Enchanted Hearts

Leaving the familiar

Note: Hi everyone! This is my first fanfiction ever. Well... The first that I'm posting online! I hope you will enjoy this story! :-) <3 

Chapter 1: Leaving the familiar

Lauri cast a final, lingering gaze upon her bedroom, a sanctuary of tranquility and cherished memories. This room had been the crucible of her existence, where her mother had nurtured her first steps and words, where countless cuddles and shared happiness had forged their tight-knit family bond.

"Lauri!" Her father's voice echoed up the stairs, punctuated by the car's horn, a signal that it was time to depart. Clutching her last box, she forbade her room a heartfelt farewell. With a heavy sigh, she gently closed the door behind her, steeling herself for the sad departure from her lifelong home.

This house, her birthplace, was the physical manifestation of her father's hard work and her mother's boundless creativity. Every inch bore her mother's artistic touch - vibrant colors adored the walls and ceiling, painted flowers and butterflies, her mother's own hand-sewn curtains, clothes, and even couch covers. Lauri cherished it all.

However, even the happiest families have their shadows. When her mother fell ill, the once-bright butterflies and flowers lost their luster. The walls, once alive with colors, turned a somber gray. And when her mother passed away, the world seemed to lose its vibrancy.

Her father, Demitri, grappling with the pain of loss, sought a fresh start, a new beginning. It was his way of coping with grief. Lauri couldn't fathom it. Leaving behind their sanctuary, their precious memories, and starting new was unfathomable to her. Her mother's absence was felt in every room, and it was gut-wrenching to think of leaving it all behind.

She loved her father deeply, and that's why she was going with him, but the pain of leaving the place she'd known all her life gnawed at her. There was one thing he couldn't take from her - her innate magical ability. Her mother, a gifted witch, had never had the chance to teach Lauri her craft. Lauri possessed the power, but the knowledge remained elusive.

As the car stopped for gas, her father turned to her, "Do you want anything? M&M's, a drink?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm fine, thanks."

Her father disappeared into the shop, returning with a bag of her favorite brown M&M's. A warm grin crept across Lauri's face.

"I told you not to," she said playfully.

He tousled her hair purple affectionately. "Well, I know these are your favorite, and it looked like you needed some."

Reassuringly, he told her, "We're almost there. You're going to love it."

"If you say so," Lauri replied, her anticipation tinged with apprehension.

Finally, they arrived in the bright town of New Mushroomton. Her father, handing her the navigation, asked, "Lauri dear, can you help me navigate?"

She focused on the directions. "Turn left here, and at the end of this road, take another left. We should be on... CinderLane? What...?" Lauri promptly Googled it on her phone, confirming that CinderLane was indeed a real place. The sight of trolls transporting their belongings into a diminutive mushroom dwelling signaled their arrival in their new home.