The Amethyst Butterfly
Chapter 1
This forest was all Raven had ever known.
She stood at a clearing of oak trees, surrounded by a cool swirling breeze. Raven looked at the pile of neatly chopped wood. Her long dark hair swirled in the wind as she took a deep breath in. Her knuckles were white as she held onto the axe, ready to split into the next chunk of wood. She started to lift the axe and paused. Her breath became hard and quick as she swung the axe into a nearby tree.
A murder of crows cawed from a gnarled gray branch. It seemed as if they were laughing at her. Raven ignored them and proceeded to cut the wood without even thinking about what she was doing. Her hands moved swiftly and that left her mind free to get lost in thought.
Firewood was Raven’s least favorite chore. Yet she also enjoyed it, in some sense. She liked taking long walks in the woods, lost in thought, fantasizing about a world beyond. She would sometimes reread one of the few books her father had owned. Despite his small library, he loved to read, as did Raven. Yet her mother did not approve. She called the books made-up stories.
Raven jolted upright. Mother will be furious if I’m home after dark again. She quickly scooped up the wood, and placed it in her leather pack. She slung it over her shoulder and was dismayed by it’s lightness. Raven’s mother did not like using their extra firewood, but it seemed they would have to tonight.
Again.
Raven trotted through the familiar oak trees. The sky was the orange and yellow of a sunset in paintings. Raven admired it. It usually rained or was overcast in the forest. Sunlight was...kind of a novelty. She looked up and saw a Ruby Throated Hummingbird settling into its nest. She gazed at it. It was incredibly rare to see a hummingbird in the forest. She had only seen a hummingbird one other time. She was not any older than seven at the time, and had been exploring the forest. That had been one of the few times Mother had explored the forest with her.
She continued on through the forest. Raven knew the layout of the forest pretty well, and it didn’t usually scare her to be out at night. Yet this night felt different somehow.
Raven shivered and walked faster. Soon, she had arrived at the small cabin in the woods, where Raven and her mother lived.
Some would call it dilapidated, yet Raven only called it home.
She walked up the sagging log stairs of the front porch and pushed the heavy oak door handle. It creaked and opened, revealing a cozy living room, smelling of a strange mixture of jam and mold.
Raven’s mother came out of the kitchen, walking into the living room. Her auburn hair looked slightly tangled, and she held a mixing bowl, seemingly used to make jam.
“Why are you home so late, Raven?” Mother asked. Raven was shocked by her tone. It was warmer than she had expected.
“Sorry. I couldn't find the good kind of wood as easily.” Raven slung off her backpack onto the floor. “I hope this is enough.”
Mother picked up the large backpack and looked scornfully at the wood. But when she spoke, her face changed. “It’s OK, Raven. We might need to use the extra, but I’m just glad you are home.” She hugged Raven, which Raven found strange. Mother usually just kept to herself. Raven hugged her back.
“You’ll never guess what I saw!” Raven broke away and walked towards the kitchen.
“A hummingbird. It was absolutely beautiful.”
“That’s nice.” Mother was back to being distant. Raven sighed again, and looked away.
“Do you want some jam?” Her mother asked, changing the subject. “I’m going to start making dinner now.”
“Sure. Thanks.” Said Raven as she put some on a plate and walked towards the stairs. “I’m going to try to draw the hummingbird. I’ll show you when I’m done.” Raven grabbed a lit candle from the table as she walked towards the stairs.
“Didn’t you do your other chores?” Raven’s mother asked skeptically.
“I’ll do them tomorrow,” Raven said without turning around.
She walked upstairs and pushed open her bedroom door. The room was kind of messy, but it was comfortable and warm. Raven sat down at her desk and pulled out her sketchbook. She hesitated, and pulled out one of her father’s books- a bird guide. She flipped through the pages of such familiar birds she saw every day, and marveled at ones she had never seen- brightly colored and strange looking. Mother said that those birds were imaginary. Father told her they were real and lived elsewhere. Raven wanted to believe they were real-yet questioned herself.
She tried to copy a picture from the book, and tried to add the features she remembered of the small delicate hummingbird. Yet something was off about the drawing, but she couldn’t quite grasp onto the reason why. She slowly closed her notebook and walked to the large window that laid near her bed. She could only see the darkness of the woods.
Dinner is probably ready. I should go downstairs now. I wonder what mother made today.
As she reached for the door handle, she heard a loud noise come from the window. She jolted her head around just in time to see it open, letting a cold wind inside. Perplexed, she reached for one of the candles on her desk, and moved towards the window to close it. Just as she did so, the burning flame in the candle went out. As did the fire in her fireplace. Lit only by moonlight, the room was almost pitch black.
It took a second for Raven to realize that she wasn’t alone. In the dim light, Raven looked up and was startled to see an unusual-looking owl sitting on her desk, right on her notebook. The owl was white and had steely grey eyes. Raven had never seen a snowy owl before. Her father had said they lived elsewhere, and her mother had said they didn’t exist. Either way, this owl looked nothing like the snowy owl in her book.
