Revenland

III

"Fiona!" I screamed out as I intended to step into the ring, but Peter held me back.

"What are you doing? Let go!"

He spun me around and looked me in the eyes. "Did you not just see that? You can't just waltz right in!"

I felt a familiar feeling of sadness consume me, but in that moment I just suspected it was due to loosing my sister.

"What just happened?" My eyes darted back and forth between Nan and Peter, searching for some kind of explanation.

"You can't deny it now after you have seen it with your own eyes." Nan's voice seemed to crack as she stared where Fiona once stood. "She just entered into the land of the Fae."

I shook my head, not wanting to believe any part if it. I desperately wanted to believe that Fiona was only playing and that she would peek out from behind a bush and laugh.

But looking at the tears of sorrow that fell from my Nan's eyes, I couldn't fool myself.

Fiona had just vanished inside an actual Faery ring, and she was somewhere completely new and foreign.

"I have to go get her." I said softly, I couldn't trust my voice with the fear that was coursing throughout my body.

Nan shook her head quickly but I took her hands and kissed her cheek. "I can't leave her."

Before Nan could object, I ran full speed toward the circle and closed my eyes. The air seemed to buzz and crack around me, but I only stopped when the smell of freshly wetted dirt and pine rose to my nose.

I glance behind me to see an arch of small stones floating in midair forming a circle. Curiously I touched a sandy colored stone and it spun gently in place. It quivered from my touch and whispers met my ear.

Shivering, my eyes traveled above me to see the trees reaching endlessly toward the dark cloudy sky. The only sound that I could hear was the constant patter of the rain hitting the leaves and the strange cries of animals deep in the forest.

I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself as I tried to figure where to look for Fiona when I suddenly heard a loud warlike cry fill the air.

I turned around with fear, only to see Peter running through the floating arch with his eyes closed.

And he was running right toward me.

"PETER!" I screamed before he rammed into me, knocking the wind right out of us as we landed on the ground.

Peter's green eyes met my brown ones as his blonde hair tickled my cheeks. We just stared at each other wide-eyed close enough that he could count every freckle speckled across my nose.

Our cheeks shone like scarlet and he smiled sheepishly. "Sorry Blair Bear."

He got up, lightly dusting himself off, and helped me up.

I found myself slapping the backside of his head, his blonde curls flying in the air.

"What was that for?" He asked defensively as he rubbed his head.

"For leaving Nan!" I exclaimed, "Do you know how crushed she's probably feeling right now? Her worse nightmare just came true, she can't be alone!"

"You just ran off into oblivion!" He protested. "I wasn't going to leave you."

"She's probably beside herself right now."

"Blair—"

"What if she tells someone what happened?"

"Blair—"

"They'd think she's crazy and throw her in the nut house, then what would we—"

Apparently tired of my nervous break down, Peter rushed forward and put his hand over my mouth.

I glared at him, he only grinned back before his expression turned serious and he dropped his hand.

"Breathe Blair, we first need to find Fiona before we can worry about your Nan."

I nodded, seeing the sense in his words, and did as he said, breathing in the cold fresh air.

Only then did I realized something.

"Do you hear that?" I asked in a hushed voice.

We both stayed completely still as we listened.

Past the cries of the beast and the buzzing of the bugs, we could faintly hear crying.

Peter and I both shared a glance.

"Fiona!"

We began running toward the sound, hoping that we'd be able to catch sight of her. The trees and the bushes blurred past us in streaks of brown and green.

Suddenly, there was a clearing ahead of us and I caught sight of my sister sitting on a stump. Her shoulders were slumped and they shook as she cried.

I wanted nothing more than to take her in my arms and tell her everything was okay. But, unexpectedly, a small glowing creature, no bigger than a dragonfly, appeared before her. In a striking flash of light the creature transformed and changed its size to that of a human.

Her attire seemed to be made out of the bark of trees and green moss while upon her pale feet she wore large leaves for shoes. Her head was decorated with a crown of flowers, leaves, and most importantly antlers that curved elegantly above her golden mess of hair.

Her black eyes, however, was far too unsettling and I felt fear rise within me.

Her clear insect-like wings fluttered with excitement as she approached my sister.

"Don't cry little one." She purred as she caressed her head, her eyes taking in Fiona's blonde locks like it was precious gold.

"FIONA, RUN!" I screamed, hoping to scare the Faery away.

It worked, but not how I intended.

The Faery jumped in fright and with a quick glance and an evil smirk towards my way, she grabbed Fiona and stretched out her wings before flying away. Fiona called out to me, but her cries became faint as she slowly disappear in the sky.

The second time that day, I watched my sister vanish before me.