A New Family

---

As I step outside for the first time in a while, I tremble in excitement. I had almost forgotten what it was like to be out here.

Of course, Mom and Sis have taken me with them on their walks through the forest before (though I was usually secured to them and couldn’t do any walking of my own), so it’s not as if it’s my first time outside since I showed up here two years ago.

The forest is just as cold as always, and I’m forced to shiver. I try to rub my arms to warm myself up, but it’s not working… I should have thought about this earlier.

I wonder if we live somewhere up north. I don’t particularly remember what being up north has to do with the cold though…

Anyway, seeing the slightly shivering me, my new friend smiles at me and then does something with her hands. Seconds later and I feel a warmth running through me, chasing the biting cold away.

It’s strange.

Even though I take a look at myself, I can’t see anything different. I’m still wearing the clothing I had on when I was inside just a moment ago, and yet I’m warm. However, that doesn’t make any sense! These clothes aren’t the ones Mom makes me wear when we go outside! Confused, I tilt my head and look at the little one happily flying in front of me.

Well, I guess it doesn’t really matter. I’m nice and warm now, and besides, my friend didn’t catch the curious look anyway.

Actually, thinking about it, can this little one even speak? I pause for a second in thought. If she could, would I even be able to understand her!? Perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to follow this thing without any thought…

I sigh and then shrug. Even if I start to regret my decision now, this is the path I’ve chosen. I may as well see it through to the end!

With renewed resolve, I continue forward, following closely behind the creature that invaded my home. I’m a bit more suspicious now, but it doesn’t show… or at least I don’t think it does anyway.

---

“Mom, I think I can see our house now!” I call out. We had gone to the nearby village to restock a few of our supplies, and we were almost back home to Rael. I wonder how bored she must be by now. I feel like we were gone longer than normal.

The thought leaves me, and I smile as I think of something else. I say, “She’s going to look so cute in that dress we got for her~”

However, before I get a response, I’m passed by a blur. In the direction the blur is heading, I finally notice something was off. The door was open! Why is the door open!? I panic because I’m worried about Rael and start running as well.

Since Mom started running before I did, she gets to the house much earlier than I do and rushes inside. However, by the time I manage to get there, she was already back outside sniffing the air.

As I’m about to ask Mom what she smelled, she raises a hand in my direction to stop me. She then sighs, stops sniffing, and says, “A faerie got in. We have to run.” Almost immediately after she says that, she takes off into the forest, and I rush to follow her.

Please be alright, Rael.

---

I wonder if Mom and Sis are home by now…

I’m going to be in so much trouble when they find me. Maybe that’s a good thing though. At least then they’ll have found me.

Why did I follow something I had just met? Am I stupid?

I sigh internally as I continue to follow the critter before me. I hope we’re getting close to where this fellow wants to go. I’m starting to get tired… and losing my will to keep going down this path. In other words, I’m bored.

However, I’m surprisingly not let down by the little one, and before I realize it, we’re in the middle of a clearing. The one who lead me here, the tiny naked lady, is floating in the middle of the clearing and is beckoning me over. I have nothing better to do, so I guess I’ll go see what she’s up to.

As I get nearer though, I start to feel strange. It’s like that feeling I had earlier when I didn’t want to keep following her, but a lot stronger.

This is kinda scary…

I glance around while I’m walking forward and see many tiny heads poking out, watching what’s going on. I’m confident if the little one in front of me betrayed me, but I’m not confident I can handle all of this.

As I nevertheless continue to trudge forward, the feeling continues to intensify before it feels like my body itself wants to escape. Before I can act on the feeling I let build up though, the creature seems to change before my eyes.

Where there was a happy, friendly expression, there’s now an expression of mockery and self-content. The thing I thought was just a tiny version of a woman became distorted and ugly. I couldn’t even call it a person anymore.

The monster flying in front of me is joined by all of its little friends before they all start doing some kind of performance. It feels similar to what the one did to me earlier, but I feel an intense danger coming from this performance. It’s like I know I’ll die if I remain here any longer.

I turn around to flee, but see that I’m surrounded by the creatures, and as I said earlier, I know I won’t be able to deal with multiple.

As the performance seemingly nears its completion, I fight back the tears and think back to Mom and Sis one last time. I’m sad that I won’t be able to see them anymore, but there’s nothing I can do!

I’m sorry!

I close my eyes and await my death. I just hope it’s a quick one.

Not long after, I hear a swishing sound, as if lots of things are flying past me. It could also be the wind, I reason in my strangely calm state, but thinking about it a bit harder, it does sound a bit different.

I hesitantly open my eyes before widening them in shock. All the monsters that were surrounding me are now lying on the ground with a long, greenish spike running through them. What happened when I closed my eyes? Did I subconsciously do something? Whatever it is, it was like magic though!

Actually… I guess it would be magic now that I think about it. What is magic though? I understand that this scene before is magic, but not what magic is specifically… How strange.

I suppose what’s stranger is that I’m so calm after seeing all this. I nearly died just a moment ago, and now I see this normally horrific scene, but I don’t feel anything!

What’s wrong with me!?

I’m roused from my darkening thoughts by two voices and a pair of warm arms. I see now. It wasn’t me that did anything. It was Mom or Sis (but most likely Mom).

Although they’re saying things that I can’t quite understand yet, I can make out bits and pieces. Even if I couldn’t though, I have a feeling I’d know they were worried about me.

I try smiling at Mom and Sis to let them know I’m okay. It manages to calm them down somewhat, and I’m filled with another warm feeling. I want to stay with these two forever…

I truly love them.

Then, as I resolve myself to be a better daughter and sister (and to learn whatever it is Mom did to those monsters), the situation catches up to me… and I pass out.

---

Author’s Note:

---

First off, I have to announce that I’m changing it up a bit. Going to shoot for a chapter every two weeks. I thought I was finally getting into a place where I’d be able to write a new chapter every week, but life has that way of messing with you and I’m no longer able to. There is a chance I’ll get a chapter done in-between weeks, but I’ll let you all know on the home page of the blog whether or not that’s going to happen.

Anyway, thank you all for following along with this story. I feel better about it. Of course, there may be an issue or two from time to time in grammar, but that’s mainly because I don’t have an editor to go through it (that’s also partly on me though). If there are any major errors, please let me know in the comments and I’ll fix them as quickly as possible. As for flow and all that, unfortunately that’ll just come with time. Thank you for your patience.

Until next time.

-P

---

Previous Chapter | Home | Next Chapter