Forest of Riddles (Reverse Falls, S1)

CC: Part Six

Pacifica explored the forest for nearly half an hour before she pulled out the journal.

The forest near the Mystery Shack was hitting her with small waves of déjà vu - smaller than the list of words. The word pixie kept repeating in her mind, and she was certain she was about to go insane because of it.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much in the journal about pixies. Just the one small section - the author apparently hadn't been too fond of pixies when they had encountered them.

Now that Pacifica thought about it, she had to admit that she wasn't fond of pixies, either. She didn't know why - her disagreement with pixies felt more like a memory, but as a feeling.

It was a while before Pacifica came across a clearing. It would've been a normal clearing, except for the fact that there was a throne in the middle of the open land.

A throne made out of twisting leaves, branches, and vines.

Hazy balls of light floated around the clearing, and Pacifica thought she heard one of them say something. With curiosity about the throne mounting, Pacifica hoisted her backpack onto her shoulders to avoid it from slipping and, with hands on backpack straps, walked right into the clearing.

She stopped in front of the throne. Without another thought, she slipped her backpack off and began to climb into it.

Once she sat on the throne, a giddy feeling came across her. This was fun - sitting in a wooden chair while watching mystical balls of light. (Even if it was a bit odd.)

"Hello, Pacifica Pines."

Pacifica jumped off of the throne in surprise and whirled around. Behind the throne was a lovely lady, with green-tinged skin and long brown hair. She wore a soft pink dress that could have been made entirely out of petals, and a flower crown made of daisies and bluebells rested on her head.

Pacifica tried to find words, but words wouldn't come.

The lady had no emotion, just a smile on her lips. Pacifica wasn't entirely sure if it was a good smile or a bad smile - but the lady certainly had no friendly air about her.

Finally, words came. "Sor - sorry," Pacifica managed.

The lady didn't stop her smile. "I see you've found the clearing again. Well done."

"A-again?" Pacifica swallowed. "I haven't been here before -"

The lady dropped her smile and gave Pacifica a look of confusion and interest. "And so you haven't? It doesn't matter, anyway."

"It - doesn't?"

"Of course not." The lady smiled again. "I'm a pixie, darling. Welcome to the Clearing of the Fairies."

Pixie.

Pacifica swallowed again. "I, um, I think I should be going."

"You need your backpack, dear," the pixie pointed out.

"I have it, it's right -"

Pacifica glanced to where she left her backpack. It wasn't there.

"- here," she finished, confused. "Where's my backpack?"

Pixie.

"I don't know." The pixie sat not on her throne but instead in the grass, in front of the wooden chair. "Come sit, dear."

Pacifica's mind warned her not to sit down. She needed to find her backpack and get out of here.

But her legs didn't listen to her mind. Pacifica sat down by the pixie, staring up at the pixie's mossy-green eyes.