Chapter 4 - Robin

I dropped the flower and took a few steps back, looking from my hand to the flower and back, wondering what the hell was going on.  I then remembered the shockwave that made the Head let me go, and how I created a fire for the first time in my life easily.  And now I made a flower bloom in my hand…what’s going on?

I walked over to a tree and put my hand on the rough bark, then closed my eyes and thought of a branch with beautiful green leaves growing.  I opened my eyes, and as I did so I felt my hand being pushed back.

A branch had grown.

I gasped and took a step back.  How was this possible?  It’s not.  Anything like this was just for stories, some tale to be told to little kids.  Magic, that’s what it’s called, isn’t real.

But, what else could it be?

I stopped looking at the broken flower and new branch and ran, just wanting to get away from whatever was happening.  I ran until the trees stopped and I met an old building, I had finally found a town.  I put up my hood and walked into it, surveying the old buildings and people busying themselves with everyday things.  I walked down the streets and eventually found a bakery, and when I was just about to go inside, a man walked out and said a quick, “Hello, Millie,” then walked away before I could ask who that was.  I turned back to the bakery and saw my reflection in the glass, only, it wasn’t my reflection.

It wasn’t me standing in front of the door; it was a tall girl with brown hair and blue eyes, staring back at me and doing what I did.  No wonder he had said hi to me; I didn’t look like me, I looked like that Millie person.

I felt for my hood and found it, and when I lowered it the reflection changed.  It was now me standing there, and when I put my hood up again, I looked like someone else.  It was a guy about my height with blond hair and brown eyes, and when I lowered my hood again it was just normal me.  Now I know why no one bothered me whenever the hood was up, it was never me, it was always someone else.  My hood disguised me.

What the hell is going on?!

I left my hood down as I walked inside, smelling fresh baked bread and mouthwatering sweets, making me realize just how hungry I really was.  I scanned all the breads and decided to get a loaf of blueberry when a man walked behind the counter.

“You new in town?” he asked me with a smile.

I looked up to him and returned it. “Yes, I just came here.”

“Well,” he said. “I think you’ll like what I’ve made.”

“I’m sure I will,” I said. “How much for a blueberry?”

“Two silver, please,” he said, taking out a loaf and sitting it on the counter.  I took out my bag of coins and handed him two, and at that he smiled and said, “Thank you.  I hope you like it here.”

I smiled. “I already do.”

I left with that and walked around, taking everything in.  The buildings all looked ancient, but they were beautiful.  The houses all had the same kind of look, usually a one story place made of stones or wood.  All the shops looked almost the same, but had larger windows in the front.  I put the bread gently in my bag and headed back to the forest, putting up my hood so no one would know it’s me.  I need to figure out what is going on.  How is it possible that I could just…not be me?  Be able to do something that’s only ever been told in storybooks, it can’t be real.

There has to be some rational explanation, someone must be fooling with me.  But who?  Who could possibly do this unless they had magic themselves?  I groan and sit down on the cool grass, looking up at the canopy of leaves above me.

I end up on my back, looking up at the blue sky I can see through the treetops.  What now?  I’ve escaped, yes, but what am I supposed to do?  I am sure I could lie about my age, maybe find someway to earn money.  But that could take forever, and I don’t have that long.  How am I to survive?

“You look deep in thought.”

I snapped my eyes opened, not realizing they had been closed, and saw a boy standing over me, his features unclear because the sun was in my eyes.  I sat up and saw him, the one from earlier who had woken me.  I thought he had gone to town.  How did he find me again?

“Are you following me?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

He put his hands up in a sign of surrender. “Nope.  I just keep seeing you.”

“Doesn’t mean you have to talk to me, or let me know you were nearby,” I said rudely.

He didn’t seem to care about that. “It’s not my fault you seem to live in the woods.”

“And you wander in them because…?” I asked, hoping he’d explain.

He smiled and let out a chuckle, one that made me want to smile, but I shook that thought and didn’t. “Well,” he said, “I like the peace.  What’s your excuse?”

I stood and put my hands on my hips, clearly annoyed. “I don’t need to tell you.  It’s none of your business.”

