wanted to say something more but he couldn't.

"May I ask about last night? I heard voices - yelling. Mother was yelling at someone outside." I tried to ask vaguely so he would have more information to give me. Goosebumps appeared, I felt like a journalist calculating the best questions to ask.

He looked up at me, silently alarmed, his face flushed of its color. "Oh, that."

"Your mother...she and that woman have never liked each other. They fight a lot and sometimes she comes around in her fancy car, looking for trouble," he explained.

"Why don't they like each other?"

"Because of some dispute twenty years ago. That woman won't let go of it so every once in a while she comes back to yell at your mother." He wanted to tell me more. But again, he didn't. No, may be he couldn't. He looked like he bottled up everything he wanted to say inside.

"A dispute?" I naively asked.

"It's really nothing. That woman, Moss, she's crazy and she won't leave your mother alone. I'm sorry that you had to hear that argument last night," he tried to end the conversation. What about you guarding my door? I wanted to ask but decided perhaps the matter was nothing, after all. The woman was crazy and he wanted to protect me from her madness.

"I understand. Poor mother, having to go through that," I sympathized.

"Yes, poor her." Father didn't seem as sympathetic as expected. He fidgeted around in his chair uneasily and stood up. "Moss, I'm going to go take a nap. I'm exhausted."

All of the pieces of the nighttime puzzle fit together - mother had to deal with a crazy woman who father wanted to protect me from by blocking my bedroom door, and now he was tired from staying up all night because of the issue. I smiled and my mind felt at ease.

Even though my parents were lacking in social skills and affection toward me, they had good hearts, they meant well. I wandered to my room and turned on my laptop. Let the daily routine continue, I embraced it.

Return to Chapter Six

Chapter Six

2009-07-14T03:46:54Z

Chapter Six
Eastvale, Blackwell Cabin - October 4, 6:30 a.m.
Dawn arrived too soon for Orin and as abruptly as his cell phone alarm went off at 6:30 a.m., he jumped out of bed. Birds chirped outside and it drove him batshit, they were too cheery for him at this hour. Despite his cranky attitude, he wanted to know why the Queen had Minette call him out of urgency so fucking early in the morning. What was that all about?

Orin rummaged through his dresser for traveling clothes so he could blend in with the rest of the Arborview citizens, just as Minette requested. A rush came to his head as his lips paled. His mind throbbed. Oh, damnit. Here comes the hangover.

"I look like shit," he muttered after noticing his reflection in the mirror on the way out, the dark spots beneath his eyes.

Whatever. What would they expect? He locked the door behind him.

The morning light woke Orin but the grogginess didn't go away so easily with the hangover. He stared at the sidewalk, trying to avoid the sun that made him feel even worse. He tried not to think too much about his 7 a.m. briefing, thinking made his head pound and his mind rattle. Soon enough, Orin looked up and his eyes met fellow knights of the Whitemoor Manor.

Eastvale, Whitemoor Manor - October 4, 6:56 a.m.
"Hey, man. What's up?" Orin nodded to one of the knights he had worked with before.

"Same old, guarding royalty."

"I hear you out on that."

Entering the manor, Orin knew not to expect a warm welcome from a servant who would have pleasantly guided him, he wasn't considered one of the Queen's guests but a servant to royalty as well.

He walked toward the military chamber alone. It didn't matter anyway, he knew where the military chamber was like any other royal knight in Eastvale.

"There will be fresh croissants with jam on the table, Sir Blackwell," chirped a servant in front of the military chamber door.

He spotted Minette, the Queen, and the Prince at the lengthy table - oh, that damned pompous Prince he loathed so much. What an asshole, Orin thought.

The Prince wasn't a bad guy, he was harmless, but Orin disliked how he flaunted his royal status yet did nothing to earn his title, unlike Orin. He was pretty wishy-washy too from being born with a proverbial silver spoon in his mouth.

"Pleasant morning, Sir Blackwell," Minette beamed at him. She could tell he wasn't in the mood to be there.

"Yeah - I mean, good morning Overseer." Orin stepped toward to the Queen and kneeled. "And your Majesty." He ignored the Prince's presence and as a result, the Prince made an offended expression. The Queen appeared so underdressed for the briefing but the tiredness in her eyes explained it all.

Orin sat down at the long table, he had never seen it this empty before.

