Faeries of Delusia

Chapter Three

I must have been sleeping because the next thing I knew the wind was shaking me awake. I was startled and it took a while to regain myself. I scanned my surroundings. I saw nothing living in sight. I was in the same place I had been earlier; underneath a berry bush. The multicolored berries surrounded me and I remembered eating some. Had they caused me to sleep? Earlier I hadn’t been tired at the least.

The chances of this being a dream grew slim.

Who falls asleep while they are asleep anyway?

I remembered what Trista said about the trees. If I knocked on them twice, what would happen? Would I fall through some trap door and end up in a wonderland? That is, if I already wasn’t in one. I didn’t feel threatened enough to test that out, so I waited for Trista a little longer. A little longer grew to be a few hours. At least that’s what it felt like, but I couldn’t be sure, I didn’t wear a watch and there weren’t floating clocks around here. I honestly wouldn’t be totally wigged out if I did see that though.

Suddenly there was a rustling in the bushes in the distance. I strained my eye sight to see if I could make out any object or person. Trista is a Faerie and I thought Faeries were tiny flying creatures but obviously I was wrong. Everything here might not be human size though, so I had to keep an eye out for all sorts of shapes and sizes. I listened closely for more sound but got nothing.

The noise was abruptly closer, it didn’t sound like it was in any bush anymore. It was like it was right in my ear. Then I became quite concerned when I thought I heard a male’s voice. Whoever it was was very close, too close for comfort. He was near, I could feel him . . . literally.

I realized the noise was coming from above me and as I peered up to the tree I was near, someone fell straight out of it and landed right on top of me. I toppled over in pain and I couldn’t function from the throbbing that occupied my head.

“Dang it!” I yelled out and covered my head with both hands.

“Uh-.” the mysterious boy gasped out. His longish dark hair fluttered over his eyes and ears—Pointy ears?

He didn’t look like any Faerie—of course I wouldn’t know for sure because my idea of a Faerie had changed when I met Trista.

“Well, what are you?” I asked attempting to ignore the overwhelming pain that throbbed viciously in my head.

“I—I . . .” he stammered. I waited. He looked as if he were in some sort of rush. He peered over either side of his shoulders, as if searching for danger.

“What are you doing here? Why were you in that tree?” I couldn’t believe how straightforward I was being with this kid I didn’t know and who hadn’t spoken a sentence to me yet. I gave him some more time. He stammered some more, as if searching for the right words. He suddenly gave up and just looked at me with a confused yet worried expression.

“Are you a human?”

The ground shook first this time and I knew what was going on. I looked behind me and saw the familiar mushroom shaped cloud rise from the ground in the distance. Then the loud, booming noise shattered my eardrums. I covered my ears and then looked at the boy.

“Not again. Come on, let’s go!” He viciously grabbed my wrist and began to pull me up. Here we go again with the running.

“How about you tell me who you are first!”

“No time. Follow me!” He still had a hold of my wrist as I got up and then we were racing through the forest. We ran quite a ways before he spoke again. “Grab on to that tree branch.”

Before I could focus on what he was saying, I was being thrown up the tree. My instinct was to grab a hold of something so I wouldn’t fall and that’s what I did. Everything was going to fast I got a head ache.

He jumped up to a branch above me and began to tug me up by one arm. He knocked on the tree twice with five second intervals and the tree opened, like a door, like a trap door. It was hidden. I didn’t see it until it revealed itself. “Hold your breath.” the boy said as he lifted me and pushed me down the secret door. I screamed the whole way down. What if I landed wrong and broke a bone? As I fell I felt like Alice falling down the rabbit whole. She must have been terrified!

I suddenly landed on a couch in front of four people all with the same pointy ears as the boy that threw me down here.

“You better get off that couch.” An older boy told me. I listened immediately and it was just in time because the boy whom helped me landed right where I had been a few seconds ago. He hopped off of the couch and landed on his feet. He helped me off of the ground. I felt like a complete fool.

Once the family—I assumed—got a good examination of me, they were utterly horrified. I felt like a monster being looked at in disgrace. Was there something in my hair?