Perhaps a Northern Spotted Owl? No, those weren’t white like this.
The strange owl glowed, with silver sparkling eyes, catching the moonlight. The owl's wings rose up as it slowly walked towards Raven. The confusion Raven had felt evaporated. She was mystified by this strange new arrival. Raven felt as if she had known the owl her whole life. All she could do was just watch.
She felt as though nothing was more natural than the owl being right there, just like a painting on the wall. So natural it seems forgotten, yet without it- the room feels entirely different.
She tentatively reached her hand out to the owl. It tilted it’s head at her quizzically and leaned it’s yellow beak towards her hand, as a timid--yet friendly dog does.
Just as they were about to touch, it disappeared into thin air, leaving not a trace of anything. She was left there standing in her room with the dying embers in the fireplace and a cold feeling of loss in her heart.
Chapter 2
Raven laid down in her bed, still tense. Why did that happen? Was I hallucinating? I should probably tell my mother that there was an owl in my bedroom…
Yet she decided the owl had no malice.
“Nothing worth disturbing Mother about.” Raven muttered to herself.
Raven rolled and turned in her bed for a few minutes, contemplating the strange situation at hand until Mother opened the door and stepped inside.
“Raven, it’s dinner time. Time to go downstairs.”
Raven nodded and slumped out of bed and followed Mother downstairs to their wooden dining table.
Per usual, Raven sat at one end of the table and Mother sat at the other. Raven examined her plate and internally groaned.
Wild mushroom and salmon stew for the millionth day in a row. Hooray... Raven thought glumly. Raven picked at her food, reluctantly eating the mushrooms yet avoiding the salmon. She and her mother ate in silence. She felt that she should talk to Mother about what had happened with the owl. But at the same time, it felt strangely personal, like what happened was between Raven and the owl. Her mother broke the silence. “Tomorrow I’m going to make my strawberry jam recipe. Can you get the strawberries and blueberries tomorrow morning?”
“Sure, mother.” Raven sighed.
“Please eat some of the salmon.” Mother raised an eyebrow.
“Fine.” Raven tentatively bit into one of the pale chunks.
“Is something bothering you, Raven? You seem more distant than usual.” Mother looked across the table at Raven. Raven bit into another piece.
I’m not the one who’s usually distant.
“I’m just tired. I’m going to go to bed.” Raven forced down one more forkful and got up to go to bed. Mother did not object, so Raven trekked up the steps and started to open the door.
Raven hoped that the owl was perched somewhere in her room. But when she opened the door, her face fell in disappointment. The owl had not come back.
That was silly. Why would I want to see the owl? I just felt like it understood me.
Chapter 3.
When she awoke, Raven sat up, her head pounding. Her thoughts were running fast and she felt overwhelmed. She just sat there, looking out the window across from her bed. The bright sun was just above the horizon.
Raven finally got out of her bed. She went over to her mirror and brushed her dark silky hair. The humidity inside the cabin had made it slightly curly. Raven tried to smooth it out, unsuccessfully. She examined herself, met with a girl of 15 with a sprinkling of freckles and tiger’s eyes.
Why am I so fascinated with this owl? Animals have gotten into the cabin before.
A few years prior, Raven had found a raccoon in the dining room. She had scared it as much as it scared her. Another time, they saw a bear on the front porch. Living in the woods, surrounded by all kinds of wildlife, it was a miracle an owl hadn’t come in sooner. Yet this felt different. She felt that it was meant to be here. Like she belonged more with the strange owl than in the worn down cabin she had lived in all her life.
These thoughts are ridiculous. I need to do my chores now.
Raven glanced over at the notebook the owl had landed on. In retrospect, the memory seemed so unreal. It could have all been a strange dream.
Raven grabbed the wooden door handle and swung her door open. Mother’s bedroom door was closed, so Raven assumed she was asleep. She tip-toed down the stairs and put on her leather backpack. She went to the kitchen and picked up a large basket for collecting berries, as well as a foldable fishing rod that had once belonged to Father. She put them all in her backpack and dragged herself out of the door.
The bright morning sun made her squint. She held her hand up high in the air to shade herself. She trudged through the thicket and took the familiar path through the woods. Raven considered the strange owl once more, but tried to dispel it from her mind. There were always strange looking animals in the woods. There was a stream not too far away from their house. Many berry bushes sat near it, ready to be harvested. When she was younger, her and Mother would often take this path to collect berries. They would collect strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Raven was lost in thought and memories when she stumbled upon the clearing. Despite the dreary weather, the fruit was abundant.
She plucked a blueberry and plopped it into her mouth. She chewed on the sweet and sour sensation. She kept picking for a while until the basket was full
“Ok. time to go home...” Raven muttered dryly.
She sauntered back to the cabin, to drop the berries off. Raven slowly opened the door and walked to the kitchen, without taking her boots off.
“Mother?” Raven called, “Im home-”
Mother came through the doorway.
