People of Fae

by M.M. Gavillet

  Chapter Two

  Eli

  Eli found an abandoned structure that looked as though it could’ve fallen down any minute. Wood planks covered the sides were half-torn off opening to the thick woods that surrounded them. He thought it would be best to stay hidden as much as possible during the day, and track the scent at night.

  He sat on the floor watching the Mogs who had curled into a giant sleeping ball of fur. He couldn’t tell where one began and the other ended.

  Eli grew tired himself. It had been at least two days since he had a night’s sleep. The Mogs would start as soon as darkness fell. In the meantime, he would listen for any Etherworlders that might come upon them.

  But everything was quiet, warm and peaceful. Eli found himself nodding off and jerked his head up rubbing his eyes and even pinching himself to stay awake.

  Eli knew he was in a dream when he saw Lil in front of him. He didn’t want to wake up. He must have fallen asleep and knew it was risky, but the smell of lilacs filled his senses.

  “Remember the Gardens of Avalon?” Lil said standing in front of him picking with her delicate hands a sprig of lilacs.

  “Is that where we are?” Eli asked.

  “No.”

  “We are in a dream,” Eli said looking around.

  “You are in a dream.” She smiled. “You gave me the name Lil, remember.”

  “Yes.” Eli remembered how she felt in his arms, the connection they had with each other.

  “You also gained something else in those gardens,” she said stepping away.

  “What was it?” Eli asked watching her image of red gold hair and green eyes fade from his vision. “Wait!” Eli reached for her dissolving phantom image.

  “Traveling with Mogs these days Eli?” A voice asked bringing Eli to his feet as he drew his dagger.

  “Who’s there?” Eli asked looking around.

  Disoriented, Eli stood like a drunken Fae holding his dagger. Slowly from a darkened corner, emerged a Fae Eli knew. Dressed in a dark suit that shifted from black to dark blue depending how you moved, was a coal black haired Fae with an “I got you grin” on his face.

  “How did you find me Deravon?” Eli asked putting away his dagger.

  Deravon’s thin lips curled into an amused smile walking towards Eli.

  “All the sentries are looking for you. I could bring you in and collect the reward but the Muse brothers pay me better, so I am working for them today. Lucky you!” Deravon said looking Eli up and down. “You’ve really let yourself go, haven’t you?”

  “Not as much as you.” Eli retorted. “Look, I’m not here to talk about the past. I am trying to get the Everspell and I’m close,” Eli said as Deravon took notice of the two Mogs.

  “By using Mogs as your tracking device,” he said raising his eyebrows. “How did you ever get them to cooperate without fighting among themselves on how they were going to kill you?”

  Eli didn’t answer. He only looked coldly at Deravon.

  “Fine, keep it your secret,” Deravon said, stepping back towards the large opening where a door once was. “The Muse brothers expect to have it in their hands in two days. I suggest you hurry, they don’t like delinquent payments on their investments and I believe you owe them a lot…” he said exiting into the darkness with the fading echo of his laugh.

  Eli turned running his hands through his sandy blonde hair.

  “By the way,” Deravon poked his head back in startling Eli, he half drew his dagger. “You looked so much cuter when you’re not so stressed out. Tell you what, I will make a deal with the Muse brothers to take it easy on you. I wouldn’t want your adorable little face to get hurt,” Deravon said as he puckered his lips into a kiss before being swallowed again by the darkness.

  Deravon was gone before Eli could take a swat at him. How he would love to take a few hits at him. Deravon was a snake in a garden. He worked for the queen as a mock sentry at the Palace. He simply stood outside looking intimidating as he stood at the Palace gates.

  Visiting Faes from all over would take pictures with him. He had the good looks of an ideal sentry and Eli guessed that’s why they chose him. Eli knew that he also had links to the Muse brothers and profited greatly from them. They were the ones who helped Eli escape from prison. They wanted the Everspell and Eli was their only connection to it.

