Chapter 19
Charlie woke up the next morning feeling nothing. Maybe that was because she cried until slumber took her. It was like last night’s sleep had drained her of all emotion, preparing her for her disappearance later that morning. She would be gone. People may come looking for her, but she would leave no trace as to where she was going or any clues to her whereabouts. All that would remain of her in this world would be a memory.
It was strange. She felt like a person who had come to terms with the idea of her suicide. There were no hesitations, no second thoughts, only acceptance. Today, the human known as Charlie Cradle would die and she would be reborn into a being of what she once believed was nothing but myth and legend. She would become a being of pure magic, able to manipulate nature with but a single thought.
It still all felt too unbelievable to actually be happening to her, of all people.
The night before had been an emotional rollercoaster ride for her, to the point that even her mother thought she was acting a little strange. Charlie made it a point to spend the rest of night bonding with her family, the only people she had left in this world. But trying not to appear like she was hiding something wasn’t as easy as she hoped it would be. She couldn’t figure out why it was so hard if she had come to terms with really leaving. Was it supposed to feel this way? Or was she actually having second thoughts but didn’t realize it? Whenever she started to doubt herself, she thought of Rowan and about how much he meant to her. In a sense, he had entered the world and saved her from it, giving her the opportunity to escape the pains of life.
That didn’t make her a coward, did it?
After having a shower and eating her last breakfast with her parents, Charlie felt like she was now ready to leave. The only thing she wished she could have done before leaving was logging into her online video game one last time and say farewell to the fantasy world that she spent so much time adventuring in. She thought about stopping by her apartment to do just that, but figured that it might make it even harder to leave after seeing all of her possessions and collectibles left behind.
The time had come. Charlie was ready to go. She told her parents that she was going for a walk since it turned out to be a nice sunny day, and that she thought she’d enjoy some fresh air. Then, she hugged each of them and said told them she loved them, which really made her mother worry that something was wrong with her because hugging was something Charlie just didn’t do. But Charlie reassured her everything was all right and that she felt bad that she didn’t show them enough affection. Her mother accepted her answer and appreciated the gesture.
As Charlie was pulling on her coat, she looked at the laptop sitting by the couch and thought that it might be nice to check her emails one last time before leaving. But as soon as she did, she instantly regretted it, because there was new message from Tom. She still felt terrible about how their meeting had ended, and thought that maybe it would be best to leave his email unread to save her some more pain. But curiosity won in the end and she had to read it.
Hi, Charlie,
I wanted to apologize for yesterday. Even though I don’t regret telling you how I feel, I feel bad that the first time we met each other had to end that way. I really hope this won’t affect our friendship. Anyway, it looks like I won’t be able to leave as early as I was hoping to this morning due to my car breaking down on me. So I’ve got to take the bus home while it’s getting fixed at a mechanic. My bus doesn’t leave until noon, so if you were still interested in meeting each other one last time before I leave, then maybe we can hang out at the station while I wait to go home?
Again – sorry if I made things weird. You’re still my best friend.
Tom
Charlie read Tom’s message and then closed the laptop. She was right. She did regret reading his message. Now she felt even sadder than before. What would Tom think once he realized she was gone? Would he know that she had run off with Rowan? Would she be able to hear the sound of his heart breaking all the way from The Fae? She forced back tears from welling up in her eyes at the thought of this. But her mind was decided. In the end, she hoped that this would be the best thing for her.
Charlie walked out the door and stood on the veranda, taking one last look at the place where she found comfort in her childhood. She hoped that becoming a faerie would help ease the sorrow she was feeling.