Faerie

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

In the darkness of the forest, my heart had slowed to a normal rate and my blood was cooling. I shivered as the midnight air turned cooler against my skin. I was huddled on the fallen tree, knees up to my chest and my cardigan, tightly wrapped around my body. My pulse had slowed and I no longer heard my own heart beat. But something was pulsating on my hip. I reached into my pocket and drew out the crystal. I guess it was the one I lost. But how?

I stared at it. It was warm and like a heart pulsating in my palm. It was brighter than normal as if it was alive. Was it alive? I stared at it, examining it. It seemed to sparkle and glow the liquid inside sloshing inside. A silhouette of a butterfly escaped, like what happened in my kitchen, a long time ago. Silhouettes of animals floated freely from it, spirits of the woodland. I watched as a bird evaporated from the crystal and perched itself on my arm, as if it was alive it began to whistle but no sound came out. I couldn't feel it, bobbing it was just a shadow. It then flew up and I watched as it perched on a nearby branch, it cocked its head at me before flying away.

I stood up then, to see where it was go and that's when my eyes caught the faint shimmer of colour up ahead. It was neon, like someone had trailed a path of paint, it was all different colours, pinks, purples, reds, blues and greens. Rocks close by was highlighted with the stuff, someone had also drawn strange Celtic symbols on each one.

I followed the path that wound its way around tall trees and large shrubs. It went on and on until I was standing in an outline of a circle, perfectly drawn out in neon green. Four, tall rocks stood around a tall slim pillar of slate. Each decorated like the rocks I had seen previously.

The crystal hummed in my palm, looking down at it I saw that more silhouettes where escaping. They all seemed to be gravitating towards the tall pillar in the centre. Taking another look at it, I noticed a black flower hovering over the top. It looked as if it would be a neon colour once. I walked over; it came up to my waist. The flower wasn't a flower but crystal like rock, formed into what looked like a Lilly. My finger tips brushed one of the shards, it vibrated and so did the green crystal, which was still pulsating.

A sudden thought entered my mind. Was this the centre of Faerie. Taking another glance around the enclosure, I noticed the neon colours outlining the rocks and leaves, they had turned the same colour as the emerald and was also pulsating. The symbol was of three spirals joined into one, each spiral was turning slowly.

"All you need to do is place the shard on the missing piece of the crystal."

I jumped at the sound of the voice, though it was barely above a whisper. I looked up and was startled to see Danu. Her red hair fell in waves down to her waist and seemed brighter and sleeker than last time. Her violet eyes were brighter. I also noticed her clothes; she no longer was wearing modern clothing. But a long medieval dress in ivory, it was beautiful and looked just like a wedding dress with gold braided piping around the bust. Around her waist was a golden belt made out of silk. Attached to it was a brooch of the same symbol that was on the rocks surrounding us. But the most magnificent feature was her cape; it fell like waves across her shoulders and down to the floor, it was moss green and velvet with all sorts of Celtic symbols embroidered on to it with golden thread.

"Is that all?" I asked, gazing up at her. She was so beautiful it was almost blinding.