|| The Legend of Aemilia ||

|| Chapter 1 || The Night ||

 I slowly walked after my sister, Emma. She dodged & weaved between Tree's, At a breakneck pace. I panted slightly out of breath from jogging through the woods. I saw Emma slip behind a bush. I dashed forward & tripped. I rolled through the bush. I slowly rose to my feet, & Brushed some dirt & brambled off. I looked up, & Emma had found a nice log in the clearing.''Emma, come on! We don't have all day!" I snapped to my younger sister. I winced at my tone, But it was the only way to get through to her. Emma sat on a log in a small clearing. Towering redwood trees made up the beautiful forest, Redwood point. Peeking up over the hill, You could see a worn ranger tower. Shining white flowers were scattered around near the log, & The end of the river could be seen, Gently lapping at the bank.A Cool breeze made the leaves sway. "Noah, Come on! It's Gorgeous here... Can't you just relax?" She rested her hands on her lap. She offered a toothy smile & swung her legs back & forth, Making a soft thump on the old log. I couldn't help but smile back. "Emma it's 10 to 8. We need to get back." I looked up at the sky, and Soft white stars could be seen. The Moon cast an eerie glow on the forest, Illuminating the tree's with a pale glow. A Cold tingle came up my spine. The calm forest suddenly gave me the chills. "C'mon, We should go." I grabbed her hand & tugged her away. She attempted to tug her hand back, Before going limp. "Kellyyyy bonessss" She said loudly. "Yeah,yeah" I muttered. Dirt flew as she dragged her feet. After a bit of struggling she started stalking me.''Aw fine." I let go of her hand, & Turned to make sure she was following. "Can we walk home by the lake?" She batted her eyes, Knowing I would always say yes. I gave a curt nod, & We turned away from the worn path the rangers used. We climbed up a small hill, & Through some bushes. A Few old tree's made a small creaking noise, But everything else was calm. I tilted my head, A beautiful raven soared by. I narrowed my eyes at it slightly. I hadn't seen a raven here before, Only owls. I felt mesmerized by its grace. I heard a small splash & turned away. The Raven let out a caw & flew to a tree. It landed on a branch & watched. Its eyes are almost gleeful. "Did you see that?" I looked at the beautiful bird before I turned to Emma. "Yes." Emma replied, in a calm monotone voice. She tilted her head at the bird. She stood suddenly frozen. Her eyes rolled around in her head before they were blank & foggy. In a robot-like trance, She stalked forward towards the lake. "Emma?" I looked at her, Confused. She kept walking. I looked at her in shock. She stepped through brambles, mud & anything in her way, Not caring she was getting her white sneakers dirty. Which was surprising, Since she always was sour when they were dirty. She didn't stop when she reached the rocky bank of the lake, & She didn't stop when her feet were almost fully submerged. She finally stopped. She looked around carefully, pausing at her submerged feet. She suddenly looked around, Like she was hearing a far away noise, Then toppled over covering her ears. I gasped slightly. I ran towards her & slipped on a rock. I grunted at the impact. My gaze blurred, & I slowly stood up.My jeans were soaked. I looked around hurriedly for Emma. "Emma." I breathed a sigh of relief. She looked at me briefly. Her leg tilted forward off the bank into the deep lake. I looked up in surprise. She lay on her back, Still. One leg almost fully submerged. I slowly crawled towards her. "Are you okay?" My eyes were large & concerned. But Most of all confused. She didn't respond. Her mouth opened & closed. "EMMA?! STOP RIGHT NOW THIS ISN'T FUNNY." I practically hissed. My patience thinning, I was truly worried. I saw a soft green color flash by the surface, Before Emma closed her eyes & Was roughly jerked into the water, Barely making a splash. "EMMA!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I lunged forward & looked into the water. I saw one of her sneakers sink to the floor. "This isn't funny." I whispered. I slumped to the floor. My mouth was wide open as I stared into the suddenly crystal clear waters. Just a moment ago they had been murky. I saw the sand at the bottom slowly resting. I looked up as I realized something had been there. I started to shiver, Even though I was wearing a hoodie. I slowly stood. I was unsure what to do. I stood still as I watched the water. I hoped Emma would surface her toothy smile on her face as she chuckled about her joke. I sat there for two hours. The darkness slowly consumed the forest, Not even the moon cast the eerie glow. The waters never moved. I stared numbly frozen in place. My jeans slowly dried, & I eventually sat down on a rock. I heard a rustle in the bushes. I stood up swiftly, Clutching a stick I had found nearby. Slowly 3 Rangers came out of the bushes. My Mom is in the lead. "Noah? Why are you still out here? You should have been home two hours ago?" I opened my mouth to speak, But only shook violently. The tears threatened to come out. "Honey?" I looked up at my mom. Her messy brunette hair was all over the place, She was clearly worried. "Where is Emma?" She looked around suddenly not noticing the little fuzzy pale blonde girl. " I don't know." I whispered. I slowly replayed the events to my mom. The Other two Rangers, Rowan & Alex looked at me dumbfounded. "This isn't a game, Noah. Where is your sister?" Rowan's Australian accent cut through. She seemed calm, But Alex was frozen in place. " It was a kelpie!" Alex cried out. My shook her head, Disbelief clearly shrouded her gaze. " Alex! Now is not a time for silly fairy tales." Rowan rested a heavy hand on My Mothers shoulder. "Let's get her back to the station." Rowan offered a sad smile. I was offered a blanket, But It didn't make me feel any warmer. I saw My mom look around her eyes settled on the white sneaker on the floor of the crystal clear lake. She wiped a tear from her eyes. Rowan stepped forward & rested a hand on her shoulder."It will be alright. Emma will turn up."