A New Door

The sole's of my feet are planted against soft sandals letting the slightly chilled grass specked in morning dew brush up against my toes with each step I take out on this front garden spry with ashen tree's ending in a dark dirt road, creeping down to a small town square centered around four inconspicuous stores surrounding a well burrowing deep down into the earth itself, flowing abundantly with its quenching essence, even from here I can hear its faint roar, a hum emerging from its circular depths. And from this centerpiece, the road splits in three leading down their own distinct paths, two disappearing into the ashen forest and one drawing over a large clearing filled with houses carrying a simple yet homely feel. Towards the right lay, a bare field drowned in the roots of a great white three, the shapes of its branches and twigs, bark seeming carved with strange natural-looking symbols, it somehow... pulls, yes, like a faint voice drawing me towards its core, even if its branches lay desolate without spurts there's this force, a primal surge of something ancient... calling.

"It's not much but it's home" Home, that one thing, Agatha, this place is just so much more, not just the earth, three's or buildings of wood and stone, it's speaking to me through whispers in the subtle winds rustling trough the forest adorned with bright white leaves.

("It's beautiful") That smile breaking through her plush lips right now, such a genuine expression of pride and happiness.

"Is that so? I'm not sure if they've told you yet the first time you woke, but welcome to Ashwood, your new home." Can it truly become mine too? These feelings, this welcoming swaddle breezing over my skin, filling my mouth and nose with a sweet, calming scent releasing all tension that has held both my limbs and heart, her arms steadying me propping me up as the world sways, my knees quivering like autumn leaves within a brisk storm.

"Maybe it is too early after all." The worry, piercing through this lukewarm bubble, even if I don't have much strength I should steady myself, she asked me for this walk after all telling me there were people she'd like me to meet, letting her down now after all this care, kindness, and comfort would just be cruel... I should focus, the tension can be let go later when I sink into those mellow bed folds.

("No, I can do this, just give me a moment, but if things get a bit heavy on the way I can lean on your arm right?") Her bright eyes are gleaming ambiguously, is it joy or worry? I can't tell, it just went by in a flash, like a sudden ball of lightning piercing a cloudless sky.

"Of course, I said I'd help if you either were to grow unsteady or tiered, just you hold on for however long you need, we'll have to walk for a few minutes after all." A few minutes, past this township in front, probably up somewhere by those lively houses... speaking off, the loud chatter and joyous yells from children playing a bit away, barely ten meters to the right of the almost overgrown path I'm currently, but not without difficulty, standing on, five, six, maybe even ten children running between the trees passing something through the air between them exchanging ownership of the plate-like object whilst expressing pure, unworried joy, maybe I too will soon be able to run between the trees like them enjoying each moment of this bright like morn. Huh? Did one of those children just meet my gaze? What a strange expression... a mix of, awe is it? In addition to innocent curiosity, she's raising a hand pointing with a finger trembling with withheld excitement.

The other children have now noticed too, as I'm doing my best to keep a steady pace, still having to hold on to Agatha's firm arm, they are walking up, two of them, one with a dawning a messy brown head of hair sticking out in any and all directions, he almost looks like a disordered porcupine with his small beady eyes. The other one is a girl her locks well kept and glossy, her pale skin flushed with wonder and labored breaths, her eyes a steelish grey sharp as a blade yet glowing with an untempered softness. Those looks, this constant flux of attention skimming me from my tremoring feet to the tip of my twitching wings, it is somehow... suffocating, but in a way, I don't hate it, I just... I'm not sure, just how am I to process this?

"Miss Wailmont, what is she? Where did she come from? Why's she hurt?" A bombardment of wondering, just a flow of every unfiltered thought streaming from his mind to his mouth, the girl seems still at first glance but her intense stare is busy scouring through every detail her eyes can spot, I'm certain she's too busy to put her thoughts into words just yet.

"Now now Oliver, you need to calm down a bit, can't you see you're making her uncomfortable?" So that's what this feeling is, another sibling variety of discomfort, just not as dreadful as that pressing empty panic when you don't know which day could become your last.

"Oh, sorry Miss." Her grin warming up, she really is a kind woman, isn't she? Even when she's lecturing.

"You shouldn't apologize to me, but to her, she's going to be living here in town after all." His tiny eyes are widening, mouth slanting agape as his gaze's flickering between me and Agatha, is this such surprising news? Well, it probably is, Mary did mention quite early that Ashwood is a small town, so anyone moving in must be big... Mary, I hope I get to see you again soon, you must have been busy since you barely came to visit.

"Sorry, it was rude of us to stare so much." The dark-haired girl, she must have realized now that words had been exchanged, she seems pretty upright and mannered, guess she was caught too off guard to consider earlier, I believe I know what it's called, there have been short stories where there are talks of people being caught in the spur of the moment, where they don't really think, they just act the way their senses tells them too. She's bowing her head as she is pushing Oliver down with her in this apologetic display... Still, I think it's a bit much, they never really did anything wrong in the first place.

("It is fine, I hope we can all get along") Their eyes seem puzzled for a moment as they read, is my handwriting bad? No, it's written how I usually write it.

"You two head back to the rest, for now, Khatryn has a few people to meet today so we have to get going." That's right... wait there are unfamiliar steps coming from the left, carrying breaths transforming into words deep and clear.

"Was I perhaps one of those people?"