Elvaeda-Chapter 3 2/2

AVERY

This was a nightmare.

Just when I thought Jackie’s problem was done, Danica suddenly collapsed. I ran towards her, Jackie right behind me, still gasping for as much air her lungs could make fit.

I picked Danica off the floor, still screaming her name, and I almost fainted when I caught sight of Danica’s face. It was all red and was freckled with green, like a virus had taken over her. It didn’t just end at her face, though. It was all over her, all over her hands, all over her legs and neck. It was all over her.

If that was anyone else, I would have let go of them, screaming, afraid whatever happened to them could spread to me. But it was Danica, and she was my friend. I wasn’t about to leave her here even if someone had paid me. Jackie stared with her mouth hanging open. I knew she would do that. She hates viruses, and diseases, and anything to do with blood and the body’s healthiness, but luckily she didn’t just run off, leaving me and Danica there.

Danica coughed, and I actually saw green smoke exit her mouth as she coughed. I held my breath, and Jackie held hers, as well, her eyes as big as saucers. It was the type of looked that said: Oh god, what should we do?

I didn’t know what to do. I pressed my hand to her forehead, and then quickly drew back. She was burning hot. I mean, she could be spiking more than a hundred Celsius and I would have believed it. My heart ached with misery and guilt. My friend was dying and we just stood there, watching at her die.

Suddenly, a girl, so fast I wasn’t even sure she was a girl, ducked out of the woods, so fast she was just a brown blur. But when she stopped, which was in front of Danica and me, I got a good look at her.

According to her ears, she was definitely an elf. She had brown hair which looked like it hadn’t been cut in months. It spilled down her shoulders and over her back and actually reached her knees. She had bright green eyes and pale skin, and her clothes were ripped and frayed, a twig stuck in her hair. She looked at us suspiciously, and then focused her gaze on Danica, who was beginning to stop breathing.

Jackie suddenly yelped: “Please help us! Our friend is dying and we don’t know what’s wrong, we don’t know what to do! Please, I beg of you-”

“Quiet!!” The girl said, almost in a whisper. “I’m thinking.” Abruptly Jackie shut her mouth, her eyes still wide with fear. The girl pressed her palm to Danica’s forehead, like I did, and then put her ear close to her chest, measuring her heartbeat. Danica then coughed again, her breath still colored green. The girl drew back hastily. “She’s been poisoned, damn it!!” The girl exclaimed, standing up. “I’ll be right back.”

The girl ducked back into the woods, and for the few seconds she was gone we just stood there, unsure of what to do. But suddenly she was back, shaking leaves loose as she ran out of the forest, hands cupped over what looked like an oversized coconut. She ran over to Danica, broke the coconut-like fruit with her bare hands (much to Jackie’s awe) and allowed the red liquid of the fruit to drip into Danica’s opened mouth. In a matter of seconds, Danica started to breathe again, her sickly face grew calmer, and the green specks on her skin disappeared. Her temperature dropped by tons, but it didn’t drop completely. She was still panting slightly, her temperature just slightly over thirty-eight Celsius (according to the girl) but other than that, she was fine.

The girl wiped her sweaty forehead and sat, exhausted, on the ground. Jackie sighed, relieved, and I dropped to the ground, more relieved than ever. The cracked fruit shells still sat on the ground, spilling its juice all over the ground, staining the grass red. Jackie stared at it in awe, and then stared at the girl.

“Thank you,” she said, and I, remembering my manners, thanked her too. She just nodded. “No problem at all. Tycamorphasis gets more common everyday. Glad I was able to help. Most people don’t make it,” she said, smiling at us, oblivious of our confused looks. She outstretched her hand and said: “I’m Daphne Samantha, nice to meet you. I live in a little hut near the woods, and just managed to see you when your friend there collapsed.”

“Oh, I’m Jaclyn Deforest, but my friends call me Jackie,” Jackie said, shaking hands. She gestured at me and Danica: “These are my friends, Avery Melissa and Danica-oops,” she giggled, than continued. “I mean, Danicia Forsythia. Thank you so much for your help, but what’s Tycamorphasis?”

Daphne smiled and stuffed her hands in her jeans pockets. “Tycamorphasis is the cough, chicken pox, super fever combination which thankfully isn’t contagious, but people can be infected either by eating some poisonous fruit, or touched the ink of Tyca squids,” she gestured to the open field that stretched out for miles. “Their all around here, hiding under their little rocks. Nasty little creatures,” she sighed. “But I guess their good for getting rid of the spit of Jasmine bugs, so that makes up for it.”

Me and Jackie stared at each other, confused, but we were distracted when Danica started to cough, and we were relieved when we saw her breath was not colored anymore. She coughed again, and then opened her eyes groggily. Jackie leaned over her and said: “Dani, are you okay?”

Danica sat up, holding her head. She winced slightly, like a headache just attacked her, and then her eyes fell on Daphne, and she edged away from her, frightened. “Who are you?” she muttered, and Daphne laughed. “I see your doing fine, Forsythia! I’m Daphne Samantha, how do you do?”

Danica just stared at her for a moment, then glanced at us for an explanation, but said: “Um, I’m good, I’m good.” Daphne smiled, her teeth unusually white. I focused my gaze on the rubber tree woods, and spotted a wooden cabin by the edge of the woods. I pointed to it, then said to Daphne: “Is that your house?”

Daphne nodded, her smile unusually sweet, so sweet I thought my tooth would ache if I stared at her too long. She raked her fingers through her hair, and then said: You want to stay at my house for now?”

Jackie leaped up, saying: Oh, you bet we do!!” she said, smiling. “Right, Avery? Danica?” Danica nodded, stretching her back as she stood up. After some short hesitation, I nodded as well, and Daphne’s sickly sweet smile grew wider and sweeter. “How marvelous!!” she screeched, and I almost barfed. Even her voice sounded too sweet to bear. “I’ll get everything ready!!” With that, she grabbed my hand and yanked me forward, her grip unusually strong for such a weak looking girl. I could hear Jackie and Danica’s sneakers hitting the dirt as they followed me and Daphne into the rotting wooden cabin by the edge of the woods.

