My story began shortly after my father got lost in the deep, dark parts of the woods that surrounded the town, Oaksview. When my father had gone into the woods on that particular day, he hadn't been feeling well and was thus distracted when he went to go collect firewood. Before long, he realized that he didn't know the surrounding area and was feeling light-headed.
My father tried to get home, instead he succeeded in getting more lost and then it was dark. He tripped on an uprooted tree and fell to his knees. Then he heard voices. He called out for help and then saw the glowing lights in the distance. The soft, fuzzy blue haze focused as the woman got closer. This woman, Ardith, was my wood nymph mother. Father, whenever he tells me the story, skips over what exactly happens. Perhaps it is because he is embarrassed or maybe because mother hurt him, but either way, I've only ever heard the rest summed up. He's told me that my mother ended up helping him and took him to her village because he was much sicker by then. He stayed with her for two months during which time he fell in love with her. He never said that exactly, but I can tell from the pained look that appears on his face.
After dad got better, many of the other nymphs wanted him to leave because they weren't the same. To hear him say it, I think that the nymph that my mother was promised to became very jealous. Anyway, my father ended up getting my mother pregnant and my father was forced to leave. My mother's village was going to banish her too if she didn't get rid of me, nice, yeah? Well, I guess it's safe to say that she made the decision, and on the night of my birth, I was left at my father's doorstep. It was a terribly rainy night and I was actually very lucky that my dad had even been home. He was heartbroken but heard crying from outside and thought that my mother was back. Instead of Ardith he got me. At first he didn't know what to do. As the story goes, he picked me up and I snuggled my cheek against his neck and went to sleep. He named me Raina because of the flooded woods from all of the rain that night. He even claims that he wasn't able to leave our little area for nearly two weeks because of it. It's a good thing we had a cow at the time to feed me.
So that is how I came into existence. I knew, from the very start, that my mother was nymph and that I was different. I had inherited my father's thick, dark brown hair and his kind disposition, but every other part of me seemed to be my mother. We never really talked about my mother much, aside from the story of how I came to be, and we never heard from her. It would seem like I should be angry or sad at this loss, but I know very little about her and felt nothing. It's always been my dad and I for as long as I can remember, and he was my best friend.
I spent most of my childhood running wild. It's not that I was a bad child, I was simply curious about everything and spent a majority of my time playing outside. When I got a bit older, I began to help my father with the garden and developed a love for it. I learned to read and write and do many typical housewife chores, but I usually ended up doing outdoor chores, along with caring for all of our animals. I probably should have been lonely and looking forward to getting married, but I never did. I loved my life, and if anything, going into town was one of the things I disliked most. This got worse as I became a teenager.
We never owned any type of mirror, mostly because we had no use for such an expensive luxury. I suppose that the water in the river back behind our cottage was the only way I really ever saw myself. When I neared the age of sixteen I began to notice differences in myself. I felt different to my hands, but it wasn't a big concern until my dad did a double take one morning. I asked him what was wrong and he just blinked at me. I ran to the river and knelt before it, staring at the stranger. My eyes used to be a deep, deep blue. I know this for a fact because my father would always tell me that they were and how beautiful they were. On this day, my right eye had lightened up to a sky blue and my left appeared to be a light green. What had happened? After the initial shock, I began to examine the rest of my body. My hair was still the same but felt silkier. My skin, always paler and softer than others, became so light that it was nearly translucent. The oddest thing was that I had tiny little bumps all over my body that itched like crazy. I hadn't realized it this morning, but I sure did at that moment, staring at this half nymph girl.
I left after that and never looked at myself in the river again. I returned to the house and felt stunned. I knew what I was, but why was I changing now? Dad thought it might be a strange, late puberty that nymphs went through. I showed him the strange bumps as we migrated to the fire. "What are these? I haven't noticed them before," my voice was quiet and the room was silent, aside from the crackling fire.
"I don't know. Do you think you're allergic to something?" He ran his hand over my arm, a frown on his face. The evening was one of the first awkward ones we'd ever had. I felt like I was coming down with an illness, although I'd only been sick twice in my whole life. Despite not feeling well, I acted fine as I read a book on the small couch that evening. Before bed dad came and sat next to me.
