Willowwood Forest

Chapter 1

My legs were covered in snakes, their yellow eyes glaring at me, almost sneering, as I stumbled under a tree. I groaned; this was the second time today. I began to untangle the little reptiles from my legs.

"Be careful, Paige!" Marissa's laughter echoed in the distance. Rolling my eyes, I replied, "Don't you have something better to do?" The forest was starting to get on my nerves; it was late afternoon and I was ready to go home.

After untangling myself from the snakes, Marissa motioned for me to follow her on the trail. She grinned mischievously and said something about my "pet snakes."

"They're not my pets," I corrected her.

"But wouldn't it be cool if they were? They have magic-" Marissa began.

"I don't get paid enough to consider that," I interrupted her, earning a confused look. "What do you mean? We don't even have to pay for our housing!" she argued.

I had to admit, she had a point. We didn't have to pay for rent or utilities out here in Willowwood Forest, it was just a benefit of the job. The only downfall was that I worked six days a week from dawn till dusk. As we walked out of the deeply wooded part of the forest, I tuned out Marissa's chatter and enjoyed the sunset that peeked through the trees.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my back and snapped back to reality. "What the hell was that for?" I exclaimed as Marissa giggled.

"Posture check! You were slouching," she said. "And you weren't responding so..."

"Sorry. What did you say?" I asked, my eye twitching.

"Don't you think it's getting dark?" she said.

"Crap," I muttered under my breath. That meant it was time for communal dinner. Where all the kids meet after shift and eat together. It was a chaotic mixture of good food but annoying noises.

As we made our way to the dining hall, I couldn't help but dread the communal dinner. Marissa always found someone to talk to before we even entered. The girl she was talking to today was the complete opposite of her - tall with dark blonde hair compared to Marissa who's short and has almost white hair.

I looked around at the other kids, I noticed they must all be around the same age as us, but I didn't care enough to confirm that theory. All I cared about was finishing dinner and getting some sleep.

As we entered the dining hall, the scent of warm, freshly baked bread wafted through the air. My stomach growled, reminding me that I hadn't eaten since lunch hours ago. The hall was cozy, contrasting the chilly forest outside. Wooden tables stretched across the room, already set with mismatched bowls and utensils.

I followed Marissa to our usual table, trying to ignore the loud talking around us. Noise buzzed in my ears. She was still deep in conversation with the tall girl, and I realized I had never found out what her name was. I don't know why I keep calling her tall, when she's shorter than me. Whatever. I slid onto the bench silently and stared at the empty bowl in front of me, wanting the food to appear faster.

"Earth to Paige!" Marissa poked me, catching me off guard, once again. "What do you think we're having for dinner?"

I looked up from my bowl, both her and the girl were looking at me. Their staring burned into my skin.

I thought about the question for a second. "Probably potato stew or something?," I paused, and saw the sign that had tonight's menu. '"Yep, potato stew."

Marissa's friend followed my gaze. "How can you see from so far away? We're on the complete other side of the dining hall."

I pointed at my eyes. We had eye contact for a brief second, before she looked away.

I sighed, I'm used to this reaction. My eyes were an unusual shade of neon yellow, a side effect of the magic that permeated Willowwood Forest. Most of the kids here had some physical quirk or another - Marissa's silver hair that seemed to glow in the dark, or the boy two tables over whose freckles shifted across his face like constellations.

"Why are the whites of your eyes... black? That's freaky.." The friend said, glaring at me.

I felt a familiar pang of irritation. "It's not freaky," I snapped. "It's just how they are. You try working in a magical forest for years and see if you don't change."

The girl gave me a stink eye, but before she could say anything else, Marissa jumped in. "They help her see in the dark, which is super useful."

I nodded. I didn't want to admit it, but I guess I do appreciate her defending me. Large pots of steaming stew started being handed out to the tables. The rich aroma of the stew filled the air, distracting the girl for a brief moment.

As we ladled the thick stew into our bowls, I couldn't help but notice the girl still glancing at me. Who does she think she is? I laid my focus on my food, enjoying its flavor. The potatoes were tender, and the small chunks of carrots and celery added a satisfying crunch.

Marissa filled the silence. "So, Aspen," she addressed her friend, "how long have you been at Willowwood?"

Aspen. So that was her name.

"Just a couple of weeks," Aspen said, her voice softer now. "I'm still getting used to... everything."

I looked up, catching her eye. She looked back at me. Looking now, she seems so.. normal looking. Her blonde hair rested just past her shoulders. I used to have lighter hair, too, before working here. Because of Willowwoods.... magical properties.. depending on what you work with, you start to change as well. My hair used to be strawberry blonde I guess? I looked down at it. My limp, brown hair stared back at me.

I looked out the window beside my seat on the bench. The forest is a little eerie at night, the vines curling on the floor a little tighter. The plants on the moss carpet seemed to be bigger. Not to mention the eyes that peer out of the darkness.

It's funny, I'd rather be out there than here.