Queen Of The Night ×Wyatt Lykensen×

•Protecting From The Shadows•

🔮Crystal🔮

"Come on, sweetie aren't you excited to spend the weekend with Aunt Robin?" I look up at my mom admiring the white streaks in her black hair. "Mom, the kids on that side of town don't like me. They torment me."

"Oh, sweetheart, aren't you overreacting?" I pout and cross my arms. I don't know why my mom is sending me there. She usually doesn't send me to Aunt Robin's because of how close her house is to the forbidden forest. She doesn't want me anywhere near it. Once I was only a foot over the boundary line and she threw a fit.

But there's a work emergency and mom is going away for awhile. "No, I don't think I'm overreacting."

"Crystal, you're seven years old. Don't pay attention to those other kids. Just have fun. Besides Robin says she needs her favorite assistant to help her bake cookies today." I perk up at that and jump out of my seat. "Yay! Cookies!" My mom laughs and scoops me into her arms.

She plants kisses on my cheeks before setting me back down. "Okay, all your stuff should be ready to go. Do you have your toothbrush?" I look back at my bag and nod when I spot it. She lists off a bunch of other things and I nod for each one.

"Okay, let's get going, I have a plane to catch." She holds my hand as we leave the house and helps me into the car. She places our bags into the back "Crystal!" I look to my left and see Addison rushing over to me. "Are you leaving today?"

"Yeah, don't worry I'll be back on monday." Addison nods and waves as my mom pulls out and starts driving to the other side of town. Eventually we pull up to my aunt's house and I open my door, jumping out. Aunt Robin comes out of the house and I race over to her.

"Aunt Robin!" I wrap my arms around her after jogging up the porch steps. "How lovely it is to see my favorite niece."

"I'm your only niece, Aunt Robin." She smiles and ruffles my platinum hair. Just like my mother, Aunt Robin has streaks of white in her hair. "Okay, I'll be back to pick her up Sunday night." Aunt Robin nods and my mom kisses the top of my head.

"I'll see you when I get back honey." I nod and wrap my arms around her. "Bye, Mom." She holds me tightly for a few moments before setting me down. "Bye, sweetheart." She stands up and I watch her walk over to the car, getting into the driver's side.

Aunt Robin picks up my bag as I watch mom drive away. "Come inside, Crystal." I nod and am about to follow her inside when I hear slight rustling coming from the forest. I turn my head as a figure disappears into the shadows. "Hello?" I call out softly and my only answer is the rustling of the leaves dancing in the wind.

I walk forward and jump the porch railing, landing in the grass on the other side. I walk toward the tree line and peer into the shadows, willing my eyes to adjust to catch even the smallest glimpse of whatever it was. All of a sudden I see a pair of glowing golden eyes.

"Crystal!" I jerk backward and look toward the house, Aunt Robin is standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips. "You know your mother doesn't want you anywhere near the Forbidden Forest!"

"Then why do you live next to it if you never go in," I mumble the question to myself. "Now, come inside." She heads back in and I turn back to the shadowy forest. I look around in confusion when I see that the eyes had disappeared. I always knew that the story of beasts in the forest were true, but nothing had ever happened to prove it. Until now.

I step back and turn around jogging back to the house. I enter and help Aunt Robin make cookies. "Alright, while these are baking you can go and play."

"Thanks, Aunt Robin." I leave the house and start to walk a little ways back into the center of Seabrook. But I freeze when I see the kids that always bully me when I visit my Aunt. Just as I was about to turn and run they look up and spot me.