In The Kimber Forest - Sneak Peek

THE SISTERS

“Give it back!” Ella yelled, grabbing a fistful of her sister’s hair.

“Ouww!  Never, you let go first!” Eighteen-year-old Willow yelled back, tightening her hold on Ella’s hair.

“You grabbed my hair first!” Ella argued.

“Hmm!” With all the force she could muster, Willow pushed at her sister’s chest, causing her to stumble.  It was the opportunity she needed to get away, running away in that split second.  Ella stared in the direction her sister had disappeared, sighing because she knew she would never get it back. 

Ella could be considered a natural beauty with big blue eyes and skin that always tans but never burns.  She had curly blond hair, and even after a rough night’s sleep, it looked like she had just walked out of a salon.  The soft, round curls frame her face, falling her back in waves.  Under the shimmering sun, her hair looked like a wave of glistening gold.  Although she was two years older than her sister, she was relatively calm most times, except when it came to Willow.  “That brat.” She muttered, walking towards the kitchen.  Before she could take another step, the familiar sound of her ringtone filled the air.  Glancing at the screen, she realized it was their mother – Alexandria.  

“Mom is calling; get your ass here!” Ella yelled, running a hand through her hair as her phone rang once more.  She could hear her sister’s hurried footsteps, followed by her appearance.  Pushing her sister aside, Willow got into the frame.  Forcing a smile, Ella swiped the receiver’s button.  The familiar face of their mother filled the screen.  “Mom.” They both chorused.

“Hello sweetie, how have you-” Their mother trailed off, staring intently at her daughter’s face.  “Were you girls fighting?” She asked.

“No, we were not.” Willow rushed out, laughing tersely.  “Just exercising.” She added, rolling her shoulder as if to prove a point. 

“Hmm…” Alexandria mumbled, not convinced.  “Just checking up on you girls; I will be home in four days.” She said.

“Four days?” Willow repeated, her face scrunching in disappointment.  “You said today…” 

“I know, sweetie, and I am sorry.  I have to travel down to Toronto.  One of the pieces of equipment we need has been stalled, and –” Alex sighed, shaking her head.  Their mom worked for a global construction company, and the girls were used to their mother traveling.  “I will be back soon.” She assured.  For the next few minutes, they discussed everything they could, catching up on all the times they missed.  “Although I want to stay longer, I have to go.” Their mother sighed, looking at someone the girls couldn’t see.  The person was saying something, but neither of them could decipher what was being said.  Alex turned her attention back to her daughter, drawing her lips into a taut line.  “That’s my cue to go.  I love you girls.”

“Love you.” The girls replied, the line going blank.  Almost immediately, Willow pulled away, keeping as much space as she could between them.  “I guess I will be going to that party.”

“What party?” Ella asked.

“What do you want to know?” Willow retorted, disappearing once more. 

Ella gritted her teeth, shaking her head as she continued on the path to the kitchen.  As she stared out the window, the serenity of that moment wrapped itself around her being.  The angst she once felt was gone, and in place was a calmness that came with the surrounding.  She loved living in Kimber, and she couldn’t imagine living somewhere else.  It had always been their home and would continue to be forever. 

“I wish –” Before she could complete her sentence, a loud bang filled the air, bouncing across the walls of the house.  “Willow!” Ella yelled, running upstairs.  Her mind began to race as she wondered what her sister was up to this time.  Heading to her sister’s room, she flung the door open, expecting to see a mess.  But her sister wasn’t there.  “Willow?” She called once again.  Closing the door, Ella headed towards her own room.  But it was the same as the previous; Willow wasn’t there.  “Where are you?” She yelled, and almost immediately, a faint “I am here.” was replied back. 

“I am in the attic.” Willow added, this time with a much louder voice.  A frown knitted between Ella’s brows, and her gaze turned towards the ceiling.  They never went up there since it was a space to store most of the junk they didn’t need but couldn’t bring themselves to throw away.   “What is she even doing up there.” She muttered, heading towards the end of the hallways.  At the very end was an inconspicuous door in the ceiling.  It was much smaller when compared to a normal-sized one and was only accessible from the ladder attached to it. 

Climbing up, Ella coughed almost immediately as she poked her head to the other side.  Her nostrils were impugned with the thick dust particles that filled the air.  She could feel her nose tingle and a scratch at the back of her throat.  “What are you doing?” She coughed, pulling herself up.  The space was much smaller, but they could both fit without slouching. 

“I was looking for grandma’s chowder recipe.  But look at what I found?” Willow responded.  She was arm deep into a trunk Ella had never seen before, and her sister’s strawberry blond hair was coated with dust.  In the trunk were loads and loads of books.  They were all the same size and color but had different words written on the cover.

