BLOOM's POV
Cheers erupted from the crowd as we stood in line waiting for our names to be called. We were handed our certificates and each time I got closer to the stage my knees shook and sweat streamed down the side of my face. It was sunny, the atmosphere lively as parents and loved ones cheered on, it was a proud moment for everyone, a high school feelings that we would all miss and here it was being written in my subconscious as a formal event. Life had robbed me of that joy.
Grandma was supposed to be here, but how can I blame her, she was too old to move around freely and would not leave grandpa's side for an hour. I was living off their pension and savings, who was I to complain or expect more?
"Bloom Castille."
There it was it was finally my turn, people clapped but no one cheered, I accepted my certificate with clammy hands as the cameras shuttered. The principal whispered congratulations and I nodded moving away for the next person. I found my way to my seat on the bleachers, sitting quietly, I had no friends which wasn't a surprise. I hadn't said anything to anyone at school, they don't know what my voice sounds like. I had hope the trauma would make me better or overcome but it didn't.
Hats went flying and I stayed still sulking as I stared at the certificate. And when people started to leave I made my way back home. Quite far from the city but just fitting for my uninteresting life.
Walking through the doors of the creaky cottage. Grandma stood there with a cake in her hand with the writing "I'm proud of you, Blossom." Tears welled up in my eyes, something I've been holding for a while now.
She gently put the cake down and hugged me and I let it all out like a waterfall. She rubbed her cheeks against mine and patted my back, "you've done well, my child, your parents will be proud."
I sobbed but it sounded like a hushed whimper, I tried my best to speak up around grandma, she's the only one I have left. And grandpa...
After my tears had dries out, I picked up the cake, blew out the candles and followed her to see grandpa. He was lying in bed as he had been for some months, and even before that he was always seated in the living room, reading some newspaper. Whenever he opens his mouth to speak he always talked about how dangerous the night was and how I needed to stay away from it.
When he felt my presence, his frail hands reached out to touch my hair and he smiled for the first time in a months. "You are ready." His voice cracked as he spoke and a slight shiver went down my spine. My chest felt light and my shoulders weighed, everything around me came alive, the dead tulips on the side drawer. My mind told me to look out the window and there, I saw the flowers and grass around us that wilted as he fell sick, come back to life again. They moved with the wind and I felt them sing to me, the feeling is surreal.
As that happened, I heard a thud and turned around. Grandma on the floor, her hands were clasped around grandpa's.
"Grandma," I whispered as I approached them. Their skin had turned pale, and I could feel it, there was no sign of life in them. I knew what it meant, grandpa had finally let go, they always told me that they would live and leave together, I didn't know what it meant. And grandma told me the only reason why they were here was to make sure I was ready.
With overwhelming sadness and anger, I hugged grandma quietly begging her to wake up. "Don't leave me here, you can't leave me here," I tried to scream but my throat was logged, it was painful to speak. I wanted now more than ever to shout, I wanted them to hear me, I wanted the city to tremble at my voice. All I got was thunder and lightning, it was just sundown and the weather had taken a sudden change.
"No, please," it was supposed to be a cry, but it was a whimper. I hated myself for this, how I feel so strongly but can't express it.
Tears flowed down and rain started to pour, heavy and angry, it rhymed with my emotions. How hopeless are you that even the clouds can express their anger but you can't. That was the first negative thought I had ever since my parent died. "It's not my fault," I whispered.
I was finally quiet and so was the rain, although the sky was still gloomy. The tulips on the drawer had withered, my eyes felt heavy and my body refused to move. "Goodnight grandma, grandpa," I yawned as I let sleep in, hoping that once I woke up things will go back to normal.
I had woken up on the floor to darkness, the body I had once clung to before I fell asleep was gone. I hurried to get a lamp and I saw it, around me and on the bed grandpa once laid on were ashes like withered petals, his body imprinted into the sheets, that was the only sign he was there. The air smelt like old roses and something faintly illuminated beneath the ashes on the bed. My hands instinctively moved to the light and it was a key necklace, as tiny as a pin.