*****

Daphne’s wooden cabin, though slightly tight, was cozy and comfortable. There were multiple mats on the floor for sleeping on, a radio spewing a lot of static, and an old fashioned sofa sitting in the corner. Daphne clapped her hands together and smiled that too sweet smile. “Well, you three are probably quite tired now, so, how about you take a brake?”

I was about to tell her that I wasn’t very sleepy, but suddenly, I exploded with fatigue and was suddenly extremely tired. I rubbed at my eyes, struggling to keep them open. I guess Daphne was right; I really did need a break. It looked like the others needed a break too, because they suddenly crawled onto the maps and fell asleep almost instantly. I stretched out on the mat, and told Daphne to wake us up soon, then stretched, and fell asleep. Daphne smiled, and the last thing I heard was her saying: “Goodnight, sweeties!!” but I could have sworn she added, not in her usual sweet voice: “Stupid buffoons…”

DAPHNE

I watched the three of them sleep peacefully and sighed. I wish I could sleep with them, never waking up…..

Yeah right.

I stretched, then stared at the three elves sleeping on my mats and was filled with anger. They didn’t deserve this, I was straining myself to be sweet, and if I had to take one more minute of playing ‘Miss Sweety-pie’, I would vomit. I tore off my fake elf ears, and, taking one last look around the room to make sure they didn’t wake up, stretched my wings out, so they protruded my shirt, and flapped them endlessly, feeling good they finally escaped from under my shirt. They felt stiff and sore, and I was glad they were finally getting exercise.

The phone at the other side of the room rang, and I started towards it. Finally, I thought. He called.

I picked up the phone daintily and held it to my ear: “Daphne here. Is this you, Dennis?”

A boy’s voice shot out of the phone, his voice calm, slightly going through puberty: “Daphne, yeah, it’s me. You got the elves?” and I laughed into the speaker, saying: “Are you kidding? These three would trust anyone that’s being nice to them! This is child’s play!!!”

After a split second of laughter I grew serious again: “This had better work out, Dennis,” I grumbled into the telephone, and he snorted. “Relax, Daphne. Mercedes is under the curse of the Devil, and her life span is shorter than she’s ever believed. Those three elves are the only chosen candidates of earth-” He coughed as he said ‘earth’s’ name, as if he was trying to get the taste of it off his mouth. “So if they are gotten rid of, there will be no-one to lead them and the elves will be lost, and then…” I heard him clap his hands and laugh, and I held the phone away from my ear in disgust. He had the grossest laugh in the history of us faeries. “Elvaeda is ours for the taking!!”

I loved the sound of that. I licked my dry lips and stretched them into a thin smile. Soon Elvaeda would be ours, and just the scream of an elf makes my heart race. How I love torture!!! “Sounds good, Den-den,” I said, calling him by his nickname which I hardly ever used. I heard him kiss into the phone and had to hold it away again. “So, all I have to do is kill the three morons, right?” I asked, and he nodded. I smiled smugly. I had killed so many elves, I lost count. Three puny little elves wouldn’t scare me, even if they were candidates for the elf queen.

I drew two sharp blades from my jeans pocket and held it close to an elf’s- Avery, I think- neck, but she didn’t stir. I smiled wickedly. Soon, Elvaeda, and the entire world, would be ours.

I held the knife above my head. “Goodbye, Melissa,” I whispered, and swung the knife down.

Elvaeda-Chapter 3 1/2

3

MERCEDES

“Are you sure you made the right choice, your highness?”

I looked at my town, a whole world unfolding as the orange-red sun rested behind the trees. I sighed, not facing Isabella. “Please, Isabella, I need to be alone. I need to think before I set off again.”

Isabella frowned, but walked away. She didn’t know. None of them knew that my time in this world would be ending quickly. I put a hand on my stomach, the faint ache in it becoming worse, but there was nothing I could do. I stared at the pink streaks forming in the sky and sighed. This was the time of day I loved the most: evening. But I couldn’t stay for long.

I rummaged through my pocket and pulled out a golden pocket watch, holding the watch close to my mouth. I breathed: “Sarah, I’m so sorry, my little star.”

I pushed the pocket watch deep into my pocket, where it sat, hidden from the world. The time has come for me to see to my three new stars.

AVERY

I had been waiting for who knew how long already.

Where was she?

I tucked my legs in and glanced at my alarm clock: 5 minutes to midnight. Still no sign of Mercedes. I picked up the now full rucksack onto my shoulders and waited on my bed. Didn’t she say she was going to come tonight? After all my trouble of getting ready!

My mobile rang suddenly, making me jump. I picked it up, pressed the answer button, and then said into the speaker: “Hello?”

“Greetings, Avery. I see you are still awake?”

I didn’t recognize the voice on the other end immediately, but after a split second of thinking, I recognized it as Mercedes voice. I stiffened. No-one told me she would be contacting us by telephone.

“Um, hello, your highness. Yes, I’m still awake,” I muttered nervously into the telephone. I heard Danica’s voice in the background: “Your highness, she’s still awake?” and then Jackie exclaiming: “Great god! No wonder!!” and Mercedes telling them to settle down and then she told me: “Avery, when I said to meet you, I meant in your dreams, like I always do. I need you to go to sleep, okay?”

I agreed, and we hung up. I felt stupid for ever thinking she would meet me in person, so I quickly climbed onto my bed and hid behind the covers, snuggling beneath the sheets, hugging my rucksack to my chest. I shut my eyes, but I was unable to sleep. I kept turning and twisting in my bed, trying to sleep, but I just couldn’t.

I opened my eyes wearily, exhausted from trying to sleep, yet I still couldn’t. I felt devastated, and hid my face beneath my blanket. Please, please sleep already, I thought, snuggling closer to my rucksack.

It was five minute past midnight and I was still looking up at the fan, long given up on trying to sleep. I stared out the window beside my bed, catching sight of millions of twinkling stars. If I couldn’t sleep, then would I miss out on my adventure of a lifetime? Would they just go without me?