"Sir Blackwell, we have an urgent task to ask of you and the Queen has specifically selected you for your nobility, swordsmanship, and quick thinking," Minette started. The Queen sat quietly, listening to the presentation.

"You may have noticed that there aren't any other knights or military members present. We would like to keep this task a secret, Royal Knight of Eastvale."

"Okay," Orin nodded and bit off a piece of croissant. So yeah, this must be pretty important.

"The secrecy is due to the nature of this rescue and those who it concerns," Minette continued. Orin coughed on his breakfast - rescue? Seriously? "I know you must be thinking 'Overseer, why did you make me get up for an urgent rescue versus any another knight?' The rescue isn't for just any man or woman, but the shadow elemental."

The Prince's eyes widened, clearly he hadn't known what this briefing pertained to. Orin too appeared both shocked and overwhelmed, assigned such a responsibility over his peers. The hangover subsided. Oh, shit. He dropped his croissant.

"As everyone knows, the shadow elemental has been missing for quite some time and we've finally located his whereabouts. If word gets out about this too soon, we may have others to compete with in this rescue. You know that the power of darkness is strong and tempting - so tempting that one of the witches from the Dark Council has been selfishly hiding him in Arborview since his birth for her own dark magic." Minette looked to the Queen who exchanged nods with her, an approval of her presentation.

Orin had been told of the Dark Council often, most people feared them and everyone felt relieved as soon as they were banished from Eastvale about twenty years ago. Orin was too young to remember any aspect of the cult but had heard anecdotes from older knights. Some had speculated that the witches would find a way to return, or would find a way to make their strong dark magic work outside of Eastvale, and now their speculations were confirmed.

"Go on," Orin said.

"That's all we have to offer." What the fuck, Overseer? "As the Queen and I are not military experts and this is clearly not a typical military mission, we are allowing you to decide how you would like to rescue this shadow elemental, Sir Blackwell."

"Remember, we selected you of all the other knights and expect you to bring the shadow elemental to Eastvale, his rightful home," the Queen added. Way to put even more pressure on me, Orin thought.

"...Could I at least have an address?" He was pissed off. He'd always been given orders and now he was assigned the most significant of tasks with no plan.

Minette slid him a piece of paper across the table. Remi and Ines Mermier, 7172 North Fairhill Trail, Arborview.

"And remember, please walk along the road instead of taking a vehicle. If one of the witches discovers our intentions, I would rather have only you in combat without any innocent civilians involved. These women are ruthless and quite addicted to dark magic." What the fuck, seriously? Arborview was around sixty miles away from the outskirts of Eastvale. There was no way in hell Orin would walk the entire way.

Orin looked annoyed and it was quite noticeable. "And thank you, noblest Sir Blackwell. You will most certainly get recognition for this important deed for the rest of your life and after. Your bravery will never go unnoticed," Minette and the Queen smiled at him.

The Prince, meanwhile, continued to read the Eastvale Times' sports section despite the significant discovery of the shadow elemental. That asshole, he has the attention span of a two-year old.

"Thanks. I will be on my way," he sat up and tucked the parchment into his pocket. At least he would be able to flaunt his noble deed to the rest of the kingdom afterward. No one would fuck around with Orin Blackwell ever again in a tavern. Orin walked to the door and headed toward Arborview.

I can't believe I'm doing this. I can't believe I'm about to go rescue the shadow elemental on my own.

Return to Chapter Five

Continue to Chapter Seven

Chapter Five

2009-07-07T00:51:51Z

Chapter Five
Eastvale - October 4, 4:38 a.m.
The beauty of having a cell phone was that it was your own personal device, everything sent to and from the phone concerned you. Drinking buddies, needy bosses, and exes begging to restart the relationship could call just to address you.

The cell phone revolved around its owner, you became the center of attention. It made you feel important. Sometimes though, the attention went undesired and the cell phone would ring at the worst of hours.

The cell phone rang. And it kept ringing and ringing.

Fuckers, damn all those drunk dialers, he thought in his sleep, who the fuck calls at...what time is it? He looked down at his watch, 4:39 a.m. He had fallen asleep only an hour ago. The caller was going to pay when he answered, and he wasn't messing around.

This better be important. Damnit, I'm going to have a hangover tomorrow. He grabbed his phone and noticed caller's name "Minette Abbington" in the glaringly bright text. His rage began to subside.

