Chapter 21

A silvery silhouette stands before me, and fear-stricken I stare at the figure. A smile spreads across its' face, and I try to find my voice. "Please don't be afraid. I am not going to hurt you. I am here to ask for your help" Emily says. "B-but you're dead...we saw you! Bonnie checked for your pulse! I thought you couldn't speak!" I manage to blurt out. "When you came to the house I overheard your story. You believe in impossible things Nora, or at least those things that seem impossible. That is how I know I can trust you. I carry a secret" she states. 

"What kind of a secret? Are you a ghost?" I ask awestruck. Emily laughs softly and replies, "Of course not! You see when Ms. Parfon captured me, she transformed me into a human and made me a mute. I must take the human body to the house of my parents, they will be able to help me regain my true form. What Ms. Parfon doesn't know is that even though she turned me human and that body died, my soul still lives. Faeries never really die you know."

Stunned, I stand in silence for a few moments, mulling things over. I have so many questions. Finally I ask her if she thinks her parents might be able to help me find my way back to 1945. "I am uncertain Nora but I do know that Ms. Parfon will know you have escaped, and I'm sure that barbarian Philip will be out searching for you soon. You will never escape her Nora, she is very powerful. My family can offer you protection, and care. I'm certain they will try to do everything they can to help you. After all, saving a faerie's spirit will be greatly welcomed." 

"What about my daughter Bonnie, and her boyfriend? They rescued me, I can't just abandon them" I tell Emily. "They are welcome to come, but I must warn you, if you tell them of this and they decide not to be part of it...I will have to perform a sweep of the mind. All they will know is everything up until they met you. Bonnie will not know you are her mother" Emily explains. "I have to try" I tell her. She nods and tells me to lead the way. 

We reach the clearing near the campfire and Emily takes cover in the bushes. As soon as I see Bonnie she runs to me hugging me tightly. "Nora, Nora...where did you go!? I'm so sorry for how I reacted. I was just shocked, you know? It's alot to take in. I want you to know that I believe you, that is to say, I am willing to explore this and find out for sure the truth of it all" she says talking a million miles per minute. I interrupt her, and place my hands on her shoulders. "You might want to hold that thought Bonnie" I begin as I tell her and Jax of my discovery in the woods. 

Emily emerges from the bushes as Bonnie gasps and a bewildered Jax says, "Whoa...no way!" "I am Emily Wisteria, a faerie of Brendlewood. It is true what she says. You may choose to come with us but, if you do not, I will have to do a memory sweep. You will retain all memories prior to meeting Nora" Emily clarifies to them. "You mean, all this talk of Nora being my mother, and this whole journey will be forgotten?" Bonnie asks. Emily gives a nod and waits for their decision to be made. 

Jax shakes his head, "I don't know Bon. This all seems a little crazy to me..." Jax glances at Emily who raises a brow but says nothing. Jax seems to be flustered by her and quickly glances away. "Yes Jax, the memory sweep will work for you as well" Emily says as if to answer a question Jax may have had. Jax gives a nervous laugh and says, "Well wouldn't you know guys aren't excluded from this!" 

Bonnie gives Jax an odd look, then looks at me. "Nora I just want the truth, whatever that may be. If going with you will help me find that, then my answer is yes. I will go with you" Bonnie says. "Oh thank you Bonnie. I'm so happy you are willing to give it a chance to find the truth for yourself" I tell her happily. "Well I'm in if you're in" Jax pipes up. "Very good. We should hurry, Ms. Parfon might find the body and destroy it" Emily states.

We quickly put out the fire and rush back towards Ms. Parfon's house. "I can't believe we're doing this! After all that trying to leave this place, now we're going back?" I overhear Jax say to Bonnie. "Nobody made you come Jax! I have to find out the truth about things" she replies. We manage to get inside and find Emily's human body just where we left it. "That seemed easy enough!" I say happily. Emily points out that it may be more difficult getting out than in, especially with a lifeless body. 

"I'll check the other rooms for a sheet" Bonnie suggests before taking off down the hall. "If we can just get the body out of here and to the edge of the forest we should be in the clear. After that, we just have to get it to my parents" Emily tells us. "That was fast" Jax says, as the door swings open. Realizing that it isn't Bonnie who has returned, but instead Philip, Emily gasps. 

