Chapter 2: A Simple Forest

Lyra (2018)

There was a moment of compelling silence as she opened it in front of Dr. Roland. She had no clue of what to expect but it truly wasn't the contents of the paperwork. The deed to a small cottage on the coast of the Oregon coast, and the information to a rather mysterious bank account registered in her name. Lyra shakingly put a hand to her half opened mouth. "What is it dear? Please tell me you're whiter than a ghost." Dr. Roland took a few steps towards her, ready to catch her if she fainted, which to be honest she might. "A cottage and a bank account? I- I don't understand. I don't know anyone outside of the orphanage with this kind of money. None of this makes sense. There's another envelope one second" Lyra managed to gasp out. There were about a hundred different emotions running through her and the most prominent one was total shock, and curiosity. Her shaky fingers ripped open the second envelope in a rather clumsy way.

Lyra,

This envelope and letter are only to be opened by you. You do not know me but I have known you for many years. Actually I've known you since before you were born. You are a special one. And you'll get your answers, in due time. What I can tell you in this letter is all I, personally, am allowed to say. Your bloodline is ancient and you have a special gift. Go to the cottage listed in this envelope, and use the money however you see fit. There will be answers there for you to find, and the path you should go down as followed. You are strong like your father and bright like your mother.

Sincerely,

Man in the Moon

Man in the moon? Ancient bloodline? Though she had always been curious as to her her biological parents were, the letter had done nothing but raise more questions for Lyra, and she knew deep in her heart that the only way that she would be even able to answer a fraction of the questions she had was if she did as the letter told and went to the cottage. Though, she wasn't sure if that was really a sane decision to make, for all she knew it could be a lure, to her death presumably. Surely someone wouldn't wait 18 years to lure and kill one girl right? "I suppose that's better than some money, yeah?" Dr. Roland let out a small chuckle. "Should I go? It's on the west coast, and it's better than wasting all my savings on traveling and finding a place?" she hummed, still mentally trying to weigh the pros and cons of the situation. "Honey, it is the perfect fresh start. I know it's been rough these past few years, and this town is so mundane, you need excitement. Hell! You need adventure! As your doctor I am practically prescribing this for you." This was the first time that Lyra really saw a more friendly and less professional Dr. Roland, and it made her heart swell. Lyra felt that being the girl's doctor here, it became draining on Dr. Roland, and she rarely got to see this side of her. "You know what? I think I am gonna go. I'll leave the address for you incase I end up actually being murdered." she joked, giving her doctor a bright and enthusiastic smile. Lyra was going to make this work. She was going to give it her all to really find herself and the answers that so desperately clawed at the back of her mind. Giving Dr. Roland one final goodbye, and a nod, she left the room to start organizing her belongings.

Later that night as Lyra kneeled on the floor of her small room, she found herself thinking of all the possible outcomes of this lovely spontaneous adventure. All the good and all the bad things were rushing in and out of her mind, and in the span of about 8 hours, she had convinced herself 30 times that it would be a bad idea, and another 50 that it would be the excitement and environment she needed. Ultimately, she had set her mind on going, and purchased a one way ticket to Oregon from her prehistoric iPhone 6. She had gotten it as a gift from Mama Jan, and Lyra insisted that she pay her portion of the bill. She really only made phone calls to Mama Jan and Dr. Roland anyway. Occasionally, she'd text some classmates about a group project or a coworker to take a shift, but that was it. There was no going back at this point, and Lyra felt a wave of, well she wasn't quite sure, but she felt at peace with the emotions that flooded her.

The next morning, she woke with a pep in her step, she was more than ready to leave that moment, but she knew she wanted this day to say proper goodbyes to Mama Jan and the girls. She had decided that she would hold off on telling the devil of her divine luck, wanting to rub it in her face at the last moment, to ensure that there would be no repercussions. Though, she dreaded telling Mama Jan that she was leaving so soon. It nearly broke her heart, but she knew Mama Jan would be elated to hear that she had gotten, for once, a string of good luck.

As she made her way to the kitchen Lyra bumped into Shay, one of the younger elementary girls, and nearly fell to the floor. "Sorry Ly! Running from you know who!" Shay squealed heading off into the opposite direction. You know who was definitely Kenna, same age and same height, but ten times more chaotic. Shay was almost a mini Lyra when it came to socialization, and Kenna wanted to annoy everyone in her path. Lyra bit back the giggle, and made her way over to Mama Jan to help her prepare for breakfast. "Now Lyra, it is your birthday today no working." Mama Jan's voice was stern and Lyra laughed out loud this time.. "Mama Jan, I'm helping cause I want to and I needed to tell you something amazing. Something I never would have expected in a million years." Mama Jan's ears perked at her statement, completely absent from the scolding she prepared for her for trying to do more work. "Well, spit it out dear! I am a severely impatient woman." With that Lyra told her all about the envelope and this cottage in the woods by the Oregon coast. She voiced her concerns about how it could be a trap or it could be what she has really been searching for all along. Even the part about Ms. Hitridge's petty move, which had Lyra more heated as she went on.