“Good morning, Raven.” She said, holding her hand out for the basket. Mother looked at Raven’s boots and scowled, but said nothing.
Raven passed it to her. “Morning.”
“I’m going to make more jam. Can you do the rest of your chores?”
“Yes mother.”
Without another word, Raven ambled out the door, and ran down the stairs of the front porch. She slung her backpack back over her shoulder and trotted through a path.
A scraggly crow flew down and perched on a low branch. It cawed loudly at her.
Raven stopped and sighed. “What do you want?”
The crow tilted its head and cawed again, louder this time.
Raven started to walk away; quite annoyed, but the crow flapped onto a branch closer to her. It flew from one tree to the next as it continued to caw at her. It felt like it was trying to warn her...
“Shush, you annoying rat.” Raven spat indignantly. She waved her hand towards the crow, trying to scare it away. But it didn’t budge. The crow flapped its wings violently, cawing louder. It’s black eyes seemed to look directly at her.
A shiver ran up Raven’s spine as she turned away. She walked faster down the path, and this time the crow didn’t follow.
The rest of that day was a blur. Raven was so preoccupied that she barely even noticed that she had caught 4 fish, and the sun was starting to set.
She wrapped the fish in a tarp that was in her backpack, and carried them back to the cabin. Raven stepped onto the front porch, and slowly reached for the door knob. A wisp of cold air blew in her face. She froze as she heard a noise that crept behind her. She set the fish down and did a double take.
Raven heard something crunching in the leaves again, closer this time. She jumped as a glowing deer ran into her view. It looked at her, and Raven’s breath shortened as she tentatively watched it.
Raven had hunted many deer before, but this one was different. Something about it seemed familiar. She couldn't quite place it. Just as Raven and the deer locked eyes, she figured it out.
It looks just like the owl...it has that unearthly glow.
Raven took a step forward as a twig snapped in half under her feet. The deer looked startled, and seemed to dissolve as it started to run away.
Just like the owl.
Was this another dream?
Chapter 4
Raven woke up and looked around. She could hear rain pounding on the window, and the sounds of drops leaking through the roof. She got up and sighed. She took a degraded wooden bucket that sat at the corner of her room, and put it under the leaking.
Raven trotted downstairs, and looked at what lay on the table.
Burnt salmon sat on a tin pan in the middle of the table. On the side, there was a bowl of berries. Her mother walked in with two mugs of cold apple juice. She gently placed one of them near Raven’s plate.
They both sat down and arranged everything onto their plates. As always, Raven sat at one end of the table, and Mother sat at the other. Raven quickly stuffed a couple of berries into her mouth. They ate in silence for a few minutes, until Mother broke the silence.
“How did you sleep?” Mother asked, nibbling a blackberry.
Raven muffled, “Pretty good,”
Raven knew this was a lie. She had been up almost all night, drawing the deer and the owl. They fascinated her. Yet she felt unable to tell Mother about what happened. And when she had finally found sleep, her dreams were clouded with strange animals.
“Remember to do your chores today.” Mother spooned out some berries onto her plate. “We’ve had this discussion before.”
Ravan swallowed, “Sorry Mother. I wasn’t feeling well.”
Her mother crossed her arms, “Stop with the excuses. Make sure to do them.”
Raven looked out the window. Grey clouds covered the sun and she could hear the rain pounding against the roof. A couple of buckets had been placed around the kitchen. There was a continuous dripping sound from them, like a clock ticking.
“Yes, Mother. I’ll make sure to do them” Raven twirled her long silky hair.
Painful silence fell upon them, and Raven stared at her plate intently.
“I've been noticing something, quite strange...” Raven She could feel the tension build up in the air.
“What do you mean Raven?”
Raven looked down, “I don't… know-”
“Raven, are you ok?’’ Her mother tilted her head to the side in concern.
“Tell me the truth mother-” Raven’s heart was racing. She never stood up for herself like this.
“Don’t speak to me like that. If you're going to act crazy, go up to your room.”
Anger filled Raven’s chest, “NO! You're not listening to me, you never have and never will.” Raven stood up breathing hard, “You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
Mothers face darkened as she gripened her fists. A clash of thunder echoed in the dime room. Raven’s heart dropped and she stepped back in fear.
“Raven, wait!” Her mother yelled in shock, but Raven had already run out of the door.
When Father was still with them, he would always tell them stories of all his adventures. He would tell them there were other people out there. That there was a whole world out there. That they just couldn't get there. But Mother would always end the conversations with her usual attitude.
“That’s a lie,” Mother would say. In the end, Father knew there was no way of winning that argument, so he would drop it. Raven would just agree. It felt like the woods stretched forever. But deep inside she felt like there was something else.
The heavy rain poured over her. She ran cluelessly, unable to see. She could slightly hear the distant sound of her name being called and the sound of thunder ringing in her ears. After a couple of minutes she stopped to catch her breath. She wrapped her arms around herself as she shivered. She slowly walked around trees and bushes wondering what to do next.
