The Lost Fairytales

Chapter 4

When I woke up, I wasn't outside. Nope.

I was sitting in a comfortable red wool chair, a blue blanket tossed over me. I was cold, and the blanket didn't help. Neither did the fire the chair was in front of. I looked around, thinking maybe I died or something, and saw pictures along the mantle. A girl I a red hood, holding hands with a tall guy with hair like mine, only it hangs down. Another with the same girl, only she didn't have her hood on. She was caught mid-laugh, which made her pretty. She looked slightly Asian, but also very country girl. Weird that I knew she was actually from a coastal town, like me.

In fact, she should be dead.

I looked to he rug, which still had the grape juice stain she put there. The windows had fake snowflakes, cut out from paper. The drapes were gone because of a cat that's been dead for two years now. The warm honey-glow the lights made still cast through the room.

I gripped the blanket tighter around me. This had been her grandma's house until they moved after wolves took over. My heart thudded. Maybe the wolves had taken me here to eat for later.

"Billy?"

I flinched at the voice. "Yes, Asen?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Not that you care much."

"What? I never said that. You have mild hypothermia, and this girl came by and offered her house to us. She left a little while ago, but she said that she'll be back soon. Oh! And to tell you she didn't die...? Whatever that means." Asen told me sitting beside the fire place. I was surprised to see him with a shirt on. A warm blue jacket, jeans, and a very stereotypical troll hat. I think he wore that on purpose, I'm not sure.

My eyes snapped back to the mantle.

Scarlet?

I heard a door open, and I leapt up on the chair. Asen caught my blanket before it hit the fire.

I leapt over the chair--knocking it over in the process--and ran to the front door. Instead of my friend, though, was someone familiar. It took me a moment to realize it was the boy in the photo on the mantle. His yellow eyes widened. "You're awake?" he pointed out.

"No, I'm sleep walking. Where's Scarlet?" I asked, and something flashed in his eyes.

"She's right he--" he began, but was cut off by a shrill scream.

"BILLYOHMYFRICKINGGOSHIMISSEDYOUSOMUCHCOMEHEREGIRLITSBEENTOOLONGI'M--"

"Slow down." the boy said, putting a hand on her shoulder as she bounced up and down. She had the tilted eyes like someone who's Chinese, but her hair was red. Her green eyes glinted with joy as she tackled me in a hug. She whispered in my ear, "You still look like Mario."

I shoved her back and shook her shoulders like she was a glow stick. "Why didn't you tell me you were alive?" I asked her, every limb in my body shaking.

"I couldn't."

"Why?"

"Because people would start asking why you are suddenly disappearing for long periods of time."

"Why not just come back in town?"

"Because I'll have to leave him behind." she said, pointing a finger to the boy. "Who is he?"  I asked, standing up straighter. He looked maybe eighteen, so he'd have been judged by now. In fact, Scarlet is a few months past sixteen now, she should have been judged too.

"Oskan saved my life. His family all skipped their judgment day, and I didn't want to leave him behind after what he did, so I stayed. Yeah, I know it's hard to think that I made the decision to leave you, but I knew I'd see you again."