✧The Earthe of the Elves✧

44

"Elves are more agile than humans," I explain, "they can move faster and smoother, they're stronger and smarter, and they can live for a long time. I would show you something really magic, like a stone that can open a door from this world to Earthe, but we lost ours."

My mom opens her mouth, but no sound comes out. I blow a frustrated breath out. Luckily, I get an idea a second later.

"Ok, so I know this is overwhelming, but I have an idea. I need to find something here. Is there a spot where you keep dad's stuff?"

"Why- Mia, you're not making any sense."

"I promise it will all make sense when I find it. It's a stone. I know how it sounds, but please trust me."

I turn to face her fully, taking her hands, looking deep into her blue eyes. She looks thinner than before, and along with a few freckles I notice more lines on her face. I've aged her. Of course she's changed, she was probably stressed every day. Because of me. I give her a determined look. I am going to make her believe, so she doesn't worry about me every second. This is my fault, now I have to fix it.

"Please, mom. It's still me, I'm the same person, I promise." I give her my signature small smile I always gave her when I said good morning or night, or when I left for school. To my relief, she smiles back in the same fashion.

Eventually she nods, getting up and heading for the door that leads to the basement. I follow her, and Knox follows me. I notice that in the span of a few minutes his hair is half up in a few intricate braids that he no doubt did in under a minute. My fingers subconsciously brush his, and just that touch is enough to let some of the weight on my chest lift.

My basement looks just as I remembered it: dark and full to the brim with stuff. The only lights come from tiny ground-level windows and individual light bulbs hanging from the ceiling, in between networks of pipes and yellow insulation. There are neat stacks of boxes against all walls, with a few stacked haphazardly around. The treadmill stands in the corner of the room, next to a rack of yoga mats and some weights. I follow mom to the left, to a stack of boxes hidden behind stacks of Christmas and Easter decorations.

My mom pulls out a few boxes, and I cough as dust is spewed into the air around us.

"So you're looking for a stone?" My mom asks, opening a box and rifling through. I sigh, relieved that she's out of shock enough to talk like normal, and nod, pulling another box towards me.

There isn't much inside, just a few photo albums of him and mom when they were younger. His ears look normal. I wonder what kind of magic did that. 

After looking through a few photo albums for anything, I pull out a box. It's wood- A dark, shiny wood. Gold trim details the edges in swirling patterns, and the lock is a small, copper one. I turn away from my mom, in case it's something even more overwhelming, and look closer at it. Then I notice something. The lock has writing on it. 

Squinting, I put my face level with the sprawling text, trying to make it out. It's elvish. My breath catches in my throat, and I have to lick my suddenly dry lips.

"You are not lost," I whisper in elvish, reading the writing. The minute I finish reading it, the lock clicks open. Everything else around me fades as I open the box. Inside it is empty except for a piece of old paper. I pull it out slowly, careful not to do anything to rip it. In pen, written in a flowing hand, are elvish words. I get up and walk to a light bulb so I can read it easier.

I'm sure I can guess who is reading this. If you are not my daughter, don't bother.

Mia. I know you are probably the one reading this. Nobody else on Earth can. Hopefully I will be right next to you, reading it beside you, telling you stories and teaching you.