Twisted Worlds

Chapter 10

Evelynia blinked, staring at the odd girls through the window. Her and her two sisters, Marialin and Fernanda, had recently woken up to find their home in yet again a new place in the forest. Evelynia was used to it. They were always called to new places like this at random times.
   She blinked again. The girls, each of them, smelled strongly of magic. But, there magic was odd. They were born with the powers, and each power was similar in different ways. That was her gift. Evelynia had studied the magic of Humans. She was able to tell mostly everything about a single person by the scent and aura they gave off.
   Evelynia was in the middle of a staring contest with the youngest girl when her oldest sister, Fernanda, came behind her.
  "Evie," she said in her usual soft voice. "I found these letters at our back door. I believe they're for our visitors."
   Evelynia turned to look at her older sister. Fernanda had always been beautiful, with her long black hair pulled back into a ponytail, and her chocolate eyes always shining. But today she looked worried. Her usual shimmery tan skin looked pale and her brows were furrowed.
   "Fern, are you alright?" Evelynia asked. Her sister opened her mouth to speak, but a loud shriek was heard farther into the cottage, followed by a laugh.
Fernanda sighed as she handed her sister two brightly colored envelopes before turning to go find what Marialin was up to. Marialin was the potion maker and spell user. Well, most of the spells anyways. Evelynia thought her parents were crazy for giving her crazy older sister that gift. But, they believed she should be the girls potion maker.
  Evelynia tried hard to remember when that was. It has to have been within the last two centuries, at least, she thought. Then she turned her attention to the envelopes. One was a light purple, with the word JESSE written neatly on the front. The letters had green vines drawn around them, with an occasional dark purple flower growing on it. The second card was a light blue, with the word ALYSSA printed fancily on the front. Sea creatures and bubbles were drawn neatly around it.
•••~•••
Alyssa stared at the clear blue sky. She was worried. I swear I saw it. It's coming for me I know! The-

"Alyssa," someone asked, snapping Alyssa back to reality. She looked down to see Jennifire in front of her, eating mint green frosting.
"Yeah," Alyssa asked, giving her traveling companion a crooked smile.
"What's wrong with you? You've been staring at the sky,"
"Well-"
"Anyways," Jennifire continued. "There's someone in the house. I wanna go in and see. Maybe it's the witches!" Jennifire smiled, grabbing Alyssa's hand and pulling her to the cottage door. Alyssa couldn't process what was happening until Jennifire has knocked on the door and ran away giggling. Alyssa turned, getting ready to chase after the younger girl, before the door creaked open.
Alyssa slowly turned back toward the door. She was expecting three creepy old ladies holding brooms and boiling cups screaming 'Die filthy children' or at least doing the evil witch laugh.
But Alyssa was facing three young girls. The youngest looking one looked to be about twelve. She had jade green eyes, shimmery tan skin, and Raven black hair pulled into pigtails. She smiled shyly. The next girl, looking to be about fifteen, looked much like the younger girl, but had sapphire blue eyes gleaming mischievously and had a crooked grin. The oldest girl, around eighteen, looked exactly like the two others. Except she had chocolate brown eyes, clouded with concern and worry. But she was trying to cover it with a warm and welcoming smile.
  "Hello,"  the oldest said. "I am Fernanda, and these are my sister's. Marialin and Evelynia. We are the three witches of the forest. How may we help you?"
  Alyssa waved and smiled, but was still generally confused. If they were the witches, then who had laughed earlier.
   The youngest looking girl, Evelynia, gave a small laugh. "Come in," she and her sisters stepped out of the doorway to make room for there visitors.
•••~•••
After everybody was settled in and each group had explained who they were, Holly began to tell the story of why they were there. When she finished, Marialin laughed.
"What is it?" Fernanda asked her sister.
"That voice you heard! That... That was me... I can't believe..." Marialin tried to say between laughs.
"OK, um..." Evelynia sighed when her two older sisters had left the room. "I, uh, have these letters." She held up two envelopes. "They are addressed to Alyssa and Jesse..?"
Evelynia held out the envelopes. Alyssa cautiously grabbed the one with her name on it. She gave a sideways look toward Jesse and Holly. Jesse shrugged and tore hers open while Holly just nodded.
Slowly, Alyssa ripped open her envelope and pulled out a piece of folded pink paper that smelled like a flower garden on a nice, spring day. Then Alyssa frowned. How do I know what flower gardens smell like?
"Hey! Those smell like mommy!" Jennifire cried out.
"It actually does," Holly whispered.
Slowly, Alyssa unfolded to paper. Around the edges were green vines blooming with red roses. Alyssa took a deep breath and read the letter.

Dearest Alyssa,
Right now you must be confused about who you really are. You must be confused about many things. I am going to explain a few.
Jesse is indeed your twin sister. You have the same biological parents, but sadly, you were given away. Both your mother and father protested to keep the both of you. But problems occurred and... Well...
Anyways, you were given to a lovely family of merpeople. But they weren't just a random selection. As you know, they were champion warriors. Your parents chose them to protect and train you for the dangers to come. Jesse stayed with your father.
As for your mother, well, she had... let's call them problems. She had a rough childhood and owed many, many favors to Cyrus. And he liked to erase her memory often. She forgot about her firstborn and had you and Jesse. Then she forgot about you two before having another child.
After that, she had left Cyrus and refused to give him any more favors, and he reluctantly agreed and gave her her memories back. That is why he is after you, Holly, Jesse, and Jennifire. He never wanted you to be born, and he wanted your mother as a slave to do his biddings forever.
That is all I can say for now, dear. But before I conclude this letter you need to know: I am your mother.

Love,
Mother Nature

Alyssa stared at the words for several minutes, fully aware of Holly and Jennifire gaping at both hers and Jesse's letters. If the words in the letter were true, Alyssa had just endangered her sisters.