I opened the box and took it out. The little crescent moon pendant. Somewhere out there was a little sun pendant, it's twin and it was supposed to be on Ted's neck ....
I met him during my 13th summer. Dad had found about Ashna and Lisa, insulted her and she had run away. Home was hell. So I spent my time exploring the Ice hills. Each tree, each trail, each animal that lived there. There was no judgement, no fear, no one to hide from...
The woods became my best friend...
As my father would blame my mom for giving birth to a lesbian and mom would blame dad for pushing away their firstborn, I would sneak out and spend my day there.
It was always me alone but one day it all changed....
I was walking through the oaks to Ravenshollow when I heard a faint noise... Rabbits!!!!! Yes!
I ran in the direction, leading me to a clearing and under the shade of the flowering Juneberry trees, he was sitting, sad, like a fallen angel...
He was the most beautiful little thing. Thin and frail and short. He was sobbing sadly. I honestly thought I was hallucinating...
I walked slowly upto him, the ground was covered in fallen blossoms. His hair was a very pale brown, almost red. He looked up, his eyes were the palest blue, his skin white as chalk. He stopped crying and got up. He was shorter than me. He smiled at me through his tears 'I am lost. Will you help me?'
I melted.
Is he real? Is he just a forest spirit playing a game?
'Where did you come from?' I asked.
'Glorien' he said.
'Glorielle, you mean.' I corrected him.
'Yes'
So he is a tourist. Glorielle is an orchard made for outdoor picnics, on the other side of these woods. A typical spot for tourists.
'How did you get here?' I asked.
He went red instantly 'I was chasing butterflies. They came here....So....'
Ohhhhhh the Juneberry trees, of course....
'It's ok. I'll take you back. Your parents must be worried'
He nodded. We began walking. 'What's your name?' I asked.
He looked hesitant to tell me.
'I'm Raven by the way' I lied, well I didn't actually lie, my dad used to call me Raven, due to my hair when I was little. Even I didn't want to tell him my real name. Something told me he was gonna lie too.
'Ted...I'm 13' he said. 13? THIRTEEN? Where were the damn zits then, the acne? Where was it all? He didn't look a day older than 9. Baby skin blushing from the long walk, he was like children painted into chapel walls.... So pure....So pretty.
'Me too' I said and we walked silently. Something was just so comfortable around him.... the silence felt cosy.
'Can I ask something of you Raven?' he asked. I nodded.
'These woods are beautiful. I don't like the hotel I'm staying at. Can you show me around here?' he asked hopefully.
YES! My heart yelled. No one with a heart could have said no to this angel.
'Yes. How long are you going to be here?' I asked.
'A week.' We walked silently again, till we reached the end. The forest thinned out to an orchard and in a distance sounds of human life found us. We were at Glorielle.
He stopped and looked at me. Then he did the unexpected. He hugged me, put his pale arms over my neck. It was sweet, shocking, warm.... he was standing on his toes to reach me. I was stunned.
He let go. 'Thank you. I don't know where I'd be without you'. I just smiled and stood there as he walked away. But I realised I didn't ask him when and where to meet him. I was about to speak up when midway he stopped and turned to me.
'Yes Raven. Anything you want to say?'
I was stunned. 'Where do I meet you and when?' I asked.
He smiled. 'Noon. But let's not decide where.... I'll get lost again and you will find me again' and he was gone. Like a dream he had come and like one he had left.
Was he even real? Did I really meet one of those cunning forest fairies that Grandma told me of?
Next day, I did find him, wandering through the woods I saw him, perched on a low branch, barefoot. Smiling as if he knew I would come.
He jumped and I almost wanted to catch him, he looked so fragile.....
'Where are your shoes?' I asked him.
'Dunno....the ground feels soooo good anyway.'
Before I could say anything he asked me 'Where are we going?'
'Do you know why this town is called Briarsville?'
'No' he said.
'Briar is wild rose.... the old town had roses growing around like crazy. Legends said that even the ground smelled of them... That's why they named it Briarsville.... The village of wild roses....' I explained.
'Sounds romantic' he said and smiled at me. My heart fluttered weirdly.
'As the town developed, the wild roses vanished. Everyone thinks they're gone but they're wrong. There's only one clearing where they still grow... careful!' I said as we walked. He stumbled on something and held my hand to steady himself, the fluttering in me rose. He didn't let go of my hand as we walked ahead. I didn't want him to let go....
Then we reached the clearing and in front of us was a sea of red and pink and so many more. The roses were in their summer bloom and when I looked at Ted, so was his face...
He looked so damn happy. Before I could say anything he ran to the flowers and.... 'Ahhhhhhhh.....' he screamed as his feet hit the thorns. I rushed to him. He was sobbing with the hurt and struggling to stand, so I picked him up in my arms.....he felt so soft, so beautiful, that something happened to my body, I felt a part of me rise in heat....
I took him to the nearest tree and set him against it. I looked at his bare feet... there were three thorns...
'Ahh.... hurts' he said as I pulled out the first.
'That's why you should wait for me.' I said
'Ohhh.... slowly please' he said as I pulled out the second.
'That's why you should wear shoes.' I said
He didn't say anything when I pulled out the third. When I looked up from his feet, he was looking at me, then into me. I was enchanted. His eyes were impossibly blue, like blue silver, like the magic blue that can make you forget your name. I looked on into his eyes. We were close.
'Raven?'
'Mmmhhhh.... mh....Ya' I managed.
'The thorn is out' he said.
'Ya.... right...' I blushed horribly. He giggled.
After seeing the roses, picking some, I left him again at Glorielle, where he told me that he won't come for the next few days... he promised to come for his last couple days in Briarsville.
He did come but that day....
No! Don't think further!
No! Shouldn't go deeper!
No! Mustn't remember more!
But it was too late. That day was already in front of me. I could clearly see him.
As if it wasn't 5 years ago.... he was on the forest floor, his t-shirt torn at the back, a gash in his back was spewing blood.... He was screaming for me, calling out my name, asking me to help him, to stop....
But I didn't stop.... I ran.... Like a coward..... I ran....
'AMIAS! NOT AGAIN PLEASE.... AMIAS STOP IT'
I came back to reality. It was my mom shouting. I was holding on to the pendant so hard, that the crescent moon was digging into my flesh. Blood dripped slowly from my fist as my mother stood at the door horrified.
She ran to me, fell to her knees and tried to open my fist. She failed. 'Stop it please! You're bleeding....' she was sobbing.
'He was bleeding too, did I stop?' I said.
'Amias, please let go.' she sobbed.
I smiled sadly at her, before gripping it harder.
'Nooooo' her scream rang as more blood dripped.....
© Alexis Vane