"Raina? I…I need to talk to you about something." I looked up, my stomach feeling queezy. "You'll be twenty in a few weeks."
"Yes?"
"We need to talk about your future." I stared at him. "Don't look at me like that, honey. We should start going into town more often. You should start thinking about settling down, or possibly finding a career that you can live off of."
"Marriage? You can't be serious." His blank look said yes. "But I'm happy here. I have no desire to be with some man. Besides, I'm," I looked away. "I'm not exactly normal. Especially now." I had never been attracted to a man or fantasized finding the perfect one. And after the day's new discoveries about myself, I wasn't sure anyone would even want me.
"Raina," dad grasped my hand. "You can't possibly think you'll be happy doing this for the rest of your life. You need to get out there and live. You need to find more than this." He used his quietest voice and I knew he was sincere.
"Dad. You could not be further from the truth. I love my life. I don't exactly like people. At least not like I love the garden, the woods, our animals. I love you, dad." A tear leaked out of my eye. "I want to live my life here, with you." I reached over and hugged him with everything I had. We stayed like that for awhile until the fire started to die.
"We need to get some sleep, Raina. Just think about what I said. You may not this life in several years. I'd hate to think that I kept you from new opportunities or a better life." He kissed my cheek. "Good night, hon."
I'm not sure how long I sat there, but I eventually put the fire completely out and crawled into my bed. I was progressively feeling worse. I couldn't remember feeling this sick before. At some point I fell into a restless sleep. I had nightmares all night, dark, sinister dreams that made me whimper. Something was changing. In my dreams glowing lights kept trying to reach me as I ran through the woods. That I felt it. A roar rippled through the trees and my breath caught in my throat as I froze. The shadow cut across my view and blocked the glowing lights. I closed my eyes, felt the wind on my skin, and then took off.
I woke up panting, my skin on fire. I opened my eyes and was sure I was still asleep. My room normally never let any light in and the glowing blue on the ceiling was not right. I touched my forehead and watched the lights change. I covered my mouth before the scream woke up dad. My eyes felt huge in my head as I threw back the covers. The tiny bumps had popped. I had tiny, itty bitty glowing flowers all over my body. "Oh good lord!" I had to have the flu, or some other serious illness. No way was this really happening. I pinched myself to see if I was really awake. I was. I stripped off my pajamas. I was glowing. I pulled on my nightgown and made it to the tiny bathroom before I threw up.
"Raina?" I heard dad wake up from his bed. I wiped the tears from my eyes just as he came in. "Whoa." His eyes got big.
*
The rest of the night was a blur. I remember drinking an herbal tea with calming spices in it. I know that it didn't go away and at some point I fell asleep in my dad's bed next to him. I woke up at dawn, thinking it all a strange dream. As reality settled back in I examined my arm. I was no longer glowing, but the tiny flowers still showed. I silently crawled out of bed and spent the rest of the morning working off my confusing feelings by taking care of the animals and then gardening.
My father came out at lunch time to make me come in and eat. I still felt weird and uncomfortable with these sudden changes. The rest of the week we avoided conversation about my situation. By the fifth day I was feeling used to the flowers and the glowing. It was rather odd, but the little flowers were affected by my feelings and sometimes they wouldn't be exposed at all. It seemed to me that the more relaxed and happier I was, the bigger they got, although they were never larger than a small coin. The thing that affected me the most, really, was that my sleep was continuously disturbed by the dark dreams. My lack of sleep was becoming obvious to my father.
The day before my birthday my dad went into town. Alone. I couldn't face anyone in town and he left it alone. He came home after I'd already had supper and he hardly mentioned what was new in town. He seemed depressed so I left him alone and spent the last hour of light outside, sitting in a tree while I simply thought about life. I went to bed shortly after that and lay in bed awake for what seemed like hours. When it was midnight I quietly told myself happy birthday.
