Neverwood |h.s.|

11

Waking up was not quite as hard as I had imagined it to be. Truthfully that was because I didn't get a single bit of the sleep I so desperately craved.

After Harry's late night visit and the strange stirring of...feelings...that he left me trying to decipher, sleep was no longer within my grasp and thus I was left tossing and turning until the stars in the sky blinked out and the sun's rays began to take their place.

I'd have to figure out a way in which to wake myself on a normal day in this God forsaken place. I wasn't quite sure what that looked like exactly but if I was allowed to speak with Hew today, I knew it'd be the first thing I'd ask him. Otherwise...I'd just continue disappointing the dark faerie...and I'm not sure how much more leniency he'd give me.

Leaning up against the rickety doorway as I awaited said faerie's arrival, I feel the warmth of the sun penetrating my pale skin. That was still so strange. I could feel the sun's warmth but I know now, after days of being here, that it will not tinge my skin into an angry red but it also won't bring on any olive tones either. It was curious.

Reaching my hand into the golden rays as they fell between parted tree branches above me, I watch the light dance across my skin, shadowed by the waving leaves. It's a bizarre sensation, one that I still can't exactly describe but it reminds me of when Hew touched me. It's like a warm hum, like an electrical current that radiates underneath the skin.

In fact, everything here that is vibrant with life seems to hum. Not audibly but, it's something in the way everything seems alive...as if aware of its own existence.

The creatures of Faerie that were native to this land were the most aware of all.

Two pairs of bulbous neon blue eyes stare out at me from the depthless shadows of the forest to my right. I can't be sure if they are from two separate beings or maybe just one...well... there is also the possibility of there being four, one-eyed creatures staring at me too...but those unblinking eyes stare into me with too much knowledge...too much knowing.

A sound like branches breaking under the weight of something heavy echo off to my left, snapping my attention to it immediately. Pushing myself off of the doorway, I stand very still, praying that it's Hew or even Harry at this point. I don't know my surroundings all too well but I definitely don't like the sensation that those dark woods to the left of the house put off.

It's dark...haunting...and wreaks of death.

I'd only noticed them just the other day. The smell pungent amongst all the flowery scents that usually permeated the air. No, this part of the woods is hideous and smells like something has died. The trees look warped and rotted, much like the tree that I'd seen in Neverwood before my arrival in Faerie. Harry's tree. I feel like there is something important my mind is trying to piece together upon that thought process but there is another snapping sound and my attention is therefore acutely fixed once more on what lays before me.

My eyes search for the source of the noise, my too-small hands balling into fists like I could actually defend myself against some fucked up faerie monster, and then...finally... I feel instant relief when a pair of glowing green eyes peek out from the underbrush.

"I imagine life must be very boring for a fox if watching me is your greatest source of entertainment." I drawl, folding my arms under my chest as the grey fox from the day before creeps out from the bushes where it had clearly been hiding this entire time.

It side eyes me before slowly and cautiously laying down, it's bushy dark grey tail twitching as if out of annoyance.

"Oh I'm sorry. Did I say something you don't like?" I tease, feeling a small smile tugging at the corner of my lips for what feels like the first time in forever. The fox lets out a chuffing sound and actually rolls it's eyes. I would have been shocked by that if it weren't for the fact that in the blink of an eye, where the fox had just been, now stood Harry...appearing out of shadowy mist with an expression of pure boredom.