  It was Deravon who told the Muse’s that Eli could get it for them. The deal was made, and Eli was their retriever, not to mention, in debt to them. It was either die in prison for thievery or takes a chance with a powerful figure of Avalon. At least he had a chance now. The Everspell was an ancient power, and something as wrong as the Muses, shouldn’t have. Eli vowed to himself that they never would.

  “Get up!” Eli demanded nudging the Mogs with his foot.

  They growled as their eyes opened and glowed focusing on Eli. He stepped back thinking maybe he should’ve woken them a little more gently. They stood up and looked at him.

  “It’s dark, time to get what we came for.”

  The Mogs traveled all over the forest until they came to a large lake. The moon was full and illuminated the waters below. Bending to the ground and lifting slowly to all different levels, the Mogs inhaled the air trying to catch a scent.

  “Well…” Eli said, looking at them.

  “The trail is weak. We can’t tell what direction it goes in,” the dark mane one said as the other walked closer to the edge of the forest again.

  “I’ve got something!” The Mog exclaimed.

  Quickly he jolted off as the other Mog threw Eli on his back and into the forest they went. Dodging trees, the terrain grew in steepness and it felt as though the land took a great dip as the star filled sky became covered with looming tree limbs. Suddenly, the Mog stopped as they stood before a dark cave.

  Eli dismounted the Mog and stood in front of them. Both of them put their noses to the ground and then lifted them upward tilting their head to get a better whiff.

  “It’s being carried by the wind. Something that was behind us is coming this way,” the lighter mane Mog said looking down at Eli with glowing eyes.

  “I hear voices,” the dark maned Mog whispered which was still loud in his rough voice.

  “In the cave.” Eli pointed to the mouth of the darkened hole.

  They went inside, huddled against the wall as voices and laughing could be heard. Eli thought it must be several Etherworlders as he heard many different voices. Some were male and other female. He began to wonder if the Mogs sensitive sense of smell was working or not.

  The Etherworlders approached the mouth of the cave carrying lights with them. Eli watched as he could see four humans walk noisily to the mouth of the cave. They stopped right at the entrance and started a fire.

  Eli pushed back the Mogs as the light slightly broke their cover of darkness. They laid blankets down on the ground and sat by the fire. There were two boys and two girls. Even though he was Fae and didn’t know much of the inhabitants of the Etherworld, he could figure out what they were up to.

  He looked back at the Mogs who sheepishly looked on. They were oblivious to this act of love because they express no affection to one another. They also didn’t lead him to the Everspell as well. Now, Eli had a new dilemma. How was he going to get past the love-making Etherworlders?

  “I don’t like it here, Jake,” said his girlfriend.

  “Why it’s romantic,” he replied kissing her.

  Eli hoped they would go. He could feel the Mogs fidget impatiently. He nudged them with his elbow to stop. Four gleaming eyes looked back as he made a shushing sound.

  “But what about that creature that was around here?” The girl protested.

  “They caught it,” he replied.

  Eli shook his head wishing he had some dust to put them to sleep or a glamour suit to sneak past them unnoticed.

  “I don’t think they did,” she said as
the other girl pushed herself away and stood up. “Let’s go. We can go back to my house.”

  “Yeah, your parents are home,” he said, opening a brown bottle.

  The Mogs began smelling the air again and moved forward a little. Eli thought they had caught the scent again.

  “I don’t care, I don’t like it,” the other girl said joining the first.

  “Come on, nothing is going to happen here,” the boy holding the bottle said.

  The Mogs continued to move forward as Eli tried to pull them back. He knew it would be no use. Once a Mog had found the scent, nothing was going to stop them.

  “What’s that sound?” One of the girls whispered looking into the darkness.

  Eli pulled harder on the Mogs.

  “You idiots they hear you. Pull back,” He whispered only his command was ignored.

  The four humans peered into the darkness, their faces coming closer. The Mogs continued until the one in front tripped and landed hard on the ground. Eli stopped still hidden in the darkness he could see the girl’s face grow with fear of the Mog. The Mog looked upward and with its large nostrils continued to smell until he was face to face with the Etherworld girl.

