Left Behind
… Eleftheria's Tale …

** WARNING **
If you are sensitive to the topics of murder, death, etc., please refrain from reading this piece. There is quite a bit of it.
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Another ear piercing screech rang, its everlasting remains flooding the barren woods that stood around a small village. Tall, brittle trees craned forward in an ominous way, threatening to collapse on the dirt road which lay ahead and seemed to stretch on for eternity. Tonight, only half a moon shone behind dense clouds. Only half a moon out of three - the Htráe’s Half. Of course. Why else would she have manifested, if not for the millennial occasion? All was mute. Silent, soundless. The air felt too crisp, the breeze far too pleasant. How strange… It had always seemed that in usual tales read by children, nights on which great crime rotted the air were accompanied by stormy weather. Angry clouds, even. Perhaps exhilarated zaps of energy too. Anything around appeared to be standing still – so much, it seemed to be a dream, an illusion. She wouldn’t have been surprised, should it be so. It appeared to be that the panel came up with new ways to devastate their futile lives - down in their excuse for a town - everyday.
That’s wishful thinking. It was real.
Camouflaged with her nearly pitch-black surroundings, a young-looking girl crawled through the ghostly woods on all fours, her face hidden behind a murky green hood that was messily sewn to the neckline of her dress. An odd combination of clothing. Soil and dust scraped against her knees, scratching away at her bare skin mercilessly. If the dirt were alive, it probably would be enjoying this very much. But everyone knew that in dead forests, nothing lived. Everything was just an apparition. The dark green velvet of her cape had miraculously managed to withstand all the knife-like branches encompassing her in the foggy undergrowth, even though the twisted twigs kept stabbing her with their sharp needles. I’ve got to keep moving… If she catches me- The girl quickly abandoned the thought, for fear that if she even mentioned the idea of being caught by her once, the notion would bring itself to reality.
“Eleftheria?” a new, heavy masculine voice called out, its owner clearly no more than a few meters away from the hooded female. Midway through another step, the girl came to an abrupt halt, lurching forward as if she were losing her balance.
No.
How’d he known that she was escaping? Escaping from that girl. Could it be that, perhaps, he’d seen her through his window? Oh no – would he stop her? He wouldn’t… would he? She shook her head violently. There was no point in dwelling on how he’d managed to get as far as he had, considering the rough path to her location. Her only objective now was to make sure that he wouldn’t find her or even come to know of her presence. Guilt tug at her heart, nestling in the organ's indistinct cracks. There was already enough of it in her though - she would just have to ignore it. Leave her friend behind, like she had her sister. Sisters. The girl gulped softly. As if she’d never paused earlier, she hastily stumbled further into the depths of the perished lands. Though she was led to believe that she was moving further and further away from whomever stood behind, in actuality, she’d barely moved a yard ahead.
“Elfie, I know you’re there.” the same voice stated with a scoff. “I saw you running from my window - and when I saw that blinding purple light shooting through your roof, and that too, of that color…” The incomplete sentence’s mood lingered in the air for a while until the boy continued. “I knew it had finally happened,” Eleftheria attempted to keep moving onward, but it was as if something were holding her back from doing so. She knew her friend who dawdled behind was somewhat aware of what had happened tonight, despite the event being uncalled for. Unplanned. But expected. Ever since she’d been born, Eleftheria and the rest of her family had known that her twin sister would manifest with some sort of power one day, even if Mysti hadn’t been born with them like normal creatures would be. Even if she were an Unworthy. But then again, her sister wasn’t normal. That much was already clear.
If Mystical were normal, she would’ve been part of another species. Her twin wouldn’t be an Unworthy like Elfie – the Unworthy were named the way they were because they were undeserving of the ability to learn mystical arts. The core wouldn’t grant them power. Magic, as humans on their sister planet, Earth, had titled it. No, if Mysti were like everyone else on this planet should be, she would’ve been an elf, or possibly a pixie. Maybe even one of the Banished.
“Gosh, I sure hope I haven’t actually been talking to dead trees this whole time,” the boy chuckled nervously under his breathe. Being close enough, the statement makes its way through her ears. The remark lightened Eleftheria’s mood just slightly, now aware that her friend wasn’t certain whether or not she really did lurk in the forest. After all, this friend of hers was her best, and he always found a way to make her feel at least a little better, no matter the situation. Elfie allows herself to snort, just once. Too much dread and pain had been felt tonight when her eldest sister died. When her disabled dad did, her mother too. When she’d left Kumiko, the youngest in the family, to pass. I- I saved myself- that’s… that’s the best thing I could’ve done. Kumiko died but- but… someone must stay alive in the family.
