A promise from the moon

Eleriagatha

Deep in The winter woods, near the graveyard, past  well born of vines and old faded bricks, through toad ponds and trees, where the owls howled and the thorns stuck out like gripping hands lived a small airy house that’s bricks were jet black as the night sky the roof was full of vevesteria. The houses looked abandoned, unlivable. Some of the smoker men in the town even swore it was?. But it wasn’t. Not really?. 

Before. When things were normal. The PruddSweart family were seen as odd? Uncivilised which in hindsight couldn't be further from the truth?  They were very kind people, whoever they were dirt poor, the house was handed down from generations too big to clean out but not big enough for it to be considered fancy or acceptable, the family gradually decided it was best to not go outside even in a world covered in shadows and monsters people still seen them as unhuman gloomy,grey just what it takes to live in this world.

 All of them had a feature that was unfortunate for social standards but each ugly feature made them look more and more like a family. 

When Eleriagatha PruddSweart was young she remembered how the kids from her school would run away from her calling her an ugly ghost or a cursed child that would eat their heads in their sleep. She supposed their parents must have told them about her graveyard digging. The moon was fuller then the stars were ever so sparkly. Who wouldn't love digging at a night like this?.

Her father told her that good deeds will always be rewarded. Like the tooth fairy fluttering her wings at night to grant you a treasure for your tooth. So obviously she wanted to do something good and being good means digging up weeds and cleaning other people's graves. She remembers how strange it was when the police came knocking on their door the next day? The odd looks her teachers gave her? Though people usually gave her weird looks. The PruddSweart children always wore hand me down oversized clothes with faded colours.

Eleriagatha was the eldest child, upstairs she laid on the attic's growing collection of dust. fingers searching through past letters that felt old to the touch bug eyes seeing through the strangers faces in photos. She didn't know them but reading through countless letters made her feel connected to them? In a strange way? You can tell so much about a person's personality through their words and writing was the gateway of getting your words across, who knows maybe they are still alive? Waiting to return to collect their letters and trinkets they left behind? it would be a great shame to leave behind such sentimental treasures? She dare think of it a great pity, if they were to ever stumble their way here once more in time to come she'd return them with mature ease. Her elbows ached. She was all limbs here. The small space was dark making her eyes adjust mistaking her arms and fingers for being gray. The only thing of colour was the dress she wore. a dark shimmery blue dress that could be mistaken for black in the windy nights. She was quite fond of the tiny white stars at the bottom and how it hid her big legs and arms that were covered in freckles and too many moles to be reasonable. Her knees and dress were full of dust. She clicked her tongue in annoyance if only they hadn't broken the brush? Sure they would freeze with no fire but still this was ridiculous, a little mess was fine once in a while but this room felt like a mountain of dust bunnies head dandruff a armys amount.

Eleriagatha gently pulled the metal chest down preparing herself for the sound it would make. She closed her eyes. She had done this countless times, however her body hadn't adjusted like her mind did in a way it was like a silent betrayal of herself, why couldn't she handle sounds like her mother or father did? Was something wrong with her? Or was it just her ears?  Her face cringed, freckles, nose scrunching shoulders hunching subconsciously, CLICK!

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding any longer and she would have lost oxygen. How could she be so careless? 

Eleriagatha shooted up on her knees and accidentally hit her head on the wooden roof.

Thud!

“ oww!”.

 She hissed under her teeth, rubbing her hands on her sourspot. she limped forward. pushed her body out of the door, instead of a graceful leave she found her body struggling to get everything out at once like a Crabemor clicking its claws shining its blinding smooth shell in a beauty tournament, it was a disaster from the start.

Her nails clawed desperately reaching out to clutch onto the wall ripping away under her black nails the intricate patterns were lost from her finger lost in the crossfire of her escape, a sacrifice she was willing to make. 

All eleriagatha could do was try and breath she huffed until finally she was free she crashed down stumblinging into a roll on the floor her legs hit the wall folding in on herself arms out in surprise.

Her brother Thorne who was always tall and imposing leaned on the wall a mocking smirk creeped up on his lips he snickered swaggering over with ease. thorn usually wore their grandfather's clothes, his grandfather wore them as a boy. Thorne looked ridiculous with his cap and tight trousers. The patterns were nonexistent from a distance but up close you could see the old design of small beast. The clothes were mossy green and brown. On an old man they might have looked dapper but on her younger brother it just looked like dress up it wasn't at all charming no he was born to cause trouble.