After just a few minutes, she spotted a large rock laying on the ground. There was a big opening, where she could easily squeeze herself underneath it. There was a hollowed out area for her to rest. She relaxed herself under it to shelter herself from the cold rain. Mother never believes me. Mother never helps. Mother never listens to what I have to say. Raven was furious, but then again she was right. They had to work together in order to survive.
She opened her eyes and crawled out from underneath the rock. The sky had turned to the lavender of night. Raven looked around shocked by how quickly it got dark.
Raven took in her dark surroundings.
Her heart started pounding. She had never stayed out this late before. Adrenaline filled her body, and she broke into a run, pushing the weeds out of her way. They tore open her arms and legs, but she kept running. Suddenly, she tripped over a rock and collapsed. She laid on the leavy undergrowth, breathing heavily.
She started to get up and then paused.
Raven then realized that she was not in solitude that night.
Chapter 4
Raven sat up and stared at a beautiful grey wolf with haunting blue eyes. The wolf stared at her, only a few yards away. It stepped forward tentatively, and Raven leapt to her feet. It laid down again, eyes never taken off her. Wolves were rare in this forest. They mostly kept to themselves and their pack, not bothering her. Yet this one watched her, unblinkingly. Raven knew she was being stupid, but she stood her ground.
The wolf put its ears back. Raven could not tell if it was in a submissive way or aggression. She took a step back, and a twig snapped under her foot.
When she opened her eyes again, everything felt cold around her. “Where am I? ” She silently wondered. The sky was pitch black and it looked like the forest, but it seemed different. The wolf was standing in front of her; exactly where it was before. However, it looked different. It still had intense blue eyes, but its fur was pure white. It showed no sign of aggression, just as it had before. It was laying down leisurely, yet watching her intently.
Raven looked around at her new surroundings. The trees glowed, reflecting the black ground. She couldn't tell if it was dirt or stone. It seemed to be obsidian. She walked back slowly. The wolf stood back up and growled. Raven stopped. The wolf sat back down and stared at her curiously.
“What's happening? Can I go back home?” She asked the wolf tentatively.
The wolf got back up and started walking away from Raven.
“Wait!” Raven said.
Raven took a deep breath and followed the wolf through the dark forest. The further they walked away the colder it got.
“Umm, where are we going?” Raven asked, hearing her breath shake.
Looking at the strange structure she was in, as well as the mystical wolf, she realized that this was the place from her dad’s stories. He would tell her all of his adventures when she was younger. Her mother swore it wasn’t real, but it was. The spirit world. She regarded the lavender mist covering the black trees. Her father had told her that the spirit world was kept in balance by an Amethyst Butterfly. She had laughed at his stories at the time, yet now it seemed very believable.
Raven jumped when a bird screeched. She looked up just in time to see a white owl gracefully land next to the wolf. It folded its wings and looked right at Raven.
The wolf suddenly stopped moving and looked at the owl. All was silent and still. Raven looked into the owl’s eyes and realized that it had the same striking eyes as the owl she had seen before. It couldn't possibly be the same owl.
“The other owl was black, and I’m sure there are a lot of owls in the forest-or whatever this strange woods is.” Raven thought bitterly. Then, the wolf broke the silence with a low and melancholy howl. Raven panicked and ran as fast as she could, not looking back to see if the wolf was following.
Chapter 5
It felt like the journey was never-ending, there was no destination. After what seemed like hours of walking, she finally rested on the side of a glowing black tree. She felt hopeless.
“What is this place? This is not my forest.” Raven thought, shivering.
She stopped by a beautiful pond and was startled to see a large black koi fish. There were no koi fish in Raven’s forest, so she had never seen one before. Yet her father had told her of many animals she had never seen, and her mother swore didn’t exist. They lit up the area around them jumping and flying around. They looked free and happy. The view was breathtaking. She sighed and relaxed her head on the side of a tree. The sound of rustling leaves moved through the trees near her. Raven flinched, stepping away.
“Hello?” Raven yelled uneasily. The black glowing leaves swirled around her.
A hand swung from the top of a branch. Raven stood in bewilderment. Who is that?
“Mother is that you?” The hand swung back up in the leaves.
“No, it can’t be...dad?” Someone jumped down, and Raven was shocked that he looked about the same age. He had dark hair and hazel eyes. Mom said there was no one else, she was wrong again.
“Who are you?” Raven asked. The boy looked down and started to walk away
nonchalantly. I need to get out of here, She thought to herself.
Raven calmly but impatiently spoke, “Who are you?” He stopped and looked back, he gave Raven a sideways glance.
“That’s none of your concern,” He continued, looking into the distance.
Ravens hair swirled around with the light calm wind. She tried to ask once again, “What’s your name?” He continued to walk away along the path. What should I do? I can’t stay here forever. She followed him quietly, making sure not to snap any of the twigs that lay on the cold obsidian ground. He pulled out what seemed to be a map. Raven watched as he traced his fingers along the lines that curved and stretched across the paper.
He stopped and closed his eyes, “What do you want from me?”