Philip shouts, "What are you doing in here!" "I'm no match for him" I whisper to Emily fearfully. "I'm sorry! I am powerless in this form" Emily tells me, panicked. "Well, I'm not" Jax says boldly. He closes his eyes, as smoke seeps from his upper back. Silvery colored wings emerge from his back and he releases a powerful burst of magic from his hands. Philip, the receiver of this attack, falls to the ground stunned and stiff as a board. "Bravo Jax, I'm glad to see you've decided to finally stop denying who you are" Emily says. 

"W-What is going on here!?" I say still trying to keep my voice down. "I'll have to explain later Nora. We have got to get Emily's human body out of here now" Jax says hastily. Closing his eyes again, his wings fade to smoke and drift into the air, as if they were never there. "Explain what?" Bonnie asks as she pops back into the room. "Nothing" Jax replies unconvincingly. Emily and I shrug as Jax gives us a look, and Bonnie raises a brow and glances at Philip. "Ok...I don't know what's going on here, but I was able to find a sheet, so let's get this body out of here." she says to the group. Walking past Jax I here her whisper, "We'll talk about this later."

The three of us wrap the body gently in the sheet, and hoist it up, carrying it out of the room. "I'm sorry I can't be of any help, but when I am in this state I'm more of a hologram than anything" Emily expresses apologetically. "We understand, no worries" Bonnie replies. As Emily and Bonnie talk, I lean over to Jax and whisper, "Can't you use your magic to help us carry the body?" Jax quickly throws me an angry look and whispers back gruffly, "No way! Bonnie can't know about that!" 

Judging by his response I drop the matter, as we move the body out of the room. We approach the bottom of the stairs, this time making sure to avoid the last step, we suddenly hear a noise. "Jax!" I whisper frantically. Ms. Parfon comes through one of the doors, but fortunately is looking over her shoulder at something in the room she just walked out of. Jax looks at me worriedly, then looks at Bonnie. He runs his hands through his hair, takes a deep breath, and brings out his wings once again. Stunning Ms. Parfon, she falls to the ground stiff as a board. 

Bonnie turns and gives Jax a horrified look. "Bonnie dear, there's no time! We must leave now! The spell won't last and Philip will be coming for us!" Emily shouts. "Jax, can you help us now that she knows?" I ask eagerly. Jax nods and once outside blue glow envelopes him and he sends a sparkling shower of light over all of us. We all rise slightly into the air and float off to the forest.

Sensing Bonnie's uneasiness, Jax gently lowers us to the ground. In an open spot in the forest we land, and Jax's wings and blue glow disappear once more. Bonnie immediately walks up to Jax shouting, "What the hell was that!?" Jax puts up his hands in a peaceful manner and says calmly, "Now Bon, let's talk about this please." "You lied to me Jax, how could you keep something like this from me? How can I trust you?" Bonnie asks. 

Emily places her hand on Jax shoulder and says, "I'd like to thank you for your help back there Jax. Don't worry your secret is safe with me. I will make sure you are protected when we reach my families home." "What is she talking about Jax?" Bonnie says with fear. Jax shakes his head, "Bonnie I'm sorry, but I just can't tell you that." "I get it, you just pop out some wings and petrify people and give no explanation for it? Nora shows up talking about being my mother, now this!? Can I trust no one? It's like my entire life is a total lie! I don't know what to believe!" Bonnie yells and runs off into the woods. "Bonnie no! Come back!" Jax yells as he tries to take off after her. Emily shouts for him to let her go, and he walks back over to us. Emily says she'll find her and for us to stay put, then takes off into the woods after Bonnie. 

"What is happening Jax? I know we've only just met, but you can tell me anything. I owe you remember?" I say soothingly. Jax looks horrible, completely grief stricken and panicked. "I can't, I just can't" he whispers. I tell him that I can't help if I don't know the truth, and after everything he and Bonnie have done for me, I am here for them. "You can never tell Bonnie, she'll never forgive me. She thinks I'm so perfect, I just can't lose her. I love her so much" he tells me. "I promise, not a word" I tell him. He takes a deep breath and shakily says, "I killed someone."