Thron kicked her with his boot crossing his arm.

“ I found something for you “.

He drawled on digging into his pocket he pulled out a small white hairy beast that was smaller than his palm, a moth caterpillar.

Eleriagatha got to her feet, her eyes wide.

“ for me?”. She asked with wonder

“ uh huh all yours” thorne smiles smugly his brows mocking

Looking down she raised her bushy eyebrow

“ It's not poisonous is it? because in the book of beast some spices of caterpillars from the cures are known to carry poison in them especially in there “. she rambled on

Thorn forced her palm open, handing it in her hand.

“ just take it and shut up will you “.

 gruffly he shoved his hands in his pockets and turned away 

Eleriagatha smiled slightly staring into the moth caterpillar fondly

“ thorne” 

she called out 

He paused at the end of the hall

They never apologised or thanked each other for anything, it just wasn't their way with each other. Instead she just called out honestly

 “ you can have my rations for dinner”.

Thorns hunched shoulders didn't loosen but his eyes did he know what his sister was doing immediately his mocking smirk returned 

“ dont bother i fed your pillow to the towns men beast “. 

The flipped two coins up and caught it in his two fingers

“ They paid a pretty price for it. I'm surprised the hounds didn't taste the stingers?”.

“ Thorne!”.

He cackled as he ran off 

Eleriagatha rolled her eyes glaring after him turning away she should have known better.   

In the old nursery Baby Orpheus snoozed soundly against the wooden floorboard. He was a baby that’s head was too big for his tiny body. Black hair curled like the tips of a mountain on his head He was observant when he wasn't sleeping with the biggest doe eyes and the cutest chine. If it wasn’t for his big head, the town's winos would have thought him a normal baby instead of an almost perfect one.

Eleriagatha settled onto the opened glass window covered in weddy crystal glass and rusted gold lines she could smell the distance sent of passing earthy breeze her fingers glazed the pages of her book legs dangling on the edge of the opening where gravity lets itself known the shadowy sky was a blur of blacks and blues trees were surrounded the house a privacy peridise it wasnt loud here it wasnt wicked it was home…

Knock knock

Fingers stilled

Turns her head towards the door

“ it's opened”.

 She called out

The door clicked opened and in came a large imposing man with too sharp features the closer he walked the more the world could see him.

There standing into the moonlight her father stood. Cain in hand glass eye glinting in the open his face was scared and tender against his too sharp features, he looked like a monster.

Eleriagatha smiled, turning to face her papa fully, the moonlight behind her making her look angelic despite her features.

“ the flowers are blooming, you should do as you please with them but please keep them away from your baby brother”.

He kissed the side of her head tenderly as he said this

“ I will papa “. she hugged him before letting go and settling back to her position going back to her book.

Nodding lightly he limped away, closing the door behind him.

They were the luckiest kids in the world. What more could they want? They have a house, loving parents and a mattress in the kitchen to sleep on and gaze at the monsters who wander in the moonlight through the kitchen window.life was perfect. 

That was until….

The doctor came.

The day started off as normal as ever in the red and black living gothic room Thorne's hands were arranging the knives he had nicked off the passers dark fingers placing them on the table from sharpest to the one that was the most desirable.

As usual  The rats were running around in the walls fighting against the white blind mice squeaking in terror. The mice whose eyes were blinded by dust were as hungry as they were so much so that the children often times saw bite marks on their furry bodies.

Eleriagatha was dusting the portraits of her family the seeking hurt her ears making her face winch her hands kept moving dust flying off the roam was a jungle of noise baby Orpheus strong baby arms were banging the dolls head against the cold floor causing the dolls eye to come out of its socket the hair was ripped and wet from drool the scatter of knives and the scuttering and squeaking made her cover her ears. She frowned, dropping the duster and turning around she faced her younger brothers.

“ hey thorn?”

She called out nimbly 

“ what?”.

He asked gruffly glancing towards her over his shoulder 

She paused a few minutes considering how she would ask this?.

“ can you um can you make them stop?”.

She gestured towards the battle going on in the walls

Silence 

“ why can't you do it?”.

She frowned

“ eleriagatha?” 

Thorn sounded slightly annoyed

“ sigh, i dont want them to be afraid of me, they only started to let me be by them so”.