Whenever Minette called, she spoke on behalf of the Queen, and it was an emergency. That was his sole job, to take care of the messes that the royal family had discovered or had gotten themselves into - the serious ones. Or more professionally, he could be called a guardian, a warrior, or better yet - a knight. Queen Helenia had declared him a royal knight and he had trained since childhood to become one.

He smiled, he liked the title "Royal Knight of Eastvale." He liked boasting his status to the alehounds and maidens at local taverns even more.

"Good morning, Overseer," he groaned, trying to remain as positive as possible. He put emphasis on "good."

"Orin Blackwell, I know that this is a terrible hour to call you, especially as you're so young and probably had a fun, lengthy evening..." You bet, lady. Cut to the chase. "But we have urgent news and an urgent task to follow." Good, this better be pretty fucking important.

"Go on," Orin spoke calmly, he hid his grogginess the best he could and all of the anger bottled up from the mixture of lingering alcohol in his system combined with interrupted sleep.

"Please come to the Whitemoor Manor at 7 a.m. for your briefing. Unfortunately, we cannot discuss matters further over the phone." Minette sounded automated, as though the Queen was standing beside her, advising her on what to say to the knight.

7 a.m. 7 A.M. Seriously? The Queen expected him to be as robotic as Minette's voice over the phone, waking up at such a young hour! He hadn't woken up past noon in quite some time, his most recent jobs were night assignments.

"Of course, Overseer. I will be there. And give my regards to our Majesty."

"Will do. Oh - and please wear comfortable traveling clothes when you arrive here. You'll want to dress casual so you blend in with Arborview civilians. You won't have time to change afterward," she added.

"Of course," he mumbled. What the fuck? Why the hell am I going to that small town in the middle of nowhere? Nothing ever happens there. Orin was intrigued but irritated, he would think it all over in the morning.

"Have a good night, Sir Blackwell. I will see you at your briefing shortly." Minette hung up.

With haste, Orin programmed an alarm on his phone set for 6:30 a.m. and slumped into bed. Shit.

Work was work and he had to go, no matter the hour. Emergencies never waited around for you to wake up, to sober up. Plus, this sounded pretty damn important. Well, I better get started on my two hours of sleep. The worst kind of soldier is a tired soldier.

Return to Chapter Four

Continue to Chapter Six

Warning: A bit of foul language.

Chapter Four

2009-06-30T19:20:52Z

Chapter Four
Eastvale, Highway R-17 - October 4, 3:08 a.m.
Minette knew what that household contained, she always had a hunch. She could sense it, the darkness of the place once she sped onto the premise. Still, she continued to drive away from the cottage and toward Eastvale, a confident smile upon her face as she held onto the wheel. 98 miles per hour and she couldn't care, she passed flocks of cars by and watched their headlights disappear into the darkness. Tonight wouldn't be the night to further confront Ines Mermier.

"Ines can bide her time all she wants, but she can't escape the inevitable," she nodded, passing another car along the highway.

Cars were specks, endless ants on the highway anthill and Ines was ultimately one of them. Like the cars fading away from the speeding Mercedes, the dispute with Ines too would be something of the past. Minette would make sure of it, but first she had to discuss her findings with the Queen.

Eastvale, Whitemoor Manor - October 4, 3:25 a.m.
One room glowed in the Whitemoor Manor, the rest remained unlit. No matter the condition of the manor, Minette had to inform the Queen of her discovery immediately, it couldn't wait until morning. She pulled up to the driveway and parked.

"We've been expecting you," the servant opened up the door and bowed before Minette, escorting her toward the parlor. "Come this way."

"I know my way around, you know." Minette's eyes met the servant's and she smiled. For years, she had worked with the royal family and knew the Whitemoor Manor as well as any of its residents did.

"Formalities, Miss Abbington. Don't forget that I'm a servant to not only the Queen but to all of her guests, including you."

"I know, I know. But I have something important to inform her of, I'm in a bit of a rush." Minette ardently walked behind the servant, eyeing the portraits of past royalty on the hallway walls. Most of the faces were familiar.

"She knows. Have patience, Miss Abbington," he lead her to the parlor and nodded at the Queen before leaving the room.

The Queen stood up from her seat, her emerald eyes meeting Minette's. She too was excited about Minette's return from Arborview but tried to contain herself. The gown she wore trailed behind her and the jewels on her neck flickered from the fireplace's embers.

"Your Majesty," Minette addressed the Queen. "I have urgent news for you."

"I'm aware." The Queen said dryly, attempting to mask her nervous energy. "Please, go on."

