Fairy Rings

Chapter7

(A/N: Good news Wattpad readers I have my account back and can update this story.)

"What is taking you so long up there, Gem," Theo called just as I was pulling my jeans on. With seemingly no hesitation, I jumped. My stomach did a little flip, only having a split second to wonder about my life decisions before I found myself landing in Theo's arms. I stared up at him, only able to make out his shape in the blackness of the night, seeming closer to a shadowy silhouette than a person.

"Gem, you can get out of my arms now though I don't mind you staying. It is nice to have you there." He chuckled. For a moment, I wondered how could someone so perfect be interested in me. I didn't want to move for fear that once I was out of his arms, he would tell me that this was all some sort of joke. He would later go back to his hometown to tell all his friends how he convinced some hick to go out into the woods with him. Shaking those thoughts out of my head, I smiled up at him before getting the will to climb away from him.

"Why are you having me leave my house in the middle of the night exactly?" I asked. Something pulled at my brain. And for a few moments, it felt like I was walking through a fog. Just thin enough to know that there was something in front of me but not enough to know what it was.

"I already told you, Gem, we are going to the rings, remember." he laughed.

"Okay, Theo," I said, grabbing his hand. My mind scratched and pulled at me. Begging me to pull away, but another part wanted me to draw him closer to drag him as close as he could. Breath in that sweet smell of pine needles and dive into the depths of him. Nither quite seemed to understand the other.

"This is weird," I whispered, being led by Theo out into the woods.

"What is?" He asked. My mind stopped buzzing as though someone had taken sandpaper to my brain and gotten rid of the dips and crevasses. Too busy memorizing the curve of Theo's jawline even to notice that we were getting closer to the fairy rings.

"Theo, do you know the legend of the fairy rings?" I asked.

"Huh, oh um no Theo said, seemingly pulled out of his daze.

" in these parts, the legend goes that a young girl will go to the rings called to them even. Some say they were called by a song, others by delicious foods. I have even heard one version that they saw a handsome man lead them there."

"and you think that I am doing the same." He said the genital rumble of his voice sounded almost play full if it wasn't for the slightest edge.

"no, no, you haven't even heard what happens to the girls," I said, but even so, the war in my mind started back up again—fighting an invisible threat.

"Go on, love. I like listening to you tell me stories." He said, sounding sugary sweet, but there was still that bit of ice underneath reminding me of a poisoned appel.

"Of course, Theo, Well, the girls would always talk about how they heard the most beautiful music or ate the most fantastic food. A couple of rumors even said they spent the night with a hansom suiter. They would often be drawn back to the rings even during the day." I said Theos breath hitched. Taking it as a sign that he was interested, I carried on with the story. Eager to please my audience consisting of one.

"each of the girls had one thing in common they were either undeniably pretty or gifted, in one way or another. The girls would grow weaker with each day that passed, refusing to eat without being forced. Some would talk about eating when they got to the ball. Others would claim they were trying to look nice for a potential suiter that never seemed to come when people were around. Most would slip away, avoiding chores in favor of dancing around the rings. A few even danced around the rings until they toppled over, and their feet looked like one large blister."

"What happened to all of the girls?" He asked breathly.

"no one knows. Many of the girls seemed to disappear at night. Never be seen or heard from again, but others withered away in the town. An empty husk of who they once were, they would do what they were told and not an inch more. " Theo gripped my hand.

"what do you think happened, Gem."

" I think that it's an old wives tale created to keep young women away from the rings. I think back in the day. It was where young couples would meet to have a scandalous meeting away from prying eyes." I said, blushing at the meaning of the words. After all, we were on our way to that very spot.

"what about those who seemed to waste away?"

"I think that they either got sick or broke up with their boyfriend heartbreak is a horrible thing. Pulse, you never know there could have been a special type of fungus growing around the mushrooms brought up by all their dancing."

"do the legends have any explanation?" He asked.

"They always have an explanation but nothing that makes any scents."

"and Praytell, what is it the folk tales say," He asked.

"They claimed it was the fae. like everything can be blamed on magic." I scoffed, breaking through the wooded path into the familiar clearing bathing the two of us in the moonlight. I glanced over at Theo, His lips Curling up in a chilling smile just a little too wide for his face.

"of course, Gem, nothing can be blamed on magic." Like a tapestry coming undone, I realized how bad of an idea this was. I walked into the night with someone I hadn't seen scents I was little and let him pull me out of bed to go into the forbidden part of the woods with stories of women and girls getting kidnapped.

Ya, this isn't precisely what grandma meant when she said to be careful. Because if that wasn't bad enough, I was doing this right after being suspected of pushing my math teacher down the stairs. I could see the headline now "Girl pushes math teacher downstairs before getting mysteriously murdered by a childhood friend in the woods." that was if they ever found me...

I felt my mind snap into place, giving me back control of it.

"Theo, Why are we here?" I asked softly.

"To spend time together, silly." He said.

"No! Why Are we here? What are you doing to me? Why is my mind like this when I am around you." I asked, jerking my hand away from him. Finding that all of the energy I once had seemed to be shaped out of me. Theo then looked at me. His smile was nowhere in sight, replaced by a bone-chilling hard look. He stalked around me faster than I could see.

"It looks like you are farther along than I thought." He said, a Hand coming to my throat.