She looked down at her feet frowning

“ Are you serious? there vermin”. He went back to examining the knives feeling bewildered there stupid animals. Why did it matter?

“ Never mind then”.

Turned swiftly to leaving she didnt even try to ask again knowing when thorn says no then that means no. 

If she had turned around she would have seen her brother's conflicted expression he frowned , looking away and going back to the knives.

“ where are you going?”. 

She stopped by the door almost leaving 

“ the woods”.

He grumbled in response as the squeaking from the walls went louder, annoying him to no end he couldn't ignore it anymore. 

Picking up a knife she marched over and stabbed the blade through the thick barrier of the wall.

“ Would you shut up!”. 

Thorn snapped in frustration, the squeaking officially once and for all grated on his nerves. great now hes on a vermin killing spree the baby laughed rolling around on the floor causing a bigger mess in the process unknowingly contributing to the chaos. 

The farther she walked the quieter the home became. Bare feet moving gracefully in the hallway spiders crawled ahead of her finally it was quiet now.

Walking out of the house was a breeze she took the familiar path of thorny spikes of earth, that clawed at her dress she side stepped and jumped until she was on the ashy dirt of the ground. The moons were ever so full, especially tonight, the wispy fog glowed blue in the distance. Her nose caught the smelling aroma of night flowers and wet stones in the air. 

Eleriagathas body relaxed the only sounds weren't the bangings of tiny feets in the wall nor the clutterings of humans it was the soothing whispers of the dark forest. Crickets of life, the swaying fog brushing against her pale skin and the rustling of silvery leaves she felt the soft earth on her toes as she carried herself forward walking with no destination.

The whispers of monsters soothed her soul and body. Looking around passing curling branches and peaceful bugs she stumbled, coming across a sight she missed dearly the mouse incident left her needing comfort. Eleriagatha saw the bunnies of the night near the glowing swamp mixing in glowing mushrooms and herbs while the other animals waited gracefully as the light above itself.  they did not seem scared of her, did not run away at the sight of her face, they were such accepting forest beasts no one with bad intentions can enter the forest if they value living. If they did it would be a oneway ticket to pain city going missing was as common as the many lights in the sky as normal as winter dragons soaring through the sky dragon riders were said to be the most powerful being in Hiraethgealach to be ever known if a dragon chooses you there's almost always a reason. Eleriagatha was grateful enough for the wonderful forest animals that seemed to  like her. She highly doubted she'd live long enough to ever meet a dragon?. If she did She'd probably get chewed to the bone, a cruel way to go into the afterlife not that she would know, at least not yet?.

Walking into the clearing, eleriagatha brushed her hair back off her shoulder with a sight. She sat on the forest floor, her dress being a curtain covering her legs. The bunnies hopped on her lap the deer with vibrant night flowers on its antlers it stuck out against the dark, the petals were striking immediately capturing her attention once more, you see. The flowers have bloomed. The deer brushed its white furry face on top of her head she met its red eyes head on, rubbering her head along with it. Her face betrayed her once more before she could help it she smiled contemptly.

The animals were scuffling around much like her baby brother though comparing him to an animal is rather an odd comparison to some of the dreamers here?, she felt no guilt in thinking this animals are wonderful and impressively adaptive even if some of them didn't have magic there for her baby brother is wonderful its as simple as saying forest fae are tricksters which they are most of the time. Sighing she willingly allowed some of them to lick her as they pleased.

The sky was dark, illuminating the forest mystical glowing colours. She loved her home but she loved this forest more. It was like a second skin, a second place where she could be herself with no noise causing her pain.

The water was clear rippling with each drop from the bunnies mixing it travelled down from hills to hills until all she could see at the top was a head of constant smoke.

She glanced upward. Did smoke from cold waters ever last that long? Is that even possible? Could it be fog? That doesn't quite make sense either? Strange?

There would be no way she would ever go up there though no one in the town ever did and she wasn't that curious about it to risk injury, unless. There really was something up there?.

The night owls pecked at nuts from the fallen woods of time wishing frogs glowed and dimed, floating along on a lilipad there fat almost decided if the child who made the wish wanted it bad enough the frog would live and the wish would have happened but if not then they would end up like the rest of them sea beasts dinner. Eleriagatha supposed that would also be a horrendous way to visit the after life to have your life gambled with? It's just madness. She wouldn't wish that on anyone, not even the townspeople who are afraid of her.