Happily Ever After.....Maybe

Chapter Five

   Tobias was a fast horse or maybe I just was just so used to walking everywhere that I had forgotten what it was like to travel by horse. Whatever the reason before I knew it The Enchanted Forest of Dead was before us. That's right dead. Legend has it that when people died whatever the reason they came here and lived here for eternity. Kinda creepy right? I tied Tobias to a dead tree and gazed up at the Enchanted Forest of Dead. All of the trees were dead their branches reaching out like skeleton arms.
      The forest seemed to spook Tobias for tried to pull away and stood on his hind legs kicking out. I grabbed his harness and pulled him back down I rubbed my hand over his head trying to calm down. Then I stepped towards the enchanted forest I shivered the forest looked dark and dead inside. I looked back at Tobias who shook his head and neighed, "I won't be gone long, Tobias." I gave him one last pat. Then gathering my wits before they went running for the hills I entered the dark forest.
     Dead leaves crunched under my feet as I walked. I believed there wasn't a living thing in this forest. The trees were all dead, the leaves were dead, even the flowers on the side of the path were withered up and dry. All around me people walked some in plain sight others peeked out from behind dead trees but then ducked when they thought I was looking at them. The weird thing was. The dead people. Or who I thought were dead at least they glowed. They had this eerie blue glow to them. I must have stuck out like I sore thumb because I wasn't glowing blue. Some pointed me out whispering, "There's a living girl."
     I shivered at their whispers and stares it was so weird to be the center of attention of a bunch of dead people. When I had walked a long way and still haven't seen her amount the dead people I turned towards a nice looking old lady sitting down by a dead tree. She was petite and her hands busily worked on a wreath of dead flowers. She didn't looked up at me as I approached I bent down beside her and smiled, "Excuse me, I was hoping you could help me." Before I could asked her though an older man interrupted.
      "She won't be any help girlie, Mrs. Pots is blind."
     I turned to see another guy with bluish glow to him leaning against a tree across from the blind lady. He smoked a pipe bluish smoke drifting up and into the dead trees.
     Mrs. Pots looked up then and I could see her eyes were glassed over she gave me a small smile and went back to her dead flower wreath.
      I stepped away and walked over the man smoking the pipe. He was tall and skinny with not an inch of fat in him. He wore blue jeans and a checkered pattern shirt. "Then can you help me?"
      He grinned, "Maybe for a cost."
       I stared at the dead man in disbelief, "You're dead. What could you possibly do with money!"
       "It's not money I want, it's your heart." Before I could respond he jammed his hand through my chest.
     I screamed jumping backwards I tripped and fell to the ground.
      The guy let out a howl of laughter slapping his knee.
      I touched my chest where his hand had went right through my body, he didn't take my heart. I frown and glared up at him.
      From behind us the blind lady shook her finger at the man, "Mr. Matthew you should be ashamed of yourself! Fooling a young life like that!"  She shook her head apologizing and looked to where she thought I was, "Poor thing, Mr. Matthew is just messing with you. He does it to all the living folks that travel through here. He doesn't want your heart, he can't even take it out of you." The old lady slowly stood and came over to me. She placed her hand on mine and it passed right through my hand. "See? We're dead, we can't touch the living. Our bodies just passes right through things here. Mr. Matthew just likes to scare you living people." Her blind eyes glared at Mr. Matthew who had recovered from laughing.
     "Aww Mrs. Pots, you spoiled my fun!" He wiped tears from his eyes. "You should have seen your face with I reached right through you." He chuckled.
     I shook my head with a smile, he had a sick sense of humor, "I'm looking for my mother do you know where to find her?"
    "What is your mother's name sweet thing?" Mrs. Pots asked.
      "The Queen of Rollick."
        Mr. Matthew gave a low whistle, "A Queen eh, I knew you were royal blood when you walked in here. You walk just like em."
       "Um thank you? Have you seen her? Queen Macie?"
       Mr. Matthew nodded, "I've seen her around alright, she hands around the flower garden go east off the path."
