~ Chapter Five ~

Around me is an endless void, purple water at my feet and blackness wraps around me like leather. I walk forward on the wet ground. Nothingness stretches ahead of me and eternity rolls on behind me. Something about this place is familiar and lonely. I could spend many lifetimes exploring this place and find nothing.
“Lilica,” someone says behind me.
Everything in me is telling me not to look back and to keep moving forward. There is nothing back there for you; keep going.
They repeat my name and the voice echos off the purple water, sending ripples across it. It stretches very far. The voice is familiar, sweet. Even though the person calling me is not demanding anything from me. I feel like it is asking me to turn around.
“Lilica, honey,” The voice says this time I recognize it as my mother’s voice.
I stop and turn around.
My Mother smiles at me. Her eyes are red. Scales cover half of her body and black claws dripping with blood rest at her sides.
“I told you not to go into the forest,” she says.
A massive claw rips through her torse, deep crimson blood spills from her and lands royal purple lake. I watch the blood dye the purple ocean red. Everything around me starts to change. I see rotted trees, stars, and the moon. The moon hangs above us, white-gray and full.
I look back at my mother who is gone, replaced by the dragon man. His claws drip a dark red-black liquid into the ocean. He steps towards me.
“Stop,” I say.
He doesn’t each step he takes close the distance between us. My heartbeat is all around me. The air vibrates.
“Don’t come any closer,” I say to death ears.
There is no escape here. There is nothing: just me and a world of blood and abyss. The overwhelming feeling this demon doesn’t belong here takes root in my fingertips.
“Leave!” I scream shutting my eyes.
When I open them, I’m alone, my voice echos nowhere and everywhere at once. Shivering I turn around and run into a young woman with my same face, but her eyes are the color of emeralds.
She smiles at me, “wake up Lilica.”

It’s dark. I know this before I open my eyes. I feel everything in the night and the energy wrapping around my fatigued body. Everything in me wants to leave my eyes shut, to avoid any questions Kailuru will have for me. Nevermind that, the look in his eyes.
“Your breathing has changed,” Kailuru says.
Eyes open, I see him laying a few inches from me. He is on his back. His eyes are open focused directly at the tent’s ceiling. His brows furrowed at whatever thought he is working though. He turns his attention to me. Escape will be unlikely tonight as well. As I raise he does, he rests his head on the edge of the lofted bed.
“You are full of surprises,” he says.
He reaches out and takes one of my long wavy strands of hair into his hand.
“I killed the cook,” he says as casually as he breaths.
A fat tear rolls down my check. Kailuru didn’t have to tell me this; there is no way I would have known.
“You shouldn’t waste your energy on lesser beings,” he says. “It was a waste. But with training, you would make a marvelous partner.”
“I just want to go back home,” I say as he wipes the tears from my eyes. “I have a mother. She went into Eden’s Woods. I saw the dragon-serpent of the woods. I’m worried about her.”
He rises, at his chest he exams the lock. He produces a silver key and opens it, the lid open he shorts through it.
“You should be more worried about your situation,” he says.
Everything in me stops; I’m not shaking anymore, and my heartbeat is calm. Around Kailuru, I see the night black and blood red mist I remember from my dreams. Something clicks and I leap off the bed and dive for him, as he turns around swinging a crescent blade.
I don’t shut my eyes this time, I concentrate on the darkness surrounding us, and my body is gone replaced by a purple mist that passes through him. The sword hits nothing. I land behind him.
His elbow comes back, and I place my hands in front of me, creating a sizeable purple shield of pure energy. His elbow hits it and a loud thunk echo around us. Kailuru turns, his eyes are glowing bright yellow, and the veins under his skin are turning from deep blue to pitch black. Black vines wrap around his neck and face.
Black blood. Black blood. Black blood. RUN!
I jump back as he swings the blade again; it cuts through the tent. The wind created from such a powerful swing sends me sailing backward. The shield cracks from the pressure. The shield complete breaks when I hate the ground. I struggle to my feet and break into a run until my body levitates off the ground.
Everything in me is aware of his presence and the growing aura he admits. I recall my mothers’ words; the spirits bless some people and then there are those who claimed by demons. She who lays with a demon curse the earth and rejects the spirits give birth to strong black blood eternal warriors.
Behind me something rockets towards me, I turn and nearly avoid the blade. As I levitate higher away from Kailuru and the danger he poses, he looks up at me. From his mouth erupts an air shaking roar, I cover my ears and shut my eyes against it.
“Fear is becoming on you,” Kailuru says.
I open my eyes and turn to see he is behind me, not floating, I’m sure he leaped to clear the miles of feet I put between myself and the ground.
Something inside of me breaks, not fear, not hope, not terror. I open my mouth and offer my scream. Around me the air snaps and cracks, with purple lightning. The purple explosion casts and illuminates purple glow for miles.
Kailuru’s hand wraps around my leg, the new weight is a shock, and we begin falling. Kailuru body smokes, and I smell the harsh smell of burning meat. At that moment I know he has been struck by the lightning storm I conjured. How he still manages to remain conscious is beyond me. With one power yank, he pulls me into his arms.
He turns his body, so he hits the ground first. The impact vibrates straight through him and rattles my ribs. He almost crushes me in his arms, holding me to him. His grip loosens, and I sit up. I look at his face; half of the black veins are retreating. As a whole, his face is scrunched up in pain. His breaths are shallow and short.
Something in me wants to laugh and walk away. I look around at the damage I’ve caused. The terrain was bleak, to begin with, but now black flames cover the area. Black flames still rain down over the thieves encampment.
The sound of screams echo through the night, and I feel the lives of the bandits fade into the night. The flames don’t take them gently; the pain they feel in their last moments affects me in a way I don’t understand.
Kailuru hand strokes my face, and I see myself in his eyes. My purple eyes hold tears, but a hideously devious smile graces mouth.

