Lia rolled over once more, her blankets tightening their snake-like grip on her body. She sighed and pulled them off, hopping down from her bed. She made her way over to her window, gently brushing aside the ferns her family used as curtains. A soft evening breeze hit her feverish cheeks as she looked out over her village. In these still moments, when there were no children running about or merchants selling goods, Lia could see how humans might mistake their houses for a cluster of poisonous mushrooms.
A golden glow was engulfing the entire village, and Lia knew that it would soon be sunrise. Only a few hours, Lia thought to herself, her heart quickening. Suddenly, she felt the urge to run. She needed to feel the wind on her face. She tiptoed to her closet and eased open the door, wincing at the squeak it made. She froze for a minute, listening, but the rest of her family appeared to still be asleep. As she rifled through her clothes, thoughts of the day ahead flooded her mind. She pushed away the thoughts, hurrying now, needing to get out of the house so she could forget about what was coming.
Outside now, Lia felt the breeze lift her up like a tornado. She spun through the courtyard and weaved through the houses, dancing, because who would notice? When she reached the edge of the forest, she took one last leap before setting off in a sprint. She dodged through shards of grass, her entire body getting splashed with morning dew as she flew past wildflowers and beetles. With every step, she left more and more of her doubts behind her. She ran as fast as she could, the greenery of the forest floor whizzing past her as if she were flying. She laughed with delight, seeing the glitter of Crystal Lake ahead.
Lia dug in her pocket and pulled out the flower petal that she had stuffed in there; it was a little ripped and tarnished in places from being suffocated in her pocket, but it would have to do. She closed her eyes, clutching the petal to her chest, putting every ounce of her wish into it before kissing it gently and pushing it off into the shining lake. Her eyes shone as she watched it float across the glassy surface. She needed this, more than anything. It will work, she told herself — it had to.
“Lia!” She whipped around and spotted a figure in green, leaning nonchalantly against a nearby tree. He raised his head and she was struck by his bright, honey-colored eyes. The corners of his mouth twitched as they looked at each other, his lips forming an amused smirk. Lia beamed back.
“Lev!” She laughed. Of course he was here; he believed in the powers of Crystal Lake more than anyone else. She smiled and made her way over to the tree, being careful to avoid the dragonfly that was slowly fanning its wings, waking up with the sun.
“You're all wet!” Lev exclaimed, but he wasn’t surprised. Lia was always ruining her clothes due to her countless adventures in the woods. She looked down at herself and realized that she was in fact soaking, and shivering too.
“Oh, yeah,” she laughed. Lev, being the thoughtful person he was, noticed her quivering shoulders, and grabbed a nearby leaf for her to use as a blanket.
“Thanks,” Lia said, “What would I do without you?”
Lev looked sheepishly at the ground, not knowing how to respond to the compliment. There was a moment of silence before he looked back toward her and asked, “How’d you get so wet, anyway?”
“I needed to clear my head, so I ran here through the forest. It’s just the dew,” Lia responded.
Lev nodded and then sighed, his gaze sliding toward the horizon. Lia knew he was thinking about it, too. She reached across the space between them and grabbed his hand. Lev’s eyes shimmered with tears, but he looked back at her.
“Lev, we’ll be fine. We have each other,” Lia whispered, tightening her grip on his hand. He nodded, a bit of tension leaving his spine, but the fear remained in his eyes. They both turned their attention back to the lake.
They sat together silently at the lake’s edge and watched the sunrise, its gleam reflecting off the surface. Lia glanced over at him and knew that he was scared, just like she was. After all, they had always shared the same wish.
A golden glow was engulfing the entire village, and Lia knew that it would soon be sunrise. Only a few hours, Lia thought to herself, her heart quickening. Suddenly, she felt the urge to run. She needed to feel the wind on her face. She tiptoed to her closet and eased open the door, wincing at the squeak it made. She froze for a minute, listening, but the rest of her family appeared to still be asleep. As she rifled through her clothes, thoughts of the day ahead flooded her mind. She pushed away the thoughts, hurrying now, needing to get out of the house so she could forget about what was coming.
Outside now, Lia felt the breeze lift her up like a tornado. She spun through the courtyard and weaved through the houses, dancing, because who would notice? When she reached the edge of the forest, she took one last leap before setting off in a sprint. She dodged through shards of grass, her entire body getting splashed with morning dew as she flew past wildflowers and beetles. With every step, she left more and more of her doubts behind her. She ran as fast as she could, the greenery of the forest floor whizzing past her as if she were flying. She laughed with delight, seeing the glitter of Crystal Lake ahead.
Lia dug in her pocket and pulled out the flower petal that she had stuffed in there; it was a little ripped and tarnished in places from being suffocated in her pocket, but it would have to do. She closed her eyes, clutching the petal to her chest, putting every ounce of her wish into it before kissing it gently and pushing it off into the shining lake. Her eyes shone as she watched it float across the glassy surface. She needed this, more than anything. It will work, she told herself — it had to.
“Lia!” She whipped around and spotted a figure in green, leaning nonchalantly against a nearby tree. He raised his head and she was struck by his bright, honey-colored eyes. The corners of his mouth twitched as they looked at each other, his lips forming an amused smirk. Lia beamed back.
“Lev!” She laughed. Of course he was here; he believed in the powers of Crystal Lake more than anyone else. She smiled and made her way over to the tree, being careful to avoid the dragonfly that was slowly fanning its wings, waking up with the sun.
“You're all wet!” Lev exclaimed, but he wasn’t surprised. Lia was always ruining her clothes due to her countless adventures in the woods. She looked down at herself and realized that she was in fact soaking, and shivering too.
“Oh, yeah,” she laughed. Lev, being the thoughtful person he was, noticed her quivering shoulders, and grabbed a nearby leaf for her to use as a blanket.
“Thanks,” Lia said, “What would I do without you?”
Lev looked sheepishly at the ground, not knowing how to respond to the compliment. There was a moment of silence before he looked back toward her and asked, “How’d you get so wet, anyway?”
“I needed to clear my head, so I ran here through the forest. It’s just the dew,” Lia responded.
Lev nodded and then sighed, his gaze sliding toward the horizon. Lia knew he was thinking about it, too. She reached across the space between them and grabbed his hand. Lev’s eyes shimmered with tears, but he looked back at her.
“Lev, we’ll be fine. We have each other,” Lia whispered, tightening her grip on his hand. He nodded, a bit of tension leaving his spine, but the fear remained in his eyes. They both turned their attention back to the lake.
They sat together silently at the lake’s edge and watched the sunrise, its gleam reflecting off the surface. Lia glanced over at him and knew that he was scared, just like she was. After all, they had always shared the same wish.
To read Part Two, please click here.