Forever Forest

Chapter 10

Scratching. Except this time it came from within her own room. She had curled up with Faunus in her bed for the night. A bed she dragged herself from to let Faunus out.

He raced down the stairs followed by a delighted cheer from her father as Faunus undoubtably attempted to sit upon his lap while he drank his morning coffee.

She groaned sleepily peeking out the window. Morning sunlight shone beautifully through the trees. The acorns were gone. Perhaps it was just a dream all along and Faunus had somehow managed to sneak into the house himself. She began to get dressed for the day, a long grey jacket with pockets brought home from her father's adventures from the cabin one day. Baggy loose jeans and a cropped white shirt came together in a nice cozy outfit for staying inside all day. Or so she thought.

She gathered her studying books and turned to admire her outfit choice in the old mirror placed in the corner of her room.

Her outfit was delightful, her hair however was a frazzled mess. She brushed some behind an ear, and froze.

Her books dropped to the floor.

Her mouth formed an ear splitting scream.

Her father was up the stairs in seconds, a coffee stain upon his shirt.

"What? What's the matter, did something happen?" His voice was gruff in concern and surprise.

"It's nothing. I hit a knee against my bed frame." She quickly lied, hair frazzled around her ears once again, waiting nervously for him to leave.

He chuckled and shook his head. "You've got to be more careful my dear, can't have spoiled knees after all. Makes for a lousy hunter."

"Yes." she agreed, afraid to nod her head and move the hair which hid her ears.

At last her father shrugged and returned back down the stairs.

She could not get to the mirror faster. Hair was pulled aside in order to see the two new horrific additions to today's outfit.

Two points, unnatural and wrong.

Fae ears.

On either side of her head. The same she'd seen in the picture books her father used to give her. Her hands began to shake, she shook her head in disbelief and turned and stared at that horrid mirror. She even tried tugging at them to be sure the mirror was not deceiving her.

"It's not real, it's not real." She chanted religiously. "I'm delusional, perhaps as lunatic as Reuel."

Reuel.

That cursed boy from the woods must have caused this tremendous prank of sorts. Perhaps gave her some toxin when she wasn't paying attention. The blue haired devil. She knew he was strange, knew he couldn't be trusted. She was a fool for believing otherwise for so many years.

And now she was furious.

She pulled up her hood and marched down the stairs. She grabbed a bow and her quiver of arrows. She looked around but could not find Faunus.

"Dad, where is Faunus?"

"Went running out just now like the devil was chasing em'." He let out a gruff chuckle. "Poor thing was stuck in your room all night, who knows how long it was holding in its bladder."

She looked at the door.

"Are you sure you're up to go out today?" Again, worry laced his voice though she had no time to answer before the cabin door was slammed shut behind her.

She raced along her path, eyes darting for a flash of blue, a strike of crystal eyes. The skin she knew so well.

Finally Terra made it to the sign. And waited. Minutes, hours. She had to find that ridiculous boy before night time. She was sick of waiting. Sick of being tricked and riddled into this stupid toying game of his.

She sat, picked at daisies, and studied the yellow sign a few paces in front of her. She stood from the tree she leaned against and walked up to the sign. She gazed at the printed shadow child holding its sword as it ran. She could have sworn its sword was raised higher than usual. She looked past it into the woods beyond.

Again, there was no road, no children, nor ones with swords. Through the forest beyond was not as quiet as it always was.

Her pointed ears prickled oddly, the forest was louder. Mixtures of voices echoed toward her though she could not tell what exactly they spoke of.

She stepped over the caution tape.

Farther than she ever had before.

To the exact place Reuel once told her never to go.

The forest darkened, wickedly welcoming her.