Birthdays were never a huge deal between my father and I. Normally I'd bake us a special little cake to split and after chores, we'd go roam in the woods, looking for new species of plants or fruits that we could collect and replant in our garden. I woke up and did my normal morning routine. After chores were finished, my dad fixed a nice lunch for us. There was a small box in front of my plate. "What's this?" I looked up at him and he gave me a small half-smile. "Can I open it?" At his nod, I carefully picked up the little wooden box and gasped at what lay inside. At the end of a long silver chain was a pretty silver locket. I opened it up and the top had a small rose that had been dried and flattened. The bottom held a compass. "It's beautiful, dad." I rose to kiss his cheek. "But what is the compass for, exactly?"
He grasped my hands. "I think that you should go see your mother," he whispered.
"What?" I was shocked.
"I think it would be best for you to go visit her. Maybe figure out what is going on with your body and how you're changing. I'm not saying that you should stay forever," he gulped, "but I think it will help you. I got you a compass so that you can find your way back home." He kissed my cheek and left before I could say much. My initial thought was no way. She never wanted anything to do with me. That night, however, after we had our traditional plant scouting, I thought about it a lot. I was rather curious about the idea of actually meeting my mother and trying to understand the other half of me. It was rather easy to feel human, and I often forgot altogether that I was only half. As I was falling asleep, I decided that it could be a good thing. I would see her, understand myself, and perhaps I would be able to sleep again.
For the first time since the sudden changes, I had a different dream. It started out the same as always. After the shadow blocked the glowing people I stopped and closed my eyes. When I opened them there was a field of glowing plants in front of me. It was a stunning sight and I knelt in front of the first strange plant. I ran a finger along the edge of one of its leaves and it vibrated. Ha! I got up and ran to a new flowering plant. It was a brilliant violet and smelt amazingly. I put my face close to the center and simply breathed. The petals brightened and I smiled. It continued like that for what seemed like hours. I simply discovered new species every minute and was in heaven. I kept feeling the shadow stalking me, just out of my sight, but my happiness had taken over.
At last I came to it. There was a single rose. It was a deep red and pulsing. I could feel it my body and it seemed to pull me towards it. I touched a drop of dew that shimmered on one of the petals. It was perfect. It was the most beautiful rose to ever exist. Somewhere in the back of my head I thought Dad! My father would be terribly sorry not to have seen such a beautiful flower. I glanced down at my own body to see my own flowers larger than they'd ever been, positively radiating. I felt bad even as I did it, but I wanted my dad to see it, and I cut the flower from the bush and held it.
Instantly, as if someone had flipped a switch, the plants all around me ceased their glow. The only things still shining were the rose in my hands and myself. I felt the roar of pain and anger vibrate the air around me. My flowers shrunk back into my skin and I stood up, shaking. The shadow was running at me, full speed. I grasped the rose and ran…
I sat up in bed fast enough for my head to spin. It was earlier than I normally woke up, but I threw back the covers and went to the bathroom. After washing the sweat from my face I felt much better. Just another silly dream. I dried my face with an old towel and then hung it up. That's it, I'm going to see Mom. As soon as I decided it, it felt right. It was long overdue, but it would confirm that I was missing out on nothing and get these dreams out of my head.
I made my dad breakfast, like always, but this time I took it to him in bed. "Dad?" I kissed his cheek and set the plate and glass next to his bed. "Wake up," he stirred and then squinted at me. "I made you breakfast, dad." I was feeling particularly bright and happy. Dad sat up in bed and I handed him the food. "I thought about what you said, about mom," I noticed the pause before the fork made it to his mouth. "I'm going to go see her."
He smiled but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "That's great, honey. Thank you for the food." He ate the rest of his food in silence and I watched him. It suddenly hit me how much older he looked. His hair had grayed and the wrinkles on his forehead were more pronounced.
"Are you okay dad?"
"Of course, honey. I should have made you go see her a long time ago. I'm sorry."
"No, dad. I mean are you okay? Do you regret anything?" I fiddled with his quilt. "Do you wish she had come here with us?"
He closed his eyes for a second. "I'm not sure how things would have ended up then. I love you more than anything in this world and for that I regret nothing." I kissed him again and then I took his dishes away while he got ready for the day. I spent the morning chores distractedly wondering what the future held, how mom would react, and how to even get there. My excited mood got me finished with the chores much faster than I normally did. At lunch we discussed my questions. As far as how to get there, there was no map. My father told me a part of the story I'd never heard before.