I must have fallen asleep, because when I opened my eyes again, all I saw was a white room, and I didn’t know where I was. When I turned my head, I saw Jackie and Danica standing just inches away, smiling at me, but the first thing I saw was Mercedes, her angelic blond hair blowing in the still wind, her hand outstretched, offering to help me up.

“Welcome, Avery.”

******

“Well, you sure are late,” Jackie said, stifling a giggle. I elbowed her, and Danica laughed. “Can’t be helped,” I said, folding my arms in front of my chest. “I honestly thought she was to meet me in person, not in a dream. How was I to know? How did you guys know?”

“Six sense,” Danica said, pointing to her head. “Aren’t we awesome?” Jackie and I laughed, but Mercedes came in mid way and we swallowed in our laughter. It was very rude to laugh in front of royalty.

“Well, girls, I’m sorry to interrupt your laughter,” she said, and sighed, rubbing her stomach. “But we don’t have much time. Soon, I will be gone, and no one will mend the kingdom. We need to choose an heir, fast.”

Immediately, we stood up straight, alert. She smiled weakly at us. “Well, I hope you all packed up all the needed items for your trip,” she said, and we nodded eagerly. She smiled at us again. “Well, right now, you know the rules, don’t you? If you succeed, the Great Spirit will decide who the elder is, and who the queen is. But if you fail-”

“Yes, we understand, your majesty,” Jackie, all hyped up. “You do not have to say anymore.” Mercedes smiled for a split second before crumpling to the floor, a look of agony on her face as she clutched at her stomach. We hurried towards her, but she pushed us away, saying: “It’s all right, I’m all right, and I can get up myself. It was only a split second of pain, it’s alright….”

Once she managed to get back on her feet, she sighed, and stared back at us, her clear blue eyes staring into ours. “I’m sorry, but you must go now. I do not have much longer. The curse-” she clutched her stomach again, and when she spoke again, her voice was pained: “The curse will eradicate me soon, and if I’m gone, while you three still are going to face the Great Spirit-” she gasped, holding her stomach. “No one will be there to…to take care of the town…..to…..ergh..” she fell to her knees, gasping. We ran to her aid.

“I’m fine,” she said, forcing her lips into a smile. She stood up, her hand still on her stomach. “You’ll have to go now….but..” she inhaled, then let it out in a big whoosh. “…but if you manage to find a girl called Sarah during that quest, please…bring her back.”

We nodded, and she nodded gratefully. “Thank you,” she said, and snapped her fingers. We looked around in shock and awe as the world around us disappeared into nothingness. “I hope you succeed and make it safely back home….” That was the last thing she said to us before the world around us disappeared into a place we never saw in our life.

“Where….” Danica said. “Where are we?”

DANICA

We were in the weirdest world I have ever been in. The grass we were standing on was a bright yellow color, and the trees of the woods close to us were made of rubber. There were seven suns and four moons. We were taken aback at the sight of this weird land.

“Well,” Jackie said, scratching her head. “Where do we begin?” Avery shrugged as she bounded over to a big, rubber tree. She stared up at it in amazement, and then motioned us forward to join her. “Hey! Come over here, guys! Look at the bugs on this tree!!”

Curious, I and Jackie both started over to the great rubber tree taking a pride of space on the land to join Avery. We peered closely at the rubber-like structure of a branch on the tree and stared in wonder at the tiny insect crawling on the branch. It was as small as a pinkie finger, slowly crawling up the rubber branch, with its silk-like wings neatly folded behind it’s back. It was humanoid, with a small little round head and wrinkly grey skin. It looked more like a fairy than an insect, with a small dress made of flowers and a small bit of hair on its head. We gazed at it in awe. As soon as it noticed us staring it gazed up at us and flew away.

My eyes followed it as its wings buzzed in my ear as they hit the air around it, like a bee’s buzzing. Suddenly, Jackie leaped forward, hand outstretched, trying to catch the little creature. The fairy, noticing it was to be caught, it stopped midway and spat out an icky green substances that splattered Jackie in the face, causing her to fall back. Seizing it’s chance, the fairy flapped it’s wings and quickly flew away. Jackie remained on the floor, trying to wipe away the substance that remained, oozing, on her face.

At first, I and Avery just laughed, expecting her to wipe all the ooze from her face and slap us on the back playfully. But after about a minute of trying to wipe it all away, Avery and me was sure something was wrong. Suddenly, Jackie shrieked: “Help! Help!! This stuff is hardening! I can’t breathe!!!”

Once we heard that we immediately leaped into action, with me trying to find something that could help scrape the hardening substance off Jackie’s face and Avery just simply trying to pull it off her skin. Jackie was whimpering and wriggling about like a dog in the water, clawing at her face and the green sticky stuff that remained.

I finally found a rock on the grass and picked it up. Immediately, squid like legs emerged from the rock, and it just lay there, wriggling in my palm, thick black liquid oozing from the shell. I shrieked, especially since the skin beneath the liquid started to sting and the black liquid that lay on my palm started bubbling.

I shrieked again, and smashed the rock onto the floor, but it was more fragile than I expected, as it smashed into a gazillion pieces as it hit the floor. The squid like creature that was inside it lay in the middle of the cracked pieces, looking around at the world around it. It had dark brown skin and a single eye in the middle of its forehead, like a Cyclops. An antenna jutted out from the top of its enormous head, and it just lay there squirming like a fish out of water.

Suddenly, it caught sight of Jackie and the fully hardened liquid that was still stuck hard to her face. The squid suddenly jumped, shocking me, as it jumped higher than a frog or a grasshopper, and landed on Jackie’s green hardened face. There was suddenly a loud noise that mimicked someone sucking juice out from the straw, only ten times louder. I and Avery watched in shocked silence as the squid started to drain the green substance very rapidly from Jackie’s face. When the substance was all gone, the squid jumped of and hid itself beneath another rock, hidden in the grass.

Jackie sat on the ground, gasping for air. Avery sighed in relief, and I did too, until I remembered the black liquid that stung my palm. I lifted my hand up, and when I saw it, I almost fainted.

