Rowan's Fate

Ch. 1

Running through the woods with sweat beading down my face, I can feel the flush of heat spreading from my cheeks to my neck. My mind racing from all the thoughts of the missing women in the area gives me anxiety. Through gossip you hear stories of how the women announce they are going on errands or out on a date then they disappear into the forest. For years this has been happening. Witnesses have claimed it's like the women are in a trance. Many people try to call out to their loved ones but not even a glance back. It's scary knowing it could happen to any women in this town. My sister well she's a little more hopeful of the reasons the women are running off into the woods never to be seen again. She thinks their true love are the Fae and the women just got called "home". Well if that's the case I'm stealing her back from her "home"!

* * *

Days before the Missing...

As I sit in my herb garden I think back to my grandfather and how he told us stories of the Fae. Those stories painted them out to be evil. My sister she's always thought they surrounded heroic or handsome. I don't understand my sister's logic but she's always been a bit of a romantic. People call her weird, but I'd call her eccentric.

I look up to the cabin where I can see her staring out into the forest Sometimes I feel she's waiting for her time to be called. As she sits there and paints I watch her brush lightly strokes the canvas as if she is mindlessly painting. Her eyes never leaving the forest she smiles. I personally don't know how she does it. Those eyes, crystal blue with the slightest hint of gold around the pupil, never waver from the tree line. My gaze follows hers to the forest. I am scared she will feel the pull. Young women all over the town are disappearing and I dont want my sister anywhere near the forest. Her naive self is precious, If the Fae are taking women my sister will not be one of them.

The sound of movement catches my attention. My gaze shifts to the driveway. The sound of gravel being crunched indicates someone or something if coming in hot. I quickly stand and look for Celeste whose gaze also has shifted to the driveway. I grab my pruners just in caaw and grip them tight. Living as two single women we are easy targets for any man or beast in and surrounding our town. However, where my sister is the beauty I'm the dangerous one.

Making my way to whom or whatever is around the corner I brace myself. The gate to the backyard is within my reach when a hand clamps down on the top of it. Then those golden brown eyes, tan face, and pretty snile come into view. I pull a sigh of relief when I see Heta Posie.

"Hello girls! I tried ringinf the doorbell but I knew if yall girls didn't answer you both were probably back here." Her radiant smile beaming and Celeste chuckles. I let out a sigh of relief. Heta is new to the area. She's kind and quirky kind of like Celeste. She's always intrigued us but its probably because she feels like a kindred spirit with us. She pushes back a stray hair out her face and her gaze drifts to my pruners.

"Rowan, are you both having problems again?"

"No ma'am." I try to muster up my best innocent smile but she sees through it. She grabs my free hand as she walks through the gateway. She's a touchy affectionate type which I've come to get used to.

"So, how's Celeste doing?" She whispers.

"You know, same old same old." I shrug.

We both look over at Celeste who is back to painting. We both smile as we get closer, hearing her humming the same tune that our mother use to sing to us when we were children. Her warrming tone drifting onto the breeze. As she sang movent was noticed at the tree line. My attention quickly snapped its way. I know for certain I saw movement as Celeste hummed out the tune to the line, 'Oh little bird, don't you fret, the Fae will come for you yet'. I could hear Heta's intake of breath as she gripped my hand slowly leading us to Celeste. Her hand escaped mine and I could hear her praises of the artwork Celeste had made. Their laughter penetrated my thoughts like the twinkling of the stars at night. But my focuse never wavered from those damn trees.

The tension in my body caused me to hyper focus on the forest. Someone or something is out there I can feel their eyes on us. The goosebumps on my arms gave me clear indication my sister and Heta weren't safe right now. I take a step closer to the trees, the pruners handle digging into my palm, when i hear a whisper that catches my ear. "It's okay Celeste. Rowan probably saw a deer," Heta's steady voice rang possibilities.

"Heta, she's like ready to fight though."

"No, she's just... focused is all."

As my gaze never left the woods they still held their whispered conversation. Their voices slowly disappeared as my hyperfixation got worse. I know there was movement I seen the brush move a bit. Then I heard a voice I've never heard before speak.

"Rowan, come here," The voice sounded musical but feminine.

"Stop caller her," another voice said.

" Rowan honey come here child."

"We aren't here for her!" The other voice, sounding male, growled.

I could feel eyes on me. I could feel the pull wanting me into the forest. The same pull people have talked about before. I heard the female voice once again, "She's his though I know it!"

Just like that I snapped out of it as a hand touches my shoulder. I look behind me after blinking a few times to see Heta's hesitant smile. Celeste looks scared behind her on the back porch. Her hands are linked together, fingers intertwining. I take a deep breath before looking back to the forest's edge. Heta's grip tightens on my shoulder and I shake off the weird feeling. My mind racing as I turn away and follow both women inside the cabin. Was that the pull that people talk about? Who were the people that were talking in the brush? Since they weren't there for me were they after Celeste or Heta? If they were it's not happening on my watch.

I make sure to lock the door behind me once I'm inside the cabin with the girls. Heta and Celeste both intensely staring at me trying to figure out what happened outside. Our eyes meet and I smile sheepishly trying to show them everything is fine but my body feels tense. They don't know I felt the pull. I have finally felt what Celeste has always wanted to feel for her whole life so far. Honestly it wasn't even mystical at all, it felt forced. My body would've moved without my consent if i didn't snap out of it. I'm happy I did though because who would protect Celeste and Heta if I disappeared?