1 Ghost Circles

The ground was much softer than Clara had anticipated and she quickly retreated, lest she lose the only thing she had going for herself: her good boots. She sighed, looking around for another way to the other side of the sinkhole. She had been following the lights for about ten minutes now, with no end in sight. She knew that what she was doing was stupid, and could get her killed, but it was the only lead she had right now to finding her mom. She clutched the small circle charm of his necklace, closing her eyes and once again, remembering the last time she saw her.

She was just a baby, and she had leaned in close, her dark, curly hair tickling her nose.

"My little Doe," she cooed, gently cupping his face. She always had different animal names for her. When she splashed in the tub, she could call her her little Frog, when she dug in the sandbox, her little Gopher. But she always came back to Doe. She kissed her forehead, and quickly pulled her necklace over her head, placing it around Clara's neck. "Someday you will rule the stars for me." She gave her one last kiss, and began to glow, then disappeared in a flash of blue light.

Just like the one that Clara saw on the side of the road as she was driving home from work. She had almost crashed swerving off the road, parking haphazardly on the shoulder as cars flew past. She blinked a few times, at first simply believing that she had imagined the light. But it still hovered there, just inside the treeline. It was nearing nightfall, and she clutched his jacket tighter around herself. I'm crazy, she thought as she walked slowly towards the forest. She paused right before the light, its blue glow illuminating the trees around it, but almost darkening the rest of the forest. A fog that Clara hadn't noticed before seemed to appear from nowhere, and as Clara reached out, she felt as if the trees were holding their breath. Her fingertips brushed the light, and her hair stood on end. Suddenly, the light disappeared, reappearing a good ten feet away, deeper into the trees. Clara recoiled her hand, and stared at the next light. She could hear her father's voice in her head, as they sat on the front porch during summer nights, watching the fireflies.

"Will o' wisps are tricky creatures, Clara. One moment you're somewhere familiar, innocently following a light; the next you're captured by the fae," he stared off into the distance, into the dark, and Clara followed his gaze to the edge of the yard, where a blue light seemed to hang for a moment before disappearing.

"Will o' wisp," Clara repeated, and the ball of light seemed to bounce in agreement. Clara paused for a moment before stepping between the trees. The world seemed to quiet instantly. The high traffic of the road seemed to be miles away now, and her footsteps seemed to be muffled by moss and leaves. Instead of the normal sounds of the forest, Clara could hear faint whispering, and as she neared the next light, she realized that it was the wisp that was whispering. As she touched the next one, it disappeared again, reappearing a distance away. Clara looked back and could still see her car and the road through the trees. She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and gave chase through the trees, following the wisps.

That's how hse found himself almost falling into a sinkhole. She wanted to say it's been ten minutes, that she could just turn around and the car would be right there, but she knew the truth. It was too dark and her sweatshirt was soaked through from walking in the thick fog. Her teeth chattered, and she cursed herself for not grabbing her thicker jacket that always sat in her passenger seat. The light floated tantalizingly close, but as Clara had just figured out, a sinkhole stood in her way.

"I'm so stupid," Clara muttered to herself as she finally pulled out her phone, turning on the flashlight. The woods seemed to close in on her, but she picked her way carefully around the pit, making sure to keep the blue light in sight. Her hair hung in damp, dark rings around her face. As she approached the light, a sudden noise caught her attention. The noise was familiar but also completely foreign. She shone the light of her phone around, hearing the noise once again. It was like the sound of a bed sheet flapping on a clothesline, snapping in the breeze, but quicker and higher pitched. The sound seemed to surround her, and as she closed the distance between herself and the will o' wisp and reached out, she felt the air warp around his hand. The light disappeared, and Clara looked around for it to reappear again. But it was dark. She was suddenly aware of where she was, of how far from the road she had travelled, how dark it was, and how completely isolated she felt. In a panic, she tried to rush forward, tripping on unseen tree roots. As she fell, Clara felt what seemed like invisible spider webs catching her skin. She closed her eyes, falling onto her side, trying to cover her face and prevent any injuries.

Clara laid there for a moment more, but nothing happened. Instead she realized that she could hear...birds? She moved her hands from her face and opened her eyes.

Instead of the dark, misty forest she had just been in, Clara now found herself in a grove of trees, golden rays of light shining through the canopy. Maybe I passed out? She thought, reasoning that she must have woken up the next day. Wildflowers spotted the clearing, and as Clara sat up, she could hear the sound of running water not far in the distance. She hadn't heard water last night, or if she did, she couldn't remember. A familiar noise made Clara snap her head around, and as rushed to his feet and spun around, she suddenly found himself on the wrong side of an arrow.

Clara instinctively put her hands up, but the stranger didn't waver. He said something in a language that Clara didn't understand, and as she stood silent, the stranger paused, seemed to think for a moment, then cleared his throat.