My palm was all red and throbbing and was freckled with green specks.

“Avery!!” I yelped, as sparks started to fly across my vision. The last thing I saw before I blacked out was Jackie and Avery running towards me, calling my name, a call I just couldn’t answer back, no matter how much I wanted to.

*****

Elvaeda-Chapter 2 2/2

SARAH

Was this entire place so cold and bare?

I lifted my head just barely; my eyes fixated one the wall. I couldn’t take another minute in here. I had to get out.

I limped towards the door and leaned on it, using all my strength to attempt to batter it down with my fist. No good, it was stuck tight. I balled up my other hand into a fist, and with all my strength, crashed my fist into the wooden door. I punched and punched and punched, until the tip of my fist were dripping with crimson blood.

I gasped, trying to withstand the pain coming from my bleeding hands. I stared at my filthy hands. When they hit the door, they had created a lot of banging, crashing sounds, but no-one could hear them.

I tucked my legs in, and buried my face in my hands, my long, uncut fringe falling down my sweaty face. Would I be stuck here forever? Would I ever see my family again?

Jackson.

That single name gave me hope, and I rummaged through my backpack for anything useful, and then dumped the contents over the floor with a clatter. Lipstick, a now empty bottle of water, a few rubber bands, a portable calendar, and a Swiss army knife with no handle.

I grabbed the knife, wincing as the metal cut through my flesh, and shoved it into the door. Though I knew such a small, blunt knife couldn’t possibly cut a hole through such a thick wooden door, but anything was possible here, right?

I heard footsteps from outside the door and I froze. No, I thought, please don’t be them. But it was. They shoved open my door, and me, frozen with horror, could barely move my arms. They caught sight of the army knife halfway through the door, and glared at me.

“No,” I said, my heart hammering in my chest. “You don’t understand. I-I wasn’t trying to escape.”

But they wouldn’t listen. They grabbed my arm, my skin burning under their cold touch. I screamed, and screamed, but I couldn’t avoid my fate. I just watched helplessly as they dragged me further down the winding tunnel.

AVERY

This had to be one of the best things that ever happened to me.

After Mercedes teleported away, asking us to prepare for the trip and that she would be waiting tonight, the room flashed back to it’s original colors, and the clock on the far side of the wall continued to move. For a couple of seconds we just stood there, staring at the empty space where Mercedes was standing just a few seconds ago, until Jackie broke the silence:

“WHOOOOOT!!! This is gonna be the adventure of a life time! I’m glad I didn’t pass this up!!” She cried, hands swinging in the air, and that brought me and Danica out of our trance.

I smiled at Jackie, grateful for her happy-go-lucky personality, able to help me out of my anxiety. Danica looked nervously at the floor and shuffled her feet. “I’m still wondering whether I made the right decision….I mean, what if I fail and get locked up in the Afterworld forever?” she brushed the wrinkles from her denim skirt. “I don’t want that…”

Jackie slapped Danica on the back, making her jump. “Do not fear, for I am here!!” Jackie joked, striking a bit of a superhero pose. “Don’t worry, Danica!! You’ll do fine!! You have to be more positive!!!”

Danica smiled at Jackie, then me, and then giggled a bit. “Hey, do you two even know you’ve been pronouncing my name wrong all this time?”

We both looked at her. “What?” we said at the same time and Danica giggled more. “You two pronounce my name Da-ni-ka, but how it’s actually pronounced is Da-ni-cia. Danishia, like that, even though there’s no i in it.”

We both looked at her, and then Jackie rolled her name around her tongue: “Danicia Forsythia,” she said, and smiled. “Wow, that’s even better than Danika Forsythia!!!”

Danica laughed, then said: “We should pack up for our journey tonight,” she said, and I agreed. “Danica-I mean, Danicia is right. We’d better pack up all the necessary stuff for our trip tomorrow, so I gotta go.”

I waved to both of them as I headed out the door. “See you guys tonight!” and stalked out the door. I was immediately blinded by a ray of hot sunlight on my skin, and I headed back home.

******

My mom was a bit surprised to see me stuffing my toothbrushes and clothes (plus other stuff) into my rucksack when she got home from work today. “Avery,” she said, startling me. “What are you doing?”

My face reddened. I really wished it wouldn’t do that! I gulped, and then said: “Um, tomorrow I’m having a sleepover at Jackie’s, so I thought I might pack early today, you know?” The lie tasted sour in my mouth, but what could I do?

My mother looked down at the multiple stacks of clothing and accessories packed into one dainty little rucksack, then reached into it and pulled out the first aid kit I packed in there. My heart hammered as my mom looked at me and said: “What is this for, then?”

My brain racked for another convincing lie to tell her, but I came up with nothing. I swallowed a lump rising in my throat as my mother stared at me with her bright blue eyes. Then she smiled at me and stuffed the first aid kit in the rucksack amongst my clothing. “Is it because you’re scared Jackie will get hurt, with the amount of jumping and running she does?”

Looking at my mother’s kind, caring face made me racked with guilt with the decision I made with Mercedes, but it was too late to back out now. I stretched my lips into a smile and nodded. “She always gets hurt on our sleepovers, but I always forget to bring a kit. Luckily today I remembered.”

My mother nodded, and said: “Well, remember to take care of yourself when you go to Jackie’s house. That girl is hyper-active,” and then left the room. I breathed a sigh of relief, then went back to shoving things into my rucksack. Thinking about the epic adventure that was about to unfold, I smiled, shoving a small pair of scissors in my rucksack before I zipped it up.

Elvaeda-Chapter 2 1/2

2

AVERY

While Danica gazed at what she said: “The hugeness,” of my house in wonder, I peered at myself in the mirror, my eyes always drawn to my new grown elf ears. A little thought crept into my brain: So, Am I an elf or a human now?

Fortunately, Danica didn’t make me wonder for long. She started bouncing up and down on my mattress, so hard I could hear the springs creaking. She was bouncing up and down and laughing, her face a look of happiness.

