Do You Believe In Magick? (BOOK ONE OF MAGICK TRILOGY)

Chapter One

I knew that I shouldn't be doing this, and it didn't feel right either way, but finding out what was so...indescribable, mysterious, desirable, magickal and wonderful about the Adalam's Wood was my main priority. Sure...family and school comes first neither way but something deep down inside me drove me on to discover the surroundings of Adalam's. 

Some may call it an obsession, and I can call it that too...if that was really what it was. No...you could be the one who stares me dead in the eye, listens to how I really feel about magick, and laugh at me like I was a crazy person. You could tell me that "magick isn't real" but that is not what I'm striving for. Something is driving me into believing. And the real question is; Do you believe in magick? 

And so, here I was, in the dead of night perched in the tallest tree, wrapped in layers upon layers of clothes, a satchel on my hip. I held onto the bark tightly, and stared down at my target below; a large cave entrance. Something was in there. I could feel it. When I looked closely enough, I could see small pecks of mystery bobbing around the opening. I steadied my breathing, licking my lips, and watching carefully. My eyes were heavy but I was not reluctant to give up. I was determined. 

But when the deed became too much, I removed myself from the small branch and climbed down from the tree, pulling a blanket from my satchel. I was too tired to do anything more and too tired to run home. So I found a small, grassy dip in the ground on the side of the cave, lay my blanket out and curled up pulling the corner to the corner of my lip. 

When I was sound, I closed my eyes, shifting for a second, then let my conscience wander out from my being and listen to the noises around me. But what was scary was that there was no hooting owl, no noisy crickets, no nothing. Just the howling wind in the hot air, and the sudden chanting of a different tongue that sang me to sleep. And in the midst of my rest, I could hear voices, in which launched my dream;

"We have been watched by a human," said the tall slender woman. She looked like the twelve year old girl I had seen a few days ago. She had short black pixie-cut hair and pointy ears, slanted blue eyes, and an amazing posture. She wore a white robe, white tunic, grey breeches and a golden band around her hair. 

"We have been placing wards over the entrance but she is immune to our magick!" hissed the male. His hair was bleach white hair that was neatly combed over his forehead and neck. His ears were pointed, too, his skin pale but yellow-glowing. He was tall, wearing grey overalls, brown breeches and a green tunic. He looked almost like a boy-copy of the woman. His facial expressions were as serious as the woman's, though his black eyebrows gave his a youthful twang.

"What is scary, though," said the woman. "Is that the Gods are allowing her the sight to see past our magick. They will not tell me why."

They stood outside the cave entrance and stared solemnly at the black sky above. The woman muttered something that I couldn't understand. Finally, the man seized an opportunity to speak once again, "Maybe it is fate," he suggested.

"Fate?!" the woman cried, enraged. "Fate that a human should see past our wards, fate that she should discover us?! She is no more than a mere human! And I haven't a clue what the Gods are lending her sight for."

"Sh!" the man snapped, turning around with inhuman speed. "I sense a presense..." He walked forward, towards a dip in the ground where he saw a human girl, curled up on a blanket. He hissed and leapt back, fangs showing. "Human," he said quietly.

The woman crouched forward to see the human and gasped, touching her chest with two polished fingers, and then twisted them to her lips. "Her," she sighed. "That is the human."

 My face grew unbearably hot as the morning sun sliced down onto my eyelids. I wrinkled my nose, sneezing, and sat up to get out of the heat. Yawning, I realised I was still in the Adalam's Wood and swore. Crap, missed school again. That was the second time I had fallen asleep in the Wood. I rubbed my eyes and looked around. Again, the air was quiet apart from the short chirps of birds and the rustling of leaves.

I looked at the cave entrance, remembering my dream. I touched my chest with my two fingers and then twisted them onto my lips just as the woman in my dream had done. I do not know why I dreamt last night; I was so uncomfortable, so restless, and yet I managed to dream? 

I tried to get onto my feet, but my legs were weak and wobbly. I willed them to strain under my weight and tried to carry myself towards the cave opening. Sighing, I touched the rocky surface, feeling tied to it. Something was definitely special going on here but I didn't feel like I was supposed to be here anymore. 

I should be at school, I told myself. I'll come back after. And with the dry taste in my throat and my stomach growling, I limped out of the Wood, stopping at a stream to wash my face, but then tried to run to school. 

I was greeted at the gate by some friends who told me it was midday and I had missed out on Ginnie's first kiss with her boyfriend but I didn't care about that right now. It frustrated me that they said how awful I looked, so I shrugged and then hobbled into the library where I could sit in peace. 

Unfortunately, Ginnie followed me in and was giving me the full-on report about her kiss. She explained it as sappy and wet. My mind was screaming for peace. All I wanted was to be alone. But I had been alone...in the Adalam's, in fact. But I had the desire to be alone, whereas there were people around but I wanted to be in peace where I could think, undisturbed.

"Excuse me," I said and rushed into the bathroom. Thankfully, she did not follow and got the expression that I needed to be alone to think.

The bell rang, ending our break, and I met up with the Chatterbox-Crew in Science where they talked loudly about random things. I yawned in the corner, studying my Science book when finally we separated into different classes; English, Math, Gym and Social. 

My mum picked me up straight after school. She asked why I looked so glum and I shrugged, not trusting my mouth. I strapped on my seatbelt and finally asked, "Can you drop me off at Adalam's?"

She raised her eyebrows, but then frowned as if she remembered something, "Where were you this morning?" she demanded.

I blinked, surprised. "Er..."

"Your bed was empty this morning. You had better not been out all night at the Adalam's."

"I didn't! I got up early and met Ginnie at hers real early this morning," I lied. I did not look at her just in case I would give away that I was lying to her.

In the corner of my eye, I saw her glance at me now and then. But she let up and dropped me at the Adalam's. I thanked her and the bounded into the Wood.

There was something I was waiting to try ever since I left. 

I wasn't obsessed was I?...Coming back straight after school?...Lying to my mum?...Not wanting to talk to my friends?...Was I becoming too passionate about this?...Was I being silly?

Only one way I could find out. I would get out the way I came in!