Myths: The Folklore Trilogy

Chapter 24-In Which We Discover Secrets

We were walking, in unicorn form, because if you could walk in the forest as a unicorn, wouldn't you?

"You're wondering. Aren't you."

I turned my head to her, hers hung low. I could feel her sadness. Talking in unicorn form is almost more than talking, it's...sharing.

"Sophie, if you don't want to tell us, you don't have to."

"But I do want to tell you. If there's anyone I want to tell, it's you." She raised her head a little. "The only reason I could transform, the only reason that tormentor didn't destroy me...was you." I was at a loss for words. How do you respond to something like that?

"When I was born, my mother died," Sophie explained softly. Her voice resonated in my head like a butterfly. "My father was furious. I like to think he was a nice man before her death. But of course, I'll never know. Well anyways, ever since I can remember, he's hated me. Called me names. Told me how useless I am." She hesitated. "Hit me."

"Sophie..." Audrey whispered.

Sophie plowed forward, ignoring us. "It wasn't that bad, because I had never known anything else. If I hadn't learned to read, I would never have known it was any different. As it was, I spent all my hours, even as a little girl, in the library. My father put me in daycare or afterschool for the longest amount of time he possibly could. He obviously didn't want anything to do with me.

"There was a library next to the daycare. I never played with the other kids. They frightened me. I would much rather stay with my books. The librarian taught me to read you know. I spent many happy hours there, avoiding the world.

"As I grew older, I only grew more withdrawn. People tried to talk to me, and I rejected them. I never understood friendship. The only reason I knew what it was was because I read about it. But I always thought that was for heroes. I wasn't a hero. Everyone hated me, I was sure.

"The only persistent ones were the mean ones, the ones who knew they could hurt me, call me more names, and I would never tell. And I didn't. Adults scared me more than kids did."

Sophie squeezed her eyes shut and her voice dropped to a whisper. "Anyone I've ever known has told me I'm worthless, stupid, I shouldn't exist. I believed them. And I began to think that the reason people never talked to me, only taunted, was because I was so awful. And I began to see why. People who had friends were funny, brave, nice, smart. I was none of those things. So why should I have any friends?"

I was horrified. I could barely breathe.

Sophie's eyes softened. "And then there was that day on the ship. When Tess came up and started yelling at me. I had expected it. But what I didn't expect was you, Audrey. I didn't expect you to defend me. That was what friends did. I didn't have any friends. Then Sierra came. And I was astonished. When you sat with me, I almost thought it was a trick to make fun of me later. But I began to realize how amazing you guys were. What it meant to have friends. You appreciated me. Accepted me. I could scarcely believe it."

Tears were welling up in my black round eyes. I hadn't known it meant this much to her. Were we really the first friends she'd ever had?

"Just now, when you were talking to me after the insecurity hit...I knew. I knew you were my friend and that maybe I was a good person after all." She turned to look at us. "You helped me discover my own purity. I can never thank you enough for that."

I suddenly stopped walking and ran moved over to Sophie. I draped my head across her neck, the closest I could get to a hug in unicorn form. "I love you," I whispered. Audrey walked over to her other side and laid her head the same way. A tear slowly rolled down Sophie's cheek.