His Island,My Heart (Completed)

in the shadows

Lily

The man guided me onto a traditional wooden cart, its wheels creaking as it rolled through the forest. I didn't care where we were going or how long it would take. My face was soaked with tears, my chest heaving with sobs I couldn't control.

I didn't see the trees, didn't hear the birds, didn't feel the wind brushing against my face. All I could see was Callan-his eyes, his touch, the way his forehead had rested against mine as if we were the only two people in the world.

The cart stopped, and I vaguely registered that we were switching vehicles. Then it stopped again, and another stranger took me further. At some point, I was blindfolded. I didn't resist.

"Stay quiet," someone instructed gently, but I barely heard them. My fingers brushed the necklace around my neck-the one Callan had given me.

They hadn't taken it. Not one person questioned it. That tiny defiance of the rules, that small act of rebellion, made me want to laugh and cry all at once. It was the only piece of him I had left.

Eventually, we stopped moving, and when the blindfold was removed, I stood in front of a ship.

A real ship.

Not one of their beautiful, impossible vessels, but a ship from my world. The sight should have filled me with relief. I was free now. I was going home.

But I couldn't stop crying.

I stepped aboard, my legs trembling beneath me, and sat down on one of the benches. The waves lapped against the ship's hull, a sound that should have soothed me. As I stood on the deck, the man guiding me hesitated. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

I nodded, even as tears streaked down my face. "I'll be fine," I lied, my voice cracking.

He didn't push further, but his eyes softened. "Sometimes, leaving isn't the hardest part. It's knowing you can never go back."

My breath hitched, and I turned away before he could see me break.....

*******************************

The house hadn't changed. The same white shutters, the same garden path lined with overgrown roses. It looked like time had frozen here, waiting for me to return.

The door opened before I could knock.

"Lily?" My mother's voice broke, and suddenly she was pulling me into her arms, sobbing.

My father was right behind her, his face pale and etched with worry that melted into relief. "You're home," he whispered, his voice trembling.

"I'm home," I managed, my own tears flowing freely again.

And then my younger brother barreled into me. "We thought you were gone forever!" he cried.

I hugged him tightly, my fingers tangling in his hair. "I'm here. I'm okay."

The warmth of their love have filled the emptiness inside me, Not entirely.

Later, friends came over, their voices bright and full of questions.

"What happened, Lily?"
"Where were you?"
"How did you survive for six months?"

I couldn't tell them the truth. I couldn't describe the kingdom, the village, the people-or him. Callan.

So I gave them a story that sounded believable. A story that explained why I had been gone and how I had survived. They accepted it, smiling and laughing as they hugged me again and again.

I smiled back. I told them I was happy. I told myself I was happy.

*********************************

Later that night, Sarah stormed into my room, dressed in ripped jeans, a leather jacket, and bright pink sneakers. She always looked like she'd just stepped out of a fashion magazine's "edgy" section. Her dark hair was up in a messy ponytail, and her eyeliner was so sharp it could've cut glass.