Ida was never normal.
She never understood herself.
When she gets sent back home, a certain wizard is sure that the only way for her to return to her own world is to follow him on an adventure.
But secrets can not be kept forever.
And soon the t...
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IDA VENEFICA WAS unlike any other girl on Earth, not because she was strange or unusual, but rather because she didn't belong.
For years she had spent her life forcing herself into society, convincing herself that one day she wouldn't feel so out of place.
She stood in front of the mirror, her dark hair sticking to her reddened, damp cheeks, dripping endlessly onto the fluffy, white carpet. Her black, long sleeve top was soaked-making her skin colder than the frozen air outside.
At first glance, you would only suspect that she got caught in the storm and swiftly made her way home, but looking closer, the painful redness in her eyes along with the barely streaking makeup told a different story.
"You fucking idiot" She told herself, gritting her teeth as she stared back at herself in the mirror. "You fucking idiot!" She yelled, throwing her fists at the enemy behind the glass, cracking the fragile object and splintering her hands with sharp shards.
Ida winced painfully, a light sob escaping from the back of her throat as she turned away from the painful sight, falling pathetically to her knees as she clutched her hand to her chest.
Large, heavy footsteps pounded on the floor towards her but the poor girl refused to look up.
"What the bloody hell is going on?!" A high pitched scream sounded, fury ricocheting throughout the apartment as she did so.
She didn't wait for an answer, she knew it was unlikely Ida would've given her one anyway, instead she snatched the letter from the coffee table, assessing it silently but still creating an uncomfortable atmosphere.
Ida trembled with her eyes strained on her mother as didn't know how she would react.
Or what she would do.
But every second she spent reading the letter was another layer of tension being built up, rising from the window sill to the curtain rail with ease, continuing the journey to take all the oxygen from the room.
"Get out."
Ida's tears stopped flowing down her face as she dragged the back of her hand across her eyes, standing up.
"What?" Ida asked, her voice a hoarse whisper from all the unnecessary tears shed. Her mother's cold eyes burned into her daughter's as the letter fell from her sharp talons to the floor.
"I said get out." More anger rose up from within her but her arms remained folded and jaw clenched.
Ida tried to speak again, ready to beg for her mother to not abandon her, to forgive her for messing it all up, but a small voice beat Ida to it as light footsteps tapped along the ground.
"Ida? What's going on?"
The tiny voice of Adelaide caused her face to soften as a young girl emerged from the hallway, still half asleep, her short blonde hair in a tangled mess at the back of her head.
The child looked up to Ida and then to her mother, her face darkening slightly. It was obvious who she preferred to be around.
"Don't fret, Adelaide. She was just leaving." The bitter words sank into Ida's skin bitterly and now more than ever, the defiant woman wanted to bite back viciously.
"But Ida never leaves for work this late.." Addy responded, obviously confused by everything that was happening. Her eyes met Ida's unusual own, a clear unease resting beneath them.
"She won't be leaving for work for a very long time, Adelaide."
The harsh words weren't going to end there. Ida knew that she wasn't going to win this fight.
Her chest rose and fell half heartedly as she took a deep breath.
Ida looked down, avoiding eye contact with Addy.
Soon I will be back and fight for her. She told herself.
After all, there was no other choice but to admit defeat.
Pulling on her black leather jacket as Ida turned her back on them, opening the door and heading out into the pouring rain.
The wind battered any brave souls who ventured out tirelessly, the rain attacking vigorously, the confused girls emotions mixing with the storm that grew stronger and more powerful with each second.
Eyes from workers returning home scanned her suspiciously, wondering what she was doing in such brutal weather whilst others barged into her carelessly, not giving her the time of day.
Looking up at the buildings around her, Ida could make out the silhouettes of carefree people, enjoying their time in their happy and warm homes which were illuminated by bright lights, shining through windows.
With more determination and fatigue, Ida failed to notice her own busy town fade into plush trees of green, moonlight gazing upon her creation with a smile.
"Where the fuck am I?" Ida muttered to herself, now realising that in her attempt to find shelter, she had in fact gotten herself lost.
She searched around, realising how far away the warm, bright lights of her home now were and that going back wasn't an option.
Her mother had always been a cruel woman, not because she wanted to, but rather because she didn't know any different. By the age of 17 it became painstakingly obvious to Ida, that the woman who raised her never wanted her in the first place.
It was why Ida spent so much time with Adelaide.
She didn't want her younger sister knowing the real bitterness of someone who was supposed to love her.
The rain became heavier as Ida walked further into the forest. She had been here before, normally to give herself a break from home or before she got sent back to hell.
The only place she could release everything.
At the other end of the forest, where Ida would inevitably would end up if she continued to power walk, was a smaller village.
Her mother had called it 'Shits Creek' which unfortunately stuck.
The place itself could've been beautiful, a hidden treasure.
But the people had held their grip onto it, squeezing out the landscapes last breaths with factories and old mines.
It had once been a grand industrial area, creating the wonderful Bristol that stood today, but humans don't know when to stop.
Eventually, the factories closed and most people moved on, leaving for Bristol and never looking back.
Not everyone had that luxury.
"Shitting hell!" Ida cursed once more. She knew she wouldn't be welcomed there, and she couldn't risk hiding out or asking for help.
Deciding it was best to find some sort of shelter within the forest, she began carelessly pulling back branches, stomping on plants to find a suitable sleeping space.
Thankfully, her unusual eyes spotted a stone arch, littered with vines and moss climbing up the sides, reuniting at the top before loosely hanging down.
Huffing frustratedly, the tired girl pulled her jacket closer to her chest, sitting with the frozen stone on her back, her face examining the other side.
Thinking of nothing more than the evil cow who had forced her away, Ida's head rested against the arch, her eyes staring up at the growing storm, lightning smacking the earth in the distance. Visions of her mother turning her away, yelling at her, disregarding her like a piece of rubbish flashed through her mind, making her eyes grow heavy with fatigue.
Her breathing became shallower, everything seeming to slow down whilst the storm increased in strength, her eyes finally closed whilst her lips muttered two simple last words.
