My eyes fluttered open. Bright light flooded my vision. The birds sang a sweet song that I was sure I heard in my dreams. Flower opened my window for me, so there was a light breeze swishing my curtains. It's been three days since Orleans and I started to plan our trip to Lorelei, and I still have yet to tell Flower and Stem. I wasn't sure how they would feel, though. Would they be glad that I'm finding out the truth? Would they be worried and not let me go? Will they come with us? I contemplated how to tell them. But I'm not even sure if we could even go to Lorelei. I don't even know how far she is away from here. Is she in a different world? I decided to push those thoughts out of my mind. I texted Orleans yesterday asking when we were planning on going. I frantically checked my phone, and still no response. All of these thoughts were clogging my brain. I needed to relax and let go. The summer air in the morning was cool, so I slipped on a light jacket and sneakers and headed outside for the forest behind my house.
Grass brushed under my feet as I strode into the woods. The birds continued singing their song of summer. If only I could whistle like them. They made a little call and I tried to mimic it. All that came out was some high-pitched breath. Worth a try, I guess. The breeze wafted across my face and hair, making the morning feel that much sweeter. I glanced over and saw a little toad, hopping across the ground. After rubbing some dirt on my hands so my skin oil wouldn't hurt it, I picked up the toad. Its chin was expanding and contracting, like a balloon. Its little eyes stared in different directions. Suddenly, it hopped out f my hands and back onto the ground, disappearing from sight. I felt the dry and crusty dirt on my hands, so I looked for a way to wash it off. Walking deeper into the forest, I found an old well. The kids at school say this old well could grant any wish you want. But only on the last day of summer if you throw an item you found during the season. One that is most precious to you. On the edge, there was a wooden bucket with water in it. But not dirty water like I expect. Clear, shiny water that you could get at a restaurant. After rinsing my hands and drying them off on my jacket, I looked deeper into the well. Strangely, there was no water on the bottom. But, why? I tried to observe it closer. Suddenly, I felt a force behind me, and I somersaulted into the well. I tried to grab onto the ledge, but my fingers slipped. I tumbled down the well, my vision whirling like the stroke of a thick paintbrush. My heart thumped in my chest.
I thought This is the end. I landed with a hard impact, so hard that I broke my leg. Excruciating pain bolted through my fracture and a blood-curdling scream shot out of me, echoing through the whole well. Tears and sweat ran down my face. It became harder and harder for me to breathe. I was yelling and screaming and wheezing. Sour spit pooled into my mouth and my stomach twisted. Without warning, I threw up right beside me. I didn't even care how it smelled. I just wanted to get out of this well. I was trying to breathe and trying to scream at the same time. I started flailing my arms and letting out truly heart-breaking sounds, like a toddler having a gigantic tantrum. I didn't know what was going on. My vision got darker and darker as I got dizzier and dizzier. Then it all went black.
"Hey, hey." A voice said. I forced myself to open my eyes. I looked around. I wasn't inside the well anymore. Everything around me was made out of pure wood. There were tables and chairs and shelves of colored liquids. A man was shaking me awake. He wore a robe that looked like it was from ancient Greece. He was muscular, young and had glowing yellow skin. QUestions were flooding my mind. I opened my mouth to ask one.
"I know, I know," He said. "You have a lot of questions. Well, I'll answer them all. My name is Etiro, Internal Spirit of Healing. I found you asleep in the well. I felt that internal spirit aura from you, so I brought you to my tree. My question now to you is who are you?"
"I'm the mysterious son of Tano and Lyma. The son they threw away," I responded.
Etiro's eyes widened, "You... are still alive?"
I nodded, "I was found by two nature nymphs and they renamed me Yeebelr which means 'colors of the Earth' in their language."
"Interesting... how did you end up in the well?" Etiro asked.
"I was looking inside it and an invisible force pushed me in. I fell and broke my leg," I said.
"That leg is all healed up and ready to go. And the force that pushed you was probably Linus, the Internal Spirit of Self-Doubt. I guess he wanted to see you suffer," Etiro chuckled.
"I definitely did. I cried, wheezed, screamed and threw up. Then I passed. out," I explained. Etiro put is index finger and thumb on his chin. Then an idea popped into my head.
"I still don't know much about what I'm the Internal Spirit of. Me and my friend Orleans, who is actually Sienna of Sorrow, are looking for Lorelei to find answers. Do you know where she is?" I asked.
"I'm sorry, child. No. Sienna wouldn't know, either. What a young one she is," Etiro answered.
"How young is young for you Spirits?" I asked curiously.
"About five hundred to one thousand years old," He responded.
I gasped. "I'm only twelve! One-two!"
He laughed "Practically an embryo! It was that recent, huh? I thought you'd at least be one hundred,"
I chuckled. "Nope,"
I just remembered the situation I was in. "Holy crap! I have to get back home! My parents must be worried sick! How long have I been out?"
"A few hours," Etiro said.
"A few hours?????" I shouted.
"I will send word to Sienna. But before you go, I must tell you this! If you end up going to see Lorelei, you must be cautious. In our realm, you will get in the way of yourself," Etiro said.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.
"It's pretty self-explanatory," He said. Before I could say anything else, a yellow light surrounded me and I was back into the well. Glancing up, I realized how deep a fell. A good fifteen feet. I suddenly saw the silhouette of a head.
"Yeebelr!" Said a high-pitched voice. Orleans.
"Orleans!" I yelled back.
"I got word from Etiro! I'm coming down!" Orleans, halfway in a bubbled of water, floated down to me and held out her hand. The water floating around her was crystal blue. She looked so godlike and majestic. I grabbed her hand and we floated back up to the top. She wrapped her arms around me so tightly that it startled me.
"I was so worried about you. I thought you died," she cried.
"I'm okay," I responded.
"We're going home right now. I think Flower and Stem are worried sick!"
I felt better about that. I just want my parents to know that I'm alright. We walked back through the forest, the trees, the brushing grass, the singing birds and the hopping toads back to my house. We were hand-in-hand, and she smiled a smile that made me comforted and sorrowful at the same time. We opened the door to my house and Flower and Stem gasped and threw their arms around me, tighter than Orleans did. I told them everything. About the forest walk, the force, the well, Etiro, and what he had said. I also told them about how Orleans and I were planning to see Lorelei, and they were proud of us. That moment of pride made summer sweeter than it ever could be.
Our journey has truly begun.
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