"Our hypothesis is correct. Ines and her husband have darkness."

"Darkness! You mean the shadow elemental is in Ines' home after all?" The Queen's eyes widened. She moved closer to Minette, shocked at the discovery. "How are you so certain?"

"I could sense it from blocks away. As I drove up to the house, darkness took over me and it was then that I knew the shadow elemental was in there. No regular human could conjure such a feeling. It's the shadow elemental, your Majesty, he is there," Minette explained.

"That witch..." the Queen muttered, hands clenched in anger. "...and her werewolf husband, hiding an elemental deity. How dare they." She then remembered her place in royalty and calmed.

"I'm certain that she is responsible for taking the other shadow elemental too, so many years ago. Why else would the shadow elemental rebirth and suddenly disappear again? We haven't seen the shadow elemental in ages."

"I should have banished both she and her husband from Eastvale much sooner than I did, along with the rest of their creed." The Queen was absorbed in her own fury, anger overcoming her. She reminisced about Ines and Remi Mermier, the witch and her loyal spouse, and how they took advantage of Eastvale years ago.

"What should we do then?"

"Get the shadow elemental."

Minette looked down at her shoes. "It's not that simple, your Majesty, Ines is strong now - much, much stronger. I don't think I can confront her in Arborview and come out victorious."

"Then we'll get someone who can, my old friend. And we will do it quickly," the Queen exchanged confident glances with Minette.

Return to Chapter Three

Continue to Chapter Five

Chapter Three

2009-06-24T01:59:36Z

Chapter Three
Arborview - October 4, 2:42 a.m.
Phantom horrors roamed my mind and memories appeared. Dreams so easily transformed into nightmares. My memories were the only stories I had, even though they were both bland and limited. I made them that way.

"Our valedictorian hasn't arrived to make her speech - it seems as though she will not. Instead, salutatorian Aritta Livingston will do so in her place." Everyone clapped and the lights dimmed on all of the students but the tomboyish figure, highlighting her black locks instead of mine.

He waited outside on the doorstep for two hours, roses and a corsage on hand. Only days before, he declared me his prom date and I never responded, I was too shy. His smile never faded, despite the time passing by. That lucky smile.

I never came out of my house or even crawled out of my bed for that matter after acknowledging his figure at my front door. I was home alone and safe to hide from the world. He never spoke to me again.

A girl stared. "College? What do you mean you don't have any college plans?"

"I'm not going."

"But you have the highest GPA in the school, surely you must be going to college."

"No," I answered.

"You're joking."

I shook my head. She left.

Emptiness. I always felt emptiness. Something was wrong and I had the same nightmares over and over again. Nights lasted the longest and lingered on, I would wake up and go back to sleep only to continue the nightmares. Like other aspects of my life, it was a continuous routine. It wouldn't stop.

Something was wrong.

"You will soon regret your decision!" the silhouette outside snapped. I sat up in bed, the headlights of the car glowing outside of my window. I yawned sleepily.

"We regret nothing." My mother crossed her arms and closed her eyes. She was always the strong one in our family, the anchor holding us down and maintaining the silence.

I noticed the lights in the hallway coming from under my door and the partial shadow blocking the luminosity. Someone was standing in front of the door, guarding my bedroom. Carefully, I tip-toed out of bed with bare feet and folded back the drapery, peering out the window. Why was someone guarding my door?

My mother eyed the figure, eyes squinting with fury despite the upscale car and the elderly woman, dressed in silk and crochet. "Get out."

The figure opened the car door to get in. She retreated so easily, yet seemed so confident. "I will return, Ines," the lady smiled boldly. "I always return."

What was going on? The black car drifted off into the distance and my heart leapt at the sound of my mother's voice when she entered the house.

"You don't need to keep guarding her door, you know," my mother closed the front door and hissed. "I knew she'd start coming by again, that vile woman."

"She probably thinks the same of you," he abandoned my doorpost and turned toward his wife. I crawled over to my door and pressed my ear against it.

She frowned then sighed. "I did what I had to do. We couldn't remain vulnerable, Remi. I did what was best for all of us."

"What're we going to do now?" Father questioned. Without her, he was lost. My mother was the leader, and he followed her every word. She was the mastermind, the intelligence and the wisdom, and he accepted this.

"It's simple - make her unable to access the premise. It's what she did to us so many years ago, after all."

"Brilliant."