Raven stopped walking and paused, “I have no idea where I am, could you help me?”
He rolled his eyes, “Hah, that’s your problem.” He laughed and looked up at the overcast sky.
Raven stopped in annoyance but calmly spoke, “Well, I could help you in return, you probably need something, right?” He stopped to think, silence filled the area for a couple of minutes.
In a dark but quiet voice, he whispered, “Why should I trust you?”
Raven paused for a moment. She watched a bird fly out of the mist and over their heads. Then she looked back at the boy, his dark black hair blew around, their eyes locked.
Raven smiled, “Because we're both trapped in this place, aren’t we? We could get out of here together. I have no interest in the place, but just to get home.”
He stopped to think about what she had just said. She watched as he looked back down at his map puzzled. After a few minutes of silence, he sighed.
“Ok, so if you help me with my thing, I’ll help you, deal?”
Raven nodded, “Deal.”
“Ok, you can call me Søren then.” He continued to walk, gesturing his hands to follow.
“I’m Raven…” she mumbled, though she was not sure if he heard or not.
She quickened her pace to catch up with Søren. Raven turned her head studying everything around her. The glowing coal trees lit up their path, reflecting the obsidian below them. Purple mist still lay ahead of them swirling around the sky. The branches of the trees steadily waved around. They walked in complete silence, only hearing the distant noise of animals.
“Are there other people?” Raven asked suddenly.
“Yup, a couple. But this place is mostly full of animal spirits.” Raven could see the silhouette of glowing owls majestically watching them from afar.
“So where are you heading to?” Raven asked when Søren stopped to rest beside a tree.
He sighed, “I’ve been looking for something not somewhere.”
“What do you mean?”
“It's a magical spirit butterfly that can supposedly get me out of this spirit world.” He looked back down at his map, “I know it sounds ridiculous.”
Raven looked around thoughtfully. “You mean an amethyst butterfly?”
Søren looked up, more interested.
“Yeah, how did you know about it?” He asked, intrigued.
“My dad used to tell me stories of the spirit world. He said that the Amethyst butterfly kept everything in balance, but it went missing a few years ago, and no one has seen it since.” Raven paused and watched an amber-colored owls fly above them.
He paused and looked around as if to see if anyone was listening. “I heard that someone stole it from the queen about a decade ago. I heard the person who finds it would be given the chance to have any wish.”
“That means, we need to find the amethyst butterfly in order to get out of this place.”
Søren nodded, “Pretty much...”
Chapter 6
After what seemed like hours of walking they decided to rest near a grand oak tree. She climbed onto a low thick branch. Her palms were sweaty as she grabbed onto the branch. It wasn’t like the trees back at home. They were as smooth as glass and as dark as a bottomless pit. She could easily slip and fall into the cold hard ground. She slowly hauled herself up, tired and sore as Søren sat on the ground studying his map again.
Raven looked to the distance. She could see a swarm of graceful butterflies, all perched on a willow tree.
“Well, I hate to pry...” Søren started, avoiding Raven’s gaze. “But what happened to your father?”
Raven paused and thought, “Well, when I was younger he would always go for most of the week. When he came back, he would tell me all of his adventures. But as I got older he stopped telling me his adventures. ”
“Where is he now?”
“Well, a few years ago, he left the house and never came back.”
“That’s odd.”
“Yeah.” Raven continued to watch the butterflies. They were all kinds of glowing colors.
“So you said your name is Raven, right?”
“Yes.”
Raven watched one of the amber-colored owls flew away, leaving behind the others. She frowned. That seemed strange, since the spirit owls, unlike regular owls, are always with their flock. She feared why the owls were splitting up.
His words drowned out when Raven felt something watching from behind. She whipped around and was faced with a majestic golden snake with green eyes. It stared intently at her, just as the white wolf had.
“That’s strange…” Raven thought to herself.
Raven watched the snake flicked its tongue, yet it showed no other signs of aggression. It seemed almost asleep. Why did it bother her so much?
“Stay away from the snake, Raven!” Søren warned.
“But why? Most of the spirit animals don’t seem malevolent…” Raven started, hypnotized by the strange snake.
“Now is not the time- get away from that thing!” Søren yelled.
Realizing that she was looking back at Søren and not the snake, Raven whirled around to face the snake. She knew it was too late. The golden snake acted just as the silver wolf did, and should have predicted what happened next.
In a golden blur, the snake lunged at both of them, just as the wolf had done, plunged Raven into cold darkness. She heard an echo of Søren yelling her name. Raven wished she had heard what he had said while she discovered the snake. Then, the bitter blackness took over her mind, and it washed her away.
Chapter 7
Raven opened her eyes, to take in her surroundings. She was in a dimly lit stone room. The stone seemed to also be obsidian, just as it had been in the forest. She considered that that could be the only gemstone in the spirit world.
Then, she wondered if she was even still in the spirit world. When the wolf had attacked her, it had taken her to the spirit world.
“Maybe the snake brought me back,” Raven wondered to herself.
Then, she realized that the snake had also bitten Søren.