"Your mother told me, long before they banished me, how to find her if I ever needed to."
That evening, just as the moon came out, I kissed my dad and hugged him tightly. "I'll be back soon. I promise." I gripped my bag and headed into the woods. I turned around at the edge and waved goodbye. I could have sworn I saw tears on his cheeks, but I turned and entered the woods anyway. My curiosity rose to a whole new level and I was surprised at my feelings towards this adventure.
It seemed like hours before I reached the spot dad had described. It was now fully night, very dark, and I stood still. "Ardith! Ardith!" I called twice and then counted to one hundred before repeating this. After doing this five times I felt like an idiot and was ready to turn and use my compass to return home. "Ardith," I whispered her name and then turned with my head down. I blinked and then saw a light in the distance. I became rooted to the ground. I felt like I was in my dream as I watched her near. Unlike my glowing flowers, my mother's whole body was glowing. She was a pretty deep, dark blue. When she got within ten feet she stopped. "Who are you?" Her voice was silky and had a strange accent.
"I…uh," I felt myself blush. I hadn't considered the possibility that she would reject me until that moment. I couldn't speak as she came closer. She stood inches from me. I felt the flowers come out and I could see my own glow in her eyes.
"No!" She reached out and touched one. I felt myself blush. "You can't be…" She raised my face to look into my eyes. "My daughter." She finished her sentence before grabbing me into a tight hug. I felt something wet on my shoulder. I hadn't really been expecting this. I hadn't really known what to expect.
"What did he name you?" She finally pulled back and touched my hair.
"Raina." Another glowing figure, a green one, was approaching. "Because it rained so much that night." It sounded stupid when I said it.
"That's beautiful." She smiled. "Why are you here, baby?"
I wasn't sure how to react to the term of endearment from, well, from a stranger.
"My dad sent me here," I gulped, "because he thought it would help me with some new things I've been trying to deal with." The green figure, an attractive man, seemed to glide towards us. He looked shocked as he took me in.
"Ardith? What's going on?" He touched her shoulder.
"This is Raina," She grabbed my hand and turned to the man. "This is my daughter." She burst into tears and her blue lighting flickered.
*
It was a strange night. I felt like I wasn't really in my own body but watching someone else in it as this scene played out. I followed Adair and the male nymph, whose name I instantly forgot, to their village. There were a hundred different shades of lights as other nymphs appeared and took a look at me. I saw no one like me. I went into my mother's little cottage, I suppose you could call it, for privacy. We talked for a very long time. Or rather, I did. She seemed thrilled by my presence and asked me question after question about my life. By the time the sun began to rise I was yawning every few minutes. I still didn't really know anything about her, but I knew that I'd never talked to anyone other than my father this much.
"Oh, darling, you must be tired. I've been selfish. Please, sleep here." She patted the bed she sat on. "I'm sure you must be a bit overwhelmed. I'm going to step out for a few minutes. If you need anything, just call." She smiled, patted my hand, and left. I sat for a minute, my head throbbing. I could hear voices outside, but I couldn't distinguish any words. At least nothing in English. I fell asleep on the bed even as I tried to replay everything that had just happened.
*
I woke up to the sound of birds chirping. There must have been hundreds and many different species. I stretched and pulled the covers up to my chin. I froze. Where am I? I opened my eyes and looked around. It sunk in and I sat up. I was actually here, meeting my mother. This is nuts! I ran my hands through my hair and got up. I went outside and was stunned at the beauty. I hadn't noticed because it had been so dark the night before. There were beautiful, open, flowing trees as far as the eye could see. And in them were the chirping birds. Whack! I stumbled and looked down just as a child nymph went running by. She looked me in the eyes, that quiet stare children give, before running off towards the trees.
I found my mother (weird to put a face to the name) sitting with other adults at a stone table not far away. It suddenly hit me that they were all so beautiful. I always knew they were nymphs, but I'd gotten so used to seeing my human father that it was strange to see their flawlessness. "This is Raina, everyone!" My mother jumped up and came to pull me next to where she'd been sitting.
