Crimson Dusts

This is the tenth time I have gone deep in the Dark Forest. Though I have been warned many times of the dangers that await me here, I never hesitated on continuing this jaunt. That’s because, every time I smell the dried leaves falling from those boughs, every time I hear the million drops of water from those huge vines, I feel I am getting closer to my destination. It’s this feeling that drives me back here. I can’t deny it.

Twenty…no fifteen. Fifteen more strides and I’ll get to see what I came here for. It’s all the same – the trees, the barred night sky, the wild animals that kept on coming after each steps I made. It seemed this place hasn’t changed at all since the first time I lost my way here. I can still remember this same feeling I have now. It’s like I have known this place even before. So amiable.

Just like the last time I visited here, this place is full of magic. The hundred-year-old Oak tree glimmers as thousands of fireflies dance with ease around it just as they were preparing for the coming of their queen. The Oak’s leaves are swirling as if it was beckoning me to join their party. Beyond this rare beauty I have witnessed for the tenth time is the pleasant harmony that came from nowhere. Everything here is a mystery.

I couldn’t help myself but accept the implicit invitation this place has offered me. It’s inevitable for an orphan like me. This courtesy that the heart of the forest has showed – it’s like a dream. No one has been so dear to me before, not even my so-called friends cared much of me. I guess I’m really that lonely calling them as my friends though all they do was to torment me.

But this place, which I have not even known for years have given me the essence of a home. It’s too dreamy for me to feel this way. I will not let these moment pass. Just even through this, I can finally say that there’s still a place where I belong. There is a place where I can finally dance and sing without being bothered that someone might get annoyed or pissed off. This is the kind of home I have been seeking all this time.

It’s been an hour since I’ve arrived here in the heart of the forest. It’s about time for the queen to come out now and join the fun.

I can hear trumpets blowing from afar. She’s near. For the first time, I would be seeing her close unlike before where I would only be watching her flew above us towards the other side of the forest. This day is very special, indeed, for the queen to join us.

There, up that night sky, I can sense the silhouette of the queen blocking the moon’s light. It’s something I have never expected to witness at this kind of place. It’s full of mystery yet so warming. Just the sight of these scenes would calm me down.

Her  thin, silky, purple wings are flapping smoothly as hundreds of tiny magical crimson dusts fall from them. I wonder how those dusts didn’t reached the grounds after they fell. She is coming close to me. I can now clearly see her. But, I was deceived of my expectations. She is more than an angel. With those reddish eyes that glitter as she comes closer to me and that flawless face of her, I can’t tell whether a human could ever possessed such perfect structure. Her periwinkle hair is waving along with every breath of the wind. I am stunned with this kind of beauty.

The queen draws her slender hands on my forehead. Come, my child, enjoy the night with us ‘til you get tired. I can’t see her lips move but I can hear those gentle words of her in my head. As result, I let her take hold of me and made me joined the party with her. We are dancing, singing, eating, and drinking all throughout the night. I never had these kinds of stuffs before – stuffs that would give me bliss this much.

I know I am not imagining all of these because I’ve been here for so many times. I can feel its physical existence. Even though I can’t fathom what lies behind its magic and mystery, I’m still glad to be part of it. All of the mythical beings I have been with tonight seemed to understand what I feel from the start. They have comforted me so much, though I am a complete stranger. A nobody.

Child, have all the fun and be at home. Those words of the queen keep on repeating in my head. This feeling I have now is so grand that I couldn’t stop it from bursting. These scenes, if they were on the world outside this forest, I would not have gone all the way here just to witness them. My tears poured suddenly.

“My child, what’s wrong? Aren’t you having fun with us?” She wiped my tears as she uttered those words with concern. This time, her lips moved but she seemed to be troubled.

My tears then burst harder. “Why are you so kind to me? I am not one of you…”

I expected a bleak response but the queen smirked back and patted me, instead. “Why are you so worried my child? Haven’t my minions told you that you’re a part of this family?” After hearing those words of assurance, I suddenly felt at ease. My tears are beginning to wear away. I haven’t heard anyone said such kind words without hesitations ever since.   

The queen then flew up as high as the Oak tree and swirled around. I can the crimson dusts falling from her wings. Brownies circled beneath the queen and with them is a wide golden cloth. For the first time, the dusts finally fall into something. It’s another magic and mystery I couldn’t even tell how and why it happened.  

The queen flew back to me holding the golden cloth tightly. “The time has come my child. You have been summoned and you responded obediently. It’s time to give you back what really belongs to you. Welcome to this world, my child!” She handed me the golden cloth then flew again and sang in rejoice. The harmony now is getting louder and even more pleasant. It is slowly creeping into my body. Something inside me is awakened.

Note: This is an original story by Red Phantom.