Enchantment of Sorrow

Chapter 11

"You see hon," Mattie began obviously embarrassed, "we thought you might be one of them. They've been known to come up to doorsteps and ask for things. If you don't give it to them they'll enchant you sometimes. "

You stared at her incredulously. Then your thoughts drifted to the kingdom you had just left. Yes, that seemed plausible. You felt a heat on your finger and spun the jewel on it to the right, and hid the jewel on top in the palm of your hand.

"They took a young teenager once. Killed her. All because they were jealous." Mattie said clearly in thought.

Something unsettling hit the pit of your stomach at this.

"That was a long time ago Mattie. Before you and I were born even." Harold replied looking from his wife to you.

You eyed him, hoping he would elaborate. He picked up on it and shifted in his seat, with a brief glance at his wife. You took in a couple more forkfuls of the tasteless meal in front of you. What was wrong? Were you sick?

"Back in the early 1900's a man moved into this very house with his young daughter. She was a pretty little thing. We even have a picture of her." His wife got up, went into a room beyond her sight and came back in with a black and white photo of a young teenage girl, an extremely beautiful one to be honest, with dark hair and lovely, big eyes wearing the lacy, frilly dresses of her time sitting on a chair with her arms crossed over the top.

"The newspapers and records said she had hair black as ebony, deep, brown eyes, and lips red as blood. Her skin was supposed to be milky white. That was the thing back then you know." the wife said looking at the picture with you.

You chuckled a little as you gave the picture back to her, "Sounds like Snow White."

Both of them chuckled too. "I suppose it does a little. But all the sources say a woman kept visiting her from the forest who had the look of the faerie folk. Poisoned her. Even says it on the girl's death certificate. We looked it up. When we moved in we thought the place was haunted because of it." Harold laughed.

You stopped eating for a moment, and with fork aloft you asked, "Is it?"

Both of them laughed at that, "No, no."

The wife turned serious though when she caught sight of your eyes and looked away.., "But that forest is, and my dear... you... " she did not continue. She merely smiled and got up to put the photo away.

"What was the girl's name?" you asked putting your fork down and starting to fill a little sick from both the heartache and the suspicion growing in your mind.

"Elizabeth." Harold answered with a smile, "Elizabeth Smalls."

You nodded.

The wife returned and eyed you, "Are you feeling okay dear? You've barely eaten."

You forced a smile on your face. "I think I am just tired and everything. Um, can I use your phone? Mine died or I wouldn't have been bothering you at all."

"Of course."

Harold got up and retrieved his cell phone. "Who do you need to call?"

"My sister." You rolled your eyes as you said it. "I was on the way to see my mother. She's very sick. I want to let her know I'll be coming as soon as possible."

"Where is it?" Mattie asked.

"Um, Blue River Bottom."

"Tell her you'll be there tomorrow afternoon. We'll take you." Harold said getting up. "I'm going to bed. You can leave my phone on the counter. I'm Harold, and that's Mattie."