Mayabelle yawned and sleepily blinked in the early morning light. The sun was streaming through the thicket of trees making beautiful, hazy rays between the branches. The other two hadn't woken up yet, so Mayabelle decided to go find something for them to eat for breakfast. 

As she wandered she saw flowers of all kinds, purple ones with blueish stems, yellow daffodil ones with a beautiful scent and pink dainty ones covered in dewdrops. Picking berries, she wandered along, and soon her dress was full of yummy things to make a great breakfast. 

Looking around, she realized she was lost. She tried to retrace her steps, but the forest was too dense. Mayabelle sighed, plopping down on a stump to think of a way out. If she had music like Idril, she could strum until someone heard her. If she was Ember, she'd have Ceaser lead her back to the camp. 

Doubt overtook her mind, filling her head with horrible thoughts. What if they left her behind? If she was talented like them, she could find her way back! How could she have been so stupid, she should have stayed close to the camp. Quietly, she began to cry. 

A voice hissed at her, startling her out of her tears. 

"Why do you cry?"

A shadowy creature appeared out from behind a tree. His body had no real substance, his face was only white eyes and a strange smile. He hovered a few inches off the ground, slowly drifting toward Mayabelle. 

She gasped and sat back, startled. 

"Don't be scared," hissed the thing. "I won't hurt you. You're lost, yes?" Mayabelle nodded quietly. "Why are you crying then? We're all lost, aren't we?" 

"I suppose," Mayabelle pondered, "but I just want to go back to my friends. I don't want to be left behind."

"Oh," breathed the shadow, floating up beside Mayabelle, "you're scared your friends would leave you? Why would you think that?" 

"Well," she said, "I'm not good at fighting, I'm so small and I get tired so quickly. My magic doesn't come from out there," Mayabelle gestured around her, "it's from inside me. "

The shadow figure shifted it's head, as though nodding. 

"There there," it said in a creepily soothing voice. "I too had magic once. It also came from inside of me. Eventually, it consumed me, and left me like this. It did not stop me though, no it didn't, I needed to see my family again. But when I had finally found their old home, they had gone. I was left forgotten. So here I stay, waiting for travelers."

"Why," asked Maybelle. She had started to feel sad for the poor shadow man. Left by his family, friends, and now was only a lonely remnant of what he used to be. 

"I wait so they can help me," he hissed again, "and in turn I always help them too. Would you like help finding your friends?" 

"Oh, yes!" Mayabelle exclaimed. "What do you want me to do?" she asked excitedly. 

"Just stand still," it said, in a strange and malicious tone. "You won't feel the pain."

As Mayabelle screamed, the demon shot into her, consuming her, taking control of her limbs and senses. Her eyes turned from green to black, her limbs stiffened, her smile formed faintly and creepily on her face. 

Mayabelle stalked through the grove of trees, back to camp.