~ Chapter Four ~

Kailuru lies me on a bed, and he looks at my ankle. With one swift motion, he jerks it and pushes back into place. The pain is much worse than the dislocation of it. I sob through the whole ordeal.
His door slams open and I see two of my would-be assailant standing in his doorway. I want to sleep.
“What,” Kailuru asks.
“The girl, she escaped from us, it seems you found her,” one says. “The boys and I were hoping to get her back to have a little fun with her.”
Kailuru stands and turns to them, as he turns I can see how irritated he looks.
“Do what with her?” He asks.
The fatter one of the two looks stops smiling and nudges his friend. It seems that he wants to leave. His friend doesn’t seem to get the picture.
“What exactly were your intentions with our guest,” he asks.
“Little bit of fun, me and the boys like to have a little fun with the girls before we send them off,” he says. “Like aways.”
Kailuru advances towards the two men, they move, and I hear them all break into a run outside of the door. Blue and white flames light the dim hallway, and shrieks echo off the walls. The light dies, and Kailuru enters the room.
“Were there anymore boy?” He asks.
Not wanting to be directly responsible for someone being burned alive, I shake my head. I swallow a massive lump in my throat and try not to squirm away from this man, who perch next to my bedside.
He places his hand on my knee, “Don’t worry. You’ll be safe with me.”

The sun rises, and most of the people in the encampment are asleep. I can feel my powers weakening. Kailuru lays on his back on the ground, eyes shut. His breathing is slow. I’m not sure if he is asleep.
He lays in front of the exit. Escape is unlikely.
Kailuru travels with less skilled associates. Something about this group feels off about this band of thieves. Kailuru leaped high enough to remove me from the sky. Could the spirits have blessed him?
At Kailuru side, a long sword sits. It is very unheard of for someone who is blessed by the spirits to continue to use human-made tools for combat. There is something off about this individual. Blue flames and above normal mobility.
Kailuru eyes open and he looks up at me. My eyes dart away, and I lay down. I turn on my side, so I can’t see him. I push back my tears, praying my mom made it home safe.

