Her Darkest Secrets

11: The Sprite World

The road eventually led to a large town, or village rather. It had a vintage feel to it. The buildings and roads looked straight out of history books. Although, there were still modern aspects too, like cars and electricity. I looked at everything and tried to decipher the differences between sprites and humans. I saw families playing at a park, friends laughing and walking down the sidewalks while shopping, and even an elderly couple sitting at bench feeding the birds. This looked like an ordinary town, but I knew there had to be something more.

Before long Wren drove us to a different part of town that seemed..darker. We passed under a huge stone arch and the houses beyond it were not the same as what I had seen before. They were much smaller, and dirty somehow. There weren't as many people out and about, but the ones I saw didn't look happy. It's like a wave of despair and poverty covered this pat of the town like a giant shadow.

"Not what you were expecting, is it?" Lillith asked me with her voice riddled with attitude. I tried to ignore it.

"Why is everything different here?" I asked Riddian, knowing he would give me a real answer.

I watched his face from the backseat as he looked out the window. Even I could see the sadness in his eyes.

"This is where the Dark Sprites live. The Light Sprites treat us like dirt, so this is all we are able to achieve. Any time one of us tries to go into the Light part of town we get ridiculed, beaten up, or worse."

"That's horrible." I said softly.

"That's why we need to change things." Wren added with determination. "If Nova doesn't help us, I'm done. I'd rather live among the humans too."

"Why don't the sprites live with humans? Nova does it and it doesn't seem to bother her."

"Because we would have to hide who we really are." Replied Lillith. "No one likes living a lie. The only reason Nova is okay is probably because she told you."

"Oh." I could feeling myself shrinking beneath her gaze. Obviously they probably weren't supposed to share their secret with humans like me.

Wren parked the SUV on the side of the road and we all climbed out and entered in the back way of a large brick building. Once I was inside I heard the light hum of music in the background. Steeping through what must've been the back door, my eyes had to adjust to the darkness. We were in a dimly lit bar. There weren't many people there though. Two guys were playing pool, a woman was sitting at a slot machine, and there was an elderly man sitting alone at the bar. The bartender looked to be about in his forties. He had long dark hair that was pulled back in a loose ponytail and he wore a black button-down collared shirt. More professional than I thought a bar tender would look.

He smiled when he saw Riddian. "My man." He gave him manly handshake. "Where have you been?"

"Hey Enzo." Enzo handed Riddian a beer and he gulped some down before responding, "Oh, you know. Living the dream." The two men talked a bit more and caught up. They tustve been old friends. Most of our crew bought drinks and sat around tables and relaxed. I stood next to Riddian awkwardly with Lillith and Wren close by.

"Want a drink?" Riddian asked me.

"Um, no I'm okay." I replied nervously. I felt very out of place for some reason. Then I noticed the bartender staring at me.

"Is she a human?" Enzo asked Riddian cautiously. Riddian looked at me and smiled. In that instant I could feel my nerves melt away.

"Yeah, this is Teegan."

Enzo frowned. "You shouldn't have brought her here."

"I'm sorry." I gulped. "Am I the first human who has been brought here?" Panic creeped up my spine.

"No. Sprites have brought humans into our home before. Not very many though and it never ended well." Riddian told me. He looked back at Enzo, "Why, what's wrong?"

Enzo paused. It was like he didn't know if he should tell us or not.

"There is someone looking for her."

My eyes widened. "Who?"

"I don't know her name. All I know is she was wearing a black hoodie and had a black bandana covering her nose and mouth. Oh and she had black hair too."

"What did she say?" Asked Riddian.

"She came by yesterday asking all these questions about a human girl named Teegan. She was looking for her and seemed very angry. I told her I had no idea and I didn't know of a human being here at all." Enzo paused. "This woman.... She seemed dangerous."

I started grinning. I just couldn't help it. The bartender looked at me like I was crazy. "It's her."