Chapter 3: Learning about myself

I stared him in the eye, dead serious. He was wearing a black shirt and dark jeans, but what really made me gasp was the colour of his eyes...

They had changed.

From a florescent green to a night sky blue. And that really freaked me out.

"Hey, um... You wanted to talk about something," I said quietly, tearing my own eyes from his and to the grey concrete ground.

"There's a lot to explain, and I can't tell it all to you now. And in my life I've found out for myself that seeing things teaches you better than listening," Seth turned around and started walking down the bridge. I had no clue to what he was on about, but something about this boy drew me in like a magnet. "Follow me," Seth stretched out his hand to me.

And I froze. I couldn't do this, I mean, I had been non-sociable person for so long that it just wasn't right. Or more that this wasn't the right way to do it. I sighed at my circling thoughts and instead of taking his hand went to his side. I saw him smile out of the corner of my eye.

"Hey, what's so funny about me?" I ask him, frowning.

"This is difficult to say but how you're acting is weird, considering what you are," Seth said, clearly amused. My facial emotions however still remained the same, partly because I didn't know what he was talking about. What I am? Was he out of his mind? He only just met me today, and now he was making weird assumptions about me?

"Um, Seth, I'm just slightly confused. What did you mean when you we're talking about plants and animals-I know the difference."

"You're wrong. If you knew the difference and how much energy you are... wasting...then you would stay away from the forests," Seth said slowly and clearly. His forehead creased into a frown. "There is so much you don't know..." He looked back at me with bright eyes, and smiled kindly. "You're going to have to take his slowly. Come on."

And so I followed him through an array of small houses, and through a dark alleyway filled with empty cans and grime coating the brick walls. All through the walk my heart was thumping and my head spinning. We would have to take turns asking each other questions, though I was certain I had many more than he did.

We had been walking for more than ten minutes passing through twisted roads and dirty walkways when he took my hand and pulled me towards a thick woodland. I gasped and yanked my hand back so hard I tripped over backwards and landed on the gravel. I groaned and rubbed my head.

"I'm not going back in there. You should have seen what happened last time-I couldn't get out," I told him. I stood up and shook some dirt off my jeans.

"I'm sure with some practice you'll be just fine," Seth replied. I tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear and took a deep breath. I could do this.

So we both trudged into the gloom and I gripped his hand hard, but he didn't flinch. I could see the different shades of green all around me as I stepped into the wood. But I gasped because couldn't feel the pulling sensation. Seth saw my face.

"This is a special wood. You Will only feel something when you pass the yellow line." And he pointed in front of me, and about five meters was the line.

"I don't understand. What use it is to me to be able to control myself in the Forests? I mean, nobody ever goes in them," I asked Seth, confused.

"The answer to that is a long and complicated one-" he started.

"I can keep up. I need to know. It's my life," I answered him. He motioned to the tree next to me. I walked forwards and stared up the tree, there was a good sitting branch up high, so I climbed it and he followed. Once we were both sitting on the branch he opens his mouth to speak.

"It all starts with this tree. A big oak tree right in the middle of a forest far from here. We call it the Tree of the elements. Every year the gifts of water, fire and wind are passed through the forest. The elements choose the fay they land on-"

"Um... fay?" I interrupted him.

"Oh, a cross between human and plant. Basically you look like a human but have the qualities of a plant. And there are some... certain things that define you from humans. Pale skin, dark hair and eyes that can change colour." he paused as I gazed at his eyes.

"What? You're a fay?" I asked him, wide eyed. He was right, I was going to have to take this very slowly. I wobbled slightly on the branch, the bark scratching my hands and I steadied myself.

"Yes, I am a fay. But I never have been chosen to hold an element. I'm one of the lower types," Seth said and looked at the ground, slightly ashamed. "Back to the story, as I was saying, the element chooses the fay. The fay have no choice, even if they don't want to hold an element inside them. The whole of the population stand by the tree and the people are selected. The thing is, one day some little girl was following a butterfly in that forest, at the same time, the same day, the same minute the tree was making the decision. And unfortunately the gift of an element was held inside her. And it still is," he looked towards me and then into the distance when he saw my blank expression.