“Ugh! She smells awful!” A girl a little younger than me announced, plugging her nose. The older boy had the same disgusted expression on his face as he scrunched his nose.

“She’s a human?” the older boy asked aloud.

“My name is Raiden. This is my family. My mom, my dad, older brother Toru and my little sister Yori.” Raiden said, ignoring his brother’s question. I glanced at each of them individually. They all stood frozen in place as if my presence here was unsettling. Obviously it was.

I couldn’t even manage to say hi. That’s how nervous ad scared I was. Instead I waved my hand at them. They all seemed dumbstruck. Maybe they didn’t know what I was doing. Obviously they aren’t humans. I even got the thought of humans out of my mind since there are probably none living here.

Raiden’s father quickly snatched him from beside me and pulled him to the side. They were whispering. Obviously they thought I was dumb because I could pretty much hear every word they said.

His father said something like, “Are you losing your mind? She’s a human! Do you know the penalty for hiding a human!”

Then Raiden said, “I know Father, but please I need to help her, she’ll be killed.”

“That’s just one less human to worry about!” his father shot back in fury.

Then his mom decided to speak up. “Toru, how about you show this nice, uh, little girl the way out?” she asked gently but secretly she was evil, I knew it! Why else would she cast me out there alone!

“No!” Apparently Raiden heard his mother’s request. “If she goes I go.”

His mother was quite worried then. “Why are you doing this?” she asked impatiently, fiddling with her fingers.

Raiden glared at her. “I’ll be back when you come to your senses.” he announced to his family and approached me. He helped me on to the couch when a rope fell down over top of us. I looked up curiously, unsure of what it was going to do. “Hold on.” Raiden told me, making me wrap my arms around his waist. I held on tight and he tugged on the rope. Suddenly we were flying upward and it was pitch black.

When we got to the top of the tree, Raiden looked like he was about to pounce on something. “Get on my back.” he ordered sternly. I didn’t want to refuse but this was too much.

“Hold on just a second. I appreciate this but what in the world are you?!” I exclaimed.

He breathed out and sat down on a branch. I was too stubborn so I stood my ground, well, my tree.

“I’m an elf, can’t you tell?” He gestured to his pointy ears. Well, that explains that feature. “My family isn’t very fond of humans. They think they’re evil.”

I almost laughed but held it back. “Evil!” I scoffed.

“I’m not like them.” he assured me.

“Obviously.” I muttered.

“Anyway, I’m a tree elf. Jumping through trees is what I do all day. I don’t really know much about you so I was going to take you to a safe place so you can tell me.”

“Here isn’t safe?” I figured high up in a tree would be about the safest place here. I was wrong, somehow.

“There are many ears in this forest.” That was all he said, and I understood, strange enough.

“Can I at least tell you my name?” I wondered aloud.

“It’s Jamie.” he simply replied.

I raised an eyebrow. Was he a stalker?

“I heard you talking to Trista earlier.” he answered my thoughts.

“You were listening in on us?” I found it rude, but maybe that’s just how this world ran.

“Kind of hard not to since I’m in the trees all day.”

That’s when I realized I should be careful about what I say. That got me wondering about all I said to Trista, did I give anything too personal away? Raiden did tell me this forest has ears. Was he being literal?

“Listen, Jamie. Being here isn’t safe, you need to get back to your own world.”

“Don’t you think I want to?” I interrupted.

“I assume you don’t know how, then?”

“Of course not!”

“Well, I’m sorry. I can’t really help you with that.”

“Well then what can you help me with?” I was becoming annoyed and impatient. I was done playing games. It’s time to go home!

“He can help you die.” A recently familiar voice chimed in. I only had a second to see that it was Toru, Raiden’s older brother. I assumed he was about eighteen maybe?

Suddenly the branch I stood on was cracking and drooping. Toru was standing on it, pushing it down with his feet. I fell backwards and landed on my back on the branch. He pushed on it more and I realized he was going to make it fall and crash to the ground, pulling me along with it. I clutched to the bark for dear life.

