Writers block

Chapter Six: A Not-So Dull Afternoon

The hike to Northwood was long and tedious, as most hikes are. The three friends had fallen more than once on the way there, and Thade hadn't thought to bring water, or anything of the sort.

Now, they were setting up camp in the shade of the boulder. Thade was tending to the fire, Charlie was making a makeshift shelter, and Waverley was out looking for food and water. He was slightly reluctant letting his sister out in the forest, but she had insisted.

"I'm nearly fifteen!" She had huffed angrily. "I'm smart enough to stay around the edges of the woods."

And Thade watched his sister prance off into the woods. There were legends, myths, that the woods housed dangerous things. Werewolves, shapeshifters, witches.

Charlie, noticing the worried he must have been sporting, plopped down next to the fire. She stared at it thoughtfully for a moment.

"She'll be fine, you know." She said finally.

Thade studied Charlie. He honestly didn't know what to think of her. The way she dressed, the way she spoke, it was all so foreign to him. Yet it was also intriguing, the way she said things so matter-of-factly, like she knew exactly what was going to happen, and when. Her confidence comforted him.

Charlie rested her head on his shoulder, pressing herself against him in a desperate attempt to conserve body heat. He draped his arm around her, letting her snuggle against him, and he began to stroke her caramel coloured hair.

"I know." He mumbled.

She lifted her head, exposing her bright blue eyes, and kissed him. Thade felt as if he would dissolve into a puddle on the forest floor. He drank her in, memorising the feeling of her lips on his. The slight curve upward signified that she was smiling, and he could taste a strange flavour on her lips - cherry, maybe? It didn't matter, he enjoyed it all the same. When Charlie finally pulled away, she had jubilation in her eyes and a smile on her face.

Surprisingly, the smile faded quickly, and Charlie detached herself from him, mumbling something unintelligible. They didn't speak until Waverley returned.

"Hey guys!" She chirped, running into view with an armful of berries and nuts. "I found this cute little stream in the middle of this glade, it had bushes of berries and - "

Thade's stomach flipped. The Northwood was notorious for its fairy glades, clearings in the forest that had been cursed to speed up one's ageing process drastically.

"Wave," He enunciated carefully, "Is that where you got those berries?"

Charlie seemed to be having the same thought process as him, and put her head in her hands, whispering the same words over and over. "Oh no, oh no, oh no."

Waverley's smile widened. "Yup! Don't they look good?"

A feeling of dread settled in his stomach, and he forced his final question out. "D-Did you eat any?"

"Mhmm. They were so good. They made me a little light-headed, though." Wave added.

"Fairy glade." Charlie murmured hoarsely.

Waverley paled, he skin now matching her white-blonde hair. "I'm sorry?"

"That was a fairy glade. The Northwood is full of them, isn't it?" She repeated.

Thade's sister dropped the berries, and fell to her knees. "Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid."

Charlie stood up abruptly, and threw her arms around Waverley. "Don't worry. Pam said someone would be here, didn't she? You'll be fine. T-The Hyacinths will have a remedy."

Watching his sister's hands begin to wrinkle and crease, Thade wasn't confident that his Waverley would make it to the Hyacinths.

And for once, Charlie didn't sound so sure, either.