Shattered Hearts

chapter 2

Lizzie awoke to the sound of birds overhead, and the chattering of squirrels. She opened her eyes, squinting them shut again when sunlight hit them immediately, causing some form of discomfort for her. Lizzie groaned, opening her eyes again, realizing she was in the forest. Mind fuzzy with confusion, Lizzie sat up, rubbing her head. She looked around, "How did- how did I get here?" She asked, getting to her feet. All she remembered was being in the attic and finding the- finding that mirror. It sucked her in, somehow. How does that even work? It's an inanimate object! Lizzie jumped when she heard another noise, that voice from earlier. It was melodic and calming, like what you would hear from any fantasy film.

Wanting to find the voice's owner, Lizzie searched around and began following it. It became louder, and she could make out a few words. The girl was singing about flowers, nature and other things. Things that, from what she could tell, were in this very forest. Lizzie peeked through the bushes to find a dark-skinned girl, with long, gorgeous black hair. She wore a white dress, which hugged her small frame perfectly and flowed around her ankles like a waterfall. Lizzie felt a little self-conscious about that, she didn't have a perfect hourglass figure. She was a little thicker, with big thighs and in her eyes, no curves at all. Lost in her thoughts, Lizzie didn't even notice the girl approaching her until a hand appeared in front of her.

Looking up, Lizzie couldn't help but admire the girl's beauty. She had lovely, smooth dark skin and long black hair that fell down her shoulders and back in wisps and curls. Her dress had traps at the shoulders and was as white as a swan's wings. Her eyes were amber, glowing like the gemstone under the bright sun. The girl's nose was like a button, small and dainty. Her ears, however, Lizzie noticed with great alarm, were pointed. 'Humans don't have pointed ears!'

The girl waited patiently, and Lizzie snapped out of her thoughts, realizing the girl still had her hand held out. Lizzie took it, and allowed the girl to help her up. She took note of how soft and smooth the girl's hand was, and small. Like the hand of a porcelain doll. The girl smiled at her, "You look lost. My name is Amaryllis, what is yours?" Amaryllis is a type of flower. Lizzie's mother had those in her garden.

"Lizzie," Lizzie responded with a small smile. The girl nodded, letting go of her hand as she noticed something.

Amaryllis stared for a moment before her eyes widened in surprise and somewhat excited. "You're a human! How did a human get all the way here?"

"That's what I'm wondering." Lizzie replied, "I fell through this mirror and ended up here. I don't understand how."

Amaryllis nodded in understanding, "That's one of the portals, there are plenty of portals heading straight to other worlds. You just so happened to find the one from the human world."

Lizzie furrowed her eyebrow at this, confusion sets in. "So- what are you?"

She responded to Lizzie's question with a small giggle, "Why, I'm a forest nymph! I stay here and care for the animals, I know the whole forest like the back of my hand." An idea sparked in Lizzie's mind at this, if this girl knew the forest, perhaps she could help her find one of the portals home.

"So," Lizzie began, "You would know where to find the portal home?" She questioned, hope sparking in her at the prospect of getting back home to her mother.

Amaryllis nodded, "Yes, I can help! But come, we must hurry. I cannot stay away for very long." She took Lizzie's hand again and took her further into the clearing. Many animals were there, birds and squirrels and bugs. Butterflies rested on flowers next to buzzing bees, and along the clearings, edge sat a stream, water as blue and clear as a crystal. Flowers rested around the water, colorful and bright. Lizzie recognized a few, like lavender, daisies, carnation, and calla lilies. She continued to follow Amaryllis, stepping on stones to cross the stream. They continued to trek through the forest, Lizzie wondering how long this would take, but began to become distracted by everything around her. It was truly a wondrous sight, and she wished she had a camera to show her mother all she had seen here.

Amaryllis stopped after a while, "This may take a few days, the falls are very far. It will be dark very soon, I know a place we can stay." Lizzie nodded in response, deciding not to argue even though she didn't have days. Following Amaryllis, she soon came across a pond. Trees overhead concealed the pond with thick sheets of hanging moss, flowers budding in the vines. Amaryllis pushed back a sheet and allowed Lizzie to walk inside, before ducking in behind her. The pond was gorgeous, it had fireflies floating around it and lilypads floated atop the water. Amaryllis sat down on the grass, and Lizzie followed her example, surprised at how soft it was. It was like a blanket, smooth and soft instead of being prickly and scratchy like at home.

"This place is beautiful," Lizzie commented, earning a pearly smile from her taller companion.

"Thank you, I like to come here often. It is safe, we can sleep here for the night and continue in the morning." The fireflies grew brighter, looking like those little lights strung up on the back porch at home, lighting up the area effortlessly. If possible, Amaryllis's eyes seemed to glow amber even more in the peaceful night. The air was cool but had a special warmth to it that made the place seem even more magical.

Izzy nodded, crossing her legs to sit Indian style, sitting on the opposite side of Amaryllis, facing her. Amaryllis brushed a dark, ebony curl out of her eyes. "So, why don't you tell me about yourself? We will be stuck with one another for a good while, and may as well get to know each other." She smiled a bit. Honestly, though she wouldn't admit it, Lizzie found her smile to be beautiful.

Lizzie nodded, her mess of curls bouncing as she did so. "Okay, well I grew up on a farm. My family owns it, and I learned how to care for animals and plant stuff." A soft smile ghosted on her lips, "My mother always made cookies. She would get stuff from her garden, make them from scratch. She would bring them up to my room when I had a bad day, and we'd talk. She always knows how to make me feel better."

Amaryllis tilted her head, her long waves of ebony hair falling over her shoulder. "What is a mother?"

This took Lizzie off guard, and for a moment she struggled to find words. Opening and closing her mouth like a fish. Then she spoke, "well- a mother is someone who cares for you. She raises and takes care of you. Do you not have a mother?"

Amaryllis shook her head, "No, for I am a child of Pan. We don't have mothers, he created us. He is like a father. Do humans have fathers?"

Lizzie nodded along, "yes. Well, sometimes. Some people have two mothers, or just a mom and no father. Like how you only have a father, and no mother." Amaryllis seemed to understand, as she gave a small little nod. They soon fell into silence, listening to the soft wind waving through the trees, rustling the leaves, and creating music as they rubbed together. The fireflies only grew brighter, the light illuminating Amaryllis' face. Lizzie forced herself to look away, clearing her throat and instead of watching the water ripple softly as leaves landed on its surface. She could see her reflection, with her too fat cheeks and too frizzy hair. The image distorted with each ripple, hiding a few features of her face. Lizzie looked away from the water, falling back and onto her back, staring up at the trees as they danced in the wind.

Lizzie gave a sigh, "I'm going to sleep." She stated, closing her eyes. Amaryllis replied with her melodic voice, giving a confirmation she was doing the same. Soon, both girls fell asleep. Surrounded by life budding around them.