Quest of the Dark Lands

Chapter Fourteen

'this powder is one of the deadliest to mortals.' the mother fairy said. 'it kills everyone who has breathed it in, so die!' she said cruelly

Seleina looked at Evangeline, her expression said only one word: run.

Evangeline nodded silently, and they bolted down the avenue.

'catch them!' Sally cried on the ground, 'I want my lollipop! Mom!'

'yes! Of course!' the mother and father said in perfect unison. With one flap of their wings, the fairies zoomed after Seleina and Evangeline.

Seleina dodged blows as she ran. One scorched her skin, dark smoke billowed out from the wound. 'hurry!' Evangeline screamed 'they'll over run us in like, two seconds.'

'yeah!' Seleina stumbled along

The fairies zoomed closer at terrific speed, they closed around the two girls. Seleina slowly backtracked. The black smoke became dense, pouring from the wound. It was all Seleina could to do to remain conscious. The fairies laughed as they spread more powder. The blood gushing out turned white, and the wound threatened to open further.

No. Seleina closed her eyes and thought furiously. I won't give up!

Then a sudden wave of heat exploded from her watch. Seleina was caught by instant surprise. 'ouch!' she cried, and yanked it off. Without thinking, she took a deep breath...too late, she would be dead.

Yet, after a couple of seconds, Seleina found strangely that her heart was still beating. What was more, she was breathing. Normal air!

'Seleina?' Evangeline said rushing to her aid. 'are you all right? Tell me you're not dead!'

Seleina was afraid to see what was in front of her. But she allowed one eye to cracked open a slit. Miraculously, everything seemed to be all right. Most off the smoke was gone due to some strange happening, magic perhaps, and 'oh, Evangeline, where are the fairies? What happened'

Evangeline embraced her with teary eyes, 'you won't believe it! But your 'ouch' saved us!'

'excuse me?' Seleina thought she hadn't heard right

'you said 'ouch' right?'

'yeah.' Seleina said slowly 'uh huh. So, what about it?'

'you breathed out, and the smoke and powder all scattered. As simple as that.'

'and the fairies?' Seleina asked 'what happened to them?'

Evangeline tossed her head and laughed 'why, the fairies breathed it in, of course.'

'and? So, they're...dead?'

'no. but look.' Evangeline pointed.

'that...that's unbelievable!' sitting promptly on the grass, were an old leather jacket, a flower pot, and a squashed plastic bottle.

'I know, right? So, are you going to take them with us?'

'not exactly.' Seleina nit her eyebrows, 'but we need to hide them somewhere, wouldn't it be weird for the others to see them just lying around?'

She carefully picked up the jacket, flower pot and plastic bottle, and hid them safely under a bush. 'apparently the powder has a quite different effect on fairies.' She giggled.

'that was a close call though.' Evangeline sighed. 'shall we get going?'

'yeah. Imprisoned by queeny, chased by Prudentam, and tortured by fairies. I wonder what's next.' She and Evangeline walked down the lane, careful not to be spotted.