Of Wilders and Willows

Chapter One: Brook

The music was harsh, brutal, violent as it brashed around us, surrounding me in its questionable embrace. I couldn't tell you what the lyrics were or what beat it was, but it didn't really matter and in that, I found a sense of freedom that I just couldn't find anywhere else. Finn, on the other hand, hated it. He didn't understand the feeling of power and utter abandonment of reality that I felt and that was okay, just not today. Today was my birthday, the big one-eight and to be honest, I didn't really feel that different. Until I did. Suddenly the noise of the music faded into a distant drone, the sounds of people along with it, leaving a blissful emptiness and with it came a warmth that spread up my spine through my arms to the tips of my fingers and down again over and over, it was unlike anything I'd ever felt before and yet I recognised it like an old memory. In the background, I could hear Finn asking me something, someone grabbing my arm and then in an abrupt storm it all came back full force enveloping me with a blaring squawk of dissonance and that freedom I'd felt only moments before was gone.

Somewhere along the line, I'd shuffled my way through the crowd, herding people left and right, to a small set of neglected chairs in the corner. Finn wasn't far behind. "Are you alright? Ash, can you hear me?" Finn prodded, we'd known each other since we were, well, little; we'd always been there and there wasn't a thing we didn't tell one another. "I don't really... know, something feels wrong" I replied and the more I thought about it, the more I was sure I was going to be sick, before I even had a chance to say, I'd scrambled up and shoved my way to the nearest exit and out into the alley beyond. I dry heaved onto the damp concrete, trying to expel whatever had made me feel so strange but nothing was coming up, I hadn't eaten in hours and clearly, nothing wanted to surface. Falling back against the wall, I slid down to the floor, not seconds later did Finn stumble out, eyes searching wildly before landing on me. He didn't say anything for a while, just sitting down next to me and stroking my raven hair soothingly, giving me a chance to catch my breath and realise where I was. It was an alley, of course, to the left of the club with not much in it other than a large bin and some torn-up rubbish bags that had been left to the rodents and various other creatures of the night. A teddy bear sat missing an arm to the right of the bin, stuffing spilling out into the puddle of rainwater coming from the drainage pipes. When Finn did speak, it wasn't so much as sentences or even words but more of a simple hushing sound meant to calm me, so someone else took their chance.

She caught us both by surprise, deep blue hair the colour of pacific waves and eyes so dark, you couldn't see where the iris ended and pupil began, black leather clung to the mystery's body, making her look more like a shadow than a person. Before I could ask what she had said, Finn spoke first. "Who are you? I-I-I know a police officer... I'll call her!" It was hard to take him seriously given his stick-like frame and complete lack of muscle, paired with that awful stutter he gets when scared, Finnlay Cross was honestly one of the least intimidating people I have ever known. She laughed. "Call me Brook, and it's not you I'm after, it's her," Brook responded in an effortless tone. Her stare slowly drifted down to me, eyes scanning over my forcibly defensive form, taking in my flat black hair and simple green shirt with black jeans. What can I say, fancy was never really my strong suit. Finally, her eyes settled and met mine, seeking something unknown to be reciprocated, what exactly, I didn't know. I was tempted to look away, but an unknown will made me stare right back and a look of satisfaction rested on Brook's face. "Good, now come" she commanded and I knew I had to follow.

We wandered further down the darkening alley, soon we could no longer see the street and the sound of music dulled to a silent thump you felt more than heard. Brook turned, stared, smiled and then something wonderful happened. Pearlescent sparks flicked from her fingers and unintelligible words dripped from her lips, all the while Brook's fingers danced through the air and in their place, a clear whorl of air stretched out resembling the form of a transparent door and then it was just headache-inducing movement, flipping and falling. And then, stillness.

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So that's chapter one! I hope you liked it, this is my first ever time writing on Wattpad, please let me know what you thought! Anyone's feedback good or bad is welcome, but I ask that you be kind

-Alex