“What can you do,” Kailuru asks.
“Depends, what have you seen me do,” I ask.
He smirks, “you are amusing.”
Kailuru hasn’t left me alone for too long. If I hadn’t seen him burn two men to death, I might have thought he was a nice guy.
Around me, the thieves are having breakfast, what they eat looks like chicken gravy, but I’m sure it’s oatmeal. In front of me are two hard-boiled eyes and a thick slice of bread with butter smothered over it. The criminals stare at me. It feels like ants are clawing up my arms. Kailuru is eating a similar meal to his comrades, with a hard-boiled eye on the side. Something tells me the two eggs I have, would have gone to him.
Kailuru doesn’t seem to mind the meal. He has almost finished the bowl of mystery oats. I pick up one egg, and I hit it on the side of the wood bowl. I attempt to pull a shell flack, but my shaky fingers can’t focus. Kailuru takes the egg from me and quickly peels it. He offers it back. I take it. He takes the second eye and does the same, and he returns it to its places.
“You don’t have to be afraid,” he says.
“When can I go home,” I ask.
He doesn’t address me, but that is an answer in itself.
“Can you hear the spirits,” he asks.
“Yes, but not very well during the day,” I say.
He raises an eyebrow, “I thought your powers were related to darkness when I first saw you jumping on dark energy platforms. You can fly as well, correct.”
I nod. This conversation feels like an interview. I remember interviewing a young boy who wanted to work for my mother last year. We need someone who could lift a large crate and clean up around the house for us. He was younger than me but towered over both of us. His father was a fisherman, and he didn’t want to become one. The smell of fish makes him sick.
During the interview, he was fidgety and couldn’t stop staring at me. The kid avoided making direct eye contact with me. During most of the conversation, I noticed his eyes were either glued to the floor or my chest. I decided against hiring him.
“Can you do anything else,” he asks.
Something deep inside of me is telling me this is all a test, and the reason I have been safe so far is he sees a use for me.
“I can teleport,” I say. “It’s more like traveling through shadows. I’ve only done it once.”
“Could you bring another person with you,” he asks.
“I don’t know,” I say.
Kailuru frown and pulls out a dagger, with one swift motion he tosses it in my direction. I yelp, and behind me, a scream rings out. I turn to see the man who brought me my food has Kailuru’s knife sticking out of his shoulder. Tears pour from his eyes as he howls in pain.
Kailuru stands and casually walks over to the man, he pulls his knife out, and blood gushes from the wound. The chief falls backward clutching his wound. I quickly get up, whats left my food falls to the ground. I lower myself to his side and inspect the injury; Kailuru’s knife seems to have hit something artery. I’m not sure if it was accidental or if he was aiming for the dangerous spot.
“Don’t worry about him, he was sniffing your hair,” Kailuru says.
I swallow and begin pulling off my jacket. I ball it up and press it against the wound. If I had my mixing kit, I could probably mix something up to stop the bleeding. Around me, there is nothing I can use to treat the wound. Burning it shut would be the logical thing to do, but he would still likely bleed out, or a blood clot will form.
I watch as blood pools around my hands like a small oil well has been struck. I watch as the man’s face turns peel and his lips lose their color. Everything in me screams at him don’t die.
Around my hands’ purple orbs form and I watch the color come back into his cheeks. My strength and energy fade away, and I feel tired. I pull my hands away from the man and breath genuinely, in hopes I won’t pass out. In front of me, the man begins moving, his eyes open but shut again. His head slumps to the side, but he is still breathing.
With a shaky hand I pull my ruined jacket off of him, the would is gone. I glance up at Kailuru, a grin plasters his face, and for a second I see a flash of sharp white fangs and glowing red eyes. Everything around me becomes a blur, and I fall backward. To the sound of my name, I drift into sleep.