“What are you doing!” I gasped out.

“Humans don’t belong here.” Those were his only words and the branch cracked. I was still holding on for dear life as it tumbled ferociously to the ground below. Then suddenly SMACK! Something hit me. I let go of the branch and almost had the wind knocked out of me. I could faintly hear Raiden screaming my name but I couldn’t see anything or anyone .Everything around me was blurred. My head was hit again and the pain I had ignored earlier came back but ten times worse. I felt I was in someone or something’s arms as I flew through the air. I dared not to open my eyes. Was this thing saving me or trying to kill me too?

Abruptly it landed on the ground, I certainly felt it. I tumbled to the ground and coughed rapidly attempting to regain my breath that I previously lost. When I finally opened my eyes I saw Trista. Finally!

“I told you I’d get help. I think I found your ticket out of here!” she exclaimed with joy. I was still recovering so rejoicing would have to wait a second or two.

I looked around here trying to find the source with wings because I know it wasn’t Trista who flew me away from there, Then I saw the big black eyes staring down at me as if I were prey. It was a girl with black hair, black eyes, and black clothes. I didn’t see her wings though. Suddenly her eyes were red and I crawled backwards.

“Don’t be afraid, she’s only a vampire.”

Trista certainly had a healthy sense of humor.

I got to my feet and pulled Trista aside. “You brought a vampire to save me?”

“She can fly!” she exclaimed.

“Sh.” I ordered. “I don’t want her to know I am talking about her.”

“Super sonic hearing, sorry.” the girl in black said aloud. I was utterly embarrassed.

“I apologize.” I said. “You can help me?” I needed to make nice with this girl if she was my way out of this place.

“I suppose so.” She didn’t seem convinced. “It’s not easy and it’s not fun. You’re going to have to help me out too.”

“I’m not going to let you drink my blood, terribly sorry!”

She laughed. “No, not that of course. It’s not a favor for me. I can’t just fly you out of here, you need magic. I’m a vampire with wings, I’m not magic.” She expanded her wings suddenly. The wingspan was about fourteen feet and they matched the rest of her outfit—black.

“You’re going to have to go with her instead of me. I can’t help you anymore.” Trista said and she was almost mournful. “It was great meeting you.”

“Wait, you’re leaving? Are we ever going to meet again?” I don’t know why I suddenly cared so much. I barely knew Trista and she was the one that got me into this mess in the first place, shouldn’t I be ungrateful? She did find me help, though . . .

“You are no longer in need of my services.” she giggled then shrugged. “I’m not sure if we will meet again.”

I couldn’t say anything to make her change her mind. She was right. I sighed out.

“Okay then. See you around—maybe?” I wasn’t even sure of my words.

“See you.” She stuck out her hand for me to shake as a farewell.

I was hesitant. Girls usually hug, don’t they? I thought hand shaking was for guys. Whatever, though.

I shook her hand and we parted our ways. I watched Trista run off into the distance. I hoped the best for her. I hoped she would get her wings real soon.

“Follow me.” the girl in black demanded after Trista was out of sight.

She reached for my wrist but I pulled back. “Whoa, whoa, wait!”

She looked at me, confused.

“I’m tired of people pulling me behind them as they run at the speed of sound. How about we just walk for once?”

“Walk?”

Was that a confusing question? I nodded.

She shrugged. “Okay, then.” I walked beside her and we trailed off down a path out of the forest. I looked behind me before we walked down the hill I just noticed was even there. Where had Raiden gone to? I wondered if he was hiding in the trees watching me now. He was a strange boy and was determined to save me, he even went against his family for me. Then I just left him.

Well, his brother did throw me out of a tree. I have a reason to be a little uneasy. What did Toru have against me anyway? I hated when these creatures stereotyped me just for being a human. I could make fun of them, they had the pointy ears.

I turned to the girl who walked in silence beside me. “So, what’s your name?”

“Demitra.” she said. “You’re Jamie?”

How did everyone here know my name! “Yeah.” I examined her once more. “So—uh—you like black, huh?”