The Fairy, The Witch and Lost Items

8. Confrontation.

Terry found herself in the bed, covered by the blanket. She felt herself weak, so weak in fact, so she had a hard time opening her eyes. Finally, she saw Edith sitting nearby reading a book, which she put aside when she saw Terry awoken. That's a new tradition, it seems. Each time, as I'm passing away, I find myself in the bed. Damn.

"Oh God. You scared the shit out of me. What happened to you?"

Terry made a strangled sound, unable to speak; her throat was dry like a desert.

"I see. Be here, I'll be right back." She ran away to another room and returned with the cup of water. "Easy does it..."

After water, Terry felt better. "Where am I?"

"Same, it's a bedroom, you appeared out of nowhere in a main room, and collapsed without a word." Edith bit her lip, looking at her with a fear in her gaze. "I thought... I thought that's it, you were bleeding, nose bleeding, and was breathing sporadically..." She sniffled. "You were on the edge. I still don't know how I managed to pull you out." 

She barely heard the last words, as she was sleeping again.

Terry once again found herself in the same bed, but this time she was feeling much better, although still weak. She sat in the bed, and even this simple action required all her powers; she was all sweaty after that.

It was a nice room, with a tall ceiling and tall windows, one of them was slightly open, and bird chatter was flowing in the room along with the fresh air. In the distance, Terry saw long rows of trees, and a clear, blue sky over with the small clouds here and there.

No way I will be able to stand and find Edith when I'm that weak, she thought. What's this? Terry found that she was wearing a necklace with a red ruby-like stone, and it seemed that the stone was slowly pulsing with an inner light. I saw it somewhere, but can't remember...

Edith peeked in the room, stepped in and stood at the doorway, looking at her with mixed emotions.

"What?" Terry felt herself uncomfortable under her look.

"I'm so glad you're alive." Edith's voice broke for a moment, she rushed in and kneeled near the bed, snuggled up to her, hid her face. Terry awkwardly stroked her hair. 

"Of course I'm alive. I promised you, remember?"

"Promised what?"

"That I will never leave you. Come on. Everything will be alright."

Edith sniffled again. "I fucked up badly. It's all my fault."

Terry didn't understand. "What do you mean?"

She stood up and went to another room, returned with a mirror. "Look."

Terry looked at herself in the mirror, then dropped it on her knees. Oh, wow. In her regrown, dark hair there was a gray strand, over the temple.

"Yeah..." She voiced it slowly. "It was a hell of a ride... I want to tell you something. It will be a long one, why don't you sit with me?" 

Edith sat on the bed.

"When you disappeared, I was angry. Not because you did that in the first place, but because you did that without a single word — note doesn't count. I was felt offended by that a lot."

Edith opened her mouth trying to say something, but Terry interrupted her. "No, wait, let me say everything, okay? I will listen to you afterward." She nodded.

"I was in a mixed state, actually. I was angry, yes, but I also was worried a lot. I thought that it was my fault — maybe I did something wrong or said something off, I dunno. Not only that, but I knew that I should find you, just to explain myself perhaps, or to give you an opportunity to do that as well."