Eleven
1149 Words
I let out a loud groan as I collided with the ground, the hard surface momentarily knocking the air out of my lungs. The dark gloomy surroundings had suddenly changed to broad daylight, making me squeeze my eyes shut at the abrupt change.
I took a deep breath before pressing my hand against the grass beneath me and lifting myself up, my eyes finally adjusting to the light. I scanned the area, realising I was in the middle of nowhere.
There wasn’t anything but gigantic forest trees surrounding me, indicating I was in the middle of the woods somewhere. I frowned as I rose to my feet, where the hell was I?
I took another moment to take in my surroundings, whilst it wasn’t much to go on, something about where I was seemed so.. familiar. Maybe I was still drunk, I did have a lot of pina coladas in my defence.
The memory of falling through the big, ball of light resurfaced in my mind and I let out a loud gasp. I was here, wasn’t I? I crossed over to the other realm.. oh boy. The air suddenly left my lungs once again, the reality dawning on me that this was really happening.. the little part of me that believed it was all just a figment of my imagination shattering.
“Nice to see you again, Willow.” A familiar voice called out behind me, startling my on edge heart. Gladdis chuckled as she observed the look of shock on my face, finding the circumstances somewhat amusing.
“Where did you just come from?” I questioned, frantically searching the area for some form of hidden doorway. She wasn’t standing there a second ago.
Ignoring my question, she turned away from me and headed back into the woods. “Come, we have much to discuss.” She called out.
I hurried after her, struggling to keep up with her pace as my bare feet carefully avoided the sharp fallen tree barks on the ground. It felt as though we had been walking for miles, with no change in the scenery, until we stopped in front of a quaint cottage, nestled deep in the woods. It had a charming, rustic feel to it as tree vines spread along the walls with dainty leaves dotted towards the edge.
The entrance was lined with perfectly trimmed hedge which cascaded around the cottage, only separating to allow entry through the rusted gate. Thick, grey smoke descended from the chimney as a light sudden flickered on through the white framed-window. “Home, sweet home.” Gladdis cooed as she ushered me through the gate.
I remained silent, at a loss for words, as I walked through the croaky, wooden door and into Gladdis’ living room. There were books everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Stacked on the antique coffee table, lined up in the matching bookshelf against the far back wall, scattered against the maroon sofa.
A six-bulb chandelier swung from the ceiling, giving a warm light to room and providing a somewhat homely environment. Crystals were lined against the shelf above the open fireplace, illuminating fluorescent sparkles around the room when the flames reflected against them.
Gladdis removed the royal blue cloak from her shoulders, placing it onto the hook firmly secured against the back of the door. She motioned her hand towards the sofa, offering me to sit down.
I awkwardly did as told, lifting the surprisingly heavy books from the seat and holding them in my arms as I looked for an appropriate place to put them in replacement. Gladdis chuckled and took them from me, setting them down on top of the ones on the coffee table.
“First things first,” Gladdis began, reaching for my locket. I furrowed my brows, watching as she clasped her fingers around the metal and whispered undistinguishable words, chanting over and over. Suddenly, she stopped and peered down at me with a bright smile. “There. That will stop anyone detecting your scent and figuring out who you are.”
I nodded, slumping back against the sofa. I took another glance around the room, it slowly sinking in that I had in fact crossed over to the other realm. A nauseous feeling developed in the pit of my stomach, my heart beating at a ridiculous pace. Just what had I gotten myself into?
Wroe..
I whipped my head in Gladdis’ direction. “Have you heard from Wroe?” Her expression softened, gazing at me with pity as she pressed her lips together and shook her head. “I’m afraid not, dear.”
My breath got caught in my throat as dread filled me, this couldn’t be happening. “Do you think he’s…” I couldn’t bring myself to say the words.
Gladdis placed her palm on my shoulder, giving me a sympathetic smile. “Dead? I can’t be certain, but I don’t believe so.”
I looked away, my eyes burning into the open fire as I thought back to our last conversation. “Who’s Ajax?”
Gladdis stiffened as she cleared her throat. “Ajax.. is a dangerous man. I’ve not witnessed his antics firsthand, but the tales I’ve heard are quite.. unnerving. Of course, you don’t often hear people address him by his name but instead the Vampire King. I understand that recently him and your grandfather have been at each others throats, although Arthur should be careful. Ajax is not an enemy one wants to make.”
The man who had my brother was the vampire king? Of course, Wroe couldn’t just get taken by a normal vampire.. he had to make my first task going against the strongest vampire in the realm. Suddenly, all the horrid thoughts of the evil things he may do to Wroe rushed through my mind, angering me to the core.
My eyes continued to blaze into the fire, my fingers digging into the material of the sofa as graphic images flickered into my mind. I felt my body temperature rise, as though I was burning from the inside out but I paid it no mind, I was too fixated on my fury for this so called King.
And just as the peak of my anger hit, a lively flame erupted from the fire, plummeting into the centre of the room as a viscous roar followed it. I shuffled back in shock, eyes wide as the flame expanded to fill the room, growing more agitated by the passing seconds.
Unconcerned in the slightest, Gladdis clicked her fingers and the flame instantly died down, returning to its rightful place in the log burner. Desperately trying to catch my breath, I spun to Gladdis. “What the hell was that?”
She chuckled, setting her palms against her knees. “That was you, my dear. It looks like your powers are beginning to activate.”
- Writer
