Twisted Realms

Chapter 2: How Dark Can Tales Get?

The next day arrived like a visitor, peering into the world to see what was new and to put back what was old into the past.
Kamari rubbed the heavy sleep from her eyes. She couldn't believe how fast the night had fallen away and day had come. How swift time was, how soundless it seemed. How sly, time was, how it could trick you into thinking you had it all. But little did one know there wasn't time at all. It was too fast, too fast indeed.
Last night felt so far away. Like a dream in a past life. Funny how she was in a field where night and day kissed. Where light embraced the evil of darkness, and where darkness appreciated the gentle nature of the light.
She shook her head, trying to shake away the still frightening memory.. That dream wasn't something to idly think about. As of last night, she knew that the inhabitants of the realms were not something to joke about.
Mother had told her how some had sharp teeth like fangs and consumed blood.

Some loved to force people to dance for all eternity. Others gave enchanted fruits so that you could laugh until you became a husk of nothing but comedy.
Some would lure humans to jump from cliffs.
And some used their beautiful voices to sing songs that made you love them by force.
But, her mother always told her that it was possible to deflect these things, by wearing certain items.
She could hear her mother's voice in her head singing:

Iron to burn the sly fair folk away
Silver for the nasty moon creatures
Salt to lead the demons astray...

She tried to recall the other words, but a sound raptured her thoughts like glass.
The door burst open, and a woman came in. She had the same chestnut hair as Kamari and a soft smile played on her lips.
"Darling, dear. Are you awake?" She pulled aside the curtains and bright morning sunlight flooded into the room.
"Mother, good morning." Kamari grinned slightly.
"Morning. I hope the Dream Folk didn't steal you away." Her mother chuckled, her eyes glinting with humour .
Kamari frowned. It wasn't as funny as it usually seemed. She didn't want to be taken.
No. First, you had to be chosen.
Then you were ferried away to the Realms.
She swallowed down the lump in her throat to reply, "No, I chased them away."
It was merely a joke to her mother, but she knew that it was a lie. She had actually jumped into the terrible well, to the place once in, you could not get out...
To the place where even time played games in your head.
Where water could run backwards in a stream.
Where waterfalls were waterrises.
Where the trees could talk and walk and turn to creatures called Dryards.
To the place where nightmares lived amongst dreams.
To the place where dreams become reality. Dreams became true. Only to be crushed.
To the place where...
"Good job darling." Verena looked so beautiful when she smiled. Her eyes lit up with life and warmth as she looked down at her daughter.
"Just remember, don't go talking to strangers. They like to hide amongst us mortals. Then one day you're here. And poof. The next, you're not."
Kamari wanted the earth to swallow her. The memories of tumbling down the well rushed to her mind.
No. Not that.
She wanted to disappear into a world we're no other worlds existed. To travel back in time to before she had known, before she had believed.
Her lips trembled at the thought that at any time of any day, they could snatch her away from her reality. They had the ability to glamour those of the Upper World. Those they called, humans. They had the ability to trick you to be willing to go with them to their world.
They had the ability to capture you. And yet her mother just stood there smiling away, none the wiser of her obsolete terror.
"Don't worry, honey. There is nothing to be afraid of. Nothing at all." Her mother said, her smile like honey and caramel, her eyes like summer and winter.
"...Yes."
"Come and have breakfast. Before the King and Queen of the Blood Realm come and take our blood from us." She jumped at her daughter, hands and eyes wide, then laughed at the shock on her face before patting her head and closing the door behind her.
Kamari sat still in her bed. Unable to move, unable to think. She wanted to cry, but she bit back her tears.
How dark could these tales get?
How dark could these legends become?
Finally, after taking some moments to gather herself, the girl washed up and spread her bed, not knowing that the Well of Time was waiting.

Waiting. Slowly waiting. To gobble her up.