The Magic House

1

'Was running away really the best thing she could do?' This question never stopped clouding her memory. Not too long ago, she had left the farm of her grandma and now she was lost in the woods, running in random directions. It had only been a few minutes but she was already out of breath. Weak. That's what she was. Trying to contain the feeling of freedom she had when her feet just started moving, faster and faster, but that feeling quickly faded as it became more difficult to use her muscles. She sloppily came to a stop, leaning against a tree to catch her breath once more. However, as she was inhaling the fresh air of the woods, a voice could be heard.

It was very silent at first, but the sound slowly grew louder and louder until it resonated through her whole body. Never in her life. Never, had she heard a voice like this. It weren't only her ears, it was like her whole body could hear it. The voice was pure and cheery but if you listened carefully, you could clearly hear the melancholic undertone. A feeling of suspicion came over her. She wasn't moving, but the voice grew louder. Which could only mean one thing: whatever the source of the sound was, it was coming towards her. Suddenly in a panic, she frantically snapped her head left and right. Trying to define what was approaching her. However, there was nothing to see except tree trunks and dead leaves. But then, as suddenly as it started, it stopped. She could hear the magpies sing again.

She had always liked magpies. From the moment she saw one hopping around outside through the tiny window in her room, she adored them. Many people would say it was just a very simple bird. However, it was the simplicity of it that made it so beautiful. Lost in thoughts, Eris looked up to the sky, looking at the clouds drifting by. She was at peace until something crashed into her, causing her to fall head first to the ground. 'Out of my way sweetheart!', the stranger cockily shouted at her. Eris wanted to identify who hit her but sadly, she was to busy hitting her head on a tree root.

When she opened her eyes, she was laying on the ground. She blinked a few times to get a better view. The only thing she could see was black, leather boots running away from her. However, when she blinked again the boots weren't moving anymore. Slowly, the person with the boots started retracing their steps. Idly approaching her. But before she could reach her, Eris quickly tried to stand up. Emphasis on tried. Her foot got stuck under the tree root she bumped her head against and she clumsily stumbled forward. 'Agh, curse you stupid root!' she screamed in frustration. Before she could try standing up again she felt a hand on her shoulder. 'You better sit down for a while before you embarrass yourself again', the stranger said, clearly amused.

Eris tilted her head, so she could have a good look at the stranger. She had brown, almost black, almond-shaped eyes. Short, dark hair about the same color of her eyes. But oddly enough one strand of hair was longer than the others. She had made a braid out of it with some colored stones at the end. You could also see two pointy ears sticking out of her hair. Eris couldn't see her nose or mouth because a piece of fabric was covering it. 'If you're done examining me, could you tell me what a girl like you is doing here all by herself?' She asked with a low voice. 'A girl like me?' Eris thought, 'what does she mean by that? She wouldn't have the illusion that I can't defend myself right?' Although, after thinking this she immediately thought: 'of course she would underestimate me, I know I'm really not the most intimidating person.'