Light and Dark

Chapter 7: Taylor

Taylor ran into the forest, trying to catch up with the figure that had grabbed Fey. "Come on, run faster!" she thought, picking up speed by a bit, but slowing down almost immediately. The sound of footsteps started coming from behind her, so she decided to take a quick glance behind to see Kira racing behind her, the boundless energy Taylor always connected to her shining through.

"Where could they have gone?" Kira asked as they ran.

"The figure that took her was jumping through the trees, so make sure to check above." 

"Alright..." Kira replied as she looked straight up for three seconds before bringing her head down again. They continued to run, looking around for just a few moments longer before a shadowy figure jumped in front of them, blocking the path they traveled.

"You are her friends, yes..." the figure asked, stepping out of the shadows. Her countenance was disheveled, like she had never seen outside the forest they now occupied. She wore a knee length dress made from a mish-mash of leaves, vines, and other vegetation. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail with an additional vine.

"What have you done with Fey?" Taylor asked, not sure whether to step closer or run for the hills.

"She's safe, come with me," the figure replied before hitting a tree with a surprising amount of force. A ladder made of sticks came down and the figure indicated for them to go up. Kira scrambled up as quickly as possible, but Taylor hung back for a moment. 

"Could this be a trap? But Fey..." Taylor thought, backing off a step before rushing at the ladder and climbing up, suppressing her fears in a hopes that Fey would be unharmed at the top. Taylor peeked her eyes over the top of the ladder to see Fey leaning on the outer branch of the tree, cradled in a conveniently curved break off.

"She was exhausted; passed out as soon as we arrived. Why is she in such a condition?" the girl asked, looking over at Taylor.

"Why don't you tell me your name first..." Taylor suggested, standing up on a branch.

"My name is Hannah, now please explain what happen to her!" Hannah yelled. Her face expressed shock as she backed away moments after.

"It's a long story..." Taylor said, realizing the concern that must be going through this girl's head.

"I have time, besides, Fey probably won't wake up until at least tomorrow morning," Hannah replied.

"Well, the best place to start is the beginning..." Taylor replied, trying to find the right words to explain the giant mess they had gotten themselves into.