I quickly looked for the little box grandma always told me about. She had told me a lot of things that would happen once she died and here I was, it felt so soon. The key opened the little safe and what was inside was a letter tied with a vine, a credit card and a smartphone. I opened the letter first and it read:
"Dear Blossom,
I know by now you might be sad and scared of what had happened and what to do next. Do not worry my child, everything is falling into place. I need you to know you are special, our family is, you come from a bloodline of nymphs, sadly your mother was a human and you weren't born one, but as you grew your connection became deeper, that was how we were able to find you on the street. We sensed your grief and anger when your parents had died. We the nymphs were becoming extinct because of how much we were breaded for our powers, you might be the last if you hide well. One thing I know is that you are by far the strongest, we managed to pass down your grandfather's primordial powers to you and your father was a dryad. Which makes you a trine nymph. I know you might be confused but know the power you hold, the power of life and nature. Your emotions affect nature and also do nature affect yours. Creatures will come for you, because your lifeline is rare and your soul glows, don't let them find you. The house will fall apart to get her with us, find a place to stay, but hidden and closer to nature, I bought you a smartphone so you don't struggle communicating with people. We both love you Blossom, so do your parents, don't ever doubt that. My Blossom you must survive this world, and carry on our kind.
Love,
Grandma."
I didn't realize how tears had strummed down my cheek and it had started to drizzle, there were cracks in the roof. I had to leave but I had to remain calm, I didn't want the rain to drench me. And so I picked up the little box and some clothes, packed into a duffel bag. I had gathered their ashes into a jar and left, the minute I stepped out the door the house crumbled to the floor, the grass around it withered.
Here I was in my blue dress and a graduation gown, I immediately took off the graduation gown and stuffed it in my bag. I set fort into the forest not sure of being in the city first, I'm well aware of the danger it holds.
It had taken a while before a pond came into view and my heart felt lighter. The sight was beautiful, wild flowers surrounded the small pond, the water shone in the dark and lilies stayed at the top, it looked so compelling. That when I realized, the plants around seemed to lean towards me, they moved towards the pond, I felt life flowing around, the connection to nature. It was surreal.
My skin tickled to be touched by the calm water and I instinctively dropped my bag to the ground and took off my dress and boots. My feet touched the ground and I felt something move beneath me, I jumped when I saw little flowers beneath my feet, where I had stepped they grew.
Don't freak out, it's meant to happen.
I consoled myself as I stepped into the water, it wasn't deep and the water was warm, it glowed against my pale skin. I dipped my head into the water and it felt lighter. My rough hair straightened and shone under the water. I could literally sleep here and I did.
My body stayed afloat and I could feel life coarse through me, the water felt calm and the sound of the plants moving resonated in my mind.
After what felt like hours, I heard the snap of a stick. I whipped my head toward the sound and screamed, at least that what I thought, but of course I wasn't as loud as I hoped to be.
What stood at the other edge of the lake was a big black wolf. Its eyes were yellow and glowing as it stared at me. For some reason it didn't have any motive towards me. It just stared and I used the opportunity to leave the water and get dressed as fast as possible. It howled out and tried to jump towards me, but it bounced back against an invisible wall. When I noticed it couldn't reach me because of that barrier, I got closer to it and tried to touch it, I felt the wall. It felt like a barrier between two realms, and then I heard it.
"Mine."
"No freaking way. It's that-" I whispered and before I could finished, I heard it again.
"Mate. You can hear me, I know you can, you're not human."
It stared up at me and I fell back in shock. I shook my head repeatedly refusing to believe what was happening.
Right before my very eyes, I saw it, it bones moved as if it was cracking, hair disappeared and it's once animal like creature changed. It shifted into a man. He stood up and so did I.
"Oh my gosh! Im dreaming right," I grabbed my head, pulling my eyes back to be sure I wasn't dreaming. I know everything that had happened way better now had been abnormal but this is beyond that. Or was it just new to me.
He stood there stark naked and I tried my very best not to look downward. It was quite hard considering how tall he was, my eyes stared directly at his chest. He tried to touch me but he couldn't, he stared at me longingly, like he hadn't seen anything like me in his entire life. I watched him, his amber eyes lit up, his perfectly sculpted cheek and jaw with an aftershave. His brown hair mates to his forehead and he still looked like he had walked out of a magazine. He was beautiful, handsome couldn't described him enough.
I wanted to ask if he was an angel but I just saw him shift. Never in my 18 years of life did I think I would stumble upon a ware-wolf.
"Mate, you have to hide."
I heard his voice once again in my head, more alarmed this time. And that when I snapped out of it, I felt the chilling air, I turned around and the once glowing pond was pure black. I grasped onto the strap of my duffel bag. The plants grew quiet and the flowers that grew from my footprints withered immediately. I turned back to him and saw him banging against the barrier, he had a yelling expression. I moved not knowing what to do. I felt it, something draining, it smelt like cold blood and death. Goosebumps covered my skin and fear overwhelmed me. I shuffled through the dark as the ware-wolf kept banging for me to leave. It was more scared than I was, for sure. I shrunk to the ground, crawling trying to find cover beneath the plants when I started to feel dizzy and faint.
Everything went blank.