I couldn't tell you how I ended up in the woods at 3am, but I could tell you I wasn't surprised. This isn't the first time I've found myself waking up, fully clothed and in a panic, as if someone was chasing me down, standing in the woods at night. Perhaps "waking up" isn't the correct term. It's more like I went to bed, fully expecting to find myself still there when I woke up in the morning, but instead I just sort-of... find myself standing in the dark, cold woods behind my house with no idea how I got there. The funny thing is there isn't really a moment where I pass from sleeping to waking, it's more like I was awake all along, and I had only just then realized I wasn't sleeping. I never remember anything, which would be disconcerting except that this has happened more times than I could count.
I sigh, and try to calm my racing heart. <em>This isn't the first time. Nothing is out here besides me and some of the wild animals. Calm...</em>
And then I saw something move in my peripheral. It wasn't one of the wild raccoons we have around here, neither was it a stray cat; though about that size. There it was again-- on the other side of my peripheral this time. I prayed a silent prayer to whatever wood goddess would listen and shut my eyes tightly. I've learned that if you're afraid, just shutting your eyes and hoping it will go away usually works-- or maybe I've never experienced a real threat, I don't know.
I could <em>hear</em> them, whatever <em>they</em> were, muttering what sounded like a spell of some sort to themselves. I could tell it was a spell because spells always seem to contain some kind of glowing quality to the voice, like a song coated in honey and light. And while I'm sure that sounds just wonderful to anyone who had never heard a spell being cast, it is <em>not</em> something you want to hear in the woods at night, no matter how beautiful it sounds. There's a reason it's highly unadvised to go into the woods at all, <em>much less</em> at night, when all of the magical folk like to wander about, hexing any unsuspecting travelers. I had begun to doubt the village stories that had been passed down, mother to child, for generations. After all, I had been in the woods many times at night (though not by choice) and I had been just fine. There had never been a hint of any otherworldly creatures, so maybe they had died off, just like the pair of adventurers had said when they came to our inn a few years ago.
They were wrong, and I had no doubt now. I've heard spells cast before by our priestess, but none as pure as this. It was the only explanation. So I stood as still as I could, hunched over and tense, trying to keep my breath steady.
<em>Be quiet, heart-- I can hear you trying to punch through my chest!</em>
No good, of course, the heart is an involuntary muscle, of course it's not going to listen.
"Psst! Kid!" I heard a whisper, but it was the voice of someone I knew... Priestess Irva's? I popped open my eyes to find her, hands on hips with that typical sassy attitude we all knew her for.
"What are you doing here, kid? Don't you know the fae are out wandering about at this time especially?"
I just stared at her. Finally I found it in myself to respond, "What are you doing here?"
Priestess Irva's eyes narrowed. "Um, watching over you? I've noticed you've been sneaking out for the past several months. Did you think I wouldn't? I've known you since you were in your mother's womb, you think I wouldn't know you would go through a bit of a rebellious stage? Though I must say, I was a bit surprised that this was the route you took. What were you thinking?"
I didn't bother correcting her. This was certainly not what I chose, but I was too tired to explain. "Can we just go home?" I mumbled.
For just a moment I thought saw unnaturally sleek, smooth hair, hypnotic eyes, pointed teeth before everything returned to normal, with Priestess Irva's wild red hair sticking out in every direction. She nodded and turned around, motioning for me to follow. I was fairly certain we were going the wrong way, but I trusted her to take me home. Oh how I wished I hadn't.