“Søren?” She murmured almost silently, panic filling her head.
Her head spun, and she heard the strange noise again. Just like a few days prior when she was in the woods.
She tried to ignore the noise and lift her head off the ground, but saw black spots and fell back down.
“Raven?” Raven heard an echo of Søren’s voice that sounded a thousand miles away, yet she saw his face come into view before the strange noise overwhelmed her, and all went black again.
Is this all a dream? Why am I here? She sat in the darkness for hours, that only light was the faded glow on the obsidian walls; everything lightened around her. The wolf spirit slowly came to her view.
“It’s you!” Raven exclaimed.
One of the obsidian walls disappeared as the wolf walked out. Raven got to her feet and followed the wolf.
She warily followed the ash-colored wolf through the door. It trotted through the vast hallways. Raven wondered where they had taken Søren. She tried to shake that thought off. “Why should I care where he went,” Raven told herself bluntly as she followed the wolf. Trying to not think of Søren, Raven focused on the wolf. She realized that it did not walk, as a regular wolf, yet it glided with its paws a centimeter above the stone. “Strange," Raven thought. She wondered if the wolf was even real. It seemed real enough.
She was so lost in thought, she almost did not realize that the wolf had stopped in front of two large dark french doors.
The wolf walked towards the doors. It glided towards them, and the doors slowly opened inwards. Raven wondered if the wolf had opened the doors with magic- or how they opened otherwise.
Raven took a deep breath and stepped inside. Inside, it was much different than Raven expected. She expected a grand obsidian throne room, to match with the french doors. Yet before her was a white marble formal dining room. A young woman was sitting in a fancy cushioned chair. She could see the small butterflies carved in the golden chair.
She had dark purple hair that flowed in the air. It sparkled just like a starry night sky. A small spirit Tawny Owl was perched on her shoulder. The owl watched Raven with a dark stare, it flapped its wings and squaked, as if it were giving Raven a warning. An amethyst crown sat leisurely at the head of the table. Raven knew at once that young lady had to be a queen. On the table, there were a variety of strange dishes. She could see a glowing lavender cake that was made of mist and a drink that looked as if pink lemonade was vaporized.
The queen motioned for Raven to sit at the other side of the table, but she stood and stared, dumbfounded.
Mist swirled around until it was entirely covered. Raven watched, terrified that the mist was killing the wolf until the mist dissipated and left a boy not much older than Raven. He had feathery platinum blond hair and the same striking eyes as his wolf form. He was wearing a leather aviator jacket and black jeans and seemed entirely human despite having been a spirit wolf less than a minute ago.
The queen did not look surprised at all to see that the wolf had turned into a person.
“Thank you for bringing her here, Luke,” She said with half a smile.
Luke nodded his head and walked out quickly.
The queen looked back at Raven. The queen motioned her to sit down again more aggressively. Raven sat down across from the queen, still blank.
“So,” She started stroking the owl, watching Raven intently. “You must be confused,” she smirked, “Am I right?”
“Kind of…”
“Well, I'm the one who sent you here, do you want to know why?” She didn’t wait for a response. “It’s because of your dad.” Raven’s paused in disbelief.
“My dad?”
“Yes Raven, your dad did horrible things here.” The queen nodded. The obsidian door creaked open. Søren entered, he was pale and scared.
“Hello” Søren murmured.
“Hello, son.” Cold air filled the room.
“What did you do to my dad?” Raven clenched her fists.
“Hah, we didn’t do anything to him, he just disappeared. Your father took the amethyst butterfly from here. He killed the king, my husband, and his father.” The queen said. Søren looked out the window.
“No.” Raven shook her head.
“No?” The queen laughed, “You’re too funny.”
“I’ve been waiting for you, Raven. You’re going to get what you deserve.”
“I haven’t done anything!” Raven shouted.
“You are the daughter of our traitor, of course, you’re going to get what you deserve.”
Raven felt sick.
“Wake up Raven,” she thought to herself, but this was no dream. Then, Søren ran to Raven and grabbed her hand.
She saw Luke transform into a wolf, and surrounded them all in spirit mist.
“Hey! Where do you think you’re going!” The queen screamed.
The mist obscured Raven’s vision, and she felt someone grab her hand, as they plunged into darkness.
Chapter 8
There was no glowing light in sight, no graceful owls, no playful spirits, no butterflies. Just the cold, pitch-black darkness that surrounded her. Panic filled Raven’s mind, as she tried to see her surroundings, but just seemed unable to.
“Raven?” She heard Søren’s voice echo, sounding distant and far away. Raven tried to focus on his voice, but she felt unable to focus on it. I wish I was back, with my mom, just cutting wood or hunting. That would be… a lot easier.
“Raven?” The voice echoed again, louder this time.. With all the energy she still had, Raven sat up, and tried to focus her vision.
“Søren?” The darkness weakened and finally Raven saw a minute amount of light shine from above. Raven opened her eyes again, squinting from the light, despite the sky above being dark. Yet that meant nothing. .“Where are we?” He asked.
