Prologue:
“Mama,” I whispered. I lay in my mother’s lap, my arms wrapped around her. I’ve never felt so safe, and I never will. My mama, she is the kindest loving woman you will ever meet.
“What is it my darling?” She whispered, her deep brown eyes looking down at me. I laid there looking up at her, her dark walnut hair, curly, falling down her back, her beautiful olive skin.
“Will I be ever as pretty as you mama?” I asked. She let out a warm laugh, her finger stroking my cheek.
“You silly girl,” She smiled. She had me sit up next to her, and she wrapped her arms around me, holding me close. “Avalon, when you get older, you’re going to become a gorgeous young woman,” She smiled kissing my forehead.
“Mama! I want to look just like you, I want to grow older now mama!” I squealed. She laughed shaking her head.
“Avalon my dear, don’t worry about that. Enjoy being a child, being young, your time will come when you become an adult, and when that time comes, you’ll wish you had more time being a child,” She said softly. I sat there for a few minutes.
“Do you miss being a child?”
“Sometimes, but being an adult is amazing thing, especially being a mother, your mother.”
“Will I be a good mama when I get older?” I said creasing my forehead. Mama started to laugh hard, and she cupped my face in her hands.
“You will be an amazing mother.”
“Just like you!” I laughed wrapping my arms around her and burying my face in her chest. “I love you mama,” I whispered.
“I love you too Avalon my dear, I love you too.”
We sat on our porch swing looking out into the gorgeous night in front of us. The wind was warm and soft, it made everything seem so perfect. Everything did feel perfect for the time being.
“Your birthday is approaching,” Mama whispered. “You’re already going to be ten years old,” She said into my ear.
“Mama! Will you get me a dragon book?” I said looking up at her. I’ve always wanted one; it explained every dragon that was out there, images of them. Amazing books.
“I don’t know love, I’ll try. You know how your father is.”
“How come papa doesn’t like the dragons? He doesn’t like the fairies, witches, giants, shape shifters, nothing, how come papa doesn’t like any of them?” I said looking up at her. She sighed.
“That’s how Papa was raised; he believes they are nothing like us. That they are monsters, but I believe they are equal to us. Your father and I have different viewpoints on them, but I love him.”
“What about Gorgi and Johnny? Do they hate the mythicals too? I don’t hate the mythicals. I believe they are amazing creatures!”
“Avalon, don’t call them creatures,” Mama said shaking her head. “They are living beings, refer to them as people,” Mama finished.
“Yes mama. I’ve never met one of them, how come mama?” I frowned.
“Well, there are people that have deep hate for them. Even kill them. The mythicals are scared to reveal themselves to us, because they know they can be in danger.
“Why would anyone want to kill the mythicals? They have never done anything wrong to us?” Mama sat up a little and I sat next to her. She stared at the sky, and let out a deep breath looking down at her hands.
“Sometimes people don’t know how to listen, well, when they hear something they will just automatically believe it. Back then, the mythicals use to be different, some of them. They were evil, as were the humans. They fought a lot, fought for our world, who deserves to live here and what not, so there was a war between the mythicals and humans. The humans won, told the mythicals to stay off of our territory, and banished them to the woods and caves. As time went on, the humans wrote in books, about the evilness of the mythicals, but nothing about our evil. So the history is, the mythicals were and still are evil things, but they are not, so that’s what everyone believes. I don’t believe it though. I’ve met some witches, and shape shifters. Fairies and a werewolf. They are amazing people, kind and loving. There are some that live around the village, they keep their identity secret.” Mama stopped.
“I wanna here more about the mythicals mama! Please mama please!” I cried. Mama laughed, standing up.
“Enough for tonight Hun, more tomorrow. It’s getting late now, time to get some sleep.”
I let out a loud heavy sigh standing up, and following mama into the house. We walked in, and all the lights where out. Papa, Johnny, and Gorgi were asleep. They have been. Mama walked me to my bedroom, and she bent down kissing my forehead.
“Avalon, don’t listen to what others say, don’t believe everything you hear. Be different from others, be kind and loving, open and trustworthy, and don’t forget who you are,” mama said sternly.
“Who am I mama?” I asked.
“You are Avalon Suraf, my gorgeous loving daughter,” She smiled. I nodded my head.
“Good night love, don’t let the bed bugs bite, if they do I’ll bite them back for you,” She giggled. I laughed cuddling into my blankets.
“Love you mama,” I whispered as she got up and made her way out of my bedroom. I heard my door close softly, and I lay in bed. Sleep wasn’t an option, I was wide awake. I lay in bed for a few hours, my throat felt dry, so I got up to get a glass of water. While walking into the kitchen, I stopped because I saw mama and papa standing by the front door.
“Elisabeth,” Papa said. He looked sad; I couldn’t tell what was wrong though. He seemed so happy earlier.
“Michael,” Mama said. She too sounded very sad. What could be wrong?
“You can’t go, what if something happens,” papa said.
“Michael, I will be back before morning, don’t worry. I’ll be back before the children are up, I must go.”
“It’s so late; couldn’t your mother wait until morning?”
“She’s sick Michael, she needs me, the nurse said she had to leave early, and she is home alone right now, what if something happens to her,” Mama said in a cry.
“I don’t like you going out alone so late, you have to go through the woods, you know a mystical, those wretched things can be out there,” He said shaking his head.
“Michael, don’t view them like that,” mama was sounding mad.
“Elisabeth….” Papa said sternly.
“I will be back before the children are up,” She said leaning up and kissing his cheek, and then she walked out the front door. Papa stood there watching her leave, and he looked tense. Papa started to turn around, and I ran back into my room jumping under my covers. Mama went to go visit my gram, gram is sick. It’s late though, mama shouldn’t be walking alone in the woods. Every list of possibility of what could happen to mama was flashing through my head, and then I remembered us sitting on the porch earlier, and a smile crossed my lips, and I slowly fell into a deep sleep, to the memory of mama’s smile.
