Until the Night has Passed

Chapter 2

The girl's eyes shot up as dread swelled inside her after hearing the strange voices calling her name grew harsher. Distressed by the imagery of an unfamiliar place, she rose to her feet with overwrought steps that made her stumble back towards the bark of a tree. Whenever fear has taken a grip on her, she'd fully be paralyzed on her place- a challenge she needed to overcome.

The girl remained silent, frightened by the consequences of calling out for someone in this foreign place. Was she kidnapped? It's not possible. Her window was barred and her door was constantly locked, barricaded afterwards with small and lightweight objects.

She kept her back on the tree, regularly looking at her sides for something to appear.

Something or someone did.

Soft giggles reverberated throughout the woods. Mustering a bit of courage, she grabbed the broken katana, gripping the black and red handle. Even with the tip missing, it's better than nothing. She'll have to make do.

Apparations started appearing around, circling in their gowns with their lace fabrics twirling along, a slight haze appearing on the ends before they disappear. Three? Or more of that? She couldn't catch up. Every materialization of their presence, each titter- contributes to the swelling anxiety that rose inside the hyperventilating girl as she kept the broken katana held up.

A small shrill escaped from her lips when an apparation came full close towards her, passing through the gleaming blade. She looked at her with gentleness that evoked a sense of security. For a moment, she can clearly see a frizzy red haired girl with a playful smirk, then from multiple people interchanging in front of her with no opportunity to ingrain any lineament in her mind. With that, they were all gone.

The confused girl stood there, stunned. It took her a few moments to quell the inner turmoil inside her, but the poor girl didn't know she would have bigger problems than harmless apparations. For one, she's drenched in blood. It finally sunk to her on what state she's in. The anxiety and panic she diminished slowly grew. No matter. It was not an intermittent feeling after all.

She didn't know what to do, nor where to go. She couldn't fathom this gore could come from anyone. There was no one else around. On top of that, her whole body felt different. She took notice of the size of her forearms- the fullness of it as she held it. No more sickly thin girl. She brought the katana and used it as a mirror, which she was greeted by an unfamiliar face. The girl brought her hand to her small face, admiring it. She looked like a doll.

Her head slightly turned, she gazed upon her plump lips and side profile. What caught her eyes the most was the tiny glistening blue on the upper part of both her iris. No more iridescence in it. It was now an indistinguishable part of her retained dark brunette eyes. With absent concern, she poked her mini air bangs, charmed by her now smooth, straight black hair.

Each second was overwhelming. So,  a moment of recuperation to calmness occured.

Time passed and she's ready to move on. She had come to the conclusion to leave the useless blade behind as not to arouse suspicion, but after stepping forward she retracted after witnessing other uncanny things: birds with four legs and a seemingly large caterpillar a size of a human on a tree bark munching off the leaves in one bite off of its branch. 

Once more, broken katana in hand, she persisted slowly through the woods after, of course, taking another breather.

"This is so stressful just what-" she muttered under her breath as she treaded lightly, checking every direction as she does.

In only moments of distress, the girl was relieved from it as she was greeted by an overcast, light clouds overtaking the skies in contrast to earlier. Beneath her was a small stream running towards her right. She washed off all the grime and blood on her body. Afterwards, she followed the path, the grass smoother and lighter under her feet; and was finally met by civilization.

The stream flowed under the high stone bridge where people above lined to get into the borough. Out of the girl's line of sight she followed its bearing to where it began. Released from fear and distress, in a moment of gaiety, she rushed in the open without any thought and plan.

Fretting eyes fixated at her slovenliness. They all staggered back which each step she took.

It would have been a good idea indeed if she threw away of what might have been the threat. However mixed with embarrassment, absurd concerns and insecurity because of their stares, it overtook anything logical. Thus, she held onto the blade with shaking hands, but attempted to hide it instead at her side.

Haunted by the horrors of what took place beyond the damaged portcullis, they all shared the same despair in their eyes, much as how they dressed which left a new discovery of the girl: she was far from the modern world. Clothe in medieval-like fashion, they all differ from each depending on their status.

In this continuing silence, not only her, but the rest of the crowd at the end of the line turned, piqued curiosity from the frantic calls of a small young woman running towards them. Her disheveled, shoulder length, half black and mousy hair on differing sides flittered through the air as she rushes towards the girl with concern in her small, rounded eyes. She wore a casual, long, black dress; multiple dark belts wrapped around her waist, pouches were sewn on it.

"Ereda?! Ereda!" If she wasn't facing the girl, she would have assumed this young woman was calling out to someone else.

"Oh gosh, what happened?!" She eyed her down and up. It was repeated by a young man taller than both of them, carrying both bags.

"I- uh...." She clearly didn't know as well. Hearing someone calling her a different name is already so uncanny to her much as all too clearly being transported into some sort of whatever this place was. The poor girl was bombarded with inexplicable circumstances that she'd surely break down  if she were presented with more.

"You don't seem hurt anywhere at least but-" the worry in her eyes never left. Gentle, small hand met hers. "Can you go on? I know this is sudden but we need to get home."

"Clorette, we literally just got here and look at her!" The young man dramatically and aggreseively pointed at Ereda, and scolded Clorette.

"W-what's happening?" At the same time, the girl just wanted answers. She figured she could bullshit her way through it by acting. At the same time she's scared of what will come out next.

"Ereda, I'm so sorry but.... your parents. They um..." Clorette turned at the young man who gave her an unsure look; and yet, with a gentle careful tone: "They're... dead."