“Probably for grandma or Pepe.” Ella muttered, picking one up.  Their house originally belonged to their maternal grandparents.  It was the same place their mother had been born and the place they returned to after their father left.  “The portrait of Bravery: The Dwarves Clan lady, Olena Zelanda.” Ella read, flipping through the pages of the magazine.

“What are these?” Willow asked, voicing out the questions that filled Ella’s mind.

“How would I know?” Ella responded, pausing to read a few more words from the magazine.  Words like wolves, dwarves, and fairies stood out the most.  “Some fantasy subscription?” She wondered.

“Look at this, look at this!” Willow said hurriedly, pointing at a familiar name in the magazine she was holding.  “Luke Cregra. That’s Pepe’s name.” She said, amused and surprised.  “Was Pepe famous?” She giggled. 

“I don’t know.” Ella said, scanning the words next to his name.  “The monthly council of the Lymarn association?” She read, staring at her sister.  As soon as they flipped to the next page, they came face to face with a list of pictures, their names attached at the bottom.  At the very top was a headline none of them could understand.  ‘Officials on the dwarf council.’

“Olena Zelanda.” Ella said, pointing to the first picture.  “Where did I hear that name?” She muttered.

“You know her?” Willow asked.

“No, she’s- ah, she’s here.” Ella responded enthusiastically, pointing towards the magazine she was holding. 

“Look at this picture; oh my God, it’s a younger Pepe.” Willow said, chuckling.  “He looks so handsome.  I wonder if grandma was also part of the dwarf’s council.  Let me check.” She said, drawing an invisible line with her left hand as she searched for her grandmother’s name. “Zoë Cregra, Zoë Cregra…” She muttered.  Her eyes scanned the pictures, none seeming familiar as she kept searching. 

“At the far end, seventh line.” Ella said, finding her first. 

“Wow, Grandma looks so pretty.  She looks just like me.” Willow said, staring at her grandma’s face. 

“You just called yourself pretty, didn’t you?” Ella teased, an amused smile on her face.  “I call bean dip!” She scoffed, referring to a phrase their grandmother was commonly known to use.  A word that perfectly describes an absurd moment. 

“Of course I am pretty.” Willow retorted, rolling her eyes.  “How come we never knew our grandparents were part of a council?  It’s almost like we never knew who they were” 

“Wait – dwarves?” Ella repeated.  Almost immediately, both sisters turned towards each other, confusion on their faces. 

***        **         *           **         ***

Thousands of feet higher up, the wind moved with a greater force, changing the direction of the clouds.  They moved from west to east, and time was constantly ticking by.  Throughout the day, both sisters read through the magazines, only stopping as Willow’s stomach growled loudly.  “I am hungry.” She groaned, dropping the magazine she was currently reading.  She left it face down, leaving the page open.  “I don’t understand a single thing.” She confessed.

Ella looked up from what she was reading, her lips drawn into a thin line.  Many thoughts raced through her head, her mind a myriad of emotions.  They were all questions with no answers.  What she had read so far talked about a life she had never known and, at the same time – made her question a lot of things.  It felt like she was reading a fantasy novel, and they were about to find something big.  “I don’t know.” She said.  “Perhaps Joe knows something.”

“True.  Joe is as old as time; I am sure he knows a lot of things.” Willow shrugged.  Mr. Joeland Bojangales, known to his human friends as plain old Joe, lives deep in the forest in a well-built but simple cabin. 

He drives an old pickup truck, still running great, and was always found to wear his blue overalls even on the hottest of August days.  The sisters had met him when they were much younger, and it seems like Joe has always been there, even when they were little.  Never changing, always smiling, and bringing over bunnies, raccoons, and the occasional fox to visit them.  He also offered advice on their garden, and when they chose to listen to him, their garden would bloom, bringing about the best harvest.

“He might know something.  But first, we need to eat.  I am starving.” Willow said.  “We have frozen pizza, don’t we?” Willow asked.

“We do.”

“Quickly heat it up; I am starving.” Willow said, sitting back down.

“Wait, you are not thinking I would help, right?” Ella asked, narrowing her eyes.  

“Of course.”

“I guess we would both starve.” Ella shrugged, feigning disinterest.  She could feel her sister’s gaze on her face and knew she was about to burst out in frustration. 

“Come on.” Willow said, her words sounding like a half plea.  “We are eating it together, so isn't it like a win-win?” She asked.

“How?  I am doing all the work.” Ella pointed out.

