Farewell, little faeries.
Maybe, just maybe, there was a land, somewhere over the clouds and the stars and the moon, that was meant to be my home.
Or perhaps all of this was still nothing more than a dream, and I was simply wandering through different paths of my own illusions.
Chapter 3
The deeper I ventured into the woods, the darker it got, the trees not allowing any sunlight to reach the earthy ground. The leaves were rustling and it was getting windier as floating lights wandered around me like little whispers. I had a feeling that there were creatures hidden among the trees, I could almost hear them whispering around me. It’s like I had curious companions who did not wish to be seen. But the faeries told me to be wary of stubborn pixies that might try to lure me off my path.
Suddenly, I felt a soft grip on my dress causing me to turn around, seeing nothing but endless forest around me. And before I could assume that no one had been there except me and the trees, I perceived a voice.
“Come here human child, let us see you.”
I turned my head in the direction of the whispering voices, and at first, I couldn’t really trust my eyes. There were two shadows that somehow looked like female bodies who nearly blended in with the surrounding forest, their bodies entangled with a trunk and leaves on their head as hair. Their eyes were emotionless black slits.
“You must have come a long way, human child. What is your aim to visit us?”
Their voices sounded unreal, like an instrument on its own, softer than silk and flowing like water. “I think this must be a dream,” I murmured to myself quietly.
“A dream it can be, my dear. Only a few find the way, some don’t recognize it when they do—some… don’t ever want to…”
What did the tree-women want to tell me? Which ‘way’ were they talking about?
“The faeries sent me,” I stuttered, the words stuck in my throat. It wasn’t every day I saw women resembling trees. “The faeries said you, as deities of nature, are all knowing and are able to help me find my way back home.”
“Oh, we wish we could help you. But opening an entrance to the human world can only be done by very powerful sorcerers like the Witchmaker; we cannot do such a thing. Only within our world are we able to create portals. The real question is: is this truly your wish?” they asked, their voices in synchronous harmony with each other.
Who was the Witchmaker, and why did they think I wanted to stay here? I knew no one, and despite the fact that at home I had to confront Alexander again, wandering through forests for the rest of my life without people like me did not sound ideal.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Everything that happens outside our Enchanted Forest adheres to different rules and norms. So, we really want to know, why do you wish to flee from here?” they inquired. The faeries had warned me that their deities were curious souls who used personal information to enhance their powers.
“We just feel that there is much more to you than you see…”
“I need to go where I belong,” I told them, the urgency showing in my voice.
“The only way to find someone capable of helping you isthrough a portal to the Lake of the Sirens. Whatever you find there will be your path. Be warned, sirens may be able to help you, but nothing ever comes for free from one of them. It is their power to feed on emotions… especially fear and hope. Do not let them trick you into the water just because you are afraid.”
Disquiet spread through my stomach, but it was my only chance, so I nodded.
The forest deities floated above me, over to a huge tree and extended their arms, speaking words that I had never heard before. This must be their language. It sounded strange, but otherworldly beautiful. Both intertwined their hands and continued whispering the unfamiliar words until a flicker ignited in the tree, causing it to split in half. A glow appeared in the center, transforming the tree into a gate radiating a dull light.
“This is your way, human child. Be quick, the door will close soon.”
Despite my discomfort, I knew I had no other choice, so I stepped through the gate. I felt some sort of energy pulling me, causing me to stumble. Everything around me was enveloped in a warm light. As I steadied myself, I found myself standing in a new realm.
The Lake of the Sirens was enormous, resembling almost a light blue lagoon, surrounded by a profusion of sea flowers. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. White sand, shimmering like pearls, surrounded the edges of the water. From afar, I could make out some shadows dancing and twirling over the lake.
I approached slowly, the shadows morphing into women and men with fish tails in shades of green and blue. Their long, white-blonde hair was decorated with pearls and water lilies. The ears of the women were much longer than those of humans, and had the form of beautiful fish scales in many shimmering colors. One of the women looked in my direction. Her eyes werea deep white with no iris, which unnerved me and fascinated me all at once.
A haunting tune reached my ears nearby and made me feel so lightheaded that I even forgot why I was here. The melody felt like a warm embrace, its notes coaxing me further toward the lake. Oh, how I wished to be one of them. The women began to speak, their voices a fatal charm to my mortal ears. All at once I became very dizzy, and I just wanted to sleep.
I felt a hand enveloping mine, recognizing delicate little faeries the size of my finger melting away with the water. I began to lose my sense of time and couldn’t seem to remember my reason for visiting the lake. Everything grew dark as I felt the water envelop my entire body.
I was drowning.
This better be the time where I wake up and find out everything was just a dream.