“Stop, Danica, STOP!!!” I shrieked, but I couldn’t stop smiling when I saw the look of happiness on her face, unable to stop. “Avery, your bed is the bounciest in the WOLRD!!!” she said, laughing.

Suddenly, I couldn’t help myself either, even though the amount of times my mother told me to stop bouncing on my mattress flashed through my mind. I climbed onto my bed and started to jump too, and I hit Danika with my pillow and she fell onto my bed, continuing to laugh. I hadn’t seen her this happy before.

Suddenly, the phone in my living room started to ring, and I managed to climb of my bed and reach for it. I pressed the talk button and spoke into the phone: “Hello?”

“Um, hey there, Avery. Is this a bad time?” It was Jackie’s voice, but something was wrong, I could tell. Usually when she rang me she always started a conversation like: “Yo, whazzup, girlfriend?”

“Jackie,” I said, and pressed speaker when I saw Danica climbing off the bed and walking towards me as soon as I said her name. “No, this isn’t a bad time. What’s wrong?”

“Um, could you come over?” she asked, her voice quivering. I was instantly alert. What was wrong with her? Why did she sound so nervous? I think Danica found it weird too, even tough she had only known Jackie for less than a day. “Jackie, can I come over, as well?” she muttered into the phone.

“Oh, Danika! You’re there too?” Jackie asked, almost sounding like her old self again, but we could still hear the nervousness in her voice, creeping up like a snake. “Yes, you can both come over. I don’t see why not. I need to talk to you guys about something…”

I and Danica looked at each other, panic stricken. She sounded way way nervous, and I had a pretty good idea why.

*****

When we arrived at Jackie’s place she looked absolutely and utterly shattered, but she still managed to lift her head up and smile weakly at us. Her homework and head phones were both on the floor, her homework’s pages ripped, her headphones mangled beyond recognition. Me and Danica both stared at the tow mangled objects sitting on the floor, shocked.

“Sorry about that,” Jackie muttered wearily. “I had a bit of an outburst.” I looked up at Jackie with my jaw open. Her headphones were one of her most prized possessions. What took over her to make her shred it into this mutilated form?

“Jackie,” I whispered, unable to find my voice. “What happened?” She frowned at me, than at Danica, then rested her head on her hands, sighing. “Avery, Danica, tell me what to do.”

“Jackie!!” I said, yanking at her shoulder with such strength it surprised both me and Jackie, but I managed to yank her enough to see to her in the eye, and I said: “Tell me what’s wrong, Jackie, tell me what is wrong with you! We’re best mates, aren’t we? Don’t we tell each other everything?”

Jackie’s dark eyes bored into my sapphire ones as she sighed, and hooked her hair behind her ears. I froze, and I could almost feel Danica’s shock as well.

Elf ears. Just like mine and Danica.

Jackie had elf ears.

Danica suddenly collapsed where she was standing, her hands covering her face. Me and Jackie both leaped into action and ran towards her, asking her what the heck was wrong?

“I knew it,” she said, sobbing into her hands. “I’m the one to blame, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

Jackie looked confused, so I showed her Danica’s elf ears, than mine. She stiffened, and then said: “What the hell?”

“Never mind that now, Jackie! Just help me convince Danica it’s not her fault!!” I said, and I saw her gaze at my elf ears, than said: “What, she thinks it’s her fault?” She turned to Danica and asked: “You think it’s your fault?” and when Danica nodded Jackie burst into laughter. Both me and Danica both stared at each other and then at her and then at each other and then at her and the at each other an back at her again, until I asked: “What’s so funny, Jaclyn Deforest, what is so funny?”

“That’s weird!!!” Jackie said between gasp of breath. “I didn’t know elf ears were catching!!!” Then she immediately calmed down and said: “It isn’t your fault, Danika Forsythia, and even if you still continue to think it’s your fault-” She stood up straight, and looked down at Danika. “-than you’re forgiven. Right, Avery?”

I stared at her for awhile before breaking out of my trance. “Y-yes!!” I said a bit too suddenly. “Absolutely!!!”

Danica stared up at Jackie with her big green eyes and smiled, tears still streaming down her cheeks. “Thank you,” she said softly, wiping away her tears. Jackie helped her up and smiled back at her.

Suddenly, a blinding flash made us all scream in shock. Suddenly, the room which we were standing in was covered in white, and a figure started before us. I recognized her immediately.

It was the girl who was always in my dreams.

“Welcome, girls,” she said, smiling at us, her long blonde hair swaying in the breeze. Danica, unsure of what to do, backed away from her, Jackie, however, stared at her in wonder, while I didn’t know what to do. She started walking towards us, and soon, after a few quick steps, she was right in front of us.

After some looking I finally noticed that she also had elf ears. I blinked but they were still there. I wondered whether she always had those, or whether Danica’s elf ears were contagious after all. She smiled at us.

“I am Mercedes, the supreme ruler of the elves,” she said, introducing herself to us. “But alas, my time has come, so someone else has to look after my kingdom.”

“Ooh, ooh!!” Jackie said, raising her hand. “Can I be it? Can I be the ruler of the elves? I’ll take care of everybody!! Please? Pretty please??” Mercedes looked at her, not unkindly, and shook her head. “I am sorry, I am not the one to select a new heir.”

She glanced around the white room, her hair swaying even though no air escaped the white windows. I was confused. “Merce-Your Highness,” I said, realizing that just saying her name was disrespectful, now that we were probably elves now. “You are the Queen, aren’t you? Why can’t you pick an heir?”

She looked at me and smiled. “It is all the choice of the Great Spirit, the one that looks after all the elves.” She looked at all of us. “The Great Spirit says that my heir will be one of you three, and the two others are to be elders of my town. However, to meet the Great Spirit, you must go on a perilous journey.”

Danica gulped. She hadn’t said a thing before Mercedes appeared. “Your highness,” she muttered, still nervous. “What kind of perilous journey?”

“One that contains a lot of terrible creatures and terrible curses. I cannot tell you everything. It has been too long since I last did that journey,” she said, and smiled at us. Her smile faded in a moment. “However, if you go and fail, you will be reborn as a spirit of the afterworld, and no one can save you.”

