The cabin

The boys came back at sunset with some good news. The hadn't found much but an old path that seemed to lead to someone or somewhere with people although they hadn't found it yet. They had decided to come back at sunset like they said they would. I was worried it would get cold as the sun set but it didn't. This night sky was astonishing as bervos obsessively pointed out. There were three moon's and billions of stars glittering across the deep blue and purple sky filled with thick fluffy clouds. We were all sitting outside distracting ourselves. Bright green bugs were flitting around everything and Alice and Irene were chasing them trying to catch them, filling the air with giggles. Bervos was talking to rowen and adisa about the stars and constellations. Adisa was halfheartedly listening while watching the stars laid out on his back while rowen bombarded Bervos with questions, which he joyously answered. Felicity was lazily watching the stars with them, when suddenly she stood up and came to sit down next to me.

"It's nice out here yes?" She ask quietly.

"Yea it is. The sky is beautiful and the girls sure like those glow bugs."I muttered.

She glanced over at me and smiled warmly. Her cheeks were a warm red and her round soft face was filled with freckles. Her hair had darkened to a deep brown in the darkness and her eyes glowed hazel. She glanced back up to the sky and sighed.

"Sooo…what's with the big dress?" I ask looking up. She shuffled beside me and I glanced over to see her looking down at tresses of her gown that she had gripped tightly in her hands.

"It was for a ball later this evening." ,She said, "my father had it made for me just recently and I had just gotten it all on and was walking through the gardens when the ground swallowed me whole." She lemented somewhat bitterly.

"Oh…you we're going to a ball? What kind of ball?"

"It was a celebration ball, for my brothers engagement to lady farnes." She sighed.

"Lady farnes? An engagement ball? You guys must be pretty well off. Where are you from?"

She turned to me then chuckled lightly. "I'm from a kingdom called fa laz intierz. It's sits by the water to the west of panades." I looked at her absently.

"I've never heard of it. Like ever. Kingdoms still exist? I thought they were all replaced with democracies or dictatorships…or like representatives or something…" I found myself mumbling. She turned over at me with a look of surprise. Her big hazel eyes wide under the moon light.

"Never…?" She ask softly. I shook my head. She turned back to the sky.

"I figured you came from elsewhere, but to never have heard of intierz at all…that's very strange to me. Where is it that you come from?"

"America. It's a democracy." I said slowly.

"I see. What is America like?"

"…big? And full of lots of people who don't like each other very much."

"Well I suppose that'd be any kingdom. Not everyone is going to agree, you must be accommodating to survive." She said matter of factly. I nodded in agreement. Suddenly Irene was dragged to my side by Alice.

"Irene is sleepy!" She said, pushing Irene in front of her. I patted the grass beside me gently and watched as Rene knelt down and cuddled up against me. Alice stood there awkwardly before I motioned for her to sit down too. She laid down beside Rene gently pressing against her side. I ran my hand through Rene's hair and looked back at felicity who was smiling at me softly in the moonlight.

"What?"

"Your a very good sister. It seems you love her very much." I nodded along as she spoke then laughed.

"I guess but it's not always like that. Sometimes I'd do anything to get away from her." I whispered with a small smile. She giggled and whispered back.

"I think my brother feels that way often as well. Or at the very least he seems to." She chuckled. I nooses along and we laughed together. We continued to ask questions about each other late into the night. Before eventually falling asleep.

The next morning we were forced to awaken by a very loud rumbling in the distance and an overly obnoxious sun that was determined to shine right in our faces. As cracked open my eyes and threw my hand up to block out the sun. After a moment my vision adjusted and I sat up to look around. Rowen was standing frozen just to my right and adisa was frozen in a kneeling position beside him. Bervos had his eyes open but sat just in front of them looking blankly at the ground. I pushed myself to my feet a took a single step before I felt my body go ridged. A chill ran down my spine as I tried and failed to move my body. Suddenly there was a cackle from above me. I glanced up as much as I could but I was only able to see the edge of a floating figure.

Then in the blink of and eye I was standing before a crazed woman. Her yellowed eyes were squinted shut with a deep wide smile spread across her wrinkled and dotted face. Her teeth were sharp,yellowed, and crooked. Her eyes buzzed around my face as she bounced on the balls of her feet. Long dark brown curls were scattered down her body, framing her face in such a way to make her seem even more terrifying. She clicked her tongue rapidly after a moment and bent up to her full height which must've easily been six feet tall. Tattered dark green robes hung from her bone thin body limply swaying gently in the cool breeze. Her grinning face and cruel eyes gazed down at me ominously as she held out her hand. It was gnarled and boney with long yellow claws. A flash of light sprung out in the center of her palm taking the shape of a huge book bigger than my head. It was dark blue and obviously ancient with engraved illustrations covering the cover. She bent the book Down to me and I squinted down at it suspiciously. Suddenly the book clicked and flew open faded scrawled words littered each page flying out at random. It was a grimoire. Just like moms.