  The night air filled with her piercing scream as the Mog’s eyes widened. His large, pointed tooth-filled mouth opened letting out a blaring scream that created its own wind blowing the girls hair. The Mog put his talon tipped hands to his puffy mane where his ears would be, and towered over the Etherworlders.

  Eli watched the four humans run into the darkness. Their screams and cries echoed through the forest as Eli only stood rubbing his forehead.

  “Can’t you two listen to a command? We’re in the Etherworld. We are not supposed to be here and being seen is the worst thing you could do.” Eli scolded.

  “They tried to kill me with their battle yell,” the ailing Mog said in a whiney voice. Eli looked at him as the other held something in his hand.

  “But look master. I found what you were looking for.”

  Lyssa

  “This is really good meatloaf,” Lyssa’s dad said as she watched him eat it. “Is this one of Rebecca’s recipes?”

  “No, it is one of mine that I found.” Lyssa took her plate to the sink.

  “Well it’s pretty good,” he said bringing his plate to the sink.

  He smiled at her as wrinkles formed around his blue eyes. Lyssa could see how easily he could attract women.

  His stature was strong and something about his presence enticed people. They were just naturally attracted to him like a magnet. He also had a charm that she could never quite put her finger on. It was something in his voice or in the way the light would hit his eyes. It was like looking into a deep pool of water trying to see the colorful stones underneath.

  “Dad do you think you could pick me up at Camp Westfield? It’s for my Advance Biology class, remember you said you could so I don’t have to ride the bus home,” Lyssa said hoping he didn’t forget.

  “Your what?” he asked as he sat reading the newspaper. “I can’t believe it. They forgot to put in my advertisement this week,” he said with the paper in front of his face.

  “Dad…” Lyssa raised her voice to get his attention. “My ride you promised.”

  “My mums are in along with my tulip bulbs and my ad isn’t even in here,” he said putting the paper down and getting up to put his jacket on.

  “Where are you going?” Lyssa asked.

  “To see if I can get my money back or at least get my ad in next week. Jill is still in the office,” he said, opening the door.

  “What about my ride?” Lyssa yelled.

  “Yeah!” he said through the slamming of the door.

  “Yeah you’ll pick me up or yeah I kinda heard you.” Lyssa looked down at her cat who only replied with a meow. “You’re right Beyonce, I’ll have to remind him twenty times.” She let out a sigh and then looked at the sink full of dishes.

  Lyssa washed them and then went upstairs. Plopping on her bed, she gazed up at the blackened sky. She turned on her radio letting the music she wasn’t even really listening to fill the air and wished her dad was different.

  She could remember other parents taking five hundred pictures at Christmas programs they’d have each year at school or showing up for parents’ day when she was in kindergarten. Other parents support and nurture their children. Lyssa’s dad nurtured plants and seeds and bulbs at his garden shop called The Garden Junkie.

  Lyssa could cry and feel sorry for herself, but didn’t. Yes her heart was bruised, but it had become calloused through years of being left out or forgotten not only by her father but others as well.

  When she was in fifth grade they wrote to pen pals from some other school and when her classmates got their information filled letters from some distant fifth grader, Lyssa was forgotten. She watched as the teacher passed them out one by one until there were none left.

  She learned early though of her “Forgotten Girl Syndrome” as she called it from the age of ten.

  Her fifth grade class had a sock puppet play, and Lyssa practice her line every day as her dad said he was going to be there and she wanted to impress him. As the play was performed, Lyssa’s one line was quickly snatched up by the teacher who was narrator, and to put the cherry on top of her ice cream, her dad didn’t make it.

  If Lyssa was a plant she’d have to be a succulent plant called live forever. Its thick leaves were rubbery and stored water in them when things were dry so it didn’t die. It was even strong to survive insect invasions. That’s why it was called live forever. It adapted to the environment it lived.

