delicate [druig]

four

Mara Astor's brown eyes snapped open.

She was greeted by the sight of large green trees that gently swayed due to the breeze.

She sat up and looked around scanning the environment.

Where was the monster that had almost killed her? Why was the air cool instead of the blistering summer heat? Where was Druig?

Her breaths became heavy as millions of questions spun in her head.

The last thing she remembered was that she was about to fly back home because she couldn't stand to be around Druig.

Druig.

He had hurt her. He had manipulated her. He had broken up her friendships.

Still even after all of that she still fucking cared for him.

Suddenly she felt a vibration in her pant pocket and fished her phone out, her mother was calling.

Mara pressed the accept button, pushing her brown hair out of her face and putting the phone close to her ear.

"Mara, Mara oh my god," her mother's voice cracked.

"Mother, what's going on?" Mara asked, concerned because of her mother's worry.

"Mara we've disappeared for five years," Estelle Astor panted as her daughter's jaw dropped.

"What how? I closed my eyes and then I opened them and I was in the same place. Where's dad is he alright?" Mara ran a hand through her brown hair frantically.

"I don't know what's going on but I have a million phone calls right now. One of them is probably from your father. Just wait and I'll have someone come to fetch you. I love you, sweetheart," her mother said, panic laced in her voice before hanging up.

Sweetheart.

I love you.

Her mother hadn't called her a pet name since she was a little girl and god she wished she could remember the last time her mother told her she loved her.

Her mind went to the bigger issue at hand.

She had been gone for five years.

Five years of her life were taken away.

How was this even possible?

More questions filled her head as she stared down at her phone which started to blow up with text messages from people from her old high school and other random group chats.

She saw a text saying 'Oh my God it's been five years I've missed you so much!'

Her phone chimed with news updates all at one overwhelming pace.

"Holy crap," Mara mumbled.

She received a text and glanced over at it seeing that it was from one of the pilots her mother hired saying that he'd be on his way soon and that there was a lot to discuss.

Mara let out a sigh of relief and then stood up, a feeling of hunger washing over her.

She could probably get a snack from the camp, and hopefully, she would successfully avoid Druig if he was still there.

Starting her way back in the direction of the camp she noticed how silent it was.

There were no birds chirping or leaves rustling, it was just an unsettling silence that made chills go down Mara's spine.

Once she walked over to the clearing where the camp was supposed to be, she stopped.

There was nothing there.