        "Thank you very much!" I ran down the path and cut east into the dead trees weaving my way between them. I came to a flower garden. Or more accurately what was left of one. The garden had a rickety old fence around it that was rotting away. In the center of the garden used to be a fountain but it was all crumbles of rocks now. The water didn't flow correctly out of it, it just sat aging into brown murky water. There were no colorful flowers or sights of green. All around the flowers were withered up and dying just like the rest of the Enchanted Forest of Death.
       A woman with a glowing blue light around her was kneeling beside the flowers. She try to touch one but her hand went right through the flower just like Mr. Matthew's hand had went right through me.
        Stepped closer to the rickety old fence of the garden. Dry crumpled up dead leaves crunched under my boots as I squeezed pass the half broken gate. All the while keeping my blue eyes fixed on the woman, "Mother?" I whispered.
         My mother froze then slowly turned around. Tears welled up in my eyes and I let out a sob. Oh how I missed her so! Her brown hair and green velvet gown was the same as when she passed away. Her soft brown eyes kind just as when she was living. This was the mother I was meant to have, the mother who always wanted me. Or at least I think she wanted me.
       "Amaya?" Her brown eyes glanced me over and her face broke out in a smile that pierced my heart and made me want to cry more, "Amaya!" She picked her gown up and ran towards me her arms reaching out for me.
     I let out a joyful cry, "Mother!" I leaped over the dead flower beds to get to her faster. I stumbled but caught myself as I tumbled right through my mother. I turned around to face my mother realizing that I couldn't touch her, not now, not ever. I reached my hand out towards her and my hand past right through her hand. I pulled my hand away and cried louder and harder this time.
       "Oh darling, it's alright." My mother said comforting. She reached her blue glowing hand up as if to stroke my hair; but then remembered it won't do any good she lowered her hand.
       Tears glistened my eyes, "But it's not okay mother." My voice shook, "It's not okay at all! You're gone..... And I can't ever know what it's like for you to hug me and hold me close in your arms again."
        My mother shook her head, "I'm sorry, your father had me convinced I.... That's not important right now, how did you find this place?"
        I looked around me at everything that was dead and back at my mother and the blue glow that surrounded her, "No it is important what father did to you.He killed you mother. He put poison in your cup and made me take the blame for it! And you want to know the worst part is? You knew and went along with it anyways." I replied bitterly. An anger I didn't know I had inside me was fueling into a fiery fire.
     My mother's eyes widened, "How did you know?"
      "This isn't the first enchanted forest I've gone to mother. I went to the Enchanted Forest of Heartbreak which brought out the greatest heartbreak of mine which was you dying."
       My mother cried softly, "He was so convincing that your curse would bring the kingdom down and that we had to protected our people."
          "What about protecting your own daughter? Oh that's right you failed to tell me I was adopted and cursed with unhappiness!" I glared at her.
          "You know then?" She said sadly her eyes glistened with tears, "I always thought of you as my daughter Amaya, there wasn't a day when I didn't want you. Where I didn't care for you."
         "Then why did you go through with Father's evil plan? Do you know what he did to me?! He threw me in jail and had me pinned for murder and treason. He made everyone believe that I killed you."
         She lowered her head shamefully then glanced up at me, "I never would have done if I would have known. I'm so sorry my darling."
          "I missed you so much." I choked tears coming to my eyes as well.
          "How did you know I would be here?"
          I wiped the corner of my eyes, "Where else would you be? This is the Enchanted Forest of Dead where people go after they die."
        Queen Macie shook her head her soft brown curls moving, "Yes, but not everybody comes here when they die. The enchanted forest only takes people here who have unfinished business with the living." My mother smiled at me.
        "What happens to the people who don't have unfinished business?"
        "They go off to a better place. Amaya, you are my unfinished business. My sweet daughter." She stroke her hand up to meet my face and it went right through, she pulled back, "I just wish I could touch you one last time."
        "Wait mother! What are you talking about! I'm your unfinished business? What's going to happen to you?!"
       "My unfinished business is you, to see you one last time and to tell you." My mother paused taking a deep breath she looked deep into my eyes, "He's here Amaya."