When she finished telling her every detail from start to finish, breakfast was done and girls of all ages started to pile in the dining room. Lyra went to the sink to start washing the pots and pans when Mama Jan stopped her. "Honey, you are going to go there and you are going to live your absolute best life. That is all that I have ever wanted for you. You deserve it. Truly dear, you do and I could not be happier for you to go on this journey with yourself. I hope you find all the answers you need. I'll see if I can have Dr. Roland take you to the airport tomorrow, and set up transportation to this place." Lyra wrapped her arms around her and gave her the tightest hug she could manage. Mama Jan would always hold a very special place in her heart, that was one thing that she was certain of. This exciting, mysterious, and quite literally anxiety inducing cottage, she wasn't so sure.

Throughout the day Lyra would help clean up the house, making sure to have the house as spotless as she could before she left tomorrow. That was the only way she was gonna appease Ms. Hitridge. That and she wanted to help the girls out in any way she could. She'd made her way through the first floor of the home, and managed to get through half of the second floor by five p.m. Mama Jan, of course, wouldn't let her do it alone so she accompanied Lyra through the first floor, having to get things set for dinner, she Left Lyra to the second floor by herself.

The second floor was the bathroom's and the girl's rooms. The third floor, was the office floor, and bedroom for Ms. Hitridge. She wouldn't clean that floor, for the sole fact that Hitridge was always there around this time, and since she had no scheduled meetings, she didn't feel it necessary to be in her vicinity. Lyra made it through the first two bedrooms, and was on her first bathroom when she felt a presence in the doorway.

Lyra turned from cleaning the cracked mirror, and saw Shay standing there with her hoodie sleeve in her mouth. "Hey Shay, you need the bathroom?" Lyra offered her a kind smile, one that Shay mimicked back. "No-" Her smile fell as quick as it appeared. "I heard you talkin to Mama Jan at breakfast today...You're leaving tomorrow?" Lyra's eyes widened in shock, she had been searching for Shay, she was the last one Lyra needed to tell, and Shay had actively been avoiding her throughout the day. She was friendly to all of the girls, but the girls knew that being here meant the possibility of being whisked away at any time to a new location. Shay was the one Lyra worried about because, unlike other girls, Shay had been her for years, like Lyra had. And in turn, Lyra had connected with Shay and took her under her wing. "Shay, I-I'm so sorry, is that why you've been avoiding me?" The hurt rang clear in her voice. "That's what I've been trying to tell you today, I'm so sorry." Shay shook her head, and wiped at the tears forming in her eyes. "I don't want you to go. Why are you going?" Lyra pulled Shay into a hug and rubbed her back. Shay didn't deserve any of this. She was brought here when she was 5 and she was 10 now. No ten year old deserves this. "I- I have to go no matter what Shay, I turned 18 today. Legally, I'm on my own. Though I have some good news. I'm going on a scary adventure, and I'm gonna write you postcards wherever I go okay?" Lyra held her a little tighter, then released her to look into her eyes. "O-okay Lyra, I like postcards, they're so cool." Shay's little hiccup made Lyra's heart twinge. "I'll write to you too Lyra, I won't forget about you either. Just let me know where you're going" Shay pleaded. Of course, Lyra agreed, and grabbed a paper towel from the roll on the sink. Taking a pen from her pocket she scribbled the address on the paper towel and handed it to Shay quickly. "Do not show anyone else this okay you are the only one allowed to have it." Lyra was stern but not cold. She wasn't sure, but after reading the letter given to her by the man in the moon, Lyra felt like she needed to keep the cottage's location private. "I promise Ly, I won't" Shay pinky swore and bounded off to her room.

That night's sleep did not welcome Lyra as easily as she thought it would. She tossed and turned in her less than twin sized bed, hoping to clear the racing thoughts causing havoc in her brain. What was really in store for her? What was she going to find there? Was it absolutely insane that she was excited for this? That was a given. No sane person would want to live in a cottage left for them by a complete stranger. However, Lyra had accepted she was nowhere near sane, and that this was her one chance to actually find out who she wanted to be. Not just another student in a crowded hallway, or a coworker at a minimum wage corporate job. She wouldn't be one of the girls in Mooretown with a sad background. She would be Lyra, and she was ready to find out who that would be.

