After her mother left for the market, Amelia and Lucy decided to gather the pile of dirty clothes from the house and make their way to the nearby stream to wash them. The stream wasn't far, and the path they took led them through a quiet trail behind Amelia's house, close to the forest. The air was crisp, carrying the faint, earthy scent of moss and wildflowers.They stopped at a shallow bend in the stream, where the water flowed gently over smooth stones. Amelia knelt by the bank, dipping a piece of cloth into the cool water, while Lucy rolled up her sleeves, chatting as usual."Did you hear?" Lucy asked, breaking the silence. "The king is hosting a grand ball next week, and apparently, everyone in the village is invited."Amelia looked up, surprised. "Really? But we haven't received an invitation. Are you sure it's for everyone? Maybe we're not included."Lucy shook her head, her hands scrubbing furiously at a shirt. "No, my father told me it's for everyone in the village. Nobody has the invitations yet, but they'll arrive soon. Can you imagine? The king inviting commoners like us? It's never happened before!"Amelia dipped a skirt into the cool stream, her hands working absentmindedly as she turned to Lucy. " why is the king hosting such a grand ball? He's never done anything like this before."Lucy grinned, clearly enjoying the moment of having some exclusive news to share. "It's because of his son-the prince. It's his birthday.""But why would the king invite everyone? That's so unusual. Do you think something's going on?" "Since when does the king celebrate his son's birthday with commoners? That still doesn't make sense."Lucy shrugged, laughing softly. "Who knows? Maybe he's trying to show everyone how kind and generous he is. Or maybe he's just bored and wants a big crowd to impress."Amelia smiled at Lucy's lightheartedness, but her mind wandered.. As they continued washing, a thought crossed her mind. Turning to Lucy, she said hesitantly, "Lucy, I want to show you something."Lucy looked up, curious. "What is it?"Reaching into her pocket, Amelia pulled out the large black feather she had found earlier. The sunlight streaming through the trees caught on its sleek surface, making it glimmer faintly.Lucy's eyes widened in shock as she dropped the shirt she was scrubbing. "Amelia!" she exclaimed, her voice hushed. "What is that? That doesn't look like any bird's feather I've ever seen." She leaned closer, her gaze fixed on the feather. "It's huge! What kind of bird would be big enough to have feathers like this?"Amelia ran her fingers along the feather's smooth edge, her voice low. "I found it this morning, just outside our house, right beneath my window."Lucy's mouth fell open. "Beneath your window? Are you sure? That's...that's strange, Amelia. I've never heard of a bird that size living around here. This doesn't feel right."Amelia hesitated, her thoughts churning. Should she tell Lucy about her recurring dreams? About the shadowy figure with black wings? What if Lucy thought she was crazy? After a moment of internal conflict, she decided to keep it to herself, at least for now.The rhythmic sounds of the flowing stream were interrupted by an abrupt cracking noise from a nearby bush. Both girls froze. Amelia's head snapped in the direction of the sound, her eyes narrowing as if trying to pierce through the dense foliage. Her body tensed, her posture alert, and her gaze unwavering."Amelia, whatâs wrong?" Lucyâs voice broke the silence, concern flickering across her face as she watched her friendâs increasingly anxious expression.Amelia took a step back, her voice firm yet trembling. "I think we should leave."Lucy frowned, tilting her head. "Leave? But weâre not even finished yet."Amelia glanced back at the bush and then at Lucy. "Did you hear that cracking sound? It came from over there." Her voice was low, almost a whisper, as if she feared being overheard by something lurking nearby."Yeah, I think I heard something," Lucy admitted, her tone casual. She crouched slightly, as if trying to peer through the bushes. "But itâs probably nothing. Why are you so scared, Amelia?"Amelia shook her head, her fingers clutching the edge of her dress tightly. "I donât know, Lucy. It didnât feel right. Letâs just leave now, okay?"Lucy straightened up, crossing her arms. "Youâre acting weird, you know that? All this fuss over a little sound? Let me check it out." She started stepping out of the water, determination written on her face.Amelia reached out and grabbed her arm, her grip firm. "No, Lucy, donât!" Her voice was sharper now, almost pleading.Lucy raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile forming. "Come on, itâs probably nothing, okay let me check . Why are you being such a scaredy-cat all of a sudden?" She gently pulled her arm free from Amelia's grip and took a few bold steps toward the bush."Lucy, please!" Ameliaâs voice cracked slightly, but Lucy wasnât deterred.Pushing aside a few leaves, Lucy suddenly laughed, her voice carrying across the clearing. "See, Amelia? Itâs just a rabbit. A tiny, harmless rabbit!" She turned and held up her hands in mock surrender. "Nothing else. You scared yourself over this? Seriously, youâre such a baby."Amelia exhaled deeply, her shoulders slumping as relief washed over her. But she didnât smile. She just nodded faintly and returned to the task of rinsing the clothes.Lucy couldnât help but keep laughing as they finished their work. "I swear, Amelia, I didnât know when you turned into such a scaredy-cat.Lucy teased, her voice light and playful, trying to shake off the tension that lingered between them.Amelia didnât respond. She remained quiet, her hands methodically wringing out the last of the clothes. Her gaze flickered toward the bushes now and then, her lips pressed tightly together.As they walked back home, the sun sinking lower in the sky, the silence between them grew heavy. Lucy kept stealing glances at Amelia, the usual liveliness in her friend replaced by an unsettling quiet."Amelia, are you okay?" Lucy finally asked, unable to bear the silence any longer.Amelia shrugged, her eyes fixed on the path ahead. "Iâm fine."Lucy wasnât convinced. Something was off, but she didnât push further. She simply walked beside her, wondering what had spooked her friend so badly.As they reached home, Lucy turned to Amelia with a grin. "Okay, I gotta go now, or my mother will kill me for being late. See you later, Amelia!"Amelia managed a small smile and waved her off. "See you later, Lucy."With a quick wave, Lucy disappeared down the path, leaving Amelia alone in the yard. Amelia sighed and called out, "Adam ,Adam, where are you?" Her voice echoed faintly, but no response came. Her brother was nowhere to be found.Shaking her head, she decided to get on with her chores. She carried the damp clothes to the line behind their house and began hanging them out to dry. Her fingers worked methodically, but her eyes kept drifting toward the edge of the forest that loomed just beyond their backyard.The dark, sprawling trees stood still in the afternoon light, but Ameliaâs chest tightened as she stared at them. Recently, sheâd felt a strange fear of the forest, one that gnawed at her more and more each day. She hadnât always felt this way. The forest used to be a place of quiet solace, a world she loved exploring. But now, the very sight of it made her uneasy.Her hands faltered as a shiver ran down her spine. She couldnât stop thinking about what had happened yesterday. Sheâd told herself it was her imagination, that there was no such thing as what she thought she saw. Yet, no matter how much she tried to rationalize it, the fear lingered, curling around her thoughts like a dark cloud.She bit her lip, her eyes darting back toward the forest. Should she tell someone? But how could she explain it without sounding crazy?how could anyone believe her when she didnât even understand it herself?Amelia shook her head and forced herself to focus on the task at hand. She clipped the last piece of clothing to the line and quickly stepped back toward the house, her heart pounding for no reason she could explain.
Chapter 4: chapter 4
Beneath The Pale Blue Eyes•Words: 8211