“Okay, seriously, get out her Elfie or I’m coming in there myself.” The boy grumbled again, evidently losing his patience.
Right?
“Fine,” From under a monstrous bush of armed branches stepped out a tall, lean girl, however, face still covered with a green hood. Her colors couldn’t be seen well, the night being dark and all, but vibrant teal eyes could be made out from under the faint moonlight. “I’m here, okay? What do you want?” she snapped, crossing her arms so she appeared menacing. But she avoided eye contact, destroying the threatening look of her stance altogether. “And I swear if you stop me from escaping…” Elfie began to add, pausing to rub her eyes with a finger. “.. I just, don’t. Don’t stop me, Dew.”
The older boy, now revealed to be named as Dewin, tilted his head curiously, bunching his lips to one side. He laughed, “You’re running away? That bad a power, eh? I always knew you were jealous she had magic and you didn’t, but I can’t believe why you would run away because of it-”
“Stop joking around!” she snarled, forcing her eyes to stay open – Eleftheria knew the tears in her eyes would be noticeable if they fell, and she couldn’t show weakness. She needed to stay strong, at least until she could get off this dead island and find shelter. Somewhere far from Mysti. Somewhere she wouldn’t die and… and be turned to stone. “You don’t know what I saw. She murdered my parents. Mysti murdered May.”
Dewin, who had still been laughing, suddenly stopped, his big eyes only growing wider. “May?” He forced another chuckle, slapping a hand down on Elfie’s shoulder. “Hah! That’s a good one. We all know you adore May- and look! You’re handling her ‘death’ just fine!”
“She’s dead, Dew! My sister is dead. And it’s all Mysti’s- no, the Htrae’s Half’s fault! This power granting ceremony, I just-” she paused to inhale, chewing a piece of old, torn skin on her chapped lips, hoping to distract herself from everything circling around her head. “Please, just let me leave. I can’t stay on this island if I have a chance to escape – and I don’t want to live here and forever grieve my parents and sisters.”
Dewin appeared to be taken aback, his own eyes glistening with small tears under the faded light from Htráe. “… is this- this isn’t- you aren’t- my sweet May- my love-” His gaze dropped to the ground where sharp thorns penetrated the land’s surface.
“I’m sorry.” Eleftheria replied bluntly, casting her gaze across the darkened horizon so there wouldn’t be a need to look him in the eye. No need to reveal her salty, useless tears. A sliver of the first sun could barely be made out from behind the ocean waves as they slowly began swallowing chunks of sand, but evidently, it lurked just there. Hadn’t the sky been pitch black only a slight while ago? Elfie noticed the stars had appeared as well. Morning was approaching, and that too, at a pace faster than imaginable. “Look, Dewin. I have to go now. If I stay any longer-”
“I’m coming with.”
“What?”
Dew fought against his tears, only to further increase their fall’s speed. “I’m coming with you. There’s nothing left for me here without dearest May. If you’re going, I am too.”
At the back of her mind, Elfie had secretly hoped he’d say something like this. Her heart pleaded for her to agree, pleaded for her to bring him with her so they could leave everything behind. But her head contradicted, forcing herself to believe that it was for the best to leave him behind. She’d left too many though. Too many for a lifetime. Her family. Sisters. Kumiko. Nemzu. And now, Dewin. It’s for the best though, isn’t it? He’ll get hurt if he comes…
But you could get hurt too. Eleftheria’s heart whispered, voice echoing in her mind. And he wants to escape just as much as you do. Leaving him behind wouldn’t be good for him – in fact, doing that would be selfish. Selfish. The word lingered – in her head, her body, the air, the island. She was selfish, that was no exaggeration. “ No.” she growled, taking a step back from Dew. “This- this is for your own good.” No. “You’ll be s-safer here-” No!
“Goodbye, Dewin.”
Without looking back, she shoved him against the rough bark of a frail but unusually thick tree. So hard, its trunk began to crack under Dew’s back. “Goodbye,” A gentle breeze whistled in Elfie’s ears, but she shrieked with so much pain, it ceased with a soft whoosh, almost in a magic way. Broken hearted, she once again pressed her hood to the bridge of her nose, rushing off into dawn. Eleftheria was followed by another shriek, similar to the one that had sounded at the beginning of journey. Except…
This one was of a heavy masculine voice.

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Aaa I worked really hard on this! Hope you guys enjoyed <33
1771 words :'0

Oh and please don't comment on this :'0 I won't be upset if anyone does, it just makes it easier to manage for me <3