Lyra(2022)

Lyra sat in the front room of the small, oak cottage, a warm mug of lavender and jasmine tea in her clutch, and looked out of the window ahead of her. The place had a coziness about it, and it brought immense comfort to her. Different shades of light and dark oak wood covered the interior, and a coffee shop vibe radiated from every corner. Bookshelves, books, and plants decorated strategically throughout the living space. It brought Lyra happiness to nurture and care for her plants and her garden. She'd been tending to them for years now and they held a special place in her heart. She loved the earth and its creatures, and the path that she had found for herself. It brought her promise, purpose and pleasure. Everything she hadn't known she'd been searching for. And more.

The kitchen matched the plants with an herbal theme scattered amongst any object within eyesight. Herbs and spices held in little glass jars on the wood shelves built into the wall, and fruits held in woven baskets on the countertop. The only rooms down the short hall leading from the kitchen were the bathroom and laundry room, both with matching themes as well. Lyra's room, however, on the opposite end was the only bedroom, and that completed the cottage. Her room was about half the size of the living space and it suited her quite well. She didn't have many clothes and she didn't need anything other than her dresser, nightstand and closet. She didn't dare paint any of the wood interior, and kept all of the original furniture.

When she first arrived, the place was furnished exactly how it is now, the only thing missing was the plants, and her belongings. All of the books that lined the shelves, also built into the walls, were already there, and Lyra had to buy another so that her books would also fit. That made Lyra laugh so hard she nearly collapsed from lack of breath. Arriving to find one of the things she loved so much stocked to the brim. Though, these books however, were more captivating than she could imagine.

They unlocked a whole realm of knowledge, including witchcraft and herbology, and even mythology she'd only skimmed through before, in the library. Antique, and honestly some ancient books lined the very top of the shelves, and the one that captivated her the most is the one she kept on her altar at all times. There was an old letter in the front cover addressed to her, stating that this book contained clues, even a prophecy, though the prophecy she had read made no sense to Lyra. It's page was at the back of the book separate from the binding, and was held in a folder attached to the back cover. It spoke of a Lycan and a constellation? Lyra was utterly confused. However, that didn't mean she wasn't intrigued by the rest of the book, and its contents.

The book was titled Book of Shadows, and bound in leather and cord, brandishing a large, blood red pentacle on the front cover. She'd spent the past four years studying it, walking its path and it led to her finding a part of herself she never thought possible. History of gods and goddesses alike, that walk amongst the three realms: Earth, Sky, and the Underworld, captivated her. Spells and rituals were abundant as well as bindings and wards. Sprinkled in were a few hexes and curses, but there also were warnings in bold letters at the tops of those pages that such hexes and curses were strictly for times of emergency or life and death, and that they could cause serious harm to the caster and castee. Though she didn't have magic spurting from her hands, so to say, her love and passion for her craft allowed her to find the empath deep within. In turn, her awareness of the life and energy around her in nature, helped her to strengthen her green thumb.

Lyra adored the freedom that came with her lifestyle. She'd mastered foraging, and utilized those skills to sell fresh berries and vegetables at the local market. The plants, the trees, she listened to them, and they listened to her. They existed in the same realm together, and nourished each other. She knew that plants were to be respected just like her, and that all energy was connected in one way or another. Balance was the key to nature's flourish, and Lyra was going to make sure that the forest around her would thrive no matter what.

Gulping down the last of her tea, Lyra set the mug onto the coffee table in front of her, next to the spread of tarot cards. They lay in a cross shape, and some of them were reversed. They were a message from her spirit guides, and boy was it clear. There would be significant change in her life, the death card screamed at her begging her to prepare. The end of the chapter in her life, and the beginning of a new one would be coming soon. One that told of a journey within herself, around herself. Secrets exploited and uncovered would be the catalyst for such. As much as this was worrying, it was refreshing. Whenever her guides would give her messages indicating a change in her path, they ended up being needed for her spiritual growth. Which in turn, strengthened her connection to her higher self.

Lyra appreciated those messages, even the hard to swallow ones, because it was a testament to her growth and who she was as a person. Lyra grabbed her journal, and wrote down the messages she received from her reading, thanked her guides, and placed her cards back into the soft velvet pouch. She lit a bay leaf bundle, and began to cleanse her space, inviting positive energy and banishing negative energy. There were many times throughout the week that she would cleanse her home, but tonight felt different. She felt a push in energy, though faint, it caused a hint of worry to flash in the back of her mind. The push didn't last long and she felt a wave of good energy flow through her, and her worry eased a bit. Though she'd keep a lookout for the source if it happened again.