Hi everyone! I’ve got another story for you all today! YAY! XD

Loren, I used 10 prompts:

I peered around the corner of Ashley’s house, my hood over my face and my bow in hand. The coast was clear.

Swiftly I ran around to the front of her house and barged in.
“Ashley!” I called out her name in the silence, like she would actually hear, like she would actually care. I glanced around, but I didn’t see anyone home. However, I was quite wrong…
“What are you doing here?” Ashley whispered in disgust as she stepped out of the kitchen.
“I know you don’t want to see me-”
“That’s an understatement.” She interrupted. I bit my lip and stared at the ground.
“I need you to come with me. You know the world’s not safe anymore. I can take you to the faeries. They can help you.” I offered, but she scoffed and said,
“I’m not going anywhere with you. Do you even realize what you’ve done to me? Do you know what I’ve gone through?”
A part of me wanted to cry, the other wanted to scream. I was always so conflicted. Whenever I thought I was doing something right, it ended up being wrong. I couldn’t find the balance, no matter how hard I tried.
“Look, I know I’ve put you through a lot, but please, trust me just once more. Let me try to make up for at least a little of what I’ve done.” I coaxed. Ashley stared at me for the longest time, her eyes full of tears. I could sense how badly she wanted to trust me, but I wasn’t sure if she really would. She needed a hero, and I wanted to become that for her. I just didn’t know how. All I knew was that what I was about to do, was not even close to being her hero…
At length she finally said, “Alright. Take me to the faeries.”

Ashley and I traveled deep into the forest until the sign was in sight.
“Here be faeries.” Ashley read aloud. “I can’t believe I’ve never seen this before.”
“I was surprised when I found it myself.” I stated. “Come on.”
I lead her to the faerie village, where I spotted the faerie I had spoken to only hours before.
“Luna, this is Ashley, the young lady I told you about.” I introduced. Luna looked up at me with sparkling blue eyes.
“We’ll take care of her.” The faerie assured me and motioned for Ashley to follow. Ashley glanced back at me and I looked deep into her eyes. I wanted to remember her with that faint spark of love in them, before it disappeared forever.
It’s for the best. She needs to forget what we once had….

2 months later…..

She walked out of her humble abode that night, a flaming torch in hand. I knew she was searching for me, but I didn’t dare come out. Not just yet anyway.
I watched as she raised her hand to her mouth and called out, “Who are you?”
“You know who I am.” I answered back, my voice not much louder than a whisper, but on a bleak, silent night as this, it didn’t matter. You could hear a pin drop from a mile away.
“Why do you linger in the shadows? Come out so we can talk.” She insisted.
“I’d rather not. We can talk just fine.” I rejected. No response came after I said that, I wondered if she was disappointed? Was it possible that she had wanted to see me, as much as I wanted to see her?
“I know you’ve stolen something from me.” She said after a long silence. I looked down at the white box in my hands and stroked it fervently with my gloved hands.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. What could I possibly want from you?” I fibbed.
“Everyone knows you’re the greatest thief in the entire realm. All the Ferrymen are after you and are left with the conundrum on how you sneak past them through the mirror portals to make your quick getaways. I could turn you in right now, but I won’t, if you tell me what you took from me.” She proposed. I knew I couldn’t refuse her. Not only was I anxious to remain hidden from the Ferrymen, but – well. It doesn’t matter now….
“Alright. I’ll tell you.” I agreed and emerged from the shadows of the trees. We looked each other in the eyes. So tenderly, yet so fearfully. I knew what she was afraid of, but she knew not my fears. Not in the least.
“Well, what was it?” She urged, breaking the awkwardness between us.
Hesitantly, I held out the box, just enough for her to see what was written all over it; “Bad memories. DO NOT OPEN!”
She grimaced at the words and looked up at me in utmost confusion.
“I’ve never seen this before… What is it?” She inquired.
“Bad memories, just as the box says. They are your bad memories, Ashley.” I revealed, feeling shameful for what I had done.
“You – took – my bad memories?” She repeated, eyes full of tears. I nodded my head. “Why?”
“Because these memories, inside this box, are ones that you and I shared together. Ones, that quite frankly, I regret, but treasure at the same time. I felt that you didn’t need them haunting you any longer, so I went to the faeries for help in extracting them. They placed your memories inside this box and gave them to me for safe keeping. Until I felt the need to return them again.” I thoroughly explained everything to her, not leaving out a single detail.
“Return them to me.” She said insistently.
“No!” I shouted, and she drew back in fright. I took in a deep breath and continued, “I will never return these to you.”
“They’re my memories! I want them back!” She demanded.
“Ashley-”
“Kyle!” My heart skipped a beat when she said my name. I’d waited to hear that for so long… “Return them to me.” She ordered, but still I didn’t move.
“You’re not safe anymore. I can’t protect you forever, but I can protect you from the past. I can protect you from myself.” I told her, lovingly, then finished, “Forgive me.” I pulled a mirror out of my satchel and set it firmly in the ground. A swirling vortex opened up inside of it.
“What are you doing?” She asked fearfully.
“Protecting you.” I replied and sent her through the portal. The mirror landed face down on the ground and I lifted it gently in my hands.
I bent my head over the mirror and closed my eyes, allowing tears to fall onto the glass. “I’m so sorry, Ashley. I had no choice….I love you.”

~~~~~

*SNIFF* Okay. That broke my heart. Now I need to go watch or do something to make me happy XD

Hope you enjoyed (this is personally one of my favorite short stories so far!)!

Love,
~Fluffet~