Flumptober challenge!

Chapter 20- Autumn leaves

SKYLOR:

My mum used to always take me on walks at this time on year. Always. We would sneak away from my father, out of the palace, and into the wilds of the forests and jungles surrounding it.

I grew up on Chen's island. I was homeschooled, and had never met other children before. My daily life included intense training with the head guard, school, long talks with my father, and lessons from the Kabuchis on 'how to be a lady'.

Ugh.

I hated those the most.

But when I turned 12, my mother disappeared.

_________

We were out on a walk, like we usually were, at this time of year. We weren't allowed, but we still did it.

We would pretend to be reading in my mother's bedroom, then lock the door and climb onto the roof from the balcony. From the roof, we would shuffle over towards the wall, and wriggle through a tiny trapdoor underneath, which we had dug a few years ago.

And then we were out in the wild!
We would trek through the jungle, and over the hill, to a small patch of forest which we always went to at Autumn.
This patch of forest had birch, oak, and ash trees, and when it turned Autumn, the leaves would turn into many different Hughes of red, orange and yellow.

We threw leaves at each other, climbed trees, and made dens.

After we had a leaf fight, I held up a beautiful scarlet leaf.

"Look mummy! This leaf is the colour of your hair!"

And it was true.

My mother had the most beautiful scarlet hair. She had emerald eyes, and always wore this certain scarf, which my father had bought for her on their first date. It was orange. The orange of a sunset. The orange of the leaves that were carpeting the floor.

And I'm proud to say that I look like the spitting image of her.

I remembered that she took the leave, smiling.
She tucked it behind her ear, and beckoned me to 'The Fairy tree."

The fairy tree was a tree, our tree, and we would climb it every time and look over the greens and browns of the jungle around us. Only this section of the island was bursting in oranges.

We called the tree the fairy tree, because embarrassingly, I used to love fairies, and the tree looked like one just out of a fairytale. The gnarled and twisted trunk shot up into the air, and the twisted arms hovered above the orange roof of the forest. The sun shone onto the tree in such a magical way, that I just had to call it the Fairy Tree.

So, up we went. There were plenty of grips and branches to hold onto, so it was easy climbing. I remember that my mother went after me, so that if I fell, she could catch me.

I didn't know until a few years ago, but she had trained to be a ninja, but my father, being the ungrateful wretch he was, refused to let her go. So my mother and father were not on good terms.

When we reached to the tip of the tree that day, the sun was setting. The sky was bursting in oranges, and the sun glowed a radiant yellow.
Wisps of clouds floated across the sky, and the green of the jungle faded off into the horizon.

The island was very big.

I turned in my mother's grip, and took out a penknife from my pocket. 

"What are you doing?" my Mother asked.

"You'll see." I told her.

I began to messily etch out a heart on the bark of the tree.

'Skylor + Mummy foreva!' I scratched into the middle.

I was six, alright?!

My mum smiled and touched it.
"Mummy will always love you. Forever and forever." she told me.

"Even when you are gone?" I asked.

"Even when I am gone."

____

Then I remember spotting the cave. The cave that killed my mother.

"Look! Mum! It's a cave!" I cried, pointing at a dark and forlorn cave etched into the curves of the hill in between us, and the palace.

"Oooh! So there is! Why don't we go explore it?" she enthusiastically chirped.

How I wish that never happened.

After some hiking, we arrived at the cave. It was dark, and cool inside.

"It looks scary!" I whispered.

"Don't worry, Sky. I'll go in first. If anything wants to hurt you, it will have to go through Super Mummy first! Look, if you're scared, you can take my scarf." she laughed, putting her hands on her hips.

I grinned as she wound it round my neck.

"Okay!"

As soon as my mother stepped into the cave, I could tell something was wrong. Her face went rigid.

"Mummy? Are you... Okay?" I whimpered, still outside.

"Yes, don't worry. I'm.... Okay. Just wait outside. I think... I think.... Never mind. Stay safe. Love you!"

And she left me there.

I didn't know what made her so anxious, and I still don't, but I noticed a dark surge of energy flow through her legs as she disappeared into the darkness.

So I sat there and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Until it was dark.
It must have been around nine o'clock when I got up.

"Mum?" I called into the cave.
"Mu-um? Are you okay?" I asked.

The silence replied.

Then I heard it. A very faint, but familiar scream.
"GET AWAY FROM ME! PLEASE!"

"MUM!" I screamed, stepping into the cave. I instantly regretted it.

A dark pain flew through my legs, and I stumbled back, and out of the cave.

"No! Mum!" I cried, tears running down my face.

Then I heard a wolf howl. I shrunk back into my mother's scarf.

"Stay safe. Love you!"

My mother's words echoed in my head.

There was another howl.

I ran away, shaking, back to the palace.
When I arrived back in my bedroom, my father opened the door.

"Sky!" he cried, worried.

"Have you seen your mother?"

His eyes landed on the scarf wrapped around my neck.

"Where did you get that from?"

"I.. uh... Mummy gave it to me so that I could be an autumn fairy!" I blurted out.

My father blinked.

"Oh. Okay."

He left.

I breathed out in relief. 

"Mummy.." I thought.

"Please come home."

But she didn't.

A/N

Hi! Sorry for the late updates!

I just wanted you to know that the next chapter will be continuing from this one.
;) You'll see!

Bye for now!

Plastic potato xx