Overhill and Underhill
Prologue:
Author's Notes: I started this shortly after I started writing All Souls Night. My now ex-girlfriend liked it but I was unsure of whether or not I'd stick with it or not. It's an Irish/Celtic Piece with a lot of lore on the Leanan Sidhe. I will try to explain about them as I go along. This is a very indepth piece and all the places, restaurants, hotels, etc contained within do actually exist. I've never been to Ireland so sometimes I am taking a guess as to what is where and I apologize to those that have been or are from there if I royally screw things up. I'm truly not doing it on purpose. Please let me know if you enjoy this piece and if you'd like me to continue it. I all ready have the first chapter written so it should go up in the next day or two. ~ Scarlette
I am a creature of the Fey
Prepare to give your soul away
My spell is passion and it is art
My song can bind a human heart
And if you chance to know my face
My hold shall be your last embrace.
I shall be thy lover...
I am unlike a mortal lass
From dreams of longing I have passed
I came upon your lonely cries
Revealed beauty to your eyes
So shun the world that you have known
And spend your nights within my own.
I shall be thy lover...
You shall be known by other men
For your great works of voice and pen
Yet inspiration has a cost
For with me know your soul is lost
I'll take your passion and your skill
I'll take your young life quicker still.
I shall be thy lover...
Through the kisses that I give
I draw from you that I will live
And though you think this weakness grand
The touch of death your lover's hand
Your will to live has come too late
Come to my arms and love this fate
― Heather Alexander
Ireland was truly beautiful, Emma found herself thinking as she admired the lush greenery as her plane taxied onto the runway in Dublin. Even in such a big city, the lush green still spilled through. It truly was the emerald isle, she longed to dig her Nikon D3300 out of her bag in the overhead bin and snap a photo. She had some work to do while she was here, trying to improve her skills and seek employment all at once. With her foster brother August's help (and a bit of finagling her finances) she had been permitted a three-week reprieve to Ireland to try and capture the sights and beauty of the countryside to add to her portfolio. She was looking forward to it truthfully. Though she missed August and her best friend Mary Margaret, she was glad for the break.
She had always liked solitude. She found the silence to be comforting and not at all oppressive like some people she could name (Mary Margaret). She loved the pixie haired brunette dearly as she had not only helped Emma back onto her feet after her brief stint in jail but she'd offered her a place to live free of charge until she could get her career on track. It had been a happy accident that she had discovered at the tender age of fourteen a love for photography. To go from a simple disposable camera to something as nice as her trusty Nikon she knew she was truly blessed. The camera had been a gift from Mary Margaret and August for her birthday two years ago and it had been by her side ever since. She couldn't imagine being without it. It was her solace while she was working in various dead end waitressing and bartending jobs to make ends meet.
She bit her lip as the plane landed, she always found landings to be nerve wracking and considering this was only her second time on a plane, she supposed she was handling it better than most. A transatlantic flight was unpleasant at best. It was cramped and filled with the noises of various people shifting, snoring, moving around but the end result was worth it. Ireland was worth it. She couldn't wait to get shots of the cliffs of Moher and Glendalough. Not to mention several other places she had on her list that she longed to go and explore. The Emerald Isle was going to be her key she hoped to figuring out just what she wanted in life. At twenty-four, she truthfully had no clue beyond I want to be a photographer. She supposed though that was more than most and she was at least trying to take the steps to pursue her dreams.
"If you'll please remain seated until the seatbelt sign is turned off, we'd appreciate it." The pilot spoke over the loud speaker and Emma tried not to wiggle in her seat, trying to get feeling back to her backside. "Local time is 9 AM with temperatures in the low 60's." The pilot continued to rattle on but the blonde found herself not truly caring. She just wanted to get off the plane, find a café for some breakfast and begin the process of figuring out her way to the locations she wanted to visit. Heading from Dublin to Rosses Point was going to be a bit of a challenge but she planned on renting a car and making the drive to the little coastal village. It would be worth it for shots of Glencar Waterfalls and the Carrowmore Megalithic Monuments. She really needed to round out her portfolio with some beautiful natural and man-made nature shots. She had plenty of people and architecture thanks to living in Boston. What she really needed was lush countryside and she'd hit the jackpot from what little she could tell from their landing.
Finally the seatbelt sign dinged off and though she longed to jump to her feet as the man beside her had done, grabbing quickly at his briefcase only to be stopped a few feet up by slow moving tourists, she remained where she was until the aisle cleared and she could easily grab her camera bag and small overnight luggage that she'd carried onto the plane in case her bag somehow managed to get lost. Knowing her luck that would be the case.
Emma hadn't had the best of luck during her rather short life. A foster child with no hope of adoption, she'd been shuttled from group home to orphanage and back again. She hadn't been a bad kid per say though when she'd aged out of the system she'd gotten into trouble due to a huge mistake named Neal. She'd learned her lesson and had made use of her time in prison for a possession of stolen property charge by getting her GED and figuring out just what it was she could do once she was out.
And now she was here, in a beautiful country she'd only dreamed about while looking over books in prison and longing for a camera and the open road to enjoy the scenery and see just what it was that she could see no matter what the cost.
She pulled an ever-present black elastic band from her wrist and pinned her hair back before slipping to her feet. She groaned as she felt blood rush back to her sore backside and thighs, which had started to go numb from the cramped position on the blue bench like seat.
"Next time I'm springing for first class." She muttered to herself as she pulled her purple bag from the white and gray overhead bin. Her camera bag quickly followed and she patted it fondly as she slowly made her way down the narrow aisle and through the leather seated rows of first class and then finally onto the ramp that led up into the airport proper. She bit her lip as she looked around the crowded airport before following the yellow and gray signs through the throngs of people and the neon lights proclaiming this food or that drink and down the escalators towards baggage claim. She'd rent a car at the airport she decided and then head out into Dublin until she was able to hit the road towards Rosses Point.
She waited around, listening to her stomach growl as the silver conveyor belt decided to take forever to begin to spit out the luggage from the flight. She listened in on a man in a slightly wrinkled suit on a cell phone complaining loudly that he needed his bag so he could get to his office ASAP to whoever was on the other side. Momentarily she was glad she didn't have a traditional job as she wouldn't be allowed to do as she was these next few weeks but she surely wouldn't mind the big paycheck that came along with such a job. Her worn red leather jacket creaked as she shifted in her brown boots waiting somewhat impatiently before finally the conveyor belt began to move and bags started to come out one by one. She helped an elderly woman pull a paisley patterned bag much too large for her from the moving belt with a smile before grabbing her beaten up blue duffel and heading towards her next stop, the car rental stop.
The girl behind the desk looked about as tired as Emma herself felt but she quickly helped her secure a small car that was great on gas before handing her the keys after she signed the paperwork, showed her passport and driver's license, and away she was sent.
"Ireland here I come." She muttered stepping outside into the tepid, damp temperatures. She loved it all ready. A bright smile lit up her pretty pale features. This was it; this was her moment to shine.