~ Chapter Three ~

Coldwater strikes my face and shocks me awake. Looking around I see that I’m in a poorly lit den, tied to a chair. I struggle against my restraints. The chair is more likely to give way before the knots.
Around me, my captors chuckle. The darkness they created around me does not scare me. I can see through it all. I count five men of varying ages. None of them the man I noticed before I passed out. If I were to venture a guess, he is the leader of these ill dress men. His clothes were not dirty and looked relatively new.
The man who splashed water on me drops the bucket and grabs my face. He squeezes my chin between his fat fingers.
“You’re a pretty one,” he says. Behind him, his friends giggle.
My ankle burns, my body is shaking. Everything inside of me is alert to the danger I’m in.
“Let me go,” I say.
They all begin laughing, “she’d fetch a good price on the market. Look at those eyes.”
“Look at her those breasts,” someone else says. “I say we use her for a while and then sell her.”
“They only pay top dollar for virgins,” the first one says. “But you don’t see exotic ones like her too often.”
My head is buzzing, and I feel tears roll down my cheeks. I curse my mother for leaving me at home and cures these bandits for stalking my town. With no shame, they talk about gang raping me or selling me to slavers. The air in the room is sinister, and I realize they are going to go with the former plan.
I need to escape, the air around me begins cracking, and I’m swallowed up. I shut my eyes, and when I open them, I see I’m in total darkness. I look around, around me shadows wrapping around itself and large snake-like tentacles devour small limbs. The shadows snuggle against me, and I swear it purrs. Something about this feels right. I shut my eyes and relax into the void, being massaged by hundreds of hands.
“Lilica!” someone calls.
I open my eyes, and I fall hard, the chair hits the ground first. It shatters under me, and I land. I hold still and breath. Nothing seems to have impaled me. Free from the chair the ropes are loose. I wiggle them down to my hips and free my arms. My hips are too wide for them to be pulled off and I know it is no use trying to pull them off the other way.
I stand and inventory my body and pockets. Besides my ankle, I don’t feel any pain. In my pockets, I find my dagger. They must have recently gotten me here and decided to have a little fun shortly after.
There is nothing notable around us: no trees, no building, just dirt, and sand. It is still night, but not for long so we couldn’t have gotten too far. Especially if they were engaging the town and whatever other village sent help.
I turn and limp away, and I hold my breath an focus on levitation. On my lousy ankle, I will not make it far if I fly I will be unreachable. After a few steps, I’m airborne. Raising slowly, try not to focusing on anything but flight.
I want to go home and see my mom again. I pray she didn’t have any run-ins with the dragon man. That is not something I can think about now; fear of him is what interrupted my connection to the spirits.
As I move forward through the sky, a shadow shots up and grabs me. A flash of ash blonde hair catches me, and I realize it is the man who stood over me when I passed out. He holds me in his arms as we fall. I cry out in pain, as shock vibrates throughout my body. My ankle cannot take much more stress.
He holds me in his arms and stares down at me. Touching this man feel like being struck by lightning twice. I feel aware of everything around me, from the small animals scurrying away as if a storm is brewing, to his henchman darting around in search of me.
I can also feel how dangerous this man is. I blink a few times as the spirits chant something to me. At first, I can’t make it out, and then it comes to me like waves crashing against the side of a ship.
“Kailuru,” I say. I’m sure that is this man’s name that is what the earth is telling me.
He looks around, and once he is sure that no one is around, he turns his attention back to me.
“How did you learn of my name,” he asks me.
“The spirits told it to me,” I say.
He frowns, “Lilica.”
Could he have been the one whispering warning to me? No that would make sense. He is clearly with the bandits. The pain in my ankle intensifies. I begin groaning.
He starts walking towards his camp, Kailuru’s is blank, and I’m unsure what his intentions for me are.

