Vale of the Fae

Chapter One

Chapter One

The world looked grey, dull and cold. People kept on pushing past, throwing Sophia off course. It was a strange feeling, being invisible. Almost like being a ghost, except people didn't walk through you.

Sophia made her way towards the city centre, the market. It was empty today. A few students from neighbouring colleges eating their lunch together on the monument, in the centre of the square. She had no idea where she was going, or how she was going to get back into Faerie. She had already been in to the round church. The first time she entered Faerie was through a portal in the ancient church. However, she couldn't, or didn't know how to summon the portal. She stood staring at the red, tiled floor. It was a failure, and she wondered what to do next.

Exhaling, Sophia watched as the sun rose high above St Mary's church, just as the bell tolled. One-thirty in the afternoon.

Is it really true that no one, not even other creatures can see you? The Fae Sophia met at the bus stop had quickly run off, calling out to whoever would listen. Bringing attention, that there was someone new in the void.

Frustration began to coil around her. What was she to do? no one can see her, she can see creatures she only knew existed in story books. It was like looking through a vail and seeing the world for what is really was. Not only Fae roamed the world. Sophia shivered, she wouldn't want to know what came out at night. She thought about her aunt Celia. She was a witch and an ancient one, she gathered from dreams and memories. She wondered where Celia could be and if she knew what has happened to Sophia and the Faerie world. She missed her aunt tremendously. Sophia wondered for a second if she should go and find her, she might not be able to see Sophia. But at least Sophia could see her and feel somewhat comforted by her presence. The thought of returning to her own home, made her feel lonely and isolated. Sophia needed to be around someone, anyone.

All of a sudden the bell tolled. Sophia glanced up at the clock with surprise. Quarter to two. Time was flying past. But how? She stood and watched the hands of the clock turn, they were moving faster then normal. Seconds must not exist at the rate the arms moved. It was as if, someone was stood in the tower, purposely turning the clock forward. But why would they do that? Then she remembered, something that Mac had said month ago.

'Time moves faster in Faerie than they do in the human realm.' She thought about this, but she was neither here nor there. She was stuck in the in-between.

Even though Cambridge was busy with people, with places to go and things to see and do. Sophia couldn't help but feel a little lonely. The sun was beginning to set as Sophia walked to the other side of the city. Thinking it must be the end of October, most shop windows held Halloween displays. However, it was still kind of warm. A few people were only wearing t-shirts and shorts. In the in-between it was different. Not cold, neither hot. There was no wind or breeze.

Passing through the Grafton shopping centre, someone had left a daily newspaper on a coffee table. Intrigued by the date, Sophia wasn't surprised to see that it was the twenty-eighth of October. A few months had passed since she was aware of her surroundings. She knew what month it was and the date. Since only Being in the in-between for only a few hours, she had forgotten or was unaware of the date. A shiver crawled up her back, a feeling of dread over came her. Whatever happened in this void it wasn't good. She made her exit out and onto the main road.

Abbey house, is an old, four-hundred year old house. Supposedly haunted and built on the site of a priory. A magnet for fans of the supernatural and a hot bed for ghost hunters. Sophia remembered a few times, people visiting and recording any ghostly goings on. She thought it funny, that so many people, genuinely think this is a haunted house. Her aunt had moved in thirty years ago and had never had a 'haunted' experience. She was often asked how, a lone, woman with a child could live in such a building. Her answer was 'You just get on with it?' Celia didn't believe in ghosts. Funny that.