The Other Wayland

The Meadow

Elizabeth's POV

Another day came in the Meadow. The cool breeze became a constant as did the regular waves of calmness washing over me. I was beginning to wonder where the feeling was coming from. There had never been a breeze before.

I spent what seemed like days trying to work out how I had gotten to this meadow. There was little I could remember before the Meadow. There was pain, there were two faces that haunted me and a longing to come home to them but I couldn't put a name to them. It seemed that I had always been in this Meadow alone and wondering the endless green grass, but I knew there had to be something else beyond this field. The door told me that, the door hovering just almost out of reach. It was a big oak door that taunted me.

It seemed closer in recent days. Nearly close enough to reach. I had tried before, spending the day running towards the door before falling asleep moments before reaching it only to find myself the same distance away as start of the day before.

I was laying on the grass watching the  clouds, trying my hardest to remember life from before when I felt a gentle pressure against my palm and warmth enveloped my hand. It was almost like someone was holding my hand. I knew it couldn't be real, there was no one else in the Meadow with me. Sometimes though, I imagined strange things, voices and faces, but it was all my mind playing tricks.

The feeling was unsettling. I brought the offending hand into view and looked at it. There was nothing different about it, it was the same pale skin as normal and yet, it  definitely felt like someone was holding it. I squeezed it into a fist and released it. Odd, I thought, I hadn't felt anything like that before here.  What was even odder was that it suddenly felt like someone was touching my hair. I sat up startled by the feeling, I looked around and confirmed that I was completely alone as usual. The door however seemed closer than usual. It seemed within reach. Maybe this was a sign that I could finally leave this Meadow.

Since the day the breeze had arrived in the Meadow, the door was coming closer every day. It never moved back, it was close and that gave me hope. The feeling of holding hands was back and though strange, I felt comforted. 

I stood up and stretched, watching the clouds got boring quickly when the clouds barely moved. I wondered for awhile what I was going to do next before there was a voice. It was the first voice I had heard in the meadow. It was a male voice, that seemed strange but at the same time it was familiar,  melodic and soothing. It was calling to me from behind the door. 

"Come on Birdie, it's time to wake up," The voice called. I turned to try and find the source of the voice to find that I was still alone. "It's time to come home, Birdie, everyone is waiting for you," The voice came again. It was almost hypnotic, lulling me into a dream like state. I found myself drifting towards the door, where the voice seemed to be coming from. 

The door was hovering in the grass just at the horizon, the pale wood standing out against the blue sky behind it. it was slightly opened, enough so that the sound of the man's voice to be heard clearly but not enough so I could see what was behind it. I was sure it wasn't open before. It had always seemed so firmly shut before.

I continued to walk towards the door as if I couldn't stop. The voice got louder closer to the door, and more entrancing. I felt like I'd lost control of my body as I reached out and wrapped my hand around the bronze handle of the door. 

The metal was cold against my hand as I pushed the door open. There was nothing but blackness beyond the door but there was a wall of sounds, hushed voices that pulled at my cloudy memories, the hush of wind in trees and bird song and what sounded like soft whispering signing. The wind seemed to be coming from the other side of the door, carrying the noises with it. I couldn't see though the darkness but even so I felt a need to reach into it.

I took a step into the darkness leaving the meadow behind me. The moment I stepped through that door a wall of excruciating pain hit me and my body crumpled to the ground.

*** 

Elizabeth's Father's POV

On the twentieth day of her being in the woods she showed signs of waking. How long those days have felt.  How I longed to see her eyes open, I wondered if she had my eyes or her mother's. She looked so much like her mother but she had my fae features too.

I was brought out of my thoughts at the feeling of Elizabeth's fingers squeezing mine. It was the first movement she'd made in all this time. She was deathly still for a few moments and I thought I had imagined it, it was such a slight pressure that I could easy have mistaken it. That was until Elizabeth began to convulse. Her tiny body shaking violently then she after a short while relaxed again sinking back into the bed of flowers. Her  breathing suddenly quickened and her eyes flew open. She seemed to panic, her eyes flying in all directions clearly disorientated. 

"Hush, you are safe," I soothed as I took her hand in mine once more in an attempt to ground her. Her eyes came to land on my face and she seemed to calm slightly. "You are in the Seelie realm." She tried to speak but nothing happened. "You've been quite unwell, you're probably feeling confused," She nodded. "Valentine poisoned you with demon blood, you collapsed during your escape from him. The queen brought you here to help you heal after discovering that you are half seelie."  She nodded. "You will have a long road to recovery but I believe you will be okay,"

"Who are you?" She asked her voice unsteady and raspy.

"I am your Father," I smiled at her, she furrowed her brow, "My name is Aldway. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, daughter,"

"Oh." She said quietly. She closed her eyes again and frowned, she seemed to be think hard. "I don't think I know what my name is."