Oliver and Lila trugged side by side, not physically constrained, but magically constrained. The scratching of large talons can be heard behind them, and nothing else. The wizard had banned talking unless it was from her lips, she claimed it was unnecessary and annoying. So they march forward, like a tiny group of marines.
Lila racks her brain, in an attempt to feel where they are going. She hopes whatever sense got them here would reveal where they are trudging to, but she knows there is no way for her to know until they reach their destination. What really worries her is how pale the boy beside her is. He must know something, and that something must be bad.
"Turn right at the end of the hall." Lady Blackmoore commands them from her perch attop the giant hawk, the shadow creature seems to have disappeared, which makes Lila wonder what his job was in the first place. Maybe to distract Oliver so the Wizard could capture her.
They turn towards the right curve in the hall, and Lila glances around, taking the sheer size of the place, her face softens when her eyes land on a portrait of her grandmother. She seems to be wearing a large, yellow gold crown with embellishments of bees, she is holding a staff, similar to the one belonging to the wizard. Where did all of that stuff go and where are the people that had to have served her grandmother? Something feels very off about this place.
As they walk they pass by many doors, most of which are closed and look like they had not been touched in years, maybe even decades. Oliver then moves towards a door to the right of him, opening it and beginning to enter.
"Yes, we are going in there, once you reach the armoire, stop and wait for my commands." Out of the very back of her vision, Lila can see the wizard begin to climb off of the bird and begin talking to it.
Lila then rushes into the room along with Oliver, hoping she can ask him what in the world is going on. When she enters the room he seems to already be waiting for her, and as soon as she reaches him, he begins to talk in a very hushed voice. "We are about to go into the portal to the realm, she is going to tell you to only think about her while we go in, but I need you to think about your bees and only fixate on that. It's our best chance to escape her and free the bees."
~
Lila simply nods her head in reply, as to not raise suspicion from Lady Blackmoore.
The wizard soon came in the door, but without the giant bird, Lila wanted to question where it went, but the last time she had spoken out of term she got a chill set on her, and she was too cold for that to happen again.
Lady Blackmoore then approached the pair, and smiled at the antique looking wooden closet in front of them as if it was an old friend of hers. She then turned to Lila, "I hear you're new to this whole magic thing, you must be rather confused right now, as your friend never told you anything." She pauses and glances at Oliver then back to Lila, "It must be rather upsetting to know he hid this from you for your entire life leading up to this day, if I were you, I wouldn't be friends with him."
Lila felt a tug in her chest at the thought that Oliver had lied to her for all of their childhood, but she wasn't going to let the witch manipulate her emotions. She knew that was deadly. So she simply just replied back in a monotone voice, "I guess it was, but we haven't really had time to talk, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt."
At her reply, Oliver seemed to let some of the tension out of his shoulders, relaxing a bit because Lila wasn't so easily swayed.
The wizard just huffed, stepping between the two to reach the armoire. "Now, let's get this show on the road. Lila and Oliver, would you please step through after me, as I will know if you don't, and think only about me. If you try some way to escape I will track you down, and punish you the hard way." She then steps forward and pulls open the door, Lila gasps at the blue swirl that is revealed behind the door. The wizard steps through right after turning to them and giving them a pointed look, "See you on the other side."
Her body then disappears behind the blue swirling wall, which shifts over and over moving from the body that had just passed through it. Oliver turns to Lila and grabs her closest hand, "Remember to think only of the bees, we can go together. Now, on the count of three let's step in, one... two... three..."
And with that they both step through, picturing only the bees that rightfully belong in Sleepy Hollows, not the clutches of some old, selfish wizard.
Lila looks out at the blue swirl that now seems to be surrounding her, as they move quickly through the dense who knows what, towards who knows where. There is no strange feeling as she experienced with the potion, which scares her, but also reassures her. She glances at Oliver, who seems to be less pale than before, he glances back at her and smiles his signature lazy smile. Lila closes her eyes and enjoys the strange whooshing feeling and the warmth of Oliver's hand.
YOU ARE READING
luck of the woods
Short Story"Lila Parks had never been one to be speechless, but in this moment she was tongue tied, and rightfully so. You see, it all started when she woke the morning of her 18th birthday." ~ Lila Parks had always thought her childhood friend was odd, but in...