  Lyssa got a shower and returned to her bedroom. Her dad probably got sidetracked and ended up at his shop. She sat on her bed and pulled out from her nightstand a book. It was her journal. She wrote in it at least once a week. Mainly she wrote about school and whatever else she wanted to ramble on about since she didn’t have very many friends to talk to. This time, she wrote about Toby and the whole incident that happened earlier.

  It was a joke and nothing more. Craig had scared her and she did as she always does—embarrass herself. Her head even still hurt.

  “Hey, Beyoncé!” She yelled at her cat jumping on her bed and practically siting on her journal. The cat purred and rubbed her head against Lyssa’s hand. “O.K, I get the idea.” The cat gave a louder meow and settled next to her. The entry to her journal wasn’t going to get any better anyhow.

  Lyssa lay on her bed, stroked Beyonce’s fur, and closed her eyes for a moment. She thought of Zoey. If she was here they would be watching a movie or baking cookies, not the kind from scratch, but the ones that are prepackaged and somehow tasted better when Zoey made them.

  Lyssa sighed and looked at the freckle that she had forever.

  In the dim light she looked at the dime size, pointed leaf- shaped, brown spot that had captivated her since she could remember. It was on her left hand, and had grown sharper edges as she had grown up too. It looked like she had caught the leaf falling from a tree right in the center of her palm where it had fossilized just like in ancient rocks.

  Zoey only smiled at her as she ran her hand over it. Lyssa still remembered how it tingled slightly when Zoey touched it taking her by surprise. Zoey told her it would probably fade with age and to not feel embarrassed by it. Lyssa never felt embarrassed. It had been two years, and it hadn’t faded, but its edges had become more defined. Just another oddity that inflicted her she thought to herself before turning the light out and giving into sleep with her cat purring beside her.

  Eli

  “That’s not the Everspell,” Eli stated looking at the Mog who held up a crocheted pink scarf the girl dropped.

  “But it reeks of the scent,” the Mog said, smelling it as the other joined in.

  Eli turned from them wondering why it did reek of the scent. He knew Lil had the Everspell. The trick was to find her, and she was clever enough to
make many dead ends. He could only hope he found her in two days. He turned as the Mogs groped the scarf and one put it around its neck feeling its softness.

  “What are you doing?” Eli snapped.

  “I told him not to—human things. Ugh!” The non-scarf wearing one said.

  The Mog pulled it off letting it slip to the ground.

  “We’ve got to move. Those humans have seen us, and they will probably bring a mess more in search of us.”

  Eli let the Mogs find another scent and hoped this time it led them in the right direction. Before they left, Eli sprinkled the last remaining undoing dust he had. It removed just their footprints and anything else that showed they were there. He looked at his empty bottle and wished he would’ve grabbed a spare one before he was exiled as a sentry.

  Light gave way, and the Mogs found many homes that had the scent. Eli was confused as how this was possible.

  He then had them return to the woods only this time, deeper to a place that looked abandoned with several cabins all locked. Eli thought this would be a safe area.

  He wondered what Etherlings did here. There were no furnishings that made it looked like Etherworlders stayed here for very long. The cabins sat in a clearing in a circular pattern. A few trees dotted around the structures with a larger building made of logs sat in the middle. A tall metal pole was erected in front of it. He wondered if this was some sort of training facility.

  It looked desolate enough so he tried one of the doors. It was locked. He went yet to another and jiggled the lock. With a little amount of luck it opened. He led the Mogs in as they sat on the floor.

  “This place seems to be abandoned and we will use it as a camp for the time being. We have two days,” Eli said, pacing the floor and held up two fingers towards the Mogs so they would understand. “Two days to get the Everspell.”

  “What does master want us to do?” The Mogs asked with his large eyes.

  “Track another scent.”

  Toby

  Toby sat on the picnic table outside his house that was four blocks away from Lyssa’s. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. Should he call her up? Text her? Drive by her house? No, that seems kind of stalkish and after the incident with Craig, she probably didn’t want to talk to him.

