Conceal || ItsFunneh AU

13 | the dark forest

I slam the door shut behind me and speed-walk towards the elevators as if the Devil is chasing after me.

I half expect Calix to come after me, but of course, he doesn't. Why should he?

I glance at my watch; it's about time to meet The Old Lady anyway.

The sky has already darkened, leaving the scattered street lights to guide me. The bubble tea shop is still open, lights on, and I imagine Rainbow's smiling face inside, greeting each customer as her friend and diligently preparing their drink.

Keeping to the shadows, I stand in the alleyway beside the bubble tea shop, waiting for The Old Lady to show up.

I should really ask for her name.

"You're here, good. Let's go."

I nearly jump out of my skin as her raspy voice sounds behind me. Spinning around, I see The Old Lady in her hunched form, resting against her walking cane.

"Oh! Uh, hi, I didn't see you there." I stammer, hurrying to catch up with her as she starts toward the forest. She walks surprisingly fast for a woman her age. "May I ask for your name?"

"Not important."

"Well, I mean, I can't keep calling you 'The Old Lady' in my head, right?" I chuckle, but fall silent as she doesn't join in. I must be nervous if I'm blabbering all my thoughts out like that.

"Abigale."

Abigale. Such a... youthful name. But, I suppose, The Old—Abigale, was a child once too.

I start to say my name, but remember she already knows. "How did you know my name?"

"I heard the pink-haired girl say it."

She must mean Rainbow. And here I thought she was magical.

"So you... don't have a Gift?" I ask, using the term she used.

"Are we playing 20 Questions?"

To my surprise, I blush, but thankfully it's hidden by the night. "Sorry."

I've always loved the patch of forest we have in our campus, but now... it looks ominous. The low branches sway in the nightbreeze, brushing against each other and making sha-sha sounds.

Abigale must be associated with magic in some way. How else would she know of this "Cleansing", and how could she tell I had magic? A curse, as I would call it.

We stop at the middle of the forest, which is a clear patch of soil. Abigale moves to stand in the centre, then motions for me to stand at the edge.

I stand there, nervously wringing my hands together.

From her cloak, she takes out a small pot. Sticking her hands in, she takes out what looks like white dust and sprinkles them on the ground in front of her. I'm too far away to see what she's illustrating, but it looks like some sort of circle.

Well, this isn't sketchy at all.

Next, she takes out a long, black stick. "Come here."

I follow her hand gesture and walk up. Before I have the chance to ask anything though, there's a sharp sting on my wrist and I look down to see blood pooling out and dripping into the pot with white dust.

"Go back." Abigale doesn't even look up as she stirs my blood with the remaining white dust, using the stick she'd cut me with.

Despite my common sense telling me to run away as far, far away from this weird lady, I obey and stand back in my spot.

She pours my blood mixture on top of the circle she'd drawn. Nothing happens. Abigale doesn't seem surprised though, as she turns to face me. "You're having doubts."

I mean, can you blame me? This setup is very... dubious. "I'm a bit skeptical," I admit.

"No, not doubts about this Cleansing. Something in your life is keeping you from being free. Your soul is attached to this world."

I blink. "Isn't my soul being attached here a... good thing?"

"It's not. In order for you to be rid of your Gift, you must let go."

Confused, I allow myself to relax until I feel light enough to float away.

"It's not working. Something is blocking your mind from peace."

Calix's grinning face pops up suddenly, dimples and all, and my eyes jerk open.

"Yes, that's the thing!" Abigale's cries are almost joyful. "Let it go, Lunar."

Let it go.

I thought I already did. Anything that was happening between us is dead now, thanks to my harsh declaration. There's... no future with him. We're done.

A bright glow makes my lowered, guilty, eyes look up.

"It worked!" Abigale exclaims joyfully, completely unaware of my internal crisis. "Let's start the Cleansing."

Abigale starts chanting a low, peaceful hum. I allow myself to close my eyes. Unsure of what to think about, but needing something, anything, to take my mind off Calix, I start imagining what going home later tonight would look like. Of course, my family would be asleep by then. Maybe except for Rainbow, who always insists on sleeping last, wanting to make sure we all arrive home each night.

"Think of your greatest desire! How badly you want to be Cleansed!" Abigale's voice sounds in my head, even though her peaceful hum is still going on.

I think of how contained my curse has made me feel over the years. Maybe if I hadn't been cursed with this stupid, unforgiving ability, I wouldn't have been so tensed all the time. Maybe I would've relaxed more. Been more open. Attended parties and... maybe, just maybe, made some friends.

Something warm, soft, familiar, engulfs me. I feel like I'm wrapped in a big blanket of comfort and I relax slightly. A temptation to open my eyes rises up, but I force it away, concentrating on how terrible my life has been, all thanks to the gift I didn't ask for.

Suddenly the warm blanket is pulled from me, like it's being sucked away. The pain that follows is so overbearing I collapse on my knees, my arms catching me from falling face-flat on the soil. I want to open my eyes, to see what's going on, but I can't seem to be able to.

That is, until an all-too-familiar voice makes my eyes snap open.

"STOP!"