Mary, The Magician

Return

When Maribel opened her eyes, she was environed by the most beauteous greenery she had ever seen.

The scene was so unlike the defunct domain she resided. 

It was an apposite environment considering where she had returned to. 

But as remarkable as the area was, something sinistrous remained occulded away from Maribel's sight. 

A minacious chill lingered in the air, slowly making its way up the blonde's spine, as if the element had procured claws in a bid to wedge deep into Maribel's skin. 

She was accustomed to that sensation now and it did little to hinder the picturesque view around her. 

Maribel was encompassed by trees that were dense enough to block out the most luminescent of lights and she wasn't sure if it was night or day considering the few streaks that made it beyond the canopy. 

The gleam from the sun and moon could be the same to the discerning eye. 

Remaining still, Maribel heard scuttling and anomalous sounds in the vicinity, noises that were not normal in the world she was from.

The leaves bristled with the ominous wind, creating an eldritch setting as the point of where each audible came from couldn't be deduced, couldn't be seen, as if wrapped in an illusion. 

Anyone else would have ran away, ran till they escaped this recondite world but Maribel stayed rooted to the spot.

This was normal for her.

A serene smile nestled on her lips as her violet eyes took in the cottage in the middle of the forest that was inhabited by creatures that would prove to be a detriment to the owner's health. 

If she wasn't one of those said creatures. 

But Maribel didn't mind, her feet moving autonomously towards the quaint house.

This was just another home for her, one of many she dipped her presence into when her eyes closed and mind wandered.

The woman continued her soft steps towards the home, taking note of any details that had changed from the last time she had visited.

It was uncanny here, this much she could intuit as the garden was blooming with flowers and vegetables, each row neatly aligned and well pruned. 

The growth shouldn't be plausible and yet, the flora flourished. 

Maribel always appreciated the magician's knack for growing things, creating the living from the dead. 

She had had the pleasure of tasting the dishes conjured by the resident of the house whom created it for her and Maribel couldn't wait to feast on them again.

Couldn't wait to see her again. 

The woman couldn't recall the last time she was whisked away here; she wondered if the magician would remember her.

Approaching the door, Maribel knocked.

A range of emotions welled up inside her chest; wonder, loss, anticipation.