"But what about the poor girl? Or could she not remember the day when she went into the woods and had the power of water, fire or wind dropped on her head," I said sarcastically. He sighed sadly, and I knew that he had something to do with this next bit.

"Everyone was panicking. This had never happened before. The girl was put in a cell until the queen could decide what to do with her. After a few hours, the decision was made. I had to make the memory potion myself, and believe me, this was the best way to deal with things. I mean, humans aren't even supposed to know about our existence, let alone steal a power."

"So that was it then. You memory drugged her. What happened to the parents?" I pushed him to tell me more. He started fidgeting now. I was angry at him, memory drugging somebody was never the right way to do things. I would be ashamed if it had been me.

"She came running out the forest to her parents, who moved away from the forest and down here. And she still has no idea what happened that day. And that was how it was supposed to be," Seth shrugged his shoulders. I frowned at him.

"Until..." I pleaded him. This was actually a very interesting conversation. He was watching the clouds through a gap in the tree we were on.

"Until about a week ago when some...unexpected visitors entered our land. The oak tree used to be protecting the gate to our land, but something happened. And now the tree is dying. Then they barged into our land and kidnapped the girl who has the element of fire. And used her to set fire to our lands-one third of our world has already been disintegrated. If we can't stop them then all the fay will be dead. Unfortunately the boy with the gift of wind can do nothing to stop the fire. Which means that we need to get the little girl back with the gift of water. She could put out the fires with some training." Then Seth turned to me.

"Ok, what does this have to do with me? Do you want me to go find her or something, because you are perfectly capable of doing that yourself-" I began.

"No. You see, this is the complicated part. The girl, with the water element, is a cross between human and fay. Which is a cross between human and plant. So the girl is two thirds human and one third fay. There is a red line in the particular forest that means you are close to the gate. Once the girl is inside she May not be able to get herself back out," Seth continued, and then looked at me seriously. "I was sent here with a lot of power to get her. It's you, Sen. You're that girl." I gasped.

"No. you're wrong, it can't be me. I'm just the stupid person who likes to stay alone by herself. I would never have gone into the forest. No way," I replied breathing quickly.

"Think about it. The barrier between the two worlds is very strong. If it wants you to be on the fay side instead then it Will keep pulling you towards it, and Will give you strength. What do you feel every time you step into a forest, Sen? This is where the barrier wants you. And I'm here because I care about you-"

"If you cared about me then why did you use a memory potion on me! And even attempt to convince me to-to go with you to the queen and to you're stupid war! I'm fifteen, Seth! Fifteen! I don't want to go into some war that you created!" I pushed myself off the branch of the tree and hit the ground with a thud, twisting my ankle and landing in a heap. I guesses I shouldn't have jumped from that high. Now how was I going to get out of here? I struggled to get up.

"You don't understand, Sen! Half of the fay knew that when you went through the gate you wouldn't have enough strength to get out again. And that's what I'm here for. I came to represent that half. I borrowed enough power to cross the barrier and now I'm on loan. If I can't train you to get back past the barrier then I will let down my half of the fay. I'm here to help you!" Seth climbed down the tree to help me up. Once I had gained my balance, I let go of his shoulder and walked away from him.

"If you understood what I wanted then you wouldn't have come. Go use your fairy dust and go back to your land. I'm staying right here. Don't follow me," I whispered to him. I walked from the now even stranger being behind me, with my newfound knowledge.

A little girl in a dress skipped through the woods following a white butterfly. And then a second later she was snatched up with a pale pair of hands and thrown into a dirty cell. A purple liquid was poured into some water which she drunk and then there she was, running out of the green and into her parents arms. And the parents were mine...

I woke up in my bed. A tear fell from my eye. How could this be happening? My dreams had showed me the exact images I was trying to get away from. Was it really me, and if it was, could I really control water and end the fay war? But it wasn't my war. It was theirs, and why should I be a part of it. I pulled the quilt over my eyes, curled up into a ball and shook, shivering.

But I wasn't shivering because I was cold. I was shivering because I was scared.