Fear

Chapter 3

I didn't know who she was, the girl looking at me in the mirror. Her face was smudged with dirt. Her lips, which weren't thin but not large, were cracked and dry. Her gray-blue eyes were like mine, a sea of cement. She was thinner than I remember, less pale, with broad shoulders and a long neck. Her hair was mangled at the bottom, reaching down past her shoulders. It was a frightening image, the most frightening part being that the girl was me.

Snapping me out of my unsettling epiphany, I saw Mitch starting to wake up in my reflection. His face was completely covered by the swaying mop of hair on his head.

"Vienna," he said, stretching his shoulders behind his back.

"Do I really look that bad?" I asked, sitting down next to him, diving into my own thoughts after. How could I have changed so much in a month? Well, over a month. It was almost like I was a whole new person.

"What?" Mitch asked, laughing a little at my directness.

"I looked in the mirror for the first time in... over a month. I didn't even recognize myself. I look...scary."

"Yeah, you're not wrong," he remarked, his eyes shifting to the distinctive features of my face. I started to punch his shoulder, but he just laughed; it was annoying.

"You're supposed to tell me I don't look bad."

"Why'd you ask me if you wanted me to say a certain thing?" I punched his shoulder again, and of course, he laughed in return. "What?"

"I don't want to look like someone else, I already feel not myself," I said sadly, resting my head on my knees. Mitch didn't say anything a bit, but then turned his face to look at me.

"Vienna, you look nice," he said in a reassuring voice. I looked away from his sweet smile, feeling embarrassed. I never really knew how to take compliments well, even when my parents would congratulate me for a good grade.

"Mitch, my face is covered in dirt."

"Yeah? It's a good look on you." He grinned, punching my shoulder, and as much as I didn't want to, I couldn't help but laugh.

...

After a boring past couple of days being basically stuck in the cabin, I decided enough was enough. Sure, I feared the Medaeno, but I couldn't take it anymore. Mitch seemed fine, but also agreed it would be good to get out. Safety was an issue, but we knew at least one place we could go to that would...probably be safe, Stumptown.

The entrance to Stumptown started at a small clearing in the forest, which brought you to a stone path leading to the heart of the town. The sky had turned into a yellowish orange type of color, the sun slightly visible above the horizon. Clouds were spread across the sky, torn apart like cotton candy. I understood why the housing area at the end of Stumptown was so expensive, the view the town had of the sunsets was amazing.

Stumptown was a small town, consisting of about 3,000 people. It was technically part of the Mitica forest, as the rest of the forest surrounded it. Businesses in small buildings were lined on both sides of the large walkway, continuing for a bit until you reached the part where people lived. In the town, most of the townhouses had colors such as brown, orange, and black.

To the west of the town, you could see the Perigo Mountains, standing tall with an aura of mystery. The snowy peaks seemed to reach beyond the sky, reaching towards something greater. There was more that caught my attention though. A tall fountain, or statue you could say, stood in the middle of the town. It was of a woman, her hair reaching down to the bottom of the fountain, and her eyes closed. Her hands were held out, water trickling from them.

"Who is that?" I asked Mitch. He turned away from the forest, looking to where I was pointing.

"Oh, that's the old queen, she ruled Inayla before The Medaeno took over," he told me, almost sadly.