Whispers of the Obsidian Mirror - Shadows beyond time

1 | A circus-like melody

"Every year, when the Earth is positioned exactly between the moon and the sun, the annual Erwâld Forest Fair takes place..."

And it is on this night, when the earth is positioned exactly between the moon and the sun, that Addison Morgan walks down the sandy road between Erwâld and the nearby forest. The blood moon turns the path in front of her an unusual shade of red, the kind of red that would remind most people of death, and misery. But Addison doesn't mind, she keeps on walking with a sturdy pass and it doesn't look like she will slow down any time soon.

Her curly red hair is dangling down her shoulders with every step she takes. Her eyes seem to resemble the seasons: yellow, brown, and green shades create a beautiful storm when she gazes up at you. The expression on her face resembles that of a forest wolf, one that has missed its prey during hunt, mixed with a sadness that seems to come from deep within her soul. Her delicate hands are clenched into fists as she walks down the road leading her deeper into the forest, away from her father and little brother back in Erwâld.

If mother could only see what's happening, she would never have left me and Pete behind, Addison thinks to herself. She shakes her head angrily and, at the same time, dabs a stray tear from her cheek. All father does is drink, stay out late, and leave me to take care of Peter. She recalls the argument she had with her father earlier that evening as she was about to leave.

"You don't have time to go outside, Addison; you still need to do the dishes and put Peter to bed," her father had said.

"But father! Why can't you do the dishes for once and put Pete to bed? I cooked, cleaned the house, and went to the market this morning. I need some time for myself!"

Her father laughed. "You want time for yourself? Well then, buy your own house and earn your own money if you want to decide what to do. As long as you live under my roof, you will follow my rules!"

Unable to endure the argument any longer and knowing she'd end up in a long dispute she was bound to lose, she completed her chores, put little Pete to bed, and stormed outside.

By the time Addison arrived at the edge of the woods, it was already quite dark. The sandy road in front of her was an unusual shade of red, derived from the moon that seemed to be bleeding. What a peculiar sight; it almost looks like the moon is hurt as well. 

Addison comes to a halt in the middle of the road and looks up at the sky. With the bleeding moon above her, she feels a little less alone in the dark. For a moment, Addison closes her eyes and breathes in the cool evening air.

As she stood there, the weight of the past years pressed on her heart. Their mother's loss had broken their little family, leaving a void no one could fill. Their father turned to drinking, leaving Addison and Pete to fend for themselves.

But they were strong. Addison handled daily tasks and cared for Pete, while their father, now an assistant farmer, began to rebuild. Yet, despite their efforts, she knew that the emptiness left by their mother's absence would never truly fade. 

***

After a while Addison continued her walk, bringing her further inside the forest and leaving Erwâld behind.

Suddenly, she hears the sound of breaking branches. With wide eyes, she looks at the bushes beside the road. Shakily, she reaches for the small kitchen knife she had used to peel potatoes earlier that day.

"Show yourself, I am armed!"

The bushes stop rustling for a moment, but then a small, crying figure runs into her arms. "Addison, you left me!" Peter clings to her jacket with his small, muddy hands, tears streaming down his face. "You were going to leave me. Just like mum."

Addison feels as if she's been stabbed in the heart. The thought of her mother makes her fight the urge to cry. But she wouldn't. Not now. Not when she has little Pete to look after. She takes a deep breath and looks at her brother.

"Of course not, Pete. What a silly thing to say. I would never leave you."

As she says this, she squats down and wipes a tear from Pete's cheek. "I just wanted some time for myself." Pete looks sad and clearly doesn't understand why Addison wanted to be alone. "But you should know, Pete, now that you're here, it's even better!" The little boy's face lights up, and he starts smiling through his tears. 

"Really?" 

Addison nods reassuringly. "Yes, really. But promise me you'll never wander off on your own. What if you got lost in the forest? I'd be really upset!" Pete nods. "Very well then, we should head back home before Father notices we're missing." If he finds out that both Pete and I are gone, I'll be in big trouble.

Addison picks a small branch off Pete's hat and takes his small, muddy hand in hers. "Let's go home. It's getting dark already." Little Pete clings tightly to Addison's side. "But where are we, Addison? I've never been here before." Peter looks worriedly back at Addison. She smiles. "Well, we've walked quite far from the village and into the forest. But don't worry, we just need to follow the sandy road back to Erwâld, and we'll be home in no time." They start walking hand in hand.

As Addison and little Pete continue their walk through the forest, they suddenly hear some kind of music. Addison stops, and Pete looks confused in the direction of the sound. Blown through the trees, a circus-like melody finds their ears.

"There's a circus in the forest?" Pete's cheeks turn red, and his still-watery eyes twinkle with excitement.

Addison feels a strange sensation in her body, an invisible knot forming in her stomach. It becomes so tight and intense that she begins to feel nauseous. A circus in the forest, at nearly midnight? This isn't right. We should get out of the forest and head home. I bet father is already looking for us. The thought of her father brings Addison back to reality.

Little Pete doesn't seem to notice Addison's concerns and has run, without a word, towards the music. Addison can still see Pete's back as he disappears between the trees. "Pete, what are you doing? Get back here!" Addison runs after her brother, abandoning the only road that could lead them back to Erwâld.

***

Pete runs as fast as his little feet will carry him, jumping over old tree branches and climbing big, slippery stones. Addison follows close behind, calling out his name. "Pete, are you out of your mind? Get back here!"

As they go deeper into the forest, the circus-like melody grows louder. It has a foreign quality to it and sounds like nothing Addison has ever heard before. In a weird, but pleasant way it had a soothing effect on her.