~ Chapter One ~

“Can you do this?” Ice asks.
“I’m not afraid,” I say.
My eyes are focused on the point before me, a small balcony and covered by a red canopy. My body shivers, cold rainy days are the worst. The rain pours down around us relentlessly. My clothes are soaked through, making me feel much more substantial than I am.
“I didn’t ask if you were afraid, I asked if you could do this,” he says.
I look up at him, my teeth chattering. “Do I have a choice?”
He sits back, lips pressed together. Ice pulls his cap down, covering his tired eyes. I don’t expect him to say anything to me. There is nothing left to say. Shaking I push myself off the airship, air and cold water slap against my face and thighs. It stings, but it quickly numbs. Turning so I’m facing the castle I watch as the balcony soon comes into view. Breathing deeply I calm down and my body slows down. Levitation isn’t something I can find a teacher for, this genetic trait hasn’t been sense since my great grandfather’s time. He was too free-spirited to write down any tips or tricks to master the skill.
As I hover, fighting against gravity to stay in the air, I reach out for the redwood platform. My hands grab onto the rail just as my body loses to gravity. I swing my leg between the beams and push myself up and over the railing. Every breath I suck in doesn’t calm my racing heart.
Pushing myself off the railing, I push open the balcony door. The room I enter is warm and smells like cinnamon and peaches. I close the doors behind me, and my hand twirls the broken latch. It’s been broken for two years now, why repair it hastily. I almost remember Azula’s voice when she said that to me.
Azula’s room is spotless, not a single thing out of place. She has likely not been in here since this morning.
I resist the urge to go through her closet for something warm to wear. I lift my arm and see that I only have a few minutes to get from her room to the main hall, to the door before dinner ends. My feet lift from the floor, from experience I realize what will likely happen next. I brace myself as my body sails forward into a wall. A loud THUNK echo. I crawl up the wall and wait, the door opens. A guard steps in, and he moves towards the balcony doors. I crawl down the wall and pull myself out of doors.
No one is in the dimly lit hallway. I continue to launch myself along the top of the corridor, bracing myself for a loud fall when my power decided to cut out on me.
I stop at the hallway intersection. Three different options to go, but I know I need to continue straight, from the right I hear the sound of chatter drifting down the hallway. I peak around the corner and see three four large men stationed outside of a door. The smell of roasted duck tickles my nose and makes my mouth water.
Thoughts aside, I glide forward undetected. My body lowers as I make it to the stairway and grab on the rail to ensure I don’t tumble down the stairs. My landing is quiet, and I jump over the rail landing lightly on the black marble floor.
My heart is in my ears as I gaze at the sizeable metallic gold doors. These doors mark the end of my mission, and I know for four seconds I will be completely exposed to anyone walking around the second floor or people coming from the east or west wing.
Everything in me, and I stand. I take my first step and-
“Hi, Nana,” Azula says.
My heart calms, or perhaps it stopped, fear does weird things to a person. Azula’s voice came from above. I don’t look up at her. Instead, I dart forward with everything I have. Each impact my feet make with the marble get heavier as if they are turning to stone.
She chuckles. Within inches from the door, a pair of hands grip my shoulder and weight pushes me down. I land on my stomach, and Azula sits on my back. I look back and see sharp purple flames near my face.
“Don’t move,” Azula says.
The doors open and I watch the palace guards drag in a group of people, including our fearless leader Ice. He has a black eye and a split lip, and he is barely able to stand. Our eyes meet, and he quickly looks away from me. I could see the tears forming in his eyes before his eyes left me.
“Your boyfriend is pretty weak,” Azula says in my ear.
She raises off me and offers me her hand, and I stare at her. Her attention is on her other hand. She is studying hear perfect nails. There is no malice radiating off of her.
“If you don’t come with me and my father sees you, he will show YOU no mercy,” she says.
I take her hand, and she pulls me. She looks at the guards.
“If any of you indicate she was with these rebels, I will make it my mission to destroy you,” Azula says, the threat was extended out to my allies.
The look of defeat in both radicals and soldier eyes, tells me both parties understood it. Guilt takes root in my gut.
Azula pulls me towards the west wing of the palace, behind us I hear the familiar voice of her father, King. He is at the top of the stair looking down at my captured allies. We are halfway down the hall, and I turn back. I see his yellow-gold robes and his long black hair. Fear engulfs me, and I squeeze Azula’s hand tighter.
We turn down a hall, and up to a flight of stairs, she leads me into a hidden door. The candlelight is faint, and the tunnel is cold. The trip is short, and we come to a wall, she pushes another button and light shines into the shaft. The familiar smell of cinnamon and peaches is welcoming.

~ Chapter Two ~
(Azula, Nunnally, King, and Apollo)
– Conflict – Days after the attempt on the royal family. Nunnally is not sure what Azula is thinking and is plotting on getting to the rebels in the

The trees where are as tall as a four-story castle and dense as a solid break.  It is difficult moving around them.  It is as if this forest is untouched by man.   I would probably not have visited a place like this under normal circumstances.

Moonlight does not make it through the treetops making it difficult to see what is in front of me, much less anywhere else.  I hesitate with every step.   The rain still taps away at the treetops way above me, but only droplets make it through the nest of leaves.

The soil is barely damp, but the night is cold.

The last time I heard anything of Akane was that he became a raider/bandit and operates out of these Sea of Trees.  I could be mistaken.  Though not many men in our boards can be described with fair skin and wild orange hair the color of Flames, that appears gold in the moonlight.   Most of our nation is darker of skin tone and the only few pale people that do populate our boards have hair the color of midnight.   Thought a blonde or two has been spotted more frequently.

I hold out hope that the man described is Akane because of another description is associated with the bandit leader, the Amethyst Earring Bandit, which I’ve heard about the man in passing.

Before he was forced to leave our guard and turned traitor he was once a reliable knight my father trusted enough to reward him with my precious earring. At Akane’s request, mind you.  I was no more that fourteen years old at the time.  He couldn’t be more than seventeen himself.  But already making a name for himself in my father guard.  I don’t know why my jewels were his request.  I have many sisters, older.   More towards his age than I and with more to offer.

I slow and look up a tiny bit of light breaks through the sea of trees and I see the moon.  It glows above mature in the sky.  It looks as if it may burst.

