The Destined

Chapter 26: Melissa

    Melissa    

"This is the forest of Denhma. It is very dangerous," the Queen whispers. "Lost ghosts and spirits haunt and curse everything that threatens them. I recommend you three don't stray far from our group."

We stop walking at a small clearing where a large willow tree stands. It seems to be the only thing living here, a large canopy of green, healthy leaves hanging from its branches. The leaves and vines hanging down are so thick, I can't see the trunk. I look nervously around. I keep hearing faint, quiet voices in my ear. I can't make out what they're saying, but I hear them and it's enough to make me scared.

A group of fairies come out of the willow tree and begin fluttering around our heads, curiously studying us. One flutters just in front of my face and looks at me with sad and frightening eyes. Lotso walks over and swats it towards the ground. It falls, whimpering. "Don't look so hurt," he says to me. "They aren't as harmless as you think they are. They are death staring at you in the face. Don't you ever let them near you."

"Anna," the Queen says. "You have to go into the tree. The Woman knows you are here." Anna frowns and steps back.

"I don't want to go in there," she says quietly.

"You have to," the Queen says. "Do not fight with me. You are not royalty yet."

Anna swallows nervously. She starts walking towards the tree. She pulls the leaves apart so she can walk in, and a bright light suddenly turns on from the inside of the tree. She glances at me before stepping in. The leaves quickly close and interlock behind her, and I couldn't see what's inside.

I walk over to Avani, afraid to stand alone. The sounds in my ears abate, leaving only a piercing silence. Small breaches in the canopy of leaves let yellow, soft light flood out. A white figure floats out from a group of trees and into our clearing. Lotso quickly runs over to us and makes us turns around. "Do not stare into its eyes." The figure slowly circles around us and then disappears into the trees. When it's safe, we break apart again.

"What are those things?" I hiss.

"They are ghosts and spirits. They have to guard this forest. The Woman Tree is too sacred, too important to be left unguarded. They will kill anything they sense suspicious," the Queen says.

For the rest of the time, we stand in silence waiting for Anna to come out. I don't know how long it takes. I spend the time staring at the ground, trying to pass the time and to ignore the sudden, strange and eerie quiet. I've heard that sometimes the quiet could be scarier than the loudest of shrieks and screams, and I could somehow feel that fear in the air, that terror drifting along with the soundless wind, carrying helplessness and pain along with it. I feel as if I am in a nightmare.

The canopy of leaves shifts, and Anna comes out. She's deathly pale, her eyes wide. For a moment, she just stands there, and then she starts walking out into the clearing. Her eyes are streaked with tears, but she's not crying now. She just stares at us in shock and perplexity.

"What happened?" I ask. Anna barely moves. She crouches down on the ground and covers her ears with her hands. She looks insane. I turn to the Queen. "What happened? Why is she acting like this?" I raise my voice. "I'm not going in there!"

The Queen looks at me with wide, angry eyes. Her jaw tightens and she raises her hand. It comes down hard against the side of my face, so hard I fall down. My cheek stings with pain and I rub away the tears welling up in my eyes.

"Disrespectful," the Queen spits out. "You do not raise your voice to me. You will go in." She turns to Anna. "Anna, child, is she next?"

Anan only gives out the slightest of movement, a brief nod, barely noticeable. The Queen pulls me up by my arm, her fingernails digging into my skin. She crouches down so we are at eye level and she stares at me as she speaks. "You are to go in there and not come out until you are done, or I could make arrangements to replace you." Her voice is firm and unsettling. I jerk my arm away and turn to the Willow Tree. I could feel everyone's eyes suddenly on me. I don't turn around to look at them, and instead I take the steps towards the tree. The leaves part for me to enter, and I walk into the light.