Fairytale Fate: The Legend Begins

♚ C H A P T E R • F I V E ♚

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"Those who don't believe in magic will never find it." - Roald Dahl
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TTerrified screams were all Aura could muster as she plummeted towards the ground. The wind rushed through her ears at a deafening volume, making it impossible to hear anything but her rapid heartbeat.

Bailey quickly tucked her arms and legs close to her core, accelerating her speed to catch up with her friend. The two struggled to keep their eyes open as Bailey yelled at the top of her lungs for Aura to get ready for impact.

Aura squeezed her eyes shut as she dove into a leafy canopy of trees. Bracing for her body to collide with the ground, she drew a final breath into her lungs and pulled her arms closer to her chest. Moments passed as the rushing air came to a sudden halt. The muscles in Aura's body relaxed as she hesitantly opened one of her eyes. She was met with dark green grass nearly an inch away from touching the tip of her nose. Carefully, she stretched out her trembling arms and laid her palms onto the soft earth. Slowly, Aura lowered her hovering body until the entire front of her figure touched the ground.

Aura slowly took deep breaths, letting the sweet scent of irises crowd her senses. The flowers calmed her heartbeat, allowing her to sit up.

She scurried to her feet and frantically took in dense oak trees as tall as skyscrapers painting the landscape in a rich shade of green. Thick foliage filled in the space between the trees, soaking up the sunlight peeking through the canopy of leaves. Aura snapped her head around as she attempted to regain her bearings.

Bailey rushed over to her friend, putting her hands on her shoulders in an effort to capture her attention. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt?"

Aura evaded her questions, hurriedly scanning the trees. "We need to find Cora."

A wave of relief crashed over her as the sound of her sister calling her name reached her ears. She spun around and out of Bailey's grasp to see her sister step out from behind a thick tree trunk.

Carolyn ran to her sister, pulling her into a tight hug until they both regained their composure.

Aura broke away from her sister's arms and looked over her shoulder at Bailey. "How did we not die from that fall?"

Bailey hesitated. "Well..." Her gaze shifted between her hand and theirs.

The twins looked down at their hands to see the gems of their rings glowing with a light golden sheen.

Carolyn sputtered out questions at a rapid speed, baffled by the incandescent band on her finger. Aura remained silent, sending silent prayers up to the heavens above as she desperately clung onto what little amount of fortitude remained within her.

"I gave you those rings as more than a sign of friendship or a birthday present," Bailey divulged. "Think of them as protection talismans."

"In what world does jewelry protect someone from a plummet of 15,000 feet?" Carolyn flinched at each rustling of a bush and snapping of a twig stemming from deep within the forest, grabbing onto her locket to feel something she knew was real. "Where the hell are we?" She fought to remain on her feet, leaning down to rest her hands on her thighs to conceal her trembling.

Bailey slung a maroon cloak over her shoulders, retrieving the rest of their items from the forest floor. "I'll explain everything to you on the way — honest." She passed a dark brown cloak to Aura and a midnight blue one to Carolyn. The sisters slung on their disguises, shooting leery glances at the brunette.

"Why are you looking at me as if I'm going to kill you?" Bailey asked with a raised brow as she opened her satchel.

"I don't know, maybe because two minutes ago we were in an attic in suburban Massachusetts and now we've fallen into some forest that definitely reminds me of every horror movie I've seen," Carolyn snapped, crossing her arms.