I began to enjoy being there. It was strange, really, especially because Adair, one of the male nymphs my age, took a liking to me. Before I knew it, a full moon had gone. It was quite shocking to realize that a month had passed, and during which time my life changed quite a lot. I was almost like a celebrity among them. Although no one ever admitted it, I was sure it was because I was the only half-breed they'd ever seen. One evening my mother burst into tears, clinging onto me. She told me that not leaving with my father and me was the biggest mistake she'd ever made. Her father had told her that she would be sent away if she didn't but she found out around my fifth birthday that it had been a lie. Since it had never happened before, no one knew what to make of the situation but no one had voted to have us sent away. She found out the day after my grandfather's death. By that point I she felt like she had betrayed us and five years was too long to just show up. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. I couldn't imagine my life if I hadn't grown up the way I had. That night I held my mom until she fell asleep. I, however, wasn't tired so I tucked her into bed and stepped outside.
I went over to the fire and sat on a stone, staring into the fire. I didn't realize that Adair was watching me until he sat next to me. "Are you alright?" I shrugged, not looking at him. "Can I ask you a question?" I peeled my eyes from the fire and looked at him. He was beautiful, just like the rest of them, but I just couldn't make myself feel attracted to him. "Do you wish you'd grown up here? We all know the story of what happened to Ardith," he tilted his head, "and you and your father."
"I don't know. I had a great childhood." I was feeling terribly homesick at that moment. Poor dad, I had been gone for a whole month.
"We would have grown up together." I watched as he reached over and touched my hand that gripped the stone I sat on. I had no reaction whatsoever. "I heard that you're leaving in a few days." I met his eyes, letting him talk. "I was wondering if you had thought about moving here. Join us." He had gripped my hand and I noticed that my flowers weren't out. He hadn't noticed.
"I have to go back home." I muttered, pulling my hand away.
"Why? You belong here, not in a human world." I felt like I'd been slapped. "You could join us and live here. You could join me."
I sat in stunned silence. Live here? Forever? "And my father?" What would he say if I told him that my mother regretted it all. Would he actually consider coming to live here?
Adair shrugged. "I guess he could come too. I don't really know much about it but I do know that I want you here."
I stood up. "I don't know, Adair. I won't be living anywhere without my father. That much I do know." I left him and returned to my mother's hutch.
*
I pretty much avoided the topic of moving there for my last two days. I needed, desperately, to talk to dad about everything. I was supposed to leave the following morning, but that afternoon, Adair told me a secret. I think he was trying to impress me, but then again, I don't know much about guys, especially non-human ones. He told me about a secret garden that glowed brilliant colors at night. He said he had been there just last month and he knew of only three others who had gone there. It was on land that they did not own and was therefore forbidden. He described the flowers, the strange plants, and I felt my curiosity grow. He said that even though they weren't supposed to go there, no one ever went there to guard it anyway. If you followed the small dirt trail behind the cottage, at the edge of the woods, you would get there after about half a mile. You had to go at night so that you could see the glowing plants. He got called away by his mother shortly after that. After dinner, I couldn't stop thinking about the secret garden. I could only imagine what it looked like and I found myself making a secret escape for a few hours.
Since it was a secret I faked that I was tired and went to bed early. I lay there, awake, planning how to get there. Yet again, curiosity got the best of me, and I went after the fire was put out and mother came to bed. I heard her softly snoring and a few minutes after that I pulled on my slippers and a coat. At the back of my mother's cottage I paused in the shadows, my back against the wall. I heard Adair's voice, whispering something in a different language. "Don't be a fool! Come," another male voice hissed and the two left.
I stayed a minute longer, contemplating whether or not I really wanted to do this. What if it was really dangerous? No, no one guards it, a voice in my head whispered. Go.
I ran a hand through my hair and then crouched down and crept to the edge of the woods. I stood in the shadows and looked back at the village. Could this ever be home? It was dark and everything was still. It wasn't as open and free as my home. Hmm. It took me a few minutes to find the dirt trail; it was over grown and hard to follow.