  He looked at the darkening sky. Megan called him wanting to go to a party, but he lied and said he was sick. She didn’t seem too bothered by that. She was probably cheating on him since she cheated on her last boyfriend with Toby. He would’ve normally been furious and dealt with it more likely with a fight. But then again, Megan was becoming a pain, and maybe she could latch onto someone else.

  His life for the past month seemed to be dissolving into something different. Everything was suddenly flooded in a new light. He thought of Lyssa. She wasn’t anything like Megan. He couldn’t even have a conversation with her without it sounding like some mental case was doing the talking instead of him. He didn’t know how to talk to Lyssa.

  “Toby come in, it is dinner,” His mom yelled from the back sliding door.

  “Coming,” he replied.

  “I must say, it is nice to have you for dinner on a Friday night,” his mom said as he smiled at her. “Is everything alright with Megan?” She asked concerned.

  “Everything is fine mom,” he said amused by her comment.

  Was everything fine? It was like something had triggered in him. He couldn’t place it but he kept thinking about Lyssa. His mom went back inside as he looked at the now blackened sky.

  He held in his hands a scarf that he bought from Lyssa when her art class was selling all sorts of crafts and other artsy junk to fund their trip to Chicago to go to the art museum.

  He felt the threads in each loop. He would usually never buy such a thing, but something drew him to it.

  Strange it was, and ever since then his curiosity of her had grown. She was so quiet and in a unique way pretty. She wasn’t like the tall girls he usually looked for. Lyssa was short, meek and absolutely fascinating to him.

  He joined his family for dinner and afterward went to his room. It was Friday night. What was wrong with him? He should be partying, but that didn’t interest him anymore. Did he have some disease plaguing him? He felt fine, but in a new way as if his eyes had opened for the first time he saw how he had acted in the past and how shallow that was.

  He went downstairs and sat in the living room with his mom, dad and little brother. They were watching a nature show about monkeys. It didn’t interest him and when his mom went into the kitchen and discovered she was about out of milk, Toby jumped on the opportunity to get some more. He could drive by Lyssa house and maybe stop by and see what she was doing.

  Lyssa’s house was dark except for a dim light illuminating the stained glass door. It looked kind of pretty he thought suddenly, like a jewelry box. He shook his head. A month ago he would never looked at a stained glass door and thought it pretty or much less drive by Lyssa’s house.

  He stopped his truck and looked at her house. He would just talk to her and apologize for this afternoon. Yes, he needed to do that and then realized he’d never apologized to a girl before besides his mom.

  He went up to the door and rang the doorbell hoping she was home.

  Lyssa

  Lyssa’s head suddenly filled with a loud bell ringing. Through her foggy mind she realized it was the doorbell. She scurried downstairs, turned on another light, and went towards the door that had a tall, broad shouldered figure that seemed to keep shifting his weight from side to side.

  She wasn’t expecting anyone and her mind raced. What if it was the serial murderer that the police were looking into? She looked at the set of fireplace accessories in the living room and of course just like in the movies, she grasped the fire poker. Then again, why would a serial murderer ring her doorbell? She looked at the fire poker in her hand. She wasn’t taking any chances.

  Clinging close to the wall, she stepped cautiously forward. The figure stood fidgeting nervously and then he lifted his hand running his finger through his hair. Toby does the same thing. Lyssa always noticed that about him when she would discreetly glance in his direction at school.

  She went to the door and opened it to see his green eyes looking down at her. She didn’t say anything at first because her mind was too busy wondering why Toby had come back to her house.

  “Hi, umm Lyssa,” Toby said towering over her.

  She stood looking up at him. “What are you doing here Toby?” She asked wondering if this was the second half of the prank they played on her.

  “I just wanted to say…..that…..I….” He looked away from her.

  “This isn’t a joke is it?” Lyssa asked quickly.

  Toby looked at her with a soft expression. He appeared so sincere like he was almost a different person.

  “Do you normally greet guests with a fire poker?” He asked pointing at the black, sharp-ended stick hanging visibly at her side.

