When I wake up the next morning, I'm only confused for a second before I remember where I am. Elle sleeps in the bed across from me. She has peaceful expression on her face and I don't want to disturb her by walking on the creaky floorboards.
Hoping she's a heavy sleeper- like myself- I slowly get out of my bed and gingerly make my way toward the door. I only release my breath once I exit the room.
Heading downstairs, I creep through the house like I'm a burglar, but that's only cause I don't want to wake anybody.
I reach the edge of the kitchen, but before I could enter in, I notice an older women with long gray hair bending over a pot belly stove. I don't know whether to go in or not, but that issue already decides itself when the woman stands up and turns around.
"Don't scare me like that dear! I'm an old woman you know." She puts a hand to her heart and shakes her head at me.
"Sorry."
"Ah, it's fine dear." She returns her attention back to the stove. "Coxen told me who you are. Says you fell out of the sky, or whatever nonsense he was telling. Mallory is your name, correct?"
"Yes."
"How old are you?"
"Sixteen."
She pulls something out of the stove then jesters to a small table. "Go head and sit, I'll probably have a seat myself."
Joining me at the table, the old woman looks me over.
"Why's your dress so wrinkled?"
I look down at myself. "Uh, I slept in last night."
The woman shakes her head at me again and lets out a sigh. "You don't sleep in your good clothes around here, dear."
"Sorry." I say sheepishly. "I usually don't sleep in my good clothes, where I'm from. I was just so tired and- and back at home I usually just slip into my onesie and-"
The woman was giving this look of confusion and not caring.
"Sorry." I apologize again. "Too much information."
"Are you always this confusing, dear?"
"Depends on who you ask that question."
She gives me a smile and pats my hand. "Forgive my rudeness, I haven't introduced myself. Eudora Ponns."
"Nice to meet you. So you're Elvina's and Coxen's grandmother?"
"In a way. Not their grandmother by blood, but I still love them like family." A sad expression passes over her face. "Their parents have unfortunately passed, but I took care of them since they were both young. I knew their parents. Such kind, caring people. Such a shame."
"What are you making." I ask wanting to change the subject.
"Some pork slices and cornbread for breakfast."
"Oh, I usually have a bowl of cereal for breakfast, but during the school year I sometimes skip breakfast."
Another funny look.
"A confusing child you are." She mutters to herself.
Coxen suddenly appears in the doorway of the kitchen, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Morning." Eudora calls.
"Morning."
"Why don't you get Elle up, since breakfast is almost done."
As Coxen leaves to get Elle up, Eudora tells me to set the table.
◆◆◆
As we're cleaning up breakfast I decide that while we think of a plan to get me home, in the meantime I want to explore the village. I mean this just like a village you would see in a fairytale and it's completely authentic. What more could I ask for?
"You can look around, but just don't go too far." Coxen warns.
Elle decides to show me around.
"Our village is pretty small, but I love the closeness of it." Elle explains.
Though she's talking I barely tune in. My mind is far away in its own fairytale. The splendor of such vintage buildings is a lot for me to take in. I remember as a kid, I use to build cardboard villages and pretend they were as elaborate and stunning as this, but I never felt I was truly in a fairytale town.
But here, everything is exactly how I imagined it would be. Not even villages in Europe could top this beauty.
"Why are people giving me strange looks?" I ask Elle. Though I have been soaking up the sights of the village, I have noticed that ever since we've left the house, people have been eyeing me down, like I'm this suspicious character. In a way I am, but everyone has been giving me a cold stare and I know it's not just in my mind.
"People here are a little weary of things and they've never seen you before. I'm sorry. It's just the way they are."
"It's ok. I come from a small town too and people there can be a bit...bizarre to strangers." Though everyone back in Cauldron wouldn't give looks this cold.
"Hey Elle!"
Our attention is directed to a shaggy hair boy who appears to be either nine or ten. He's a jumpy thing and meets us halfway with a mischievous smile on his face.
"Hey Elle. Who's your friend?" His hazel eyes shimmer.
"Portar, this is Mallory. Mallory, meet Portar."
He seems to be sizing me up, then says. "Well, she's a little heavier than most but she can still play."
"Portar!" Elle scolds. "Be kind."
"Hey! I still said she could play." He says innocently.