I was beginning to feel like a fool for following Adair. What if he had made up the whole story? I walked for another minute, feeling stupider with each step. Until I saw it. A hundred feet away there was a light. Lights. Thousands of lights. I slunk between trees, getting closer.
I reached the edge and leaned against the tree beside me. My breath caught and I blinked away tears. It was the most amazing sight I'd ever seen. It almost seemed familiar and before I knew what I was doing, I was walking through the alien plants. I knelt before a pitcher plant of some sort. It radiated a soft orange and I reached out and placed my palm against it. The plant seemed to expand and I glanced down to see the flowers on my body. They were larger than I'd ever seen them before and the blue glow that they produced seem to pulse. I moved on and looked at other plants. I touched many, enjoying the reaction that they produced.
I was there for much longer than I had planned on. I must have looked at every plant, flower, and fruit there. Out of the corner of my eye I saw movement. I pulled my cloak tighter around me. It was getting windier and colder. I was just about to leave when I saw it. There was a single rose in a small bush, just to my left. I went to it and sat before it. I felt the tears streaming down my cheeks. It was breathtaking. The deep red rose seemed to be pulling me towards it. It almost glittered as I touched a drop of dew on its petal. Oh, Lord. Dad would love to have such a beautiful flower in our garden. I had to have it. "Forgive me", I whispered as I reached into my pocket for the small knife I kept with me. As soon as the blade cut through the stem, I instantly regretted it. All of the other plants blinked out and I was sitting in the dark, cradling the beautiful rose.
It was eerily quiet as I began to stand. My flowers were back into my skin. Something wasn't right. I felt like this had happened before. Déjà vu. The roar made the surrounding air physically ripple. I saw a shadow moving towards me from the distance. It was getting bigger, at an alarming rate.
"Raina!" I turned to see Adair, running full speed at me. I ran towards him. "Run, Raina!"
I was crying and tripping on my own feet. "I just wanted to take it to my dad!" I yelled to Adair. I dropped the rose as the beast reached. Adair was still a ways off. The beast towered over me. I could make out its eyes, and that's all. I felt my legs collapse out from under me and all of the lights went out.
*
It seemed a quiet dream. No talking, just feeling. I knew I was moving. How and to where, I didn't know. I was cold and I burrowed into the warmth that was carrying me. I faded into and out of this transitional state. I finally woke up hours later. I had a pounding headache and forced my eyes open. There was a small fire place with a blazing fire. I was lying in a strange bed with someone else's clothes on. "What?" I sat up, very confused. I pulled on the slippers at the edge of the bed. I stood for a moment, my hand grasping my head. When it passed, I walked to the door and pulled on the brass handle. It didn't budge. "Hello?" I knocked on the door.
I heard footsteps rushing towards the door. That's when my memory came flooding back. I gasped and stepped back from the door. I glanced around for a place to hide. I heard keys and then the door was opening before I could reach the wardrobe.
"My dear, what are you doing out of bed?" I turned towards the woman's voice.
"Who are you?" I whispered as the older woman closed the door. "Where am I?"
"Oh, darling. You are completely safe." She was carrying a tray and set it next to the bed. "Come, come back and get under the covers. It's terribly chilly in here." I stood where I was, watching.
"I want to go home." I pulled at the nightgown. Happy that most of my skin was covered and the flowers remained in my skin. "I don't know how I got here, but I need to go home."
She sighed. "Sit down, dear. My name is Emily. You are at the Castle. You came in late last night. The master brought you."
"Why?" I slowly migrated towards the bed.
"Well," she cleared her throat. "It seems that you were trespassing and attempted to steal a rose."
"I didn't mean to." I instantly told her the story from what I'd heard Adair say to waking up just a few minutes ago. "I left the flower. It was for my dad. I was going to plant it in our garden when I returned home. Can you tell your master? I'm terribly sorry. I wasn't thinking. Please explain it so I may return." I pleaded.
"Were you with the nymphs?" I nodded. "I'm so sorry, honey. The master made a pact with them many years ago."
"I'm not with them. I was just visiting my mother." I sat on the bed.
