Chapter 9
779 Words
After resting for a while something suddenly dropped beside me.
Startled I looked down and saw a golden,colored fruit lying near my hand.
My breath caught in surprise.I quickly lifted my eyes to the tree,but there were no fruits at all only flowers.
Then… where did this fruit come from?
I picked it up.The moment it touched my skin,a warm glow shimmered across its surface.It was unbelievably beautiful,soft golden light pulsing inside it like a living heart.
Yumi,Miri and Eli rushed closer and stared at it in confusion.
“Ava,” Yumi said anxiously,looking up at the tree “there are no fruits here.
Then where did this come from?”
But I barely heard her.
My eyes were completely entranced by the fruit.
A strange hunger burned inside me,stronger than any hunger I had ever felt before.
“It’s so beautiful…” I whispered. “I want to eat it. I’m really hungry….”
A dreamy smile spread across my lips as I lifted the fruit closer to my mouth.
Suddenly,Yumi screamed in panic
“Miri! Eli! Stop Ava,,,don’t let her eat that fruit!”
At that very instant the entire tree began to shake violently,as if a terrifying storm had erupted.
Yet strangely,there was no strong wind around us.
Eli and Miri rushed toward me to stop me,but something inside me snapped.
Without thinking I shoved Eli away with the back of my hand.
She flew backward and crashed hard into another tree.A cry of pain escaped her as she collapsed her head spinning from the impact.
Miri and Yumi tried desperately to stop me,but they were far too small.I don’t know where that strength came from,but I was stronger than them in that moment..
Just as I take a bite of the glowing fruit,it slips from my hand and fell to the ground.
The world around me suddenly evolves into darkness and i find my sense slipping.
~~~~~~~
The moment the glowing fruit slipped from Ava’s hand and hit the ground,a terrified scream tore through the air.
“Ahhh !”
Yumi,Miri and Eli cried out in fear.And at that very instant,,Ava’s body went completely limp.
Her strength vanished as if it had never existed, and she collapsed unconscious beneath the tree.
The ground trembled.
The second Ava hit the earth the ancient tree suddenly erupted in a blinding golden light.
The glow burst outward like a living flame swallowing everything around it.At the same time, darkness spread rapidly through the forest as if light itself were being devoured.
The golden radiance was so intense that the fairies were forced to shield their eyes their wings trembling as they screamed in terror.
The light roared for several long moments then slowly,it began to fade.
Shadows crept back into the forest.
Thick black smoke rose from nowhere,curling through the air like a living mist.
“Ava!” Yumi cried desperately and flew toward her.
But before she could reach Ava a massive tree branch shot out violently and struck Yumi midair. With a painful cry,she was hurled far away and smashed into the ground.
“Miri!” Eli shouted in panic.
Miri rushed forward stretching both her hands out as glowing magic swirled around her palms.
She tried to stop the tree with all her strength but her eyes widened in horror.
“My magic… it’s not working!”
Before she could react another enormous branch whipped through the air and slammed into her, flinging her away like a broken leaf.
The forest echoed with the sound of destruction.
Then from the writhing tree a thick vine,like branch crept forward like a living serpent.
It coiled tightly around Ava’s waist and began to lift her slowly into the air.
Her unconscious body rose higher and higher.
As she was pulled upward,the tree’s massive trunk split open revealing a large gaping hole at its center.From within it poured a terrifying red glow, blazing like molten lava.The heat shimmered in the air and it looked as if raging fire lived inside the heart of the tree itself.
Ava’s body was dragged closer to that fiery mouth.
Closer.
Closer.
“AVA!” Yumi screamed helplessly from the ground.
Just as Ava was about to be pulled into the burning core.......
Suddenly, from the distance a sharp whistling sound cut through the air.
An arrow came flying at deadly speed.
It struck the tree’s root with explosive force.
CRACK!!!
The branch wrapped around Ava split apart instantly.
The grip on her waist vanished and her body fell freely through the air.
Ava crashed down to the ground beneath the tree.
Unmoving.
Silent.
And the forest fell into a deadly,,,
trembling stillness.
- Writer