My attention is pulled from the beautiful sight by the howl.  I realize where I am.  This is not the place to stop or slow down.  No time for the second guess.  I don’t know what or who may be out there.

I move out of the light of the moon into the darkness and continue my journey into the unknown.

~

I look at my staff as I sit under a tree trunk.  I resist the urge to use any power to light my way.   In front of me is darkness, I can’t see anything.  But the sound of the fat raindrops crash on to the soft muddy ground and the thud against the roots of the tree.  For the rain to be making such a greeting to us this far below, above the dense leaves it must be pouring down like waterfall above.

I look at my staff and I see the faintest of light in the Purple stone.  My will is going against my reason and is casting a small light in the darkness.  The lavender light, though small, makes a big difference.  My eyes adjust, and welcome, the dim light.  Though with little to look at besides the dark bark of wet trees and the deep rich brown of wet soil, the light does little for me except calm my anxious hands from strangling my only traveling companion and weapon.

In the lavender orb, I see the faint light pull towards the left, which lets me know which way my earing are.   An enchantment I placed on them years ago, because of their sentimental value.  I never would have thought I would be locating them for this reason.

I never removed the enchantment when I was requested to give them to Akane because it gave me peace knowing I could always find him.  Every time I saw him he was wearing those earing.  I never thought to tell him that I had spelled them or offer to remove it.  As time went on for weeks, to months, and even a full year after the fact.  I never released my spell.

I place my head against the cold smooth orb, I offer a silent pray: please don’t have sold those earing.

In the distance, a howl cuts through the night.  It is not too far away.  The light dims further and I get up slowly.  I start walking down the path the opposite of where my staff is telling me to go.  What is surprising is that wolves would choose to stay in such a dark forest with little to no visibility.

As I step on to the path another howl greets me.  I freeze and my ears thump.   Lights flip on and off in my brain.  I feel pins on my skin as I realize how human the last howl sounded.

I move back and thump into something flesh.  I gash and jolt forward.  I begin running, ungracefully deeper into the forest.  Every other step I take to get caught on a tree root.  The howling gets more instance around me.  Now it at least four different people howling from behind me and beside of me.

I hold my staff up and light pours into the forest.  I see everything around me.  I begin avoiding the tree roots and rocks.  Beside me, I hear footsteps and when I glance over I even make out the outline of a human man.

My throat and lung are on fire from the short sprint.  My legs burn from the unfamiliar actions I must take to avoid smacking into trees.  Sweat seeps into my eyes, I shut them as the salt burns my eyes.  Just as I do the wind is knocked out of me as I slam into a tree.

I fall backward letting go of the staff and package.  I breath in broken breaths as the light from my staff begins to fade with my consciousness.  Before I fade completely I see the outline of three men surrounding me.

Why do you continue to come here?

Outside my small home, stands a wheat blonde knight. Not that he’s dressed like one. Today he is in, what I assume he believes to be, peasant clothes. Which consists of a spotless white shirt, black pants, and thigh high boots. Unlike a peasant he accessorize is his outfit with a flashy belt that looks too expensive for the shirt. On his left ear since a beautiful gold earring with an amethyst stone. His complexion is flawless, refined, and unweathered, he evokes and atmosphere that is too regal for these woods.

Daylight is disappearing through the trees leaving only a golden rod sunset. That stretches into my garden, just beside him. I’m sure he has learned from his last visit and will never stand in my garden again.

I recall his previous visit and the look of terror in his eyes, as he stood in the middle of my garden to peer through my window, when he realize how active my plants actually are.

A light laugh escapes my lips before I can catch it. His eyes widen, then he looks down. He quickly returns to watching me, stoically.

This has been our relationship ever since I’ve met him. He doesn’t ask anything of this woman who cured him. He seems to be content with watching me from the edge of my garden.

He is has become familiar to me, almost like one of my plants. With his golden eyes and light hair, he reminds me of a water lily.

These woods are already dark and complex to navigate in the daytime, at night nearly impossible. I do not want my water lily bruised or damaged. He has to go, until he returns again.

He backs away from my home, as if he knew heard my thoughts. I watch him turn and leave, until I no longer see his pale blonde hair in my part of the woods.

I wanted to talk to talk to you, but I don’t know what to say.

“I’ll be awaiting your return.” I whisper.

This is a place for me. A place I want to share with like mind people and tell my stories and express my interest.