"Can you understand me?" He asked and Clara nodded. "Strange. You understand common." the man said to himself. Then he addressed Clara again. "What are you doing here?" Clara stumbled a little over her words.

"The uh, lights-I mean the wisps guided me here. I fell, and woke up here." Clara watched the man squint, his bright blue eyes seemingly trying to judge the truthfulness of his story. His eyes shifted like a running river, calm but hiding a deep undercurrent.

"You're...human?" He asked, lowering his bow. Clara laughed, the nervousness palpable in her voice.

"Um, yeah? What else would I be?" The stranger looked her up and down.

"I should have known by the accent and strange way of dressing," the man smirked, replacing his arrow and shouldering the bow. "My name is Vasil." The man held out his hand and Clara paused.

"The fae," her father warned. "Are tricky in ways you wouldn't even think. They'll steal your very name, and then you'll never be able to return."

"You can call me Doe," Clara said and shook Vasil's hand. Vasil's smirk faltered slightly, but only for a moment, and then he smiled again.

"Well Doe, welcome to the Spring Kingdom," Vasil said, and gestured with his hand, sweeping across the trees. Doe looked around, shivering from the cold of her wet clothes.

"Let me take you to get warm, you must be tired from your journey here," Vasil suggested, and Clara nodded. Vasil whistled three notes that floated high and soft through the trees. They echoed for a moment before the sound of breaking branches made Clara turn and stumble backwards. Vasil caught her, laughing. Although he quickly released her, Clara was surprised at his warmth and was left with the comforting smell of pine. Quickly, Clara's attention was drawn elsewhere.

It was a deer, No, not a deer, Clara thought. An elk. But it was bigger than any elk she had ever seen. Granted, Clara had not seen that many elk, but she knew for certain they don't grow to be 12 feet tall at the shoulders, have sparkling antlers and three glowing eyes.

"Do not be afraid," Vasil said, pushing Clara upright. "It's just my friend Xeglun." The elk snorted, stepping forward and sniffing Clara. "He won't bite," Vasil encouraged, gesturing to hold out her hand. Clara obliged, reaching out and letting Xeglun approach, nuzzling his nose in Clara's hand. It was warm and soft as velvet, and the animal closed his eyes as he gently rubbed his head on Clara's hand. "He likes you," Vasil said, and Clara could hear a hint of surprise in his voice. The elk laid down, and Vasil hopped on the animal's back, looking back at Clara. "Are you coming, Doe?" Clara looked back to where she had come from, then back to Vasil. She stepped forward, letting Vasil help her to situate herself in front of Vasil as the animal stood back up. Vasil clucked, urging the animal forward and they took off into the woods.

As Clara sat, leaning forward, the wind blowing in her face, she tried to take in her surroundings. The trees seemed normal enough, but from what she'd seen so far, she knew this wasn't anything normal. Vasil clutched onto Clara tight, and as she looked down, she could see the thin metallic rings and intricate tattoos that decorated Vasil's hands and arms. His right hand gripped tight to the elk's fur, and was still adorned with a leather finger glove. Clara could feel the bowstring digging into her back, and could hear the gentle rattling of the arrows in Vasil's quiver. Although they had never met, something about the man was familiar, like meeting a distant family member.

Clara couldn't tell how long it had been, but they finally stopped at a small steam and dismounted, letting Xeglun rest, although Clara guessed that he didn't really need it. Clara was also finally able to fully examine her companion. Vasil was wearing what Clara could only describe as a tan tunic, some kind of loose pants and riding boots. Over the whole outfit he wore a green cloak with a large hood, with slits cut so that he could reach his arrows. The sun's rays shone once again through the trees, creating a light display in the water. Vasil unbuttoned his cloak, slowly letting it slide off as he closed his eyes, letting the sun warm him. His golden hair reflected the sunlight, and Clara watched in awe as a pair of silken wings extended slowly from Vasil's back, catching the sunlight as they extended. Patterned black and orange like a giant monarch, Vasil's butterfly wings slowly moved back and forth, soaking up their own sunlight. Vasil turned, as if he could feel Clara staring, opening his eyes. Clara looked away, feeling the heat rising in her cheeks.

"We're almost there," Vasil said, walking back over to Clara as Xeglun kneeled back down. Clara noticed small flowers and patches of grass growing in the places where Vasil had stepped. "Let me show you my kingdom." Vasil held out his hand, and Clara took it, a puzzled look on her face.

"What do you mean, you're kingdom?" Clara asked, and Vasil was silent, instead urging the elk forward once again, and they galloped through the trees. Clara was about to press for an answer, when they suddenly stopped, and Xeglun snorted. Vasil stroked his neck.

"It's okay," Vasil soothed. "We're here." They dismounted, and Xeglun snorted once more, disappearing back into the woods. "The Spring Palace," Vasil parted the trees and as Clara walked through, she gasped. A huge stone castle stood in front of her, seemingly overgrown. But as Vasil waved her hand, the vines and brambles parted, and they both entered.