by A. S. Oren
When she’s done, she carries me to bed and tucks me in. “I love you, Emma,” she says, kissing my forehead. I’m too tired to respond, so I drift off.
~*~*~*~
My own loud snoring wakes me up. Elle laughs. “I can’t believe you can fall asleep during all of my tugging and pulling.”
“It feels good,” I tell her. “Not to mention, it takes like an hour for you to comb through my hair. What else am I supposed to do?”
“Keep me company,” she says. “Do you know how hard it is to brush through five feet of hair with a tiny comb and not break the dang thing?”
“Thank you, Elle.”
She sighs. “You’re welcome. Now, do you want a bun, a French braid, or two braids?”
“Whatever’s quickest. I want to get a spot on the couch before the high schoolers get out.”
“Let me guess: another couch date with Zack?”
Heat rises to my cheeks. “I wanted to go outside and pick up where we left off the other day, but my hair was beyond frizzy, and it was time for a thorough wash.”
“Hopefully, I’ll braid it tight enough this time that you won’t have to take it down for like a month. I love you, but the combing and braiding does a wonder on my wrists.”
I fall back asleep as she braids it.
~*~*~*~
Prajapati grabs my hand and takes me to the top of the hill behind the castle. “I want to go climb the mountains,” he says. The tall peeks shield us from what’s behind them. From the stories mother’s told, there are cannons and a secret passageway to the land of fairies, though she calls it something I can’t pronounce.
“Maybe we could have a picnic,” I suggest. He smiles, lowering himself to the ground. I follow suit and cross my leg. A moat surrounds us below. Inside, creatures dwell: selkies and others. I haven’t learned all of their names yet.
To our left, cliffs meet the ocean side. Father takes me there sometimes. He shifts into a Dragon and carries me over the side. I spread my arms out and pretend to fly. No matter how much I try, I never can. Prajapati can’t either, but he has been able to shift his hands. Someday, he’ll shift completely. I hope I’ll be able to.
I love the rush of being in the air. I love going so fast I can’t see. “Time to roll, Prajapati.”
He nods. We spread out and hold our arms at our sides. “Ready. Set. Go!” he says.
I force my body over the steep hill. Air circles around my ears, and my vision blurbs to lines of blue, green, white, and yellow as I roll down the hill. I go airborne over a small dip in the hill and land with a roll. I wonder if I’m winning.
My roll slows a few feet from the castle wall. I move my palms out to stop myself. The world spins as I push myself up and into a standing position.
My skin itches all over from contact with the grass. I yell, “Last one to the fountain is a smelly draugr!” I run at top speed. Prajapati whips by so fast I’m almost knocked off balance. Where did he go? “Prajapati! Prajapati!” He disappeared. I keep running toward the fountain. I open the garden gate and walk through the maze.
It used to be easy to get lost in here, but a long time ago, a man entered it with yarn to mark his way. The yarn still marks the way to the garden at the center, where my favorite flowers grow.
I trace the hedges of the maze wall as I follow the string. I get to the center and press my hands to the tree of wisdom. An image pops into my mind. I’m wearing a floor-length ball gown. A beautiful necklace in the shape of a butterfly’s wing glints under the light. A handsome man with golden eyes spins me around.
Prajapati splashes me with water. “You’re the smelly draugr,” he says. His trousers are drenched. I climb over the edge of the fountain and get in with him. He splashes me again, and I splash back. I lower myself and submerge my body all the way. The itchy sensation from the grass goes away as the water covers me.
~*~*~*~
“All done,” Elle says, patting the top of my head.
I let out a deep breath. I like that memory. If only it were real.
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