Serendipity

Trick or Threat

Darkness loomed over the village as the sun hid behind the adverse clouds. Knowingly hinting a downpour, frightened residents scurried into their houses. Slamming doors and deafening cries of birds disrupted the area; driving raccoons and skunks away into an overgrowth behind the small rural community.

When the wind blew hard, the forest animals stopped on their tracks. Their eyes followed some hovering birds and discovered vast greenery. Forest trees with outspread pads came into view. With glint on their eyes, the land animals raced under the inviting trees while birds settled on its sound branches. As the wind blew harder, its abundant leaves and flowers danced. Dried foliage plummeted on dull earth while petals glided into the half-burnt forest of Bielefeld.

Soot painted the naked trees. From its half-pulled tendrils, creeping into an open gap where owls once had slept peacefully, to covering its now delicate branches. No sign of life on the other side of the blessed and lavish forest; its scorched side was grim and silent as a dead man. No one dared to step near it, more even, explore it. It terrified even the residents who had been living near the area for years. They knew it was haunted and many had been spirited away.

"Are we safe around this area?" Lily asked her sister as they paced pass the untouched forest of Bielefeld.

Sixteen years ago, a detested mage set the forest on fire. A fearsome witch, who schemed to overthrow the royal family, had mastered the will of fire. Many believed she was the sole child survivor of the clan of mages. The adult mages burn alive while the young thrown in the river. It was a tragic sight. The royal family ordered the total annihilation of the mages clan without exception, men or women, the old and the young. Even newborn mages with no idea what had been happening; their fate decided.

The one-sided war went on for days. The mages could have fought them off easily, but they choose to follow the sacred code of magic. A book containing all kinds of magic and the rules of magic, "Magic shall not be used against anyone who does not yield the power."

But, one day, she had chosen to break it. It was her sweet revenge. Her hatred got the better of her. She still remembered the cold shoulders. The once kind people she knew would not let them take shelter. As raining arrows chased them, one after the other, her clan fell one by one. Why would they not fight? At her young age, she knew they were stronger. But, the bigger question was, where did it start to go wrong?

She still could not figure out the answer to her question until the day she took revenge. The only thing she knew was they were once celebrated heroes framed for a plot against the royal family. She knew the consequence of breaking the code of magic but she could not care less, at least not at that moment. And, her revenge went on, she had begun taking the souls of the children. She reasoned that the children of the village needed to suffer the same fate as they had.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

It terrified the residents who had been living near the area for years. They knew why the villagers described it as haunted.

Every night, when the rain poured, one child would be taken away. The villagers had a suspicion that the mage had been shape-shifting, pretending to be one of the residents. They suspected she would be around 18 or 20-years-old.

"Who could it be?" Lily asked her companion as they continued walking.

Glancing over at Lily, Mia assured her "We'll be fine. Trust me."

Mia then signaled Lily to follow her. As they marched towards a big, scorched tree with dried leaves, branches crunching beneath their feet, Lily saw a faint image of a woman.

Terrified, Lily grabbed a piece of her sister's shirt. At least, she thought it was her sister.

"Hush now little one."

Lily swallowed, unable to speak. She was no longer afraid but petrified.

She knew who the rumored ghost was.

"You are-"