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SEE THE LIGHT {entry} free writing fantasy

SEE THE LIGHT

Mark wasn't the type of person who got lost. Ever. He'd been hiking since he was in his teens, and by the time he was in his twenties he knew his favorit forest like the back of his own hand. He shouldn't have gotten lost just from getting off the beaten path; he'd done it hundreds of times already. Turning between two giant oak trees, however, seemed to be the ticket to finally getting lost in the woods. He chuckled at himself as he wandered aimlessly, trying his best to find the way back to the trail, and try to get home before dark. Idiot, he cursed himself, always have to try to show off, even when there's no one to show off for.

"What the--"

He'd hiked these same woods for the better part of his life. So when he came out into a clearing and found a water fall there, he was sure he was losing his mind. Okay, his water bottle had been empty for an hour, and he hadn't had anything but an energy bar since that morning, but this seemed a little too outlandish even for a tired, hungry, thirsty body. Conjuring up a water fall? That wasn't something you did when you got a little cranky. 

Moving up from the leaf covered grass to the rocks edging the little pool below the fall, Mark chuckled. Sliding off his boots, and socks, he rolled up his pants and scooted along the rocks until his feet touched the water. Cool, but not too cold, and refreshing to his aching, warm feet. Leaning back, he rested his head against his backpack, and stared up at the sky. "Getting lost. Finding a waterfall... This is one weird ass day." Rubbing his eyes, Mark tried to fight it, the drowsy feeling that threatened to take him under. 

The stars where shining over him when he woke up. Oddly enough, he didn't feel cold. But his toes had turned into prunes in the water. Digging through his pack, he chowed down on another two eneegry bars, even if he knew he should have saved them, and decided that he could always try the water from the little pool in front of him. As he bent down to gather water into his bottle, he slipped. One moment he had somewhat solid footing, and the next he was falling head first into the clear water, pushing out with his legs to avoid hitting his head on the rocks. 

He hadn't expected the blinding light from underneath the water fall.

Not had he been expecting the round portal that seemed to rest underneath it, a wall running along the cliff. Popping back up to the surface for air, Mark swam closer to the water fall before diving back down, and sure enough. It was still there! That same curious feeling drove him forward until he was close enough to touch the stones around the edge of it, pushing himself through the portal and out the other side. The water didn't roar over his head the way it had under the water fall, there were no bubbles or lights. Making his way to the surface his lungs were burning, struggling to pace himself to not increase the burn. Treading water and looking around, he had barely turned towards what he assumed would be the back of a very thin cliff, he saw her. 

And she saw him. 

Her eyes were big, wild, dark and bottomless as she stared at him. He barely had time to register the fact that it was light out again. Or the wooden staff that came flying towards his head. She reached for him, the last thing he saw before passing out was her face. If this was death, he'd be okay with that, he decided. 

***

Tilda had never seen anyone come up from the water before. Not there. Up by the shore, where the kids played, and they all swam? Sure. But not down here. Down here it was forbidden. No one went in the water, no one swam or played here. Here, they watched. It was perfect, the view of the bridge leading up into the village, making sure no one came or went without crossing it. And no one had. No had but her was supposed to be down here - it's how it had been said. How it had always been!

Panic gripped her chest as she pulled him out of the water and onto the rocks beside her, her hands running over his face, holding the palm of her hand over his nose to feel the small gusts of warm air that tickled. Okay. Whoever he was, he was alive. Pushing wet hair out of his face, he looked like he was sleeping. The contrast of her skin against his made her wonder where he came from, who he was. He was so pale, so strange, almost see through... Bending down over him, she couldn't help touching him. He wasn't as cold as she'd expected, his skin felt warm under her fingers as she slowly ran them down his cheeks, drawn to the curve of his lips. Slowly, carefully, her finger drew the line of his bottom lip, and his eyes fluttered. 

Pulling back, she held her hands to her chest, clutching her cane in her hand as his eyes fluttered again, before opening to look at her. A colour she'd never seen before met her own, and Tilda couldn't help the smile. 

"Hi," he drawled, pushing up on his arms, slowly sitting up. 

"You came from beneath, startled me. I am sorry for hitting you, but you ought not be down here," she chastised, and he smiled. 

That curve of his lips had her stomach fluttering as he smiled right at her. Swallowing hard, she eased down to sit on the rocks a bit away from him. If she had to, she could still knock him out with her cane. 

"Yeah, I got a little lost there, decided to take a swim when my water bottle ran away."

Staring at him, she blinked once, having no idea what any of that meant. In theory, yes, but for him? No. "Why not just drink from the stream?"

"I didn't think of that, I should have waded in and done that I guess." Slowly he gathered his legs under him, and she watched as he stood. Turning his back on her. The material that covered his lower half clung to him, and Tilda let out a mild sound of surprise. She'd never seen someone so... Exposed. Or perfect. Her hands itched to reach out and just touch. What was this material? Where had he gotten it? "These are going to be getting uncomfortable soon," he murmured, and she looked up at him, her dark eyes wide as she did. 

"What are they?" she asked quietly, and again he smiled. 

"They're jeans. Very wet jeans. And very wet jeans chafe."

Standing up, she looked at him. "I am Tilda. We do not have... jeans," she smiled around the words as she tried it out, finding it funny, "but we do have clothing that ought to fit you."

"Okay, Tilda. I'm Mark. Could you... where am I?"

"Here," she said simply, her arms gesturing to the woods around her, before staring up a path that lead into the woods. She could hear him behind her, bare feet snapping twigs as he went. She decided he couldn't have much experience being in the woods, the way he trampled through. Turning to him, she put her finger over her lips, and gestured into the thick green of the woods. 

***

The animal was like nothing he'd seen. It looked a little like a deer, and a moose, and some form of bear... It was graceful, but brawny. For a second, he just stood there. Gawking. When she started moving, disappearing into the woods, Mark decided he wasn't going to get lost twice in one day. But when he moved, hurriedly so, through the woods this time he did his best to keep it down. His steps careful to make as little sound as possible. 

Before too long, they stopped by what looked like a doorway, wrapped in flowers and greens. No wall, no nothing, just the doorframe and the plants. She passed through it, and waited for him on the other side. 

"Don't be scared," she encouraged, and he wanted to snort. To tell her he wasn't scared of anything. But in that moment he knew it wasn't true. Stepping through the green doorway, he felt a jolt of something. Warmth spreading in him, and he blinked a few times as he stepped out the other side. Rubbing his hands over his face and hair, he looked up at her. 

"What--"

"Magic," she smiled. 

Yeah... No shit.

***

To be continued...?