With that, both wandered across the hallway and into their bedroom, the floorboards creaked as they walked. They shut the door behind them abruptly. The silence then resumed, no voices echoed through the cottage for the rest of the night.

So many thoughts entered and escaped my mind, I couldn't get back to sleep. I sat in front of the window all night, hoping that the car would return, that I could figure out why my mother despised the woman so much. I wanted answers. What was going on? With the muteness of our household broken, my mind felt uneasy. Stars flickered faintly in the early morning sky. I would ask her today.

Return to Chapter Two

Continue to Chapter Four

Chapter Two

2009-06-20T00:32:27Z

Chapter Two
Arborview - October 3
Every day, I wake up as the sun rises after a night of surfing the Net. I mainly surf, I don't like to instant message people. No - it isn't the paranoid thought of meeting a total stranger who could cause harm, but I'm not really a social person.

I have trouble maintaining relationships. I've never dated anyone before even though a few guys have asked, I never know how to respond and flitter away shyly. Why would they want to be with someone like me?

Friends, though. Friends come and go, entering and escaping from my life. I get bored with them too quickly or feel inept when they speak of their lifelong goals, when I haven't any. It makes me want to crawl home and hide in the same bedroom I've lived in since birth. I escape from my problems through hiding in my bedroom, it has always been that way.

Life, unlike the newfound autumn conquering Arborview, has been a constant stream of routine. Nothing more.

But that changed quickly.

"Moss, are you home?" my mother murmured from the hallway. She muttered words as though they held underlying meanings beneath it all, a snake in the grass. This was the first time she had spoken to me in at least two days.

"If you aren't, I suppose I'm talking to myself then."

Obviously, I thought, rolling my eyes. My mother made useless statements to break the silence, to pretend as though she had accomplished more socially within the day, like she had made a big effort.

When am I not home? The thought of such a ridiculous question made me smile. "I'm here, mom, I'm here."

"Dinner is in fifteen minutes," her voice echoed through the hallway. It was the most she had said to me in a while.

I sat in front of my computer and stared at the desktop, wondering what to research next. From weather to science to sports - hell, even to entertainment (slow news day), I researched it all. I liked to keep on top of both local and world news, even though I experienced none of it.

I lived my life through the stories told by journalists, who were ultimately parroting stories about others - the innocent civilians, and I was one of them. The thought of being interviewed and my quotes inked onto the newspaper gave me goosebumps. Journalists could ask the right questions and make you answer. Like an onion, they peeled your defensive layers down until you were naked and trusting them completely. The goosebumps took long to fade.

My parents sat across from each other at the dinner table. This was strange, they had never sat across before, always side-by-side, avoiding each other's eyes and staring down at their plates instead. Their eyes, when met, kept some deep, dark secret I knew nothing about. Dying leaves fell outside the dining room window into a pile at the base of the tree.

"Moss," my father placed his soup spoon beside the bowl.

His eyes drifted off from the warm soup and met mine. His eyes were fogged and his expression wasn't readable (they never were anyway, he was hard to read). He wanted to tell me something but he couldn't.

"Could you pass the salt?" And that was it.

"Oh, okay." I nodded, feeling incomplete. Something didn't seem right. "Here you go."

My mom's eyes breathed sighs of relief too as I handed my dad the salt. Such silent people, and I had lived with them all of my life. The tension disappeared from the table and transformed into routine, the silent dinner with blank expressions.

Couldn't they at least tell me what they held so secret and close to them?

Return to Chapter One

Continue to Chapter Three

Chapter One

2009-06-20T00:23:49Z

Chapter One
Arborview - October 2
Brass leaves hung from the trees throughout the autumn like ornaments on a Christmas tree, gold, crimson, and brilliant.

Much like a holiday tree's embellishments, each leaf reminded the bystanders of time - the particular time of the year.

Citizens nodded at the harvest festivals and sidewalks dotted with eternal leaves. Autumn. The year, much like people, went through phases of the typical winter, spring, summer, and autumn.

Time and people weren't very different from each other and Moss knew this. As the seasons changed, so did the civilians of Arborview. Moss let out a simper as she watched her hometown from the window, ivy entangling the wooden cottage. People change, Moss reminded herself, and like the seasons, I will too.

I never related much to people in my hometown. Ever. My family was deemed weird for their jobs and I was no different, the child of two people who, from the outside, seemed like socially inept hermits. (How they ever met up and survived a wedding is beyond me.)

