Over My Rainbow

Chapter 11

"Where did you say we were going to?" Wil asks. We had been walking in silence for more than a few hours.

"The woods of darkness or Darkness Woods. I don't remember which it is exactly." He should know by now since he is always so quick to correct me. "I do have a map if you'd like."

He nods and I pull my map out.

After studying the map as he walks, he comments. "Very rough. No names, landmarks or compass directions." We continue on and I hold tree branches out of his way, his eyes never leaving the map. I have no idea why he needs this long to study such a crude map, but I don't say a word. Darkness begins to settle in and I wonder if I have been guessing the time very wrong all day. I am sure that it is not even supper time yet. I think about asking Wil but refrain once I see that he is still trying to make sense of the map. He now holds it upside-down. I am sure now that he is out of his right mind. When Wil begins to grumble about lack of sunlight, I decide to speak.

"Wil? Why is it so dark? It can't quite possibly be sunset yet."

He shakes his head and mutters something I cannot understand. "I believe we have reached Darkness Woods, otherwise known as the woods of darkness."

I can see that!

"So, um, if this is as light as it gets, how will we see to walk?"

"I said I would prove magic to you and I will. My brother told me something and now I will test it." He peers closely at the ground around him. He wanders much too far away from me and I am constantly losing track of him. I try to follow him closely but I am still surprised but he jumps up.

"Ah-ha!!!!" Wil screams.

"Yes?!" I yell. I can't see him well enough to figure out what happened.

"I found it!" Wil yells happily.

"What exactly did you find?"

"This," he is suddenly in front of me and pushing something fragrant into my face.

"I still am not sure what it is..."

"It is a flower. A specifically magic flower. You can wish with it if you want. The wish will only happen if it is for a good, honest, noble cause. My brother tried it and he asked for a drinking potion. If you ask for something outside the guidelines, well, something happens that we don't want to happen."

"There is no such thing as magic."

"Oh, you're going to be stubborn, are you? Then fine!" Wil mumbles something into the flower. He tosses it in the air and blows it. As I watch, it sparkles and becomes a light, illuminating our path. Triumphantly, he smirks at me.

"Am I supposed to have a revelation and suddenly believe in magic?" I quiz.

He shrugs. "Um, yes."

"Well, I don't."

Wil rolls his eyes in frustration. He opens his mouth to speak and without moving his lips words were spoken.

"An Unbeliever? That is a strange, strange thing indeed." A high pitched female voice flies out. The silvery words flit and float in the air as if they are the glowing flower. I turn around and behind me hovers a purple auraed figure. It was only about two inches tall and though it glittered in the dark, it still looked like a person. That is if people had wings. She has blonde hair piled atop her head and a dress the same shade as her aura. She floats closer, her wings gliding silently through the air.

"Tell me, dear, why are you here?" the creature asks delicately.

"To find answers about my future." I cover my mouth as soon as the words fly out without my consent.