Jillian
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Wandering through the forest, shrubs, and trees, I kept walking with a limp. Jack was behind me all throughout, making sure that I wouldn't fall.

It took us some time to get to this healer's place. It already seemed like the labyrinth hit us because hours seemed like months! Climbing up small hills seemed like it would never end!

And I'm sure, Glory got tired of hearing my repeated question "Are we there yet?"

I sound like an annoying child, but hey, that's because I'm still one! Walking endlessly on foot with a bruised knee isn't easy, and that fairy has it easy. All she must do is fly!

Hearing my feet crunch through the crisp fallen leaves of dead trees was my only amusement. The sounds allowed me to start a beat of my own.

Right foot, before the left.

Again, right foot, before the left.

Ugh!

I needed to stop, but my right leg didn't want to continue.

But I couldn't... not now, or I wouldn't be able to catch up with my two companions.

If they could only wait for me!

Turning around, I saw how far we have traveled. It seemed that a while ago we just left a tree stump where the unicorn, Destiny, laid down. Now that appears to be miles away, or is that an optical illusion? I placed my hand under my chin trying to figure that one out.

~~

Anyway, I was telling my feet how to move earlier, because following my brother with all my might was difficult. And my feet somehow lost that 'sense' of moving around by themselves.

My knee might be bruised with a pint of dried blood as a display, but after a while on my own, I could stand up without Jack's aide.

My brother kept insisting that he should help me walk earlier, but refused it. I was getting tired of him covering my face or squeezing me tightly that I couldn't breathe!

It felt that every five minutes or so, he wanted me to see the scratches upon his dirty hands! And it smelled too ... as dead as dried grass!

Okay, I know he wanted to protect me from all this harm coming toward us, and perhaps I felt a little nauseated once the unicorn mesmerized me. But I wasn't that lightheaded, was I?

And then I remembered the aching pain on my knee.

Ouch!

Looking down at my leg, I gritted my teeth due to the pain.

I touched the portion where I felt the soreness, and it felt weird since it appeared that discoloration was forming.

Why was I the little girl in distress? It's as if I was picked on to be the one in turmoil.

But perhaps, I was wrong. I might be imagining things. But the thought of everything happening to me so quickly these past hours felt unreal. It's not supposed to be this way! Jack and I don't belong in the Abyss!

I don't know what to do now!

Should I just give up?

Sigh!

I guess I'm too stubborn to admit it, but I do need help! I wish my mom was here to help me soothe the pain away with her gentle hands. But she wasn't, so I'll settle for the second-best thing I could do.

So, I called out for my brother to come back to my side.

"Jack, I can't continue ... please go on without me." I whined as I began to feel pity for myself.

He turned around and probably saw the sense of uneasiness upon my face.

"Nonsense! Jill, we are going to this healer for you. If you only listened to me earlier; you shouldn't be walking on that foot! Now, see what has happened!" I could sense that he was already getting agitated as I was, based on the way he spoke.

My brother sighed for a bit and continued with his ramblings, "Look, do you want me to carry you, sis?" He asked this with his hands ready to lift me up.

"What? Don't you dare touch me with those smelly hands of yours, Jack! You think I enjoyed that foul odor while you kept touching my face?" I made my nose wiggle to emphasize how I felt. I was ready to run away from him when the pain in my knee joint hit me again.

I continued to bite my upper lip to withstand the discomfort but tried to state to Jack that I didn't need his lectures anymore.

"Look, Jack, we're fighting in the middle of nowhere, and all I want to do is go home! You were right, and I was wrong. But I don't need you to 'rub in my face'! Can't we just stop for a second instead?" I asked him while I folded my hands in a prayer - like position.

He looked at me with a sympathetic face and shook his head. "You know Jill, you are so stubborn for your own good! Let's ask Glory, on what we should do then? Glory, what do you think?"

But to our surprise, there wasn't an answer.

Complete Silence.

Both of us then looked up to where we last saw the pixie was positioned in the sky, but all we saw was the bright blue sky.

Where could she have gone this time? She couldn't just leave out here!

"Glory?"

"Glory, Glory Alleluia?" Just like in a song I once knew. Hey, it was worth a try, but she couldn't just disappear without telling us? Or could she?

All the sudden, I was being lifted in the air without any support. A levitation of some kind. I was scared at the most and screamed. What was happening?

"Jack! Help me down!" Those were all the words that came out of my mouth as I made sure I wouldn't intentionally fall flat on the ground. But I was moving forward ... where to? I wouldn't know, but it must be toward Aurora's house!

I wonder why this was happening to me, but somehow, I had a hunch that this had to do with the fairy's magic. So, I calmed down, but I'm not so sure if Jack did the same. His mouth was wide open in the shape of an 'O' and was keeping his eyes on me the whole time. A sense of panic perhaps? That's my brother for you!

But since Glory already told my brother that she didn't have any healing powers, I wonder if she was lying ... lying to take us on another wild goose chase!

I liked her, really, I did. But know, Jack opened a new side of her that I don't trust.

But now we are off to meet this new fairy, Aurora, who's supposed to heal me. Even if it means that I must hang up in the air, while 'some force' was making me continue our journey.

~~

"Look up! "My brother shouted.

I must have fallen asleep for I rubbed my eyes to keep me awake. Miraculously, I hardly felt the pain in my knee. But as I tried to touch my knee joint, I could still see the dried blood on my hand. Well, not all was healed. But at least, I felt better.

Beyond the bushes, I could see a glimpse of the small brown cottage - a tree house of some sort. There were rugged steps that led visitors to the door as well.

One that I might have seen in storybooks when Mom used to read to us.

I always wanted a tree house, one where you can have your own private time. But we didn't have a tree in our backyard, which was upsetting. And in Truth or Consequences, there weren't many girls I could play with.

Suddenly I felt an eerie feeling of being released. My face was already facing the ground below and whimpered a bit.

Jack must have seen what was going on, as he ran towards me. "Don't worry, Jill. I got you if you fall!" Again, his hands were positioned to catch my body, but to my surprise, I was placed down gently on the ground upright.

And that's when we saw her reappear, as Glory rubbed her hands together! I was quite flabbergasted.

Thus, both Jack and I asked in unison. "Glory! Were you that 'magical force' all along?"