Sara looked up at the full moon and a shiver of apprehension ran through her.
"Sara, are you coming?" her friend Emily asked from the doorway, sleeping bag in hand.
"Yeah, be right there," she whispered, heading to the door. Only once did she glance over her shoulder.
"You act as if something's out there," Emily joked.
"I feel like something's watching us, but it’s probably nothing,” Sara murmured, forcing a smile that never quite reached her eyes.
"Are you sure?" Emily asked in a worried tone.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Now let's hurry before they eat all the food without us!" Turning abruptly, she headed off to the lighted doorway. Emily pulled her aside for a second,
“If anything is worrying you, let me know, 'kay?"
"Emers don't worry," Sara whispered, turning back to the party, trying to ignore the nagging feeling of being watched. From then on the party seemed to go pretty smoothly, they all had a really great time. They played games, watched movies, and pigged out on junk food. It was almost midnight when they crept into their sleeping bags, exhausted. They fell asleep talking just like most girls do.
However, a window had been left open, unbeknownst to the girls. Sometime shortly after everyone had drifted into slumber, a strange, wafting music drifted through it, falling upon their innocent ears. Sara woke up with a start, and headed to the window to watch the sky until she could sleep again. The sound of multiple pipes wove through night as if the stars were singing.
"There it is again . . . that sound . . . it's so pretty . . ." She murmured unable to pin the sound on something.
Suddenly Emily was by her side.
"What is it? It sounds evil," Emily asked with a shudder.
"Let's go see." Sara suggested with a mischievious grin.
“Sara, no that's stupid, that's - why me?" She broke off as Sara was already running down the stairs, shoes in hand.
"Sara, wait," she pleaded, but Sara didn't seem to hear as she ran out the door, slamming it behind her.
"Huh, what?" the other girls asked in confusion, woken by the noise.
"It's Sara, I think something's wrong. We have to hurry." Sara was running down the driveway when he stepped out from the shadows, pipes in hand. She blinked as the fog twined around him like a cat, distorting his figure making him look ethereal and other-worldly.
"I thought you would come," he whispered, "You were always the one to listen." Sara shivered at the sound of his voice, he sounded so familiar. Suddenly girl’s voices broke through the fog.
"I think she's over there."
"Sara, Sara. . ."
"Come out,come out...please???"
"Crud,” he murmured under his breath, “She’s not ready yet. "
"What?" asked a confused Sara.
"Nothing," he smiled, “Would you like to come with me?" He reached his hand to her. Stories of missing humans and sacrifices and broken hearts filled her mind that was already numb with fear. She remembered all the warnings she had heard over the years, but it was as if her mind was spinning with his aura. She couldn't remember ever feeling this way before.
"No! I mean, I mean, I don't know what I mean. Half of me wants to the other half is afraid."
The elf smiled knowingly, but inawardly he was seething, his charm should have made her helpless. "That’s okay Sara, but if you ever need me, just call my name and I’ll be there."
"But . . . what is your name?" she asked hurriedly as the voices were getting closer.
"It's Rhys; call me whenever you’re ready. You’ll find I’m a patient listener." He turned and watched her from the eaves of the forest and smirked as she greeted her friends, lying about what had happened in the fog. "I'll be waiting Sara, I'll be waiting."
It was days before he entered Sara's mind again. By then it was the weekend and Emily was spending it at her house. She sighed, knowing that Emily would want to discuss it. Sure enough, she was correct.
"Sara, who were you talking to?" she asked almost immediately.
"When? I've talked to a lot of people this week." Sara replied quietly. "Sara,” Emily pleaded, catching her eyes, “We heard you, who was it?"
"I - I don't know," Sara muttered, averting her eyes.
“Yes you do!" she snapped.
"You won't believe me, even if I told you" Sara said defiantly.
"Well, if you don’t trust me then fine, forget I asked!"
Sara was ashamed to see tears in her friend’s eyes as she rushed out the door. She gulped, wondering what she had done now. It was entirely his fault that everything was going wrong and her curiosity won out over her common sense. She decided to see him tonight.
Darkness falls early in the winter, she had forgotten just how fast. Luckily the stars were out, just like last time. She shivered and looked back at her house looming out of the darkness.
Quickly she rushed to the edge of the forest before her courage escaped her, calling, “Rhys, Rhys, Rhyyys." Silently he appeared beside her.
"Have you decided Sara?" he asked with his whisper voice.
"Y-yes," she stuttered, “I accept." As he threw back his head and laughed, she felt suddenly afraid. She turned to run but something in his voice caught her.
