The Whispers of the Wicked (prologue)
This is the prologue to a new novel I’m working on. Let me know what you think, please!!! I need all the support I can get!
Stories have been passed down from generation to generation, warnings to those who venture into the wood. "Avoid the circles, for only curses befall those who enter." By the time a child learned to speak, they knew to stay away from the rings of mushrooms or greener grass. By the time the children could run and play, an innate fear of the dark woods had built up inside of them.
They fear the cautionary tale of Skye Lavin that they've been told over and over.
They are told of how she fell in love with a man who enticed her to enter the ring. After she had, she was never truly her own person.
Skye looked out the window of the small cottage her family lived in. She had lived here all 17 years of her life, had known nothing but the cobbled streets that connected each person to one another. She knew the nooks and crannies that - as a child - she could fit into and avoid detection for hours. She hated it here, but she would never admit to longing to get away. She would be shunned for having such thoughts, so she ignored them. She forced herself to forget about them.
Until one fateful night, Skye was walking home from the market. She saw a dim light coming from the forest, faint music could be heard. She looked around, wondering why she was the only one who could hear it.
"Skye! Are you coming?" Lola, her best friend, asked.
Skye turned to her, smiling. "Yea! Sorry, I thought I heard something." Her smile turned sheepish as she shrugged. They continued their walk back to Tia's cottage.
Somewhere along the way, Skye got turned around. Almost in a trance, she followed the mysterious music that drifted on the wind coming from the woods. Lola was right in front of her one moment, and in the next, Skye had managed to walk most of the way to the woods, Lola long forgotten.
This is where the tale turns muddy - splitting off between those who believe Skye never returned and those who believe she returned but was never truly her own person again.
If we continue with the latter, Skye woke in her bed the next morning, lost and confused. The last thing she remembered was walking home with Lola. Did they do anything after then? She wasn't sure.
Later, as Skye walked down the street towards the creek, Lola walked up to her.
"Where did you go last night?" She asked, looking concerned.
"What do you mean?" Skye questioned in return, her stomach turning over in confusion and anxiety. "Weren't you with me?"
Lola looked scared for a moment before she forced herself to calm down. "No, you disappeared. I went home after I realized you weren't with me."
Skye furrowed her eyebrows, trying to figure out what happened. She shrugged, "I think I just went home. I woke up in bed this morning." She didn't mention the grass that had stained the dress she had been wearing, but it was the reason she was doing laundry this morning.
Lola looked unconvinced for a moment, before deciding to brush it off. Better to just leave it then make a big deal out of it.
A few days later, rumors had begun spreading. Someone had seen Skye enter the woods beyond the edge of the village. She was locked up in her bedroom, to keep away from the whispers and the looks sent her way. She didn't remember walking into the woods, not really. Since that night, she had heard whispers - not those from the other villagers. She had seen things in the corner of her eyes, humanoid shapes dancing just out of view. Every time, she felt the need to dance as well.
Years passed, the villagers forgot about the incident as it faded into nothing. Skye had never forgotten, how could she when she was reminded of it every day? In the way that the wind twirled her hair, in the way the sun kissed her skin. The shadows in the corner of her eyes never went away, she still felt the need to dance whenever she saw them. Her fingers twitched, her step faltered, she would suck a deep breath in. Every time, she resisted. She could feel that if she gave in to the temptation, that it would truly be the last straw.
Skye eventually married into a wealthy family. She had three kids - two sons, one daughter. Her husband loved her the best he could, but Skye felt there was something missing. That he wasn't who she was destined for. She didn't understand why not - Dylin was a great guy, he cared for her in every way. Yet - yet there was something missing. She could feel it. Deep in her bones.
It came to her in the summer - when the daylight stretched on much longer than any other time of the year. The veil between worlds was thin, allowing the fae to emerge from O'vaaren into the human realm. More specifically, he came to her during this time.
"Skyelar," he spoke her name with such fondness that she fell immediately in love. "I have waited many years for you to return to me," he said, cupping her cheek. She leaned into the touch, closing her eyes. They stood on her doorstep, Dylin was out hunting for food. The children were asleep. "You never did. Why, my love?"
Skye was about to ask who this man was, having never seen him before, but the memories came rushing back. Many nights spent with him, in O'vaaren. In beautiful, wonderful, magical O'vaaren. How could she have forgotten? She raised her own hand to cover his.
"I forgot, my darling," Skye spoke softly, opening her eyes. Many years had passed since she last saw him. "But I remember now, Raidiel. How could I have forgotten?" She whispered, looking up at her love with a sad look. "I have missed you, although I didn't know what it was I was missing." She could see Them clearly now, the shapes which danced at the edge of her vision were now solid shapes, dancing in the otherwise empty streets of her village. She could hear music. Raidiel offered Skye his hand. She accepted it.
Together, they danced through the streets, through the woods, and into O'vaaren.
This is how Dylin lost his wife. This is how three children lost their mother. This is how Skye found herself.
The cautionary tale of Skye Lavin is much more than a warning to stay away from the woods, it is a tragedy that the entire village felt.
So never venture into the wood, and by all means, never allow yourself to cross into a Fae Ring. If you see one, stay clear. They are the mark of the Fae, portals into O'vaaren.
