* It is dark. Maybe it's night. The trees around me are out of focus and the scenery changes fast. Too fast. Nevertheless, everything is familiar to me. I'm in the forest near our village. The Shadow Forest. I know it. I feel it.

I move fast, but I don't feel the ground under my feet. I look down and at that moment I feel the soft mane of Iris, my unicorn friend, between my fingers. I ride in the woods. It must've been urgent to get somewhere because I had never ride her before. We are going somewhere. But where!?

Iris speeded up more. Ok, I got it, I'm in a hurry but... but for where!? 

It's unusually dark in the forest. Due to the nearby trees and their densely intertwined branches of the crowns, sunlight or moonlight rarely creeps into our forest. It is always in the shade, which is why it is called the Shadow Forest. Trivial, I know, but it is what it is. Anyway, I'm used to its darkness. I have been hiding and playing in it since I was a child. But now it's too dark and I don't like it that way. It scares me. 

The only light now comes from Iris's horn, and I'm grateful she is with me. She has always been there for me when I needed her the most.

I look ahead and in the distance I see an island of light. The Lunar meadow! I'm going there. I need to get there faster. I don't know why, but I have to. I can feel it. "Please, Iris, faster, faster", I whisper in her ear.

But why? Why is it so difficult for me to get to the meadow? Why instead of reducing the distance to it, it seems to increase?

Iris stops, and I jump off of her and start running as fast as I can. I feel my muscles so weak and unsteady that I can barely run, but I don't give up. I'm approaching it. I see the meadow more clearly now.

There's someone on it. A child with golden blond hair and a white dress with a pink belt, it stands in the middle of the Lunar meadow and picks up daisies. She looks like a little princess. No, not a princess but an angel. I know this child. This is my sister.

This kid is my little sister Edelweiss. I slow down my pace. Edelweiss is there and playing happily. I stop and just observe her.  I adore looking at her like that - smiling and cheerful. She really looks like an angel, and she has such a pure and good heart. She is so sensitive and empathetic that if she sees someone suffering, she gets sick and her sunny mood darkens, a great sadness takes over her.

But now she seems happy - her smile lights up her face and she leaps and picks up the most beautiful daisies she can find. I smile at the cute picture in front of me, but... 

There's something wrong. I feel heaviness in my chest. Something's bothering me. Something is definitely not right. But what!?

And then... I turn my head to the right from Edelweiss, and there...behind her...is...

I start running again. Towards her. Towards my little innocent sister who is in danger.

A shadow with a bow and arrows... He raises the bow, stretches the bowstring and a black arrow flies like in slow motion to... "EDELWEISS!", I shout. I try to speed up my pace towards her, but again it is as if my muscles are against me and I have no strength to move. I shout again, "NOOoooo...", until my voice fades away.

The sudden change of the scene before me got me startled. I'm petrified.

The arrow moved slowly, but... before I knew it, and especially before I could reach my sister... the arrow struck my little angel in her back and she fell to the ground.

"NOOOO", a monstrous scream escapes my throat, I run and this time I reach her without a problem, without a delay. I kneel on the grass. I break the handle of the arrow that protrudes from the back of...of... my sister... and carefully turn her to face me.

"Nononono", I'm mumbling. I take my sister lightly in my arms and with trembling hands move the hair from her face. Her hair is drenched in blood. "Ed...Edelweiss, little angel! Eddie, please, please, open your eyes", I whisper, my voice is weak and shaky. "Darling, please open your eyes", I weep. "Edelweiss... pleease...w...wake up", sobs shake my body. I pull her closer to me and a new piercing, painful scream escapes my throat...

"NOOOO!" *

And I opened my eyes.

A ceiling, lit by moonlight and dancing shadows from the branches of the trees on it, greeted my gaze. To the left was the window. I was sitting in my bed. I quickly turned my head to the right, and saw her. Edelweiss was sleeping peacefully in her bed, her chest was rising and falling and... everything was fine. She's alright.

I wrapped my hands around my face and whispered in them, "It was a dream, just... a dream. A bad, really bad dream, but... A dream." I sighed and tears of relief filled my eyes and rolled down my cheeks. I reached back and pulled the pillow, then pulled my knees towards me and placed it on them. I hid my face in it and let the fluffy pillow drown out my crying.

Slowly the sobbing decreased and I felt better. The heaviness in my chest was fading away. I wiped my eyes and nose with my hand and cautiously got out of bed. I moved quietly across the room to Edelweiss, and kneeled by her bed. I gently stroked her scattered curls and kissed her hand. "She's fine. She's fine. It was a nightmare. Just a nightmare. Nothing more", I tried to calm myself. Mentally, I still was a bit of a mess. I kept on caressing her hair. She moved and I froze in place, but she didn't wake up, she just turned to the wall and continued sleeping.

I stood up, then pulled the blanket over her shoulders, and bent to kiss her gently on the head.

Then I went back to bed, tucked myself in it, and I fell asleep imperceptibly.

***

I felt the warmth of the sun's rays on my face. Their tender caress brings me so much joy. It's wonderful!

Once the sun appears on the window, it's time to get up. I spun around to get out of bed and... I caught Edelweiss sneaking up on me to wake me up. I smiled at her and moved back a little bit to make her room to lie down next to me. She didn't wait for a second invitation and immediately huddled under the covers.

