New life.
In a clearing with a river running by it lay a girl of 15; clutching a sword in her hand. She wore brown boots, black trousers, a red long sleeved shirt, a leather bodice over her shirt, and a green scarf around her neck, she had long black hair tied in a pony tail and forest-green eyes were visible under her half-lidded eyes.
The girl was lying in a pool of blood, had pale skin and was barely breathing. She was Malinda Wilder, daughter of the earl of the town she lived in.
The full moon was high in the sky, lighting up the tragic scene. Silver moon-beams hit the water of the river and reflected onto Malinda. As her eyes finally closed her hair slowly began to lose it's colour until it was the same colour as the light that touched her, the blood disappeared as she regained a healthy skin colour, her eyes shot open to reveal that her eyes were now a golden colour.
Malinda looked around her and noticed it was night-time, she swore under her breath. She ran to a tree and climbed up a tree and came down with a dress and a satchel. She put on the dress, wrapped up her sword in some cloth to conceal it and put her satchel over her head. She then ran off for home.
Malinda charged through the open doorway of her house before it closed behind her.
"Sorry I'm late, I think I fell asleep." she announced.
Malinda was confused when none of the servants looked at her, she guessed they were too busy with their jobs. She quickly found Holly, the head maid, sitting in a chair with a worried expression on her face.
"Holly, I'm sorry to have worried you…" She didn't finish her sentence because she was interrupted by the doors opening.
Her father strolled in with a load of men coming in behind him, her father and the men all had tired looks on their faces.
"Daddy…" Malinda began before she was interrupted by Holly rising up from her seat.
"Oh, Master Wilder, did you find young mistress Malinda?" Holly's voice nearly broke.
"Holly, what are you talking about? I'm right here." Malinda was confused.
"I'm afraid the hounds tracked her scent to a clearing by the river but it then disappeared." her father spoke. "This was found there." He presented a small doll.
"Her doll, but the young mistress would never part with it in her life." Holly gasped.
Malinda was about to say something when Holly rushed to inspect the doll, walking right through her. She gasped at the hollow, cold and empty feeling that filled her. Was she…dead? Malinda placed a hand over her chest and picked up her fast beating heart, she wasn't dead. Why did Holly walk through her then?
"Hello, can anyone hear me?" Malinda tied to put a hand on one of the servants but it passed through him as well. "Please daddy, I'm here, I'm not dead!" Malinda wept as she stood in front of her father.
"If Malinda has left behind her doll then we must assume something bad has happened to her." her father proclaimed to Holly and the man behind him, his eyes shining with worry. "Gather the towns people and offer them pay to find Malinda, the one who finds her gets extra."
He then walked to his study, walking right through Malinda.
Malinda was unable to take the pain and ran from the house into the town, but there she got the same result of people just walking through her. Malinda came to a stop in front of a mirror that someone must have accidentally left out, she saw her silver hair and golden eyes.
"What's happened to me? Am I still me or something else?" she asked, looking up to the sky where the moon was.
The moon's light became brighter for a few seconds before dimming again.
"Maria Wild, that's my name now? I'm a spirit" Malinda questioned but got no answer.
The newly dubbed Maria rested her back against a wall and slowly slid down it until she sat on the floor, her face was buried in her arms as she sobbed. Maria did what Holly had taught her, she thought of a happy memory to calm her down. She remembered the old family dog Fred, the one who always loved her protected her with his life until he died, she remembered how her would bark under the bed to chase away the monsters she thought were there, bite at any bullies, and cuddle up to her when she was sad and licked away her tears.
Malinda felt a wet nose press against her arms, when she looked up there he was; Fred her Springer-spaniel. Fred pushed himself onto Maria's lap and started to lick away her tears like before. Maria laughed and hugged her dog, burying her face into his fur.
"Did I make you real?" Maria questioned her dog.
Fred barked in a certain way that meant yes.
"Does that mean you're going to disappear?"
Fred gave her a look that meant 'only if you want me too'.
"No, I don't want you to go anywhere." Maria hugged her dog again.
Malinda and Fred went back to their clearing and curled up together at the base of a tree. Maria still wondering how she had ended up that way.
A month had passed since Malinda had become Maria, a lot had happened. Her father had given up on the search for her after finding no leads, there was now a memorial service to be held for her. Her father had gathered Maria's most precious belongings and put them in her coffin; including her doll. Her coffin was in the family tomb next to her mother's coffin. Maria stood in the town's graveyard with Fred at her side, watching as people paid their respects to her. She watched as the vicar gave out a speech and people who knew her cried as the door to the tomb was closed. Fred pressed himself close to Maria in comfort.
Maria had learned she could create things by simply thinking of them, but unlike Fred they usually disappeared into silver dust within five minutes; because Maria's memory and link to Fred was so strong he was always there. Maria's satchel was also changed, it could now hold anything she wanted in it without looking bulgy of feeling heavy. Maria had put her dress in her satchel and now wore the clothes her had been wearing when she woke up.
Maria hoped that she found someone who saw her soon, no offence to Fred but she need other people to talk to other than her once dead dog and things from her imagination.