I grew up alone, growing shy and awkward without any attention. I love my parents, don't get me wrong, but I had to grow up by myself. They were perfect for each other though, both so quiet and detached from reality. I couldn't wait to move out, to witness normality and all that it contained.

Moss Nerissa Mermier, M n' M or "Minnie" as they used to call me. In school, kids teased me with names like "mermaid" but I didn't find them very insulting. I smile at my face in the mirror, dark hair covering my collarbone. I'm a mermaid baby.

Everyone else my age had moved out, had found their own places nestled in the Arborview countryside or another town altogether, while some went to college. Awkwardly, I stayed behind and continued to live with my parents.

I never thought I'd be able to get out of the house, to live on my own. It isn't that I haven't learned the ins and outs of independent living, but I lack the social skills. I blame it on my parents - no, on genetics, but I wasn't going to let my downfall ruin my life.

These were my golden years, the years of beauty and youth, and I wouldn't let any problem spoil my time.

Note: Because this chapter was so short, I've added chapter two as well.

Return to Prologue

Continue to Chapter Two

Prologue

2009-06-12T22:02:37Z

Prologue
Eastvale - About twenty years ago
"Are we really gonna follow through with this?" the guy shouted to his girlfriend, who led the way. His voice murmured against the trees and the silence of the forest. "I mean, are we really gonna do it?"

Ines stared back at him and put a finger to her lip, she looked like a dark lioness in the twilight. The forest never ended, an eternal forest, the trees were scattered and veiled the skies. Nevertheless, the forest proved easy to navigate, they'd become familiar with the forest over the past few years.

"Of course we are, you fool," she whispered, wandering in front of the man. Remi felt uneasy, though they were following the plan perfectly. "The only thing I'm worried about is all of Eastvale hearing your voice."

It seemed like a lifetime since they first entered the forest. Why did it have to be so far? The same trees and occasional patch of dirt appeared and made time slowly linger on. Ines ignored the repetitive landscape and time. Like a feline seeking her prey, she had a goal and needed to travel to get there.

The two had traveled together through the rain and nighttime of the forest, birds crying above them in the treetops. Still, they didn't stop, even with the pitter-pattering of rain and wet grass that clung to their shoes. The beads of raindrops flickered on the plant leaves and grass, dancing in the seldom moonlight.

Remi followed Ines, she was the mastermind. She knew how to get to the heart of the forest and how long it would take, she had dreamed of it for years. He tagged along because he loved her dearly, he didn't want her to go unprotected and get caught alone. If the plan failed, he wanted to go down with her. Ines spoke with confidence despite the odds of getting caught.

They ran through the woods, Ines navigating the path. She seemed lionhearted, but Remi wondered if she felt uncertainty beneath her exterior. He decided that Ines had fantasized about doing this for too long, she was merely fulfilling her task. Remi wasn't feeling as fearless, they had wandered for days and the landscape hadn't changed. Nothing had changed.

"We don't have all night, Remi. We're almost there," Ines turned to him, grass blades stinging her ankles. Remi thought about how bold she was, how nothing, including their sparse food and the neverending forest, had broken her determination.

He sprinted toward her and met her eyes. Her eyes glowed lilac and he wondered how he'd been so lucky in winning her heart. She was beautiful and strong, an amazon queen who would show no mercy. "Ines..." Remi started, "No matter what happens here, ever, I will always love you."

No reply. Ines' eyes softened, looking forward. She froze. Remi stopped walking, glancing at his girlfriend and wondering if she had noticed someone. Shit, may be they had been spotted. This was it, they were done for. A pang of anxiety agonized his body, fresh rain poured from the skies.

"We're here, Remi. See that pool of water? We're here." Relief.

Everything stood silent, even the birds in the forest. She looked at the pool with such certainty in her eyes that it startled Remi.

"It's there, on those rocks," she pointed to a cluster of stones beneath the tree, a newborn lay on the stones.

Now Remi noticed the silhouette of the child resting by the pool. Ines had guided them through the forest for days and now they were there, nothing could stop the pair now. He had followed her lead and now he watched his girlfriend stare in admiration at the pool of water, the towering tree, and the newborn. A smile formed on her face.

"What are you waiting for? Go get the child," ordered Ines, moving toward the water. Remi nodded and swept the newborn up into his arms. "There we go. Let's get out of here."

Continue to Chapter One