She turned to see Luke behind them, in wolf form. As she watched, he summoned the purple mist and transformed it into his human form. He stood up and nodded at Raven and Søren. She crossed her arms. “Care to explain who you think you are? Are you going to kill us?”
Luke looked around and mumbled, “It’s not what you think.” He paused and bit his lip nervously “You know, I just saved your life…”
Søren nodded his head, without saying anything.
“But why?” Raven scowled.
He looked straight into Raven’s eyes, “It would be hard to explain…”
“So Luke, why do you even think we should even trust you?” Raven inquired, raising her eyebrows.
He looked off into the distance, avoiding Raven’s gaze. He drew in a steady breath and looked back at her. His icy eyes flashed dangerously.
Luke took a shaky breath and responded “I risked everything to help you. I burned the bridge as the queen’s advisor, and will probably never be welcome in the castle again. The least you can do is trust me!” Luke snarled; his wolfy side showing.
“You're lying,” Raven grumbled.
She could feel the touch of a hand resting on her shoulder, she turned to see Søren. “Raven, I understand how you feel, but we have to trust each other. He might know where the amethyst butterfly could be.”
Raven looked away, “But he’s a spirit animal from the queen’s court!”
“Technically I just have a spirit form…” Luke started to retort, but Raven cut him off.
“And the queen probably tasked him to trick us!”
“I saved you!”
“You also were the one who brought me into the spirit world in the first place. Care to explain why?” Raven counteracted coolly.
Søren sighed “Raven…”
She cut him off, “I’m asking a simple question,”
“It was… under the queen’s orders. But I don’t follow her anymore!”
Luke paused and looked at Søren imploringly.
Søren's voice shook, “We don’t have time to fight. We need to work together to find the amethyst butterfly.” He paused and looked at Raven. “That means we have to trust each other...”
“You're so naive Søren - for trusting this guy” She sighed in annoyance.
Søren crossed his arms, “I-”
Raven held her hand up, “Stop your pestering.” She turned around, “There it is, my house- My mom. But how…” Raven paced towards her cabin then paused, “If you want… You can come, Søren.” She looked down, “You too- Luke-.”
Raven ran up the familiar steps. They creaked under her feet and sagged. She opened the door and was shocked to see there were no candles lit in the usually bright fireplace, there were just a few embers. Luke and Søren cautiously followed her through the dismal living room.
Luke drew in a breath and said “Raven, I-” But Raven shushed him. She darted through the small kitchen and ran up the stairs to her mother’s room.
“Mother?” Raven’s voice echoed through the cabin, and all was still. The bedroom was empty. Raven drew in a breath sharply and her heart was pounding. She heard footsteps trailing behind her. Raven cocked her head to the side, Luke stood there, his face seemed as pale as a ghost.
“Raven, something happened… to your mother”
Raven’s heart stopped, she tilted her head to the left.
Waiting impatiently, she spoke in a low dangerous tone. “Well, where is she?” He looked down as Søren slowly made his way up the stairs.
“Wait- don’t tell me, she must be outside doing some work.” Raven quickly passed by them, but Luke grabbed onto her wrist. She stopped with a halt and looked towards them. “What are you doing? I’m going to find my-”
“Raven, she’s gone.” He let go of her wrist and looked right into her eyes. “They decided to sacrifice her instead of you.” Everything seemed to darken around the room, her heart dropped.
She could hear her voice shake, “Yeah, that’s really funny, Luke.”
“Raven, she’s gone,” Luke replied, avoiding eye contact. Raven stood there in disbelief, but she couldn't seem to cry from the shock. She stepped backwards and looked out the window.
Luke turned around, “Raven, listen. The queen will do this to more people until she gets the Amethyst butterfly. She will go to any extent to receive it.” He paused, “We need to retrieve the Amethyst Butterfly, in order to free all the spirits. Your mom is now one too, trapped in that alternate world…”
Raven tightened her fists as Søren stiffened. “We could save her…?” Raven asked cautiously. Søren stepped towards her so that they were face to face.
He leaned in and whispered in her ear “Hey, we’re in this together. Of course we can.”
Raven took a few steps back in discomfort. Luke gave Søren a sideways glance in frustration and scowled.
“Look Raven! Why should I even care, I barely even know you. We need to look at the bigger picture here! It’s not all about you, so many people go through worse than you” Luke snared.
Søren straightened up and looked taken aback. “Look, Luke! You don’t have to put all of your anger on her. Her mother just died, how about you shut up!”
Luke looked taken aback. “I was stating the obvious!”
“Great comeback.” Søren mumbled and he motioned towards the living room and Raven followed him down the stairs. Luke was left at the landing of the stairs, feeling hollow inside.
Raven and Søren walked into the kitchen. “Do you think there's anything in here?” Søren asked.
“I'll check.” Her voice shook. Raven looked through the cabinets and found a small amount of jam still in a jar. Just the previous day, Raven and her mother had baked it together. It was a painful reminder of the past.