“It won’t take much time.  Just throw it in the microwave, and a few minutes later, it’s done.” Willow responded.

“You could always do it.” Ella replied, biting her lip to stop from smiling.

“Ugh!  Is this about your chocolate this morning?  All right, fine – I am sorry.  I am sorry for eating them without your permission.” She said grudgingly.

“Not good enough.” Ella replied, flipping another page as she pretended to read.

“I will buy you another one.” Willow conceded. 

Finally giving in to her smile, Ella was grinning from ear to ear, chuckling as she stared at her sister’s expression.  “That wasn’t too bad.” She said, standing up.  She could hear Willow mutter something, but she didn’t care.  She had already won the fight.  Although they were both legally adults, together,r they acted like a bunch of kids.  Since their mom was rarely around, they had spent more time together.  And even though they would never admit it, they loved each other more than anyone in the world.  Their bond was one that had strengthened over time.  They fought over mundane things, but it never lasted long, and neither did it weaken their love for each other.  They were just like any normal siblings – or so they thought.

They were about to learn something they had only seen in movies.  A history that ran through their veins unbeknownst to them both.  A truth that brought pain and a person that could destroy it all.  Ella removed the package covering the pizza, oblivious to the shadow that lingered a few miles away.  Their lives would never be the same. “Wait – dwarves?” Ella repeated. Almost immediately, both sisters turned towards each other, confusion on their faces. 

*** ** * ** ***

Thousands of feet higher up, the wind moved with a greater force; changing the direction of the clouds. They moved from west to east, and time was constantly ticking by. Throughout the day, both sisters read through the magazines, only stopping as Willow’s stomach growled loud. “I am hungry.” She groaned, dropping the magazine she was currently reading. She left it face down, leaving the page open. “I don’t understand a single thing.” She confessed.

Ella looked up from what she was reading, her lips drawn into a thin line. Many thoughts raced through her head, her mind a myriad of emotions. They were all questions with no answers. What she had read so far talked about a life she had never known, and at the same time – made her question a lot of things. It felt like she was reading a fantasy novel, and they were about to find something big. “I don’t know.” She said. “Perhaps Joe knows something.”

“True. Joe is as old as time, I am sure he knows a lot of things.” Willow shrugged. Mr. Joeland Bojangales, known to his human friends as plain old Joe, lives deep in the forest in a well-built but simple cabin.  He drives an old pickup truck, still running great, and was always found to wear his blue overalls even on the hottest of August days. The sisters had met him when they were much younger, and it just seems like Joe has always been there, even when they were little. Never changing, always smiling, and bringing over bunnies, raccoons, and the occasional fox to visit them.  He also offered advice on their garden, and when they chose to listen to him, their garden would bloom, bringing about the best harvest.

“He might know something. But first, we need to eat. I am starving.” Willow said. “We have frozen pizza, don’t we?” Willow asked.

“We do.”

“Quickly heat it up; I am starving.” Willow said, sitting back down.

“Wait, you are not thinking I would help, right?” Ella asked, narrowing her eyes.  

“Of course.”

“I guess we would both starve.” Ella shrugged, feigning disinterest. She could feel her sister’s gaze on her face and knew she was about to burst out in frustration. 

“Come on.” Willow said, her words sounding like a half plea. “We are eating it together, so, isnt it like a win-win?” She asked.

“How? I am doing all the work.” Ella pointed out.

“It won’t take much time. Just throw it in the microwave, and a few minutes later, it’s done.” Willow responded.

“You could always do it.” Ella replied, biting her lip to stop from smiling.

“Ugh! Is this about your chocolate this morning? All right, fine – I am sorry. I am sorry for eating them without your permission.” She said grudgingly.

“Not good enough.” Ella replied, flipping another page as she pretended to read.

“I will buy you another one.” Willow conceded. 

Finally giving in to her smile, Ella was grinning from ear to ear, chuckling as she stared at her sister’s expression. “That wasn’t too bad.” She said, standing up. She could hear Willow mutter something, but she didn’t care. She had already won the fight. Although they were both legally adults, together,r they acted like a bunch of kids. Since their mom was rarely around, they had spent more time together. And even though they would never admit it, they loved each other more than anyone in the world. Their bond was one that had strengthened over time. They fought over mundane things, but it never lasted long, and neither did it weaken their love for each other. They were just like any normal siblings – or so they thought.

They were about to learn something they had only seen in movies. A history that ran through their veins. A truth that brought pain and a person that could destroy it all. Ella removed the package covering the pizza, oblivious to the shadow that lingered a few miles away. Their lives would never be the same.