"Ammy, why is it always warmer with you?", Edelweiss asked, settling closer to me.

"Because my love for you also brings you warmth", I replied.

"I love you too, Ammy!"

"And do you know what else I love?", I asked her playfully.

"What!?", she asked, and her eyes widened out of curiosity.

"Mmm... tickling you", my fingers tickled her belly, and she burst out laughing.

She put her hands to me and she started tickling me as well. Our laughter echoed through the room.

Such moments are my favourites. But the cheerful mood didn't stay in me long enough. We laughed too loud. "Adele, Edelweiss's mother, and my stepmother could hear us, and that wouldn't be good." And that thought swirling in my mind, ruined all the fun we had.

I pulled myself together, and with a smile, though not that wide as it was seconds ago, I invited Edelweiss to get up. She didn't embrace my invitation.

"Already!?", Edelweiss asked sadly, "We were playing so well. Can't we continue!?"

"No, sunshine, come on", I replied and slipped out of bed.

"Just five more minutes", she pleaded, then made me look her in the eyes - her big sad blue eyes, "Please, pretty pretty pleeease!"

"Don't try to soften me with that look", I said, frowning, but a smile crept across my lips. Edelweiss frowned.

"Don't be angry", I bent down and whispered to her, "Let's get dressed and have breakfast, then we could go to the woods. We could play there as much as you want. Today promises to be warm, soo, let's check what colorful surprise the Lunar meadow is preparing for us. Agree!?"

At the mention of the Lunar meadow, Edelweiss's faces glowed with a wide smile.

"Really!?", she asked excitedly.

"Yes, but be quiet. You know we shouldn't tell Adele", I winked at her and she tried to do it herself but it didn't work which only melted my heart and made me smile wider.

"Now quickly wash your face and teeth, and get dressed, then we'll have some breakfast", I instructed her and she ran out of the room happily.

Smiling I dressed up and put my favourite and only boots. "They've seen better times", I thought, "I should probably buy new pair. Maybe soon."

I sighed and headed to the door, but an unpleasant surprise was waiting for me when I opened it.

"Ohh, and what shouldn't I hear", my stepmother, Adele, was standing at the door - frowning, and with arms crossed in front of her chest.

"What are you up to, awful girl?", she hissed.

Instead of answering, I slipped between her and the door frame and turned left toward the kitchen. I barely took a few steps and felt an invisible rope tightening around me. It pressed my hands tightly against my body, and the pressure on my chest was so heavy that I could barely catch my breath.

"Ad...Adele...let...go...of...me...It...hu...hurts", I said stammering, and turned to look at her, barely able to move.

"Oh, does it? Does it hurt!? Really!?", her eyes widened in surprise, as if she hadn't expected it, but only seconds later malice flashed in them and her mouth twisted into a mischievous smile, "And now...How do you feel now?"

She asked, and a moment later the rope tightened up even more.

"Nooo, I can't br...breathe", my voice came out as a whisper. My eyes filled with tears. It was too painful to bear it.

"Are you crying!?", she asked with obvious pleasure, "Okay. So, you've learnt your lesson."

The rope disappeared, and I fell to the floor and began to swallow air thirstily.

The pain, emotional and physical, rose in me and poured out in a burst of anger.

"How can you be so evil!? Because of people like you the Apollyon exists", I hissed at her.

That was the truth, but... I wasn't in a position to speak the truth right now. Seconds after I voiced my opinion of her, I regretted doing it. Adele used her magic against me again. She lifted me into the air, clutching my throat. I had just taken my breath, and now... I was suffocating. Again. "You're stupid, Amara, really stupid!", I scolded myself.

"You...You little b...", she hissed through teeth, "Get out of here and don't come back before dinner. And don't even think to go to your father to complain, and moreover to interrupt his work! I'll know if you do it and you'll be very sorry! You know it!"

As she said this, she moved me straight to the front door, which was on the opposite side of the corridor. She opened it, and threw me out, like I was an useless rag doll, and shut the door behind me.

I was on the ground. Again. I was breathing heavily. Again.

As I stood up, I heard Edelweiss's sweet voice.

"Good morning, mommy!"

"Good morning, my little angel", Adele replied in such a gentle and loving voice that it was as if someone else, and not the woman who had been suffocating me seconds ago had said that, "Let's have breakfast."

"Is Ammy in the kitchen?", Edelweiss asked.

"Your sister went out."

"Oh", Edelweiss exclaimed sadly, "she said that we'll have breakfast together."

"Don't be sad, my dear, Amara is unreliable. You can't count on her for anything", my stepmother said.

"But she promised me!", my little sister, cried.

"Forget her. She's evil. She abandoned you because she doesn't love you, honey", Adele lied.

I turned abruptly to the door and grabbed the handle ready to push it and rush inside. How can she lie my sister like that!? That's outrageous!

But I stopped myself. I wouldn't achieve anything good if I storm in now. I'll explain to Edelweiss later that I haven't abandoned her.

I released the handle reluctantly, and stepped away from the door. I headed to Clarissa, she works in the creamery, and she was my mother's only friend. And also my only friend. She was the only one who I could talk to. She was the only person, besides my dad and my sister, who loved me and cared about me.