I sat up under my covers after I heard the first knock. Careful not to let the quilt touch my wings I peeped out from under them nervous. What was my dad going to say? Was he going to send me away? He knocked again on my door. I cleared my throat before continuing, "Come in."
The door swung open, and my father walked in, his face showing quite a bit of strain. He walked over to the end of my bed in silence and sat down on the end. My body gave a little lurch as the weight shifted. In his hands was what appeared to be some form of scrap-book.
"Your mother started making this before she left," he began, I was shocked, he never talked about my mother, " I haven't ever looked at it but it may be of some use to you. I want you to stay up here until I know what to do with you."
He pressed the book into my hands and in three strides he was out of my door and shutting me in. I looked down at the book and absent mindedly traced one of the patterns on the front with my finger. Both nervous and curious I flicked the book open to the first page.
I bit my lip when I saw the picture. It was my mother holding me as a baby. She was just as beautiful as I remember. Her dark hair which was cropped short at her shoulders, her light cat-like eyes. She was smiling, and holding me to her chest in such a loving way that my tongue stuck in my throat.
A tear found its way down my cheek for the second time that day. Even though I thought my mother didn't want me here was proof in ink on paper that she loved me. She really loved me. My existence without had been marred by the fact that I thought I had been abandoned.
The rest of the pages in the book all had me in them, most of the time I was with my mum, sometimes dad. The picture ate the back was a full family portrait. The neat script beneath read Florence aged 2. I was old enough to have teeth and I was smiling as wide as my mother.
With both of our faces side by side I could really see the resemblance. Even though we had very different hair and eyes I could see the similar jaw line and both face had a surreal quality about it. 'They are both faeries,' the thought had flashed through my mind. That is why we were similar, because we are faeries.
I flicked the book shut and just as my tears were threading to overcome me a bump in the cover caught my attention. Any thought of crying was instantly wiped from my mind as curiosity took over. I flipped the book over and examined the back cover. As I look I noticed that the back was much thicker than the front cover. I opened it up so that I was looking at the light blue paper lining inside. I could see where it had been carefully lifted and stuck back down. Curiosity enveloped me and I slid my nail under the lining, prising it from the backing card.
I was right, there was something in the back cover. It had been gently hollowed out. Sitting in the gap was a folded piece of thick parchment and to my surprise a pendant made of some sort of black stone slipped out.
Without thinking I opened the parchment. I only had to read the first line before a dry sob hit my throat.
To my dearest Florence,
I swallowed and continued.
If you are reading this it is because you are in need of my assistance and what a clever girl you are figuring out that I had hidden this in the cover. I told your father to give this to you if you could no longer remain unnoticed in the mortal world. It seems that time has come. I know you are scared sweetie and probably mad at me, I don't blame you, I left without saying goodbye. For that I am sincerely sorry, I never wanted to leave you but you father, and unfortunately myself, believed that you were a perfectly normal child.
Know I am moving away from what vital information I have to give you. You know about the world of the Faye, but I don't doubt that it has some holes.
The world of the Faye, or Avalon, has been around longer than anyone cares to remember. We watched as the human world came into being parallel to our own. With our crafts we were able to bridge the gap with portals and explore the new world. We are not humans at all; we just bear similar traits and physical characteristics.
We observed as humans evolved and gained intelligence. Foolishly we began to trade with them, entering their world for exotic luxuries which had never been seen before. That was the Faye’s biggest mistake. Humans never stop gaining knowledge and believing the Faye, with their crafts and abilities, were a threat to their world, they began to hunt us down and attempt to destroy us.
In modern times we are no more than shadows, a long lost memory of the humans. They still fear us and they always will. However I fear that our race has become reckless and I count myself amongst the foolish number who ventured out into the new world thinking it would be a great adventure. We are mingling with humans more than ever in the past thousand years.
As much I love you honey, you were never meant to have been born, and my greatest regret is coming to the human world and then having to leave you behind. I hope that one day I will be able to explain to you why I had to leave.
Your fairie blood is strong; you may be faced with danger if it is discovered. Help will find you if you are in peril. Enclosed is a necklace for you, please wear it always.
Stay strong my baby, I love you.
I stared at that page for a very long time. I studied my mum’s handwriting comparing it to my own. I felt like crying but that wouldn’t help me now. I have to stay strong! The words ‘help will find you’ flashed in my mind. Help had already found me. I could remember every detail of the troll incident even though I had tried to wipe it from my brain. Ridel.
Automatically I jumped to my feet and yanked open my drawer. I pulled out the tiny slip of paper with his name and number on it. I reached for my phone and dialled the number that I had never wished to call ever. I waited for him to pick up.
“Hello?” His voice seemed so unreal to me right now.
I took a deep breath before answering.
“Hey, Ridel, it’s me Florence, I’m going to need your help with something.”
~A/N
Sorry this took so long guys! I hope to have another chap up in a week or so so keep an eye out!
Pranxtor ^-^