Dreamwalkers

Chapter One

My heart beat fast as I ran through an enchanted forest, something dark was after me. Something was trying it's best to kill me. I looked over my shoulder for just one minute and saw the strangest outline of a dark shadow, muscular, with big black wings. 

"Nightlily, come back to me! Join me!" The dark figure called as it glided closer each second. I shook my head, for some reason, I knew I didn't want to join this creep. I kept running but now it felt like I was going nowhere, like I was running in place. I started to freak out as the dark figure inched closer and closer. I felt helpless. There was then this burst of light and I thought for sure I was going to die. That was when I woke up sweating in my bed, but not before I saw this thing that looked like a horse but had a horn. I knew of course, that it was a unicorn. 

I rolled over, poking my head out from under my blankets. I immediately regretted it because the sun was shining full force through my window. I didn't even want to open my eyes. The only thing that made me, was my alarm going off and the sound of my mom shouting at me to get up or I'd be late for school. I dragged my butt out of bed, heaving a great big sigh. I wished that school could be at night instead of during the day. I enjoyed the night-time better than the daytime. I went over to my dresser, taking the clothes I set on top of the dresser so I could quickly get dressed. It wasn't really clothes though, it was a costume. Today was Halloween, my most favourite time of the year. This year, I was dressing up as a fairy this year. I always wanted to be a fairy, but my mom had always shied away from allowing it. She seemed to have something against fairies. My costume consisted of a nice black dress, black fairy wings with silver running through them and black high heeled shoes. I put on my costume and drew my long black hair into a bun. I put on a tiny bit of make up, some silvery eyeshadow to bring out the blue in my eyes and an almost pink colour to show the odd flecks of orange. When done, I grabbed my bag and ran down the stairs.

Mom was in the kitchen, cooking breakfast when she turned slightly and saw me. "Oh, there you are Lily, I was wondering what was taking so long." She smiled.

"Sorry, I was putting on my costume." I said, rolling my eyes. She turned back to the waffles she was cooking and flipped them. "Is breakfast almost ready? I don't want to be late meeting Marnie."

"They're ready now honey." Mom said, taking a plate over to me and getting the whipped cream and strawberries out of the fridge. I was getting suspicious now, mom was going to great lengths to make my favourite breakfast. She didn't always make waffles because we didn't always have the stuff to. We lived on our own pretty much because my dad left or something like that. Mom would never say much about him and whenever I tried to bring up the subject, she'd start talking about something else entirely or refuse to say anything.

"Hey, mom?" I said, as casually as I could while spooning lots of whipped cream onto my waffles.

"Yes?" She asked, taking the seat opposite me and sipping on her coffee. She was watching me warily, as if she knew what I was about to ask but also knew there would be no way to avoid it.

"Why do you dislike fairies so much?" I asked, looking deep into her odd purple eyes. She was an odd looking person, more like she didn't belong here on earth. She had violet purple and her hair was a silver colour, not greying...it was almost metallic. Everytime she moved, her hair shimmered and sometimes you could see metallic gold streaks too. She was almost fairylike herself, in the way she moved and the way she looked.

She didn't answer for a long time, just sat there hands gripping her cup tightly. "Well you see, I'm a fairy and you are too but I ran away from the world of the fairies to escape." She told me in a rush. I looked at her, mouth hanging wide open and then I started laughing. She looked at me, a questioning look in her eyes.

"C'mon Mom, you don't really expect me to believe that do you?" I scoffed, getting up and grabbing my school bag. I laughed some more and headed towards the front door, just as someone started knocking. I was about to open the door when Mom appeared behind me. 

"Don't open the door!" She hissed. I looked at her, shocked that she wouldn't let me go to school. I was pretty sure it was Marnie knocking.

"But Mom, I'm going to be late for school." I whined. Her violet eyes flashed as she whirled on me.

"Be quiet! They'll hear you!" She whispered fiercely. Her hair was shimmering now, taking on a whole different quality than what I'd seen before. Something was happening to her, something was sprouting from her back. My eyes widened as I realized what they actually were. They were wings. Hers were a bright, blinding gold, with silver intermixed and tiny bit of scarlet. I didn't want to believe it, it was all just so surreal.

I shook my head, trying to dispell the shock of seeing the women I knew for eighteen years, looking like a dazzling fairy. "Mom, I think you need to explain." I said quietly, shaking slightly.

She sighed and led me to the floor in front of the cupboard. "Well, you see, I'm a fairy and so is your dad but I had to get out of Fairy Hallow because there was something dark happening and I was pregnant with you, so I had to get out of there to keep you safe. Now it seems those dark forces are here on Earth, trying to get you." 

"What's so special about me?" I asked, looking at her. She was about to answer when the door slammed open and someone shouted something I couldn't make the words out on. Mom grabbed me and gripped me around my stomach. She took when of her wings and smashed the window open, lifting us both into the air and swopping out of the window. She flew for what seemed like a long time but was only a matter of minutes. We were at the forest that was just outside of town.

"Go deep into the forest, Lily. Stay on the path and keep going until you get to a big clearing, I'll hold them off." My mom said urgently, setting me on my feet. I shook my head defiantly and stayed where I was.

"I'm not going without you!" I exclaimed. She shook her head sadly and pushed me toward the path.

"Keep going and don't look back!" She told me as she whirled around to face our attackers. I was so scared, I did as I was told but I did look back, just in time to see mom swarmed by what looked like little imps. They were dark green in colour and I saw just enough to see mom get taken down by them all. She was dead. I pushed on, holding back tears. Soon I came into the clearing mom told me about. I looked around, trying to figure out what to do next.

"Lily, come here." There was a tinkling bell voice calling my name. I followed the sound until I came to a wizened oak.

"What now?" I asked to nobody in particular as there was really nobody there in the first place.

"Knock on the trunk." Came the voice again. I thought I must be going crazy but I did it anyway and the effects were instantaneous. It felt like I was being sucked up into nothing and my world was spinning out of control. I screamed, beyond scared.