Going hand in hand, almost like a loving couple, neither of us can stop giggling. I can’t remember the last time I had a friend like this, I can’t remember if I’ve even had one. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this safe with a girl except for Esme.
“Wait.” I say out loud, stopping her as we walk past a girl who’s selling hair brushes and mirrors decorated with pearls and shells.
“What?”
“I need to get this.” I say just as I remember that I didn’t bring Ector’s golden coins. “Never mind, I can’t afford it.” I continue as the realization hits me.
“Which one did you want?”
“That one.” I say, pointing to the hairbrush decorated with purple pearls that shines like it holds the rainbow.
“I will get it for you.” She smiles at me.
“No! You shouldn’t.”
“Why? You liked it.”
“But my love doesn’t cost anything.”
“Ladies.” The girl selling the brushes abruptly breaks us off. “It’s on me.” She says.
“No,youwill keep it.” I respond, looking at her. “Andyouwill not pay for it.” I turn to Illysia.
The two girls make eye contact, the girl selling them handing the brush to Illysia for free. “You don’t get to make the rules around here, Genevieve.” She pauses. “You’re not from here.” She says, and a big smile appears on her lips.
She puts the brush in my bag that barely has any space left, and my diary flies out, landing on the ground, showing a page that I haven’t seen before.
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” She says, bowing down to pick it up.
“It’s okay.” I take the book into my hand and find the page that I didn’t recognize.
It doesn’t take long before I realize that it’s Ector who has written something. But I don’t have the strength to continue reading.
Placing the book in my bag, I try to shake the feeling of heaviness out of my body and do my best not to think about the text I just read. My heart sinks further than it ever has before, clawing at the inside of my flesh, ready to rip me apart. The air leaves my lungs and suddenly, every breath feels like it’s being taken from a straw.
When did he write this?The question keeps echoing in the back of my mind as I follow Illysia deeper into Mermaid Lake.
More statues of naked women come into view, all of them having different body figures, yet equally beautiful.
“Do you have any friends back in Fairy Village?” She asked me.
“No, not really. It’s mostly the friends of my sister that I speak to sometimes.”
“I want to be your friend, even if we live far apart.”
“I’ve already started considering you my friend.” I laugh.
“We could send letters to each other when you get back home!”
“Like pen-pals?”
“Yes!” She answers in deep excitement, lightening the mood in an instant.
I only met her a few hours ago, but I already feel like she can read my mind, understand me deeper than I can myself. Was it because we had experienced the same thing? Was it because she could read my mind? Or was it simply because we were meant to meet this whole time? So called,fate.
I had never met someone so alike me, shy yet the kindest soul. Someone who would turn into an outgoing person once feeling safe. Because that was it, it had everything to do with safety.
The only people who have ever made me feel safe enough to be myself were my mother, Esme, Ector, Caspian of course, and now Illysia.