We gulped and shivered. Then she continued: “But if you go and succeed, you will find the Great Spirit, and she will tell you who the elders are, and who the heir will be. Then you will be transported to the elf town, Elvaeda.”

“’scuse me!!” Jackie said, raising her hand. We all looked at her. “But what are elders? Are they some sort of god or goddess of Elvaeda? Or are they some sort of person responsible for helping the queen take care of the town?”

“It sort of in-between,” Mercedes said. “They are not gods or goddess’s, but they do take care of Eruell when I’m gone. But they are gods or goddess’s on their own element.”

“Element?”

“Like, for example,” Mercedes said, smiling. She seemed to have loads of patience. “Elder of War, Elder of Magic, Elder of Life….”

“Oh!!” Jackie said, slapping a hand to her mouth. “I totally get it now!!” Then she started to giggle. “I want to be an elder now!!” I elbowed her in the ribs. Clearly she did not know how to act in front of royalty. If she was in front of the queen of England she’d say (Not whisper) to me: “Wow, she looks old.”

But luckily for her, Mercedes seemed really nice and looked as though she wouldn’t mind us saying: “Wow, you are UGLY!!” but of course, she wasn’t. She looked beautiful, elegant, and ladylike all whirled into one.

Mercedes sighed, and even that sounded elegant. “However, you can refuse the journey, and resume your life here, and sooner or later, your ears will become normal, as well. So, do you choose to accept it, or decline?”

“I accept,” Danica said, tucking an escaped tendril of red hair behind her ears. “Even if my ears turn back to normal, my parents don’t care about me and I’m used to being an outcast. I have nothing to miss in this life.”

“I accept too,” Jackie said a bit too quickly. “This great an opportunity is too good to pass up!!”

The three of them then looked at me, their eyes boring into mine. I didn’t answer as quickly as the two of them, because I didn’t know what to answer. I had a life to return to, parents who care and a place in school, but somehow, I just couldn’t say no.

“I accept.”

“Wonderful,” Mercedes said, smiling. “I am glad you three accepted. Now, the journey will now begin!”

Elvaeda-Chapter 1 2/2

“Gosh, that IS a weird dream,” Danica said as we walked through the cafeteria at recess. I had been telling her about my dreams while she chewed on a sandwich her mom packed for her, and I bit into the peanut butter and jelly sandwich my mom made for me.

I nodded at her between chews. “I know, right? I mean, honestly, I think I must be very close to loosing my mind.”

“But that strange girl really told you to ask me about stuff you don’t know?” She said, finishing off her sandwich. “I’m just an ordinary girl who doesn’t know the answers to my geography homework, mush less the answers to someone’s dreams.”

I laughed at her little comment, and she grinned smugly, proud to be able to please her new friend. I elbowed her in the ribs and she laughed, the breeze blowing her hair into tangles. I untied my ponytail and tied it up again, more neatly this time.

She brushed her fringe out of her eyes. “I’m an unusual girl which doesn’t have any friends, other than you,” she said, frowning deeply. “A lot of people in my last school had tried to befriend me, but one look at my-” she gulped. “And they go off running…”

I stared at her face, which went all droopy and distorted, clearly upset. Even though I knew better than just to pry into other people’s business, I was just too curious. One look at her what?

“One look at your….?” I asked her, and she frowned deeper. “Ears,” she said, continuing it for me. “One look at my ears, and they go off running…..”

I didn’t have to say anything to make her tuck her hair behind her ears, and I almost fell over! Her ears were pointed, like an elf’s!!! I think my jaw must have fell open when I didn’t mean for it too, because Danika suddenly went all quiet, sure I was about to run off too.

But I didn’t. I gazed at her elf ears in wonder, and then said: “Wow. Was this from birth, or something? I always wondered what it felt like to be an elf!!”

As soon as she was convinced I wasn’t about to stalk off and leave her, she said: “Yes, it’s from birth, but I am NOT an elf!” she complained, her face red. “I am a genuine human! I just have weird ear shapes, but that’s enough to make me friendless.” She sighed, and stared at the ground. I felt sorry for her.

As soon as I was about to say something comforting, Jackie barged in, her cheerfulness breaking this awkward moment. “Yo, Av!” she said, patting me on the back so suddenly I almost screamed. Danica whirled around, shocked, at the sudden appearance of her.

Jackie took one look at Danica and said: “Well, howdy do, Dani! What’s up with you?” I liked Jackie that way. No matter how sudden I befriended someone new, she didn’t get jealous, in fact, she treated the new friend like she knew her for all her life, and I think Danica liked that too.

“I just LOVE your name!” Jackie shrieked, warming up to Danica already. “It’s so uncommon, so elegant sounding, so ladylike! I love it! Danica Forsythia, right? Wow, I wish I had such a name!!!”

“Yeah, she’s ladylike, alright, unlike you,” I joked, and Jackie spat her tongue out at me. “Meanie!!”

It was always like this, between us. We were sort of like boys, throwing insults at each other we didn’t mean at all. Danica was new to this, so I couldn’t blame her when she went bright scarlet after our insults, unsure of what to do. I think Jackie noticed it too, because she suddenly said: “No worries, ol’ chum! We ain’t fightin’! Just some casual insults, that’s all!!”

She patted Danica on the back, but she still seemed tight and bothered. I was wondering what was wrong when I felt a mild irritation on both my ears that seemed to be growing more painful by the second. I told Jackie to take care of Danica while I went to the bathroom to inspect my ears.

“I need to go to the bathroom, Jackie. Take care of Danika and don’t be abducted by aliens!!” I joked, but I could feel my ears burning as I ran to the ladies bathroom and ducked into a room, shutting the door behind me.

I was lucky every room had their own attached mirror. I peered at myself in the mirror, and was relieved when I didn’t look much different; My reflection showed a girl with pale skin that looked like it never saw daylight, with long, honey blonde hair spilling down my shoulders and down my back. I also had dark blue eyes that peered back at me from the mirror. I didn’t look any different at all, yet I had a feeling something was wrong.