"Sara, we can teach you to out sing the star’s melodies, play so that the moon stops to hear, and call up the sun with your voice alone."
"I don't want that kind of power. Really I don't." She was crying by now, it had gone so wrong.
"Sara you don't have a choice," he said before she could decide to run. He traced a rune in the air, sending sleep to cover her like a blanket. Her eyelids felt so heavy, the darkness called to her; she struggled in vain, then crumbled to the ground unconscious. The last thing she heard was a horrified scream. Rhys looked up eyes probing the darkness. He grinned and with four long strides was standing over Emily's pathetic hiding spot.
"You idiot," he sneered. "Now you must always remember. When all others forget your friend, you will still be burdened with these memories. You will be compelled to save her until the day you die, but you will never succeed. Such is the fate of all mortals who dabble in the affairs of elves. You truly are a pitiful race."
He turned back to her unconscious friend and slung her over his shoulder, not even bothering a backward glance to where Emily sat. He headed off into the silent wood, mission completed, never knowing that Emily had decided to follow her friend forever. Even if that meant till death. Without a word she got up and headed into the forest, with the ever fading hope of saving her friend.
When Sara woke up, sunlight was streaming through the tree branches above her. She blinked and sat up watching the bustling bodies move about the camp. Something glinted in the bushes across from where she was sitting. She squinted but, it was already gone. Smiling she looked up at Rhys who came over to stand beside her.
“Pretty amazing, huh?" he asked with a grin.
“They all move separately, but together, never bumping into each other, never repeating a task already done. I'm amazed. But, who am I? I don't remember anything, except that your name is Rhys and they are the elves."
"Your name is Kyri," he lied, "and you're my little sister. Last night you fell and lost your memories."
"Then why do I feel so different. Like I'm the only one who doesn't belong? I really am different aren't I? An outsider, an enemy? Maybe even mortal?" She turned and looked at him with sad eyes, "I feel so alone, like no one wants me here. As if my being here is a mistake." He swallowed and hastily wrote a rune in the air above her head, sending her back into darkness. He stood there a while watching her, and was surprised to feel a twinge of regret about what he had done. Quickly he turned from her before the feelings he had so long pushed away came back to haunt his decision.
Sara whimpered and moaned as her dreams turned into nightmares. She tried to wake up, but sleep seemed to cling to her mind, fogging it with horrific creatures until she couldn’t remember if she was asleep or awake. Memories raced passed, but she couldn’t seem to quite remember, as if they weren’t hers. She wanted to wake up, so it could all be over, but it was as though she was already awake. But, she couldn’t be, could she? Struggling to throw off the webs of sleep that ensnared her mind, she finally awoke with a start. She glanced at the sky overhead and was surprised to see the stars. As her eyes adjusted she registered a figure standing between her and her exit. That was a problem. She jumped to her feet, stumbled, and kissed the ground. The figure smothered a giggle.
“Emily?” she asked, “Wait, how do I know you?” Her friend was limping, as if she had twisted or even sprained an ankle in the forest. Had she been trailing them?
“Sara, I’ve known you since you were three.” Emily paused, “Why don’t you remember?”
“I-I don’t know,” Sara whispered. “I think it has something to do with Rhys, and the elves. They want to teach me something. Emily, I don’t trust them, every time they look at me I see their greed.”
“Then let’s go,” Emily pleaded, “You’re the whole reason I came.”
“You’re the whole reason I came,” a voice behind them mocked. “Do you really think you can take her?”
“Rhys!” Sara cried, “Emily go, I don’t want you to get hurt... because of me.”
“I’m not leaving you! I’m tired of running. I’ll stand by you forever, Sara, because that’s what friends do. They protect each other to the end.”
“Isn’t that noble?” he drawled, “Look Sara, she’s willing to die for you. Maybe I should take her up on that offer?”
“No, Rhys, please,” Sara was ashamed to feel tears in her eyes, “I won’t let you. It’s my fault she’s here and I will not let her die. I never wanted to hurt anyone, especially not my friends. I thought they would just forget me, forget me and be happy. Now I see that I was wrong. I refuse to stay Rhys, and neither you nor your magic will stop us, so let us pass.” She looked to see how Rhys would take her rebellion and was shocked to see that he was smiling. Angrily, she grabbed Emily and pushed passed him, into the forest towards home.
At the edge of the clearing she paused and looked back toward where Rhys stood. Involuntarily she met his eyes and smiled as he mouthed, “I’ll be waiting, Sara, always waiting.”
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Story lines that I just can't bear to put down anywhere else
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