“No,” he admitted, “but I’d like to know.”

“Well I don’t want to tell.”

“Okay, then,” he said. “Well, if I’m going to keep bumping into you, I might as well know your name.”

I narrowed my eyes at that, wondering why on Earth he’d want to know. “Why?”

He laughed, and then looked at me with a small smile. “Just answer the question.”

I hesitated, then said, “Robin.”

“Last name?”

“No.”

“Okay, then, Robin,” he said, and I could hear a robin singing in the distance. “I think I’ll call you something else.”

“No.”

“Oh, come on, what’s the harm?”

“No.”

“Well, since you insist,” he said, ignoring my protests.  I could hear the robin fly closer, still singing his song.  He smiled. “How about…Songbird?”

“My name may be a type of bird, but I don’t sing,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Now can I get on with my day in peace?”

“Sure,” he said, and then added, “Songbird.”

I glared after him as he smirked, then turned and walked away.  When he finally disappeared I wondered if I was ever going to see him again, then realized that I had told him my name, but he hadn’t told me his.  What was he playing at?  I swear; he must be following me.  To meet the same guy twice in one day, that was no coincidence.  There are no such things.

I laid back down on the cool grass, letting out a sigh.  When am I even going to see him again?  I hope never, he’s rude and a know-it-all.  He’s annoying and cocky, if I ever saw him again, I think I’d end up committing murder, and I won’t go to jail for strangling that rude boy.

I got up and looked around, faintly seeing the sun start to go down in the distance.  I put up my hood and started walking in the direction I think that cave is in, and eventually found it as the sun was half visible through the trees.  My stomach growled and I took out the bread, eating about half the loaf.  It was delicious, somehow still warm despite it being in my bag all day.  A squirrel darted from one tree to another not that far away, and I wondered if I could ever catch it, I can’t just live off this bread and the few coins I have.  Somehow, my mind drifted to the book, I had read it of course.  That Robin Hood had been a great shot with an arrow, but I doubt I could ever do that.  Besides, I don’t have a bow and arrow to�"

Something’s weighing down my lap.

I looked down and saw a bow, with a quiver of arrows off to my right.  I guess I do have some kind of magic, but I can’t really control it.  It took me thinking hard about that in order for it to actually happen, or a panicked situation to get my attacker off.  Concentration.  Desperation.  Those are two things that will summon it.  Now I must control it.

I stood with the bow in my right hand and an arrow in my left, and then nocked the arrow.  I aimed for the squirrel still lounging in the tree, eating a nut and oblivious to me.  I concentrated on the image of the arrow hitting the poor creature, and let it go.  I blinked and saw the squirrel was no longer in the tree, and then looked at the base to see the arrow had gone through its heart.

I walked over to the little creature and leaned down beside it, then whispered a little thanks to it for helping me to survive.  It just felt right to do that, to thank it for helping me to live.

That night I basically had a squirrel sandwich, there’s really no other way to put it.  It didn’t taste that great, but it was better than nothing, so I ate every last bite.  I guess that now this is how I’m going to survive, buying what I can with the little money I have, and using magic to help me out with some hunting.  But, I can’t rely on it to do everything for me.  I’ll have to learn to be a good shot without it helping me.

I stood, forgetting about any fatigue, and walked over to a small clearing with my bow and quiver of arrows.  I went over to a low branch on one of the trees and closed my eyes, and when I opened them there was a target hanging from it.  I walked back about twenty paces, then nocked an arrow in the bow, aiming for the center of the target.  I let it go and it soared through the air right past the target, and I let out a groan.  I’ve never been good with aim; I may need that magic for a little while.

I tried a few more shots, hitting the target on the outside once and the tree twice, all the others whizzing past.  When the moon was right above me and my arms felt like jelly, I gave in and headed back for the cave, concentrating and making all the arrows disappear(there was a constant amount of three in the quiver).

When I got back I was exhausted, so I just laid my head down on my bag and covered myself with my cloak as a blanket, falling into a peaceful sleep uninterrupted by dreams.