I peered closer at my reflection in the mirror, so close I could probably see were my hair began if I got any closer. The mild sensation on my ear started to fade, and I was wondering whether it was just a feeling that something was wrong.

Suddenly, I knew where to look.

I hooked my hair over my ears, so I could see them, and then peered back into the mirror. When my reflection peered back at me, I almost fell back and straight into the toilet bowl.

Like Danica’s, my ears were pointed and they jutted upwards, like an elf’s. My heart pounded in my chest, and my eyes were as big as saucers. I slapped my palm towards my ears and used my index finger to feel them, and to my horror, my finger felt something pointy at where my ears use to be. I couldn’t avoid the truth:

I was going elf.

I grabbed a fistful of my hair, trying to cover up the existence of my elf ears. Luckily for me, my hair not only grew long and straight, it also grew thick, so I was able to fully cover my ears, just barely.

When I had a problem and was scared something was wrong with me, I always told someone, like my mom, or Jackie, but this was far too embarrassing and terrible for me to confide in anyone. There was only one person I could tell, one and one person alone:

Danica.

********

I lived in horror for the rest of the day, expecting someone to just pull away my hair and discover my elf ears, but luckily for me no-one did, and I felt tremendously relieved when school ended, and it was time for me to go home. I found Danica standing alone in a bus stop and caught up to her, waving as I did.

Her face lit up when she saw me, then immediately faded as soon as she saw how serious I was, meaning it meant business. “Avery,” she said, smiling slightly. “Is there something wrong?”

“Danica,” I said, swallowing hard. “I think there might be something wrong with me.” As soon as I said that, Danica became instantly alert, and we both sat, side by side, in the bus stop. Even though I knew Danica wouldn’t stalk off and leave me when she found out my secret, I was still really jumpy when the time came to tell her the truth.

“Danica, today at school…” I stammered my voice cracking. I swallowed and started over, more confident this time. “Danica, today at school, when it was recess I told you and Jackie I needed to go to the bathroom, right?”

When she nodded, I continued: “Well, it wasn’t really the truth. Thing is, I told you guys I needed to go to the bathroom because I had to deal with this stinging sensation I suddenly felt on my ears, and when I reached the bathroom, the sensation stopped, and I found out I grew these!” I pulled my hair aside and she gasped, slapping tow hands to her mouth as she did. She knew it was wrong to act so surprised when she wasn’t any better, but I could understand she was shocked. How did this happen? This morning I had perfectly round human ears, so what had happened?

Suddenly, Danica shrieked: “I’m sorry! I must have infected you! I’m such a wicked friend!!” She covered her face with her hands and sobbed. “I’m sorry!!”

I just stared at her. “Danica, I don’t think elf ears are catching,” I said, sighing. “Just think about it. If it was catching, Jackie would’ve caught it too.”

“Oh no, you’re right!!” She said, horrified. “I infected Jackie too!!” I grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. “Danica! Stop blaming yourself! This isn’t your fault, okay? Say that it isn’t your fault!”

“But I-”

“Just say it!!”

She gulped. “I-It’s not my fault,” she said, her voice quivering. I let go of her, satisfied. She sat down next to me, sneaking glances at my ears when she thought I wasn’t looking. “Let’s get you home now,” I said. “You’re parents are probably worried.”

She looked down and miserably shuffled her feet. “They don’t do that. They’re just like the parents in Roald Dahl’s Matilda. They don’t care what I do…”

Tears were streaming down her face, and I just looked at her, thinking: Help. This girl needs help.

I stood up, and offered her my hand. She looked at it, then up at me. I smiled at her, then asked: “Do you want to come to my house?”

After some hesitation, she agreed.

JACKIE

It was too loud. Far too loud.

After waving goodbye to Danica and Avery, I headed back home, humming my favorite song, Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne. When I arrived, neither mom or dad was back yet. Typical.

So I did what I did best: I made some noise! I grabbed the radio up to my room and clamped the headset onto my ears and turned the volume as high as it could go, until I felt like I was crashing in sea of sound. Perfect!

I grabbed my homework and just scribbled random answers like I usually do while moving to and fro to the beat of the song, until…..

It happened.

I splitting headache cracked through my brain, causing me to drop my pencil, which clattered onto the desk and rolled off the edge with a muted thunk. I held my head in my hands, the headache draining so much of my energy I couldn’t lift the headset off my ears.

I crashed onto the desk, my cheek lying on it’s cold wooden surface. The music was suddenly too much for me to bear, the beat thumping into my ears and to my brain, where the headache raged onward. I was in agony, unable to even lift a finger, much less walk to the living room and call for help. After some effort, I managed to shake my headphones off my ears and the headache faded. Slightly.

Suddenly, all the pain in my head was transferred to my ears, and I shrieked as my ears throbbed. I fell back, landing on my bed, tears streaming down my cheeks. What was going on with me? My black hair swirled around my pillow like I was floating on top of water or flying in the sky, and finally, after what seemed like forever of agony, the pain stopped.

I got up, sighing. I heard the faint noise of a drumbeat coming from the head phones still lying on my desk. I smiled, and picked the headphones up, and put them over my ears. But they wouldn’t.

Instead of just sliding into place like headphones should go, it just stopped midway and folded my ears down painfully when I tried to force it into place. I dropped the headphones, muttering a soft: “Ow,” and tried to massage my ears.

My heart stopped.

They didn’t feel like my ears. They felt like…..they felt just like…….

Yikes.

I glided of my bed and ran downstairs to the nearest bathroom. My heart leapt into my chest as I slammed the bathroom door behind me and peered into the mirror, watching my reflection do the same.

I gasped not at the sight of my black hair, long enough just to brush my shoulders, nor at the sight of my deep black eyes, dark to match my hair. I gasped at the sight of my ears.

My elf ears.

Elvaeda-Chapter 1 1/2

1

AVERY

She was there again, just like she was always in my dreams.

Her long, blonde hair, her elegant blue eyes, and her pale skin, were all so clear when I was dreaming it felt so real. But who was she, and why was she always haunting my dreams?