“I guess I’ll have to hunt for something. I really hope there’s more than just spirit animals in this forest.” He grinned.
“Be careful, ok?” Raven said.
He gave a small smile and walked out the door. Raven sat down at the table and started to sob. She tentatively took a spoonful. It seemed as if all the pain led down to her heart. They should have sacrificed me instead of my mother…
She heard Luke going down the staircase. He turned the corner and came into the kitchen. His eyes were bloodshot.
“Hey,” He managed
“Leave.” Raven looked away, trying to hide her tears.
“Raven, I’m- sorry. I didn’t mean what I said.”
Raven rolled her eyes, “You don’t mean it, that’s what they all say…”
“This just reminded me of my curse and I sometimes say things I don’t mean.”
Raven looked up at him, brushing away some of her tears, “What curse?”
“The queen found out I had an affinity with some of the spirit animals when I was only five. She killed my parents and cursed me” He looked down at the floor.
“To be a spirit wolf. Instead of killing me, I was one of her little experiments. She wanted to know what would happen if she infused spirit powers to a child. But she didn’t know what powers I would have. What I would become. They scared her. So she kept me in the castle as the royal advisor.” He paused, “What I’m trying to say is… it was hard for me to see this happen to someone else. And I’m afraid she will curse you too.”
“I understand, Luke.” Raven sighed, “But why are you telling me all of this...”
He stepped closer, “Because I trust you Raven…”
She crossed her arms, “Ok, i'll give you a chance, but it doesn't mean I trust you.”
Luke slightly smiled, “There’s something I want to give to you. It is a protection charm.” He took off a necklace Raven had not noticed yet and held it out to her. It was a silver coin with a wolf imprinted on the center, with strange writing around it in a language Raven did not understand. “It will keep you safe.” He looked into her eyes, and Raven cautiously took it and put it on. At that moment, Søren walked in,
“Why are you still here?” Søren growled at Luke.
Raven stood up, but she was shaking. “It’s OK. We need to stay on good terms with each other if we’re going to find the Amethyst Butterfly.”
Søren scowled and sighed, “I couldn’t find anything, we’ll have to split the jam.” He walked over and spooned out jam for each person. He handed the plate to Luke without saying anything. Raven slowly ate the jam, looking down at the floor. The feeling of pain and sadness spread around her. After a while, the dusk of night spread across the sky. The energy was still bitter between the two boys when Luke broke the silence. “We should start heading out, the queen will find us if we don’t.”
A chill ran across Raven’s back, “I guess you're right, I’ll quickly pack up what we need from here, and then we could start going.”
Raven nodded and got up, almost knocking over the chair. She swiftly ran to her bedroom. It was probably the nicest room in the cabin. An imposing neat bed laid near a grand window. Four logs stretched upwards to create a canopy around her bed. She sat down on a quilted blanket her mother stitched. I wish everything was back to normal. I wish Mother was here with me. She tightened her fists as tears ran down her cheek. She looked down and traced each pattern carefully.
That’s when she looked up, at the tinted mirror that sat across from her. She walked over to examine herself. She looked to be a big mess, cuts ran over all of her legs and face. Her clothes were ripped up and her hair was a knotty mess. She looked different, yet Raven couldn't place why. She looked like the same girl from the woods-yet something seemed off.
Luke yelled impatiently, “You probably should start wrapping everything up.” She tilted her head and sighed in annoyance. A faint noise of cricket chirps played in the distance. Everything was so peaceful and quiet. Raven dragged open a drawer and quickly grabbed a leather bundle. A single flap buttoned onto the opening.
She cautiously brushed her black hair, until it was nearly silky smooth. After playing around with her hair, she nervously placed the brush on her wooden table. She briskly changed into a new outfit. Cold sweat dripped down her forehead, it felt like a pair of eyes were watching her. Raven turned and frantically shoved her clothes into her bundle.
They all walked out of the doorway as a cold wisp of air hit Raven.
Raven turned around and stared into the house. Her hand shook as she slowly closed the oak door.
Søren signed “Come on, Raven. It’s best to not dwell on the past.”
Søren smiled at her and shifted so his hazel eyes sparkled in the moonlight. Her heart fluttered, as she stared into his eyes.
He smiled and she looked back at Luke, “Luke, do you have any idea where the amethyst butterfly might be?”
Luke grinned as if he had expected this question. “I have a pretty good idea where it might be…” He paused. “In the very place, Raven calls home-this very Spirit Forest.”
“Only spirits can ever find their way out. It seems you have been stuck here for a while.”
Raven looked annoyed but responded “My whole life…”
Chapter 9
They all walked around the woods in silence. The pine trees calmly swayed their branches with the light cool breeze. Raven closed her eyes, taking in a deep sorrowful breath, it seemed as if her heart was sore. It hurt just to think of Mother. Maybe she had gotten away too. Søren looked around stunned and excited at the view. He looked up at the sky, the bright stars twinkled. Luke didn’t seem too interested, he looked forward with a deep expression glued to his face.