I only roll my eyes. I'm a little too use to this- being called the "big girl". Most people back at home do this. Like I said though, I'm not fat, just a little pudgy. My mom calls it "having curves" I call it chubby. Though I will admit, I have a nice pair of assets because of my weight- if you get my drift.
"Do you want to play with us?" Portar ask eagerly.
"What are you playing?"
"Catch the fly. We're playing out by the old mill. It's me, Grim, Ismeal, Frilla, and Myrlard. You should join, it'll be fun."
"Out by the old mill? I don't know Portar." Elle says unsure. "It's a little farther from the village then I'd like to be."
"Ah...come on Elle, don't chicken out on us."
"I'll come."
I don't know what possessed me to agree to play this game- whether it was me wanting to experience village life or something else- but now I was going along with the ride.
Portar brightens. "Great! Come on, before they start without us."
He takes off into the lightly wooded forest. I motion for Elle to join me and reluctantly she does. We wander farther into the woods, following the energetic boy until we stumble upon an old rundown structure. There are already four other kids waiting, all varying in age.
"Geez, Portar, what took you so long?" A tall dark hair boy asked.
"Yeah. We've been waiting for ages." A shorter boy adds.
As me and Elle got closer to the group, a girl with burnt auburn hair in two long braids spoke up.
"Who's that you got with you?"
"Guys, this is Mallory." Portar gestures to me. "She'll be playing with us."
"Where's Coxen?" A girl with a quiet voice asked. She was the shortest and youngest looking in the group.
"Yeah, where is Coxen? Is he going to play with us?" Tall boy ask.
"No, Coxen is back at the house." Elle explains.
"Gather round." Portar instructs. "Now, we're all playing Catch the Fly. The borders are this mill, the edge of the village, and the denser parts of the woods. Got it?"
"Wait, she doesn't even know our names or how the game works." Two braids says pointing at me.
"Alright, alright." Portar says grudgingly. "You can start Frilla."
Two braids gives me a warm smile and tries to stand as tall as she can. "I'm Frilla and I'm eight and a half."
The shorter boy scoffs."She's only eight."
Frilla narrows her eyes at him.
"I'm Grim. I'm nine years old." He announces proudly.
"Ismeal." The tall boy says. "I'm twelve."
"And this is my little sister, Myrlard." Portar says pushing her forward. "She's six."
"So what are the rules of the game?" I ask.
"Ok, so first we pick a 'fly' and the rest of us try to get away from the fly. If you get touched, then you become a fly, and the last person who wasn't touched by one of the flies wins. Easy?"
"Yeah."
"Oh, and you can't run out of bounds." Frilla adds.
"So who's going to be the fly?" Grim ask. "I think Ismeal should be the fly."
"Yeah, Ismeal why don't you be the fly?"
Ismeal sighs but agrees and everyone runs off for a ten second head start.
"So he said the boundaries were the mill, the village, and the densest parts of the woods. What do they count as dense?"
I run as fast and far as I can, but I have to tell you, running isn't my talent. Me and running are like water and oil- we just don't mix. I have the worst stamina around, I mean I couldn't jog a quarter of mile without feeling like I was dying.
Stopping at a dead and rotting tree trunk to catch my breath, I hear the delighted screams of children as they're tagged. Apparently they sing a tune when they're tagged.
"Down one, down one, the fly has claimed another one."
I can hear someone approaching my hiding spot, but I'm not sure if they've noticed me yet.
"Found you."
"Crap."
I get up to book it and see it's Frilla chasing me. Ugh, she looks like she could easily chase me down with no problem. I don't where this sudden burst of energy comes from, but I'm running like my life depends on it.
I guess some of this comes from me always losing the game of tag back at home. Every time I played with the other kids, I would always lose, because seeing how I was the 'bigger girl' I was quite an easy target. Safe to say, tag was not my favorite childhood game.
Hear her behind me only makes me increase speed and soon I'm not caring where I run. I only stop after I feel like I'm about the faint. Though sweat drops in my eye and I have no idea where I am, I feel victorious. Frilla is nowhere to be seen or heard.
"Yes! I am finally the champion of tag." I say breathlessly.
My celebration is cut short though, as I realize I'm alone and lost. Looking around, nothing seems familiar, and since I'm not from here I'm completely lost. To top it off, this appears to be the denser part of the woods. Alone, lost, and dying of thirst.