"It was agreed upon that the master would leave them in peace, as long as they kept away from the Castle and the secret garden." Emily tended to the fire.
"And the punishment?" My voice squeaked.
"Any trespasser would be taken. Any thief taken. It's never happened before." I felt my eyes water.
"Taken in?"
"Kept here. Forever." I burst out into a sob and buried my face into the pillow. "Dear, oh dear." I felt Emily's hand rubbing my back.
"Do you think that your master would make an exception? I'm not a nymph and I don't live with them. It was my first time to ever go there. I'll never return." I turned to stare at her. She genuinely looked sad.
"I'm afraid it's not possible. Stop crying, darling. Oh, dear. Let me talk to the master tomorrow and try. I don't know that anything will be agreed upon, but I shall try." My throat was beginning to hurt. "What is your name?"
"Raina," I whispered. "Will I ever see my dad again?"
"I don't know. We'll see. Get some sleep, darling." She left me shortly afterwards and the sound of the keys relocking the door was deafening. I lay there a long time, tormented by my own thoughts. When I did sleep, it was filled with frightful images.
I woke up, tangled in sheets and sweating. It was then I noticed the knocking. "Raina?" It sounded like Emily. Keys jingled. "Good morning." She came in with a new tray with a pitcher on it. She smiled sadly at the tray I'd emptied last night. She switched the trays out before pulling the curtains aside and letting in the morning light. "I've talked to the master. I've told your side of the story." She smiled.
"And?" I sat up.
"You are to meet up for breakfast." I lay back in bed. "After you've become presentable." I raised an eyebrow. "A bath and some new clothes are in order. Come, now," she pulled the sheets off of my legs. "Let's begin the day."
It wasn't until she started to help me undress that I understood she meant to help me bathe. "Emily. Would you mind leaving me?" She looked confused. "I'm just…I would be more comfortable bathing myself." I felt myself blush. The last thing I needed was for her to discover I was half nymph. And an odd one at that.
"I suppose. Since it's your first day here. I will lay out some clothes for you on the bed. Call me if you need any help." She left me. I waited for the door to lock before undressing and stepping into the hot water. It was a luxury I'd rarely had and it helped to relax me. After washing my hair and scrubbing my body, I got out. I dried myself off on the softest towel I'd ever touched and then walked to the bed. I sighed as I looked at the elegant gown. I went over to the wardrobe and opened it. Nothing but beautiful gowns. The one on the bed seemed to be the most bland of them all, much to my dismay.
I tried to pull the dress on by myself, but it was impossible. "Emily?" I knocked on the door three times before it was answered. "I need help." I held the dress against my naked body. I'd been dressing myself since I was five and so this was rather embarrassing for me.
"Of course," she seemed rather pleased to be needed.
"But please don't look at me," I looked away. "I'm, I'm not a normal human."
She made a face of disbelief and took the dress from me. "Turn around and raise your arms." I heard a zipper and then was blinded by the soft green material the covered my head. Emily pulled it down and adjusted it. After it was on, she helped me to put on green slippers. "Now sit down." I sat on the chair and then she began to work on my hair. She combed it and then I could feel a series of twists. "Now, go look at yourself." I hadn't noticed the mirror before and walked over to it. I was stunned. I'd never seen myself in a mirror. It was so clear compared to the water I'd only ever used.
"That's not me." I shook my head and Emily's face appeared just over my shoulder.
"Yes, it is. Surely you've seen what you look like before." I was silent. "Well, what do you think?"
"I'm terribly girly." She laughed. I touched a soft curl that lay next to my ear. My eyes were especially shocking to see so clearly. I had the tiny bumps all over my skin, but no exposed flowers.
"Are you allergic to anything?" Concern crossed her face. She touched a bump and I grasped her hand, turning to her.
"Please don't say anything. I don't want your master to discover I'm half nymph. When I'm," I gulped, "happy and relaxed I have tiny flowers on my skin. They glow." I felt like an idiot. I felt like a child, making up a story for attention. "I don't want anyone to know. If I'm just a silly human, maybe I'll be let go?"
Emily blinked. "Come on. We don't want you to be late." She pulled me up. "Just be polite.
*