That night, when I crawled into bed, exhausted, she was there again, her blonde ringlets swooshing in the breeze, her eyes serious. I backed away from her, unsure of what to do. She looked so holy, so angelic, that I suddenly was unsure what I was supposed to do in front of this magnificent being. I wanted to ask her who she was, and why she was always in my dreams, but I was too scared.

It had always been the same, her just standing there, eyes locked on me. But that night, for the first time in all the dreams I’ve been having, she spoke, her voice soft and melodious: “Avery, I have finally managed to contact you. I cannot stay for long, however, but all your answers are within a friend. Remember, you are the ruler, and remember to ask Danica everything you want to know…”

And then I woke up, shooting from my bed faster than a rocket leaves the earth’s atmosphere. My breathing was ragged, like my lungs weren’t getting enough air. I didn’t know what I was afraid of, what made me shoot out of the bed, breathing ragged, sweating buckets. But her voice had seemed so delicate, so perfect, the whole thing was unreal. I hardly knew I dreamt it.

And who was Danica? After going through a bunch of friend’s names and last names, even the ones from preschool and elementary, I was pretty sure I had NO friend with the name Danica, not even in the last names I remembered. The name totally mystified me.

The next day, dark circles were totally visible under my eyes. Even tough I had slept like a baby something was still bothering me, nagging at me to stay awake, like a ringing inside my head I was unable to turn off. I sat stiffly at the breakfast table, tired, not having the right mood to go to school. My mom noticed, like she always did, that I was not my usual self.

“Honey, are you alright?” she asked me, though she knew perfectly well I wasn’t. Years ago, when the dreams first started, I already told my mom about it, and all she told me was: “Don’t worry your little head off, dear. It’s only a dream.”

But I knew it wasn’t. Something inside me told me what I was experiencing every night was not your average dream. But how could I explain that to her? I kept quiet.

I stared down at my bacon and eggs, feeling unusually not hungry. My mom glanced down at my un-eaten plate of eggs and bacon and sighed. “Is it not cooked right, or is it too burnt?”

I shook my head, smiling groggily at my mother. “No, no, breakfast is fine, it’s just-” I took a second of rubbing my empty stomach before continuing. “-I’m not very hungry today. I think I’ll just have a toast before school.”

My mother nodded but didn’t approve. I snatched a piece of toast from the plate in front of me and pulled my bag onto my shoulders. After waving mom a goodbye, I headed off to school.

Another boring day of Avery Melissa.

**********

“It just doesn’t make sense,” Jackie, my best mate said as we headed to school together. “I mean, how does one have the same dream over and over again? I have a feeling that you’re very close to going nuts.”

I elbowed her in the ribs. “Thanks a lot for that, Jackie. Now I feel SO MUCH better,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. Jackie smiled, knowing I was being sarcastic but going along with it anyway. “Glad to help, Av!”

I kicked her in the shins, but I couldn’t stop a smile from stretching across my face. She can be SO ridiculous at times. She laughed as we walked through a pair of rusty old gates and entered school bounds, students of all ages filling the place.

Once we reached our classroom we sat in our usual seats and waited for class to begin. I was sitting at the second last row, the chair beside me the only empty seat in the classroom. It was not like I was especially unpopular or anything, it was Mr. Groves bad taste in arranging people’s seats.

However, just before class was about to begin, a girl slipped into our class. At first, the whole class thought she was a girl who found the wrong classroom. It wasn’t until Mr. Groves introduced her to us that we knew she was a transfer student.

“Class,” Mr. Groves said, his voice shaky and tired before the day even began. Teaching in our class long enough can do that to you. Everyone seemed to have other things to do and was totally ignoring the shy girl and the teacher standing in front of the classroom.

Mr. Groves clapped his hands hard together to get people’s attention, then continued: “Class, this is Danica Forsythia. She is a new student in this class, and I hope you all will treat her nicely. Now, Danica, choose any seat you want in this classroom.”

Being the only empty seat in the class, Danica slipped into the seat next to me. I stared at her in amazement. Danica, wasn’t that the name the girl in my dreams told me about? I thought, staring intensely at her until I knew it was rude to stare and had to look away.

Mr. Groves was in front of the classroom, saying something about mathematical equations, but I wasn’t listening to him. In fact, I was more interested in the shy girl sitting next to me.

She was actually quite pretty, with long red hair tied into a braid and glistening green eyes. I inched closer to her, but she seemed to notice me and hit me with a voice so intense and angry I froze: “What are you doing? Leave me alone!!”

Her green eyes bored into mine, and I swallowed hard. I didn’t know a girl that looked this shy could have such a hard voice, but I wasn’t ready to give up. “Hey, so your name is Danica Forsythia? That’s a nice name.”

“Are you lesbian?” she hit me back, and I was taken aback. I shook my head violently, and continued: “No, I am not. I was just wondering whether….well…” it seemed harder to say it, now that I knew what she was like. What if she said no? “….you could be my friend?”

Her response wasn’t anything I had expected. Her face reddened, and gulped down a lump in her throat. For a moment, we just stared at each other, until tears started rolling down Danica’s face and splattering her open textbook. I was shocked. What did I do? Did I say something wrong? I could see Jackie looking at me, a face which said: What did you do to make her cry?

I gestured back at her: I didn’t do anything wrong!!! and stared back at Danica, her hands covering her mouth, unable to do anything as tears continued to fall down her face. I didn’t know what to do, so I just said: “Um, are you alright? Did I say something wrong?”

She wiped away her tears and smiled at me, her eyes sparkling in the dim light. “Oh, it’s nothing, really it is. It’s just that, I’m…so happy. I was never asked by anyone to become his or her friend,” and I was taken aback again. This girl had no friends? Was that why she was so protective against herself?

I tucked one long blonde ringlet that kept falling down into my face behind my ear, than stared back at her. “Okay, from this day, me and you are friends, right?” and she nodded, clearly happy, and continued to gaze back at Mr. Groves teachings, and I decided, for once, I would, too.