The Sidhe: Yellowstone Court

Prologue

I stared out the window of the car, my eyes trailing the surrounding vegetation alongside the road. It was lightly raining, and droplets of water dotted the window, each drop making its descent towards the ground. I shifted in the car, pretending not to hear my mom as she turned towards the back seat and told me - for at least the fiftieth time - that going to our cabin was good for my brothers and I, that being cramped up with technology would ruin us if we didn’t get out more. I proceeded to turn up the volume of my MP3 Player and continue staring at the rain. 

We were going to Yellowstone National Park, for two weeks. My parents would say two weeks of bonding, fresh air and relaxation, whereas I would say two disastrous weeks of uncomfortable sleeping, insect bites and no internet. My parents loved the outdoors and up until now, they haven’t had a proper chance to take us kids anywhere. I groaned inwardly, wishing I was back at home in my bed or lazing around on the couch. This was going to be hell.

More clouds were gathering in the sky, making the day seem darker until it looked as if it were late at night. Everything grew still as we drove. My brothers were both asleep next to me - Jace had his head to the side, his fringe covering his eyes, and Matt lay on Jace’s lap, using his older brother’s body as a bed. Jace is seventeen, and was in a pop punk band.

I looked up to him a lot, and had somewhat followed in his footsteps. Jace was fourteen when he started listening to punk and metal music. I was thirteen at the time, and had fallen in love with the genre. Matt is six years old and had completely taken after our parents; he has the same curly brown hair, the dark blue eyes, and a normalcy about him that sets Jace and I apart from the rest of the family. I grew out my hair, but kept it straight, like Jace did. I couldn’t convince our parents to let me dye my hair blue, so I opted out for the darkest brown that resembled black. Jace dyed his hair black during the summer, and he got away with it because he would be finishing school in a couple of months. I would miss him when he left for college, but I felt proud of him at the same time - he was becoming an adult and would be venturing into the world. 

I suddenly lurched forward, hearing a crunching sound and thunder crackling across the darkened sky. My eyesight was narrowing into a single point, and then blurring in and out of focus like a camera. Searing pain shot through my body, but I couldn’t cry out. I heard the screeching of bats and the frantic flapping of wings before my vision blackened and I felt nothing. I could hear screaming, and screeching tires. I couldn’t see anything, but somehow I knew that I was surrounded by bats, their wings flapping about noisily. I could hear low pitched cackling all around me. I thought my heart was racing, but as I held my breath to hear it, I came up short. I couldn’t hear or feel it - I couldn’t feel anything. I was suddenly terrified for my life. I didn’t know where I was, how I had gotten here, and what was going on. The noises around me started fading and once again, I was left with nothing.