"Great."
The only option is to try to find my way back to the group. But I took so many twist and turns getting here, that I'm only lost more.
"You're a genius Mallory. A real wizard. Running as hard as you can just to win a game of tag."
My head starts to become dizzy and soon I'm feeling lightheaded. I know I need to get back and find water.
In the distance I see a clearing- and it may be my imagination- but I thought I saw a structure in the shape of a well. Well equals water!
I use my last ounce of strength to push myself toward the clearing. It even has rays of light shining through the gap in the treetops, it's like a beacon of hope. Heaven's rays guiding me toward salvation.
When I reach the well all I can think about is the water at the bottom of it. I begin to look for the bucket until I'm startled by a voice.
"There's no water at the bottom. Well has been dried up for fifty years at least."
I look down the dark empty well. My spirit is deflated by this and I slump down on the bench surrounding the well.
"Ugh! Absolutely nothing is going right." I cry.
I so consumed by my failure that I forget I'm not here alone.
"Do you need something to drink?" The stranger ask. "I have water on me if you do."
I know my parents would be disappointed with me in talking with strangers and accepting water from them, but I was going to die if I didn't drink anything.
I accepted the offer and drunk nearly all the water in the stranger's leather water pouch.
Now that my thirst has been quenched, I feel kind of bad for drink nearly all of the water in the stranger's water pouch.
I hand the pouch back and give an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I got a little carried away. Thank though for the drink."
"It's not a bother."
I look up at the stranger. He's ebony hair covers his left eye, but I can tell his eyes are a stunning shade of blue. His eyes are almost an unreal shade of blue. He stares off into the distance and doesn't make eye contact with me until he feels me staring. When we do make contact, I glance away quickly and hope he doesn't notice.
"Are you good with advice?"
I look at him again. "Huh?"
"Are good at giving people good advice?"
Staring at him intently for awhile I realize he's serious. I can't recall when anyone has ever asked for my advice- even on my blog! I usually asked other people for advice. I was never an advice giver, but I should at least try to help, he did after all help me. Besides, advice giving could be my talent, my special skill.
"I don't know. I can try though." I tell him honestly.
"I come here often to think and reflect. But today my mind has been restless and I can't figure out why. I feel like something important is about to happen to me, I don't know if it's good or bad, just that something is about to occur." He looks at me expectantly.
"Uh, you asked for an advice giver not a psychic."
"I've had a feeling like that before, it turned out to be nothing but I think that it could mean something important is about to happen to you." I bite my lip not knowing how personal I wanted to make this, but I do so anyway. "I'm more of a 'happily ever after' type of person, so I believe in shooting stars and dreams. I've always had this small feeling that something, or someone, is waiting for me and I'm getting closer with each new day. I hope I don't sound insane. But whatever this 'feeling' you have, stick with it. Who knows something major may occur to you. And that's my honest advice, sorry if it didn't help, I'm kind of new at this."
I realized through the whole time I was talking, he wouldn't stop staring at me. It wasn't anything threatening or creepy, but it was slightly unnerving and strange.
"Thank you. I'll take that to heart."
Though there's nothing else to say to each, other neither of us move. My mind is telling me to leave, but it's like my body is frozen and I'm under some weird supernatural control. It takes me a second to realize that we're now only inches away from each other. My thoughts are race and I don't know what to do.
"What's wrong with me!? Stop, stop. Pull back, pull back, pull back!"
I knew what was going to happen and I knew I have no control over myself at this point, so I just close my eyes and hope that I'm really just in a dream.
My parents would kill me. I wander off where it's not safe, accept a drink from a stranger, and now have kissed that stranger. I would be grounded for a year if they found out.
After the sudden kiss, the mysterious 'spell' is broken and I regain control of my body. I don't know what to say to the stranger, but I don't get the chance before he's already getting up.
"I have to go." He doesn't sound embarrassed or angry, he's still as calm as the moment we met. "Thank you for your advice."
Mounting on a dark horse I never noticed until now, he stares at me for a second before nudging the horse and riding off. I watch him ride off until I can't see his black cloak fluttering in the breeze.
I sit on the bench for a few minutes, my mind reel. I wish I would've asked for directions back to the village. Getting up to wander back through the woods, I replay that moment over in my head.
"Most bizarre first kiss ever."