The Little Secrets

Ch. 17- Andorra

             We arrived at a little village that Christie claims is Andorra, halfway there. We walked about five steps in when all of our jaws dropped. There where species I've never seen or heard of. Walking further into the village the main creatures I noticed where intimidating.  A man with long black hair and goat like eyes looks at us as if we don't belong. His torso of a man yet his body a horse. There was a tall lanky women with tree branches and leaves growing off her head as if it was her natural hair.  Christie walks over to me in awe at the tree lady. 

      "She's called a Ukrainian. They eat like vegetarians and live off of the land." She smiles and grabs my arm in excitement.  I couldn't help but stare at all these wonderful creatures before me. I watch in awe as we walk past the villagers. Wondering along, there's a blue and orange flame that is dancing around in mid air, fascinated by it I stare intently.  The flame evaporates into a women in all red clothing. She lands on to the ground and folds her arms looking at our group as filth. I turn my head and look away as I'm embarrassed for gawking. We keep going step by step as the roofs are made up of the brightest green grass,  the walls are made of rocks and sand. Andorra was a beautiful place guaranteed. 

     Fairies and pixies played and laughed around our heads as they sprinkled little drops of rain, snow or dirt on our heads as their element matched their colors. The snow fairies being pure white. The dirt fairies wearing leaves as clothes to cover themselves. And the rain fairies wearing baby blue shorts or skirts. Although, they where small they still looked like humans as if they where little angels given to earth.  We reached the middle of Andorra as we approached a huge hand built home that had huge logs holding the roof.  The sky was getting dark and soon night will be here. We walk towards the makeshift house as two huge werewolf walk out growling at us newcomers. They both stalk to each side of the door as a man appears and walks toward us. He gets closer and closer with a serious face. 

             He is now in front of us as I notice his eyes are pure white and his pupils black. The lean man glances at us but acts as though he can't see us directly. His goatee is cut in points on his chin and jaw, he has a black ball in his lip as a piercing. As I look closer I notice his pointed canines, and all I think is vampire. Behind him evolves a bunch of leaves floating in the wind and toward the man. Floating next to him the bunch of leaves forms into a long blond haired women. Her dress made of all the colors of the fall leaves. The women has make-up that flows perfectly, as her eyeliner wings to the side of her face. Her blonde hair braided in four sections down her head reaching further than her knees as she pulls it in front of her body and lets it dangle.

           "How may we help you?" The man asks us politely.  Christie instantly introduces her self in a bow.

            "Hello. I am Christie, these are my friends, Karlie, Rae, Liam, Adrian, and my beloved Laurent." She takes Laurent's hand in hers in comfort while she stands back up. 

           "We come form the United States to look for a man named Patrick Soco. We Have to travel to France to find him."

      "What is your purpose with this man?" Asked the women in a soft yet worried tone.

             "He's my father." I confirmed to them.   The women's face was shocked as she looked at the white eyed man.

          "My lord. Please come in, come in, no one shall see you hurry." The women rushed us into their home. We got into the makeshift home and there was benches, tables, bean bags, and furniture in every corner as if a million people had come in here daily. 

            "Please sit." The women says.   We all take a seat in the large room, Laurent and Christie on one large beanbag, Rae on a stool next to the island. I walk across the wooden floor and sit into the stool next to her. I glance over to see Liam sitting on a stump looking around. Adrian had not sat yet, he was standing beside me leaning onto the island as he glanced at me and I started to blush when our eyes met. The women sits across from me and Rae as the man leans against the wall with arms crossed. 

            "How do you know this man is your father. And may I ask where your mother is?" The man questioned me.   I had told these two strangers my story from beginning to end as they listened with open minds and never once interrupted Except when I had stopped talking to answer their well mannered questions. In the meantime I had learned the strangers names. The women's name is Fawn. The mans name is Emanuel. 

               "Well you have a very long journey sweat heart. Also, be wise about who you may trust in the Forest of Haze. The people there do not like intruders. They have guards and animals on all borders. They do not give second chances. Keep your story short and your eyes open. The Forest tends to trick you." Fawn suggested.

         "You will find that your father is a very well man. Although if you don't know what he looks like. Look for a man with long fingernails and black eyes make sure he has a pin on his jacket of a crow. He is the keeper of the Versailles Hotel and will help you find what you need." Emmanuel had explained.   I couldn't help but to be curious about how he knew my father but kept in mind the man with the crow pin.

          "How do you know Patrick if I may ask?" I asked politely as possible. 

         "Your father was in a war with me. He saved my life." He paused as he lifted his chest to show a huge scar from the left of his torso to his right hip bone. His body was pale and looked fragile.

             "What happened?" I questioned curiously. He sighed as he began his story not looking at me, but the ground.

            "Patrick's mother, the women your trying to avoid had taken my boys for Soldiers. They where only fourteen and eleven. Marion and Owen. I tried to fight for them shoved a sword through her heart. She did not drop, she laughed in my face, my punishment was to watch her kill both my boys, then to kill me she slashed me open and her soldiers left me in the woods to bleed to death. Your father sowed me up and gave me to Fawn. She has taken care of me ever since." Fawn had walked up to him putting her hand in his. His palm reached up and touched her face. 

        "Its a shame I cant see her beautiful face." The room fell silent as a tear dropped from the Fawns auburn eyes. I heard a cough as I looked at Liam and scrunched my nose at him in annoyance. 

    "If you wish, you children may sleep here tonight. I suppose the moon has come up. You should not be walking into the Forest of Haze during the night for there are monsters you can't see." He walked to another room as he waved us to follow.   We all stand and walk to the room to find fruit everywhere and four little cots lined up in a row against the wall.

               "This shall be all you need for the nights stay. We will meet again when the sun rises." He walked out of the door and closed it giving all of us our privacy.   The first thing Christie did was pull our luggage from the pink jar she had carried all the way here. Rae and I rushed to the cooler for a blood bag or two. Meanwhile, Liam, Adrian, Christie, and Laurent started eating the fruit. Hours later I could hear the rushing water of a river. I had found a chance to sneak outside without waking anyone. I had looked around to see a large amount of water flowing down the river. The moons reflection landing onto the waterfalls coming off the mountains. My vision zooms in as I see Emanuel on the tip of the mountain with his hands in the air. A bright white light stretches from the moon to his hands.  He's chanting something but hes too far for me to hear all of it. Suddenly a women speaks as I jump and turn toward the voice to find its Fawn.

         "He takes power from the moon on nights like this. It keeps him alive as he sucks it into his body. It gives him a month to live. Every month he takes some life from the full moon so he can live a little longer." 

          "That's so sad." I replied with tear filled eyes. This man cant live unless he takes some life from the moon.  I had never realized how dark it was beginning to look. Although I never knew about the outside world.  

         "Soon leap year will come, and he wont be able to take the power from the moon. That is the day I shall never return human. I shall stay in the wind as my body flows with it in every direction." She pauses and I see a tear drop from her perfectly long eyelashes. "Karlie, do what you can to get to your father. Fight with everything you have. If that is your wish to reunite your family. You'll have to work hard for this.  If that wicked old witch gets in your way, you know where to find us." She walks away without saying another word.