  “Only ones that might pose a threat,” Lyssa didn’t really want to say that but she wasn’t going to let her hormone infused emotions get away from her.

  “Well I’m no threat,” he said in a playful sarcastic tone. Lyssa kept her expression blank.

  “Then why are you here?” Lyssa asked keeping to her defenses.

  Toby looked like he paled as if a teacher had caught him sleeping and asked him a question in a classroom so quiet you could hear a pin drop. He then straightened and looked at her seriously.

  “I came to say sorry for this afternoon,” he said quickly almost blending his words together.

  Lyssa only stared at him. “Why?”

  He shuddered at her comment. She thought he looked baffled and wondered if he had been drinking and was drunk. But he looked sober, and at the same time, not like the Toby she had known. Something flickered in his eyes just for a moment like flashes of lightning.

  “Bec
ause Craig scared you and he was…well, rude,” Toby said looking away. “Kind-of-rude,” he said slightly lowering his voice.

  “Well then, he should apologize,” Lyssa said.

  Lyssa amazed herself at her calm tone in contrast as to what was gong on inside of her. Percolating hormones bubbled. Sweat tickled down her back as she tried to contain her emotions that could’ve popped all of the buttons on her shirt. She wanted nothing more than to be a cooing girl hanging off of Toby.

  “I don’t think he will so I’ll do it for him,” Toby said with a smile.

  Lyssa shook her head. “Is that it then?” She asked.

  “Yeah I guess,” Toby said looking at her.

  Lyssa could invite him in and keep this whatever they had going, but she was cautious. He really didn’t want anything from her, and why would he? He was popular and he should be with the other popular people. Why was he messing with her? She started to become angered towards him. What were Toby’s true intentions anyway? He was agitating her. Was she part of some joke or something? Several thoughts flowed through her head like a waterfall.

  “Well then…” Lyssa paused to see if he was going to say anything. “Goodbye,” she said slowly shutting the door on the most popular guy in school.

  He gave a small wave as the door clicked shut. She leaned against it and heard his truck rumble farther and farther down the street until she could hear it no more.

  Eli

  “It reeks the strongest here,” the Mog said, pointing at the house with a steep roof. “We’ve led you to it master.”

  Eli looked back at the two Mogs. Their eyes flickered in the darkness.

  “I will tell you when you have succeeded,” Eli said in a commanding tone.

  “We will stay here and watch for her.”

  Sitting between the tall trees that lined the road, Eli waited quietly with hardly a movement. He learned this skill when he was a sentry. Being stealthy was an acquired skill that he mastered indefinitely. The Mogs on the other hand were restless, and finally Eli led them back into the woods several feet away where they slept. Evidently tracking takes a lot out of them. He returned to his spot as a vehicle pulled up in front of the house.

  Eli hunched down as the headlights skidded past him. A man got out of the now dark carriage like thing and went into the house. Quietness surrounded him and he wondered if the Mogs had led him to just another scarf.

  Then, suddenly the door opened and in a pool of the light from the opened door a girl came out. Eli leaned forward hoping it was who he was after. Holding his breath, he realized that the girl was too short and young to be Lil. He let out a sigh as the girl walked down the sidewalk and sat on a bench surrounded by flowers.

  There was something about her that seemed so familiar to him almost as if it was part of him. Usually he would feel this way if he encountered a Fae when traveling, it was a way of identifying each other. But this girl was no Fae, she was an Etherworlder.

  The girl after a few moments, got up and went back into the house. Suddenly, the palm of his hand tingled. He knew what it was. Glowing ever so lightly was his mark.

  Lyssa

  Lyssa’s dad was busy doing his bookwork. As she looked at him, she wondered what he ever thought of her.

  Her eyes gazed past pictures of all the “moms” in her life. They were good memories, but Lyssa was smart enough to know her life had no stability in it, and yet, she wasn’t too much of a mental case, or so she thought.

  “I should be so screwed up by now,” Lyssa said outloud as she went upstairs.

