short story, story promptSerana likes hunting through antique stores for interesting objects, but when she spies a beautiful green cape and tries it on, things get a bit strange…


 

Serana fingered the dark green velvet of the hooded cloak. Her nose twitched as small clouds of dust rose from the material. She glanced around the dimly lit shop. The two bay windows at the front of the store would normally let a lot of light in, but they were so crowded with antique vases, jewellery, odd bits of crockery and tea sets that only a little of the sunlight filtered in.

The rest of the cramped space was chock-full of old, carved furniture, wooden chests, display cabinets, book shelves and racks of clothes. It was one of these clothes racks that had caught her attention. It was mostly filled with dresses and petticoats, with a few delicate corsets here and there. At the very end of the rack, she’d spotted the cloak.

She briskly brushed at the material, holding her breath as what seemed to be a decade’s worth of dust flew from the cloak. Intricate silver embroidery glimmered in the scant light, decorating the edges of the garment. The hood was also embroidered along the edge, with a fascinating pattern of leaves and vines twining around a five-petalled flower in the centre. The flower had been woven with metallic threads that shimmered in shades of red. A few smaller red flowers had been embroidered into the bottom corners of the cloak.

Biting her lip, she hunted for the price tag. It had to be expensive, she knew, but she loved it. After a moment of searching in the obvious places, it was clear there was no tag. She’d have to enquire at the counter.

Taking the cloak from the rack, she brushed off more of the dust, unable to prevent the sneeze this time. The velvet was heavier than she expected, but was soft to her touch. It didn’t look like time had had any effect on the quality.

Perhaps I should try it on first, she thought to herself. I want to make sure it suits me if I’m going to spend a fortune on it. Then again, maybe she’d get lucky. The teenage boy at the counter seemed uninterested in anything except the smart phone in his hand. Maybe she would be able to convince him to give her a bargain.

She pulled her satchel strap over her head and placed the bag at her feet. She swept the cloak around her shoulders and fastened the silver clasp at her throat. Pulling the deep hood up, she couldn’t help an excited grin. It was the perfect length for her.

A wave of dizziness washed over her and she put a hand against a nearby shelf to steady herself. The shop seemed to shimmer in front of her eyes. She closed them tightly in an attempt to ward off the strange feeling.

A welcome breath of fresh air swept around her, steadying her. Opening her eyes, Serana did a double-take.

She was no longer standing in the antiques store. Surrounding her on all sides were trees, packed densely enough to block out most of the sunlight. She glanced around wildly. Where the heck am I?!

Spinning around, she tried to decided which way to go. It all looked the same. There was no hint to indicate a road or civilisation of any kind.

A whisper of air flew past her head, followed by a thwack behind her. She turned towards the sound and pulled up short. An arrow quivered in a tree trunk.

“The next one will not miss.”

She turned back at the sound of the masculine voice. A tall figure stepped out from the trees. He wore a cloak very similar to the one she was currently wearing and held a drawn bow directed at her heart. His hood was down, revealing curly brown hair and a tanned face. He looked young, in his early twenties, same as her she guessed.

“Remove your hood. Now!”

Serana quickly tossed off the hood, wary of the arrow pointed at her. She looked into the man’s steely brown eyes. “Please, don’t hurt me! I’m … lost.” She didn’t know how else to describe what had happened to her.

The young man faltered as he stared at her. He slowly lowered the bow, relaxing the drawstring. “It is you,” he whispered, his face a picture of awe.

Confused, she continued to watch him. Did he know her? She certainly couldn’t remember knowing anyone with archery skills. He didn’t seem familiar to her at all.

“You are the powerful Lady of the Forest!”

She gazed at him quizzically. “I’m who?”


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