  She closed the door and turned on the light by her nightstand. With the room illuminated in soft light, she pulled out her journal. She started to write about the terrible joke that was played on her by Toby and Craig. Even though she tried to protect her feelings with armor, some things made it through to her soft, mushy insides and made them bleed.

  She also wrote about how Toby came back to apologize. She was truly surprised and thought maybe she should’ve treated him a little differently, but as soon as she did, something would’ve happened and it would take all weekend to get over it. Suddenly, a small poem emulsified in her head. Things like this would come from her time to time and she felt compelled to write them down. As if something other than her controlled the pen, she began to write.

  “Keys to enter dark places

  Never are they in expected spaces

  Hearts separate and with no faces

  They run forever love chases”

  Lyssa looked at her poem or whatever it was. The words flowed from her hand to pen without much effort, and made absolutely no sense to her. She thought of Toby. Maybe he was the heart she was chasing and if she didn’t try talking to him she, would be chasing him forever. Maybe he wasn’t as self-centered and shallow as she thought. Lyssa smiled at her own reflection in the mirror.

  Maybe she would try talking to him tomorrow when the Biology class went on their nature walk. She was surprised they were still having it even after the girl who was murdered only a week ago. A return to normalcy was encouraged at school even though the world went on, Lyssa couldn’t help but to feel it was only a mask for something bigger.

  She continued writing when suddenly, the palm of her hand tingled and burned. She dropped her purple inked pen and stood throwing her journal to the bed.

  Her palm became slightly numb and still burned. She wondered if she had touched something outside. Maybe a plant or something had irritated her skin. She ran into the bathroom beside her room and washed her hands in cool water with soap. The stinging continued.

  She then turned on the light holding the towel in her affected hand. There, staring back at her was her freckle glowing around the edges like she’d outlined it with glitter. She clenched her hand into a fist and tightly closed her eyes. Running cold water over her face, she tried to calm herself as the burning sensation left her palm. It had to be an allergic reaction. After everything that happened, it also had to be her imagination playing tricks on her.

  Slowly she uncurled her hand, holding her breath she could see it had returned to normal. Just a reaction, and now it was gone. She went back to her bedroom and sat on her bed running her thumb over her freckle. It was normal, but what just happened wasn’t normal. After a few minutes to see if there was going to be a reaction again, she decided she was safe and the soap and water must’ve done the trick. Her dad was always warning her about certain plants that shouldn’t be handled.

  Lyssa got up and turned on her radio as she stood in front of her mirror. Maybe she should wear a little more eye make-up or blush. It wouldn’t hurt and maybe make her look like a girl Toby would like. Lyssa rolled her eyes at herself and plopped on the bed grabbing her teddy bear and holding it to her face.

  Then suddenly, something tugged at her. She sat up and looked towards the window. Her skin crawled and the eerie sense of someone peering at her from the darkness. She stared into the blackness in a stare fight that she didn’t even know who or if she had an opponent. She went towards the window and peered down at the solar light lined drive way. There was no one, and why were there be? Was she going insane? She didn’t want to think about that right now. She went back to her bed and plopped down staring up at the ceiling.

  Just as she closed her eyes, her hand began to tingle, then burn again. She jumped and looked down at her freckle barely flickering with light. She could hardly feel herself breathe as her heart raced in her chest.

  Quickly she walked towards the bathroom only to stop as the burning sensation ran up her arm. This time, it was harder and stronger. Her head swam with confusion as she gasped for air. Dropping to her knees and head spinning—what was happening to her? Kneeling on the floor, she tried to call out to her dad, but her voice was constricted. She felt the blood rush to her head. The pressure was so great, her eyes could have popped out and rolled to the floor. She finally gave in to
whatever was happening and dropped to the floor.

  Was this some sort of reaction? Did she eat something she was allergic to? She didn’t want to die and she kept repeating this through her head. Before the blackness took her she saw a face that was familiar to her, but couldn’t place it. It was a woman with long hair flowing in some invisible wind. She smiled at Lyssa before everything faded to nothingness.