[TWWM] Those Connected by Fate

Location: France

As the weeks stretched on, Twyla continued tidying up her little garden. She danced in the ballroom, played in the fountain and frolicked in the courtyard. She was an exceptionally happy esk, but one thing always seemed to haunt her. She found herself often drawn back to that dark hallway where she had been left as a mask. Sometimes she'd start towards it, only to decide to be cheery instead and dance away in another direction. Other times she'd find herself standing in the hall, gazing towards that corner, her mind full of sadness and questions.

"Where did the girl go? Why did I feel so much joy before, but then such strong sadness...and fear? Was it fear or worry? What is the difference?" she'd go over the questions in her mind, her tail hanging limply as she paced through the shadowy halls. "Why do I care so much? I'm happy now, so does it matter?" She'd try to distract herself with the garden, but the questions always rose back to the surface again. "Maybe I can find the girl?" she'd think, but then tell herself that maybe the girl would return if she could just wait. "Just be patient." she'd tell herself, "Just work on the garden, you're happy here. The girl might come back and find me after all."

As a third week came and went, and no party happened, no glamorous ball, no lights or music, and most certainly...no girl. Twyla found herself unable to distract herself any more. She argued with herself. "I should go find her! But what if she comes back and I'm not here... But maybe she'll never come back... but she could. I should go! I should stay...this is home..." She hopped back and forth near the wall, conflicting thoughts plaguing her tiny head. She hopped furiously, carving a tiny rut in the dirt. Should I? No, Yes? Frustration overwhelmed and she growled at herself, floating quickly up to the top of the wall.

"I'LL JUST GO!" she thought, full of anger and confusion. Her feet hit the top of the wall and she froze, still so unsure of what to do.

"Where are you going?" a voice asked. Her eyes widened and she looked around, trying to find the source.

"Down here." it said. The voice was soft and warm, calming. As she peered over the garden wall, a large brown mass floated up to meet her. "Hello little one!" the esk said as their eyes met. He was dark reddish brown and his snout was a soft cream color. His eyes were large and kindly. Two stalks of bark stood on end from his brow like little horns, and his body trailed down below him like a fluffy snake. Six legs pawed the air slowly as he curled upwards and moved to sit next to her on the wall.

"I'm Sail."

Twyla was shocked at first, she'd never seen another esk except for Bell, she knew they existed but she'd never expected to see such a large soft creature greeting her at this moment. She was still flustered from her internal battle, so she faltered.

"I...uh..."

"Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you!" he said, leaning away from her a bit.

"Oh no its okay! I was just distracted... startled?" she looked down, thinking again.

"You're going somewhere?" he asked, settling into a relaxed position on the wall. He reminded her of the cats that would sometimes sunbathe here. A strange glowing liquid drifted into view and spun itself lazily above his back.

"Oh...I'm not sure yet." she looked off into the distance, "its...complicated." she pulled her eyes from the mesmerizing liquid.

Silence filled the air between them for a spell as she started out into the vast open place that she did not call home. It seemed so huge... so unforgiving, so dangerously open. The hills rolled away from her, forests stretching farther than she could see. Roads that crept over the hills so far that they became mere threads.

"Its beautiful isn't it?" Sail's words shook her from her fearful gaze.

"Beautiful?" she asked, incredulous. "Its massive! Its terrifying! I can't go out there! But if i don't..."

Sail turned to peer at her for a bit. "You've never left the garden then?"

"No, of course not. Why would I?" she asked, confused.

"Well, everyone is different... so if you'd like to stay here forever you can! But the world is quite big, and has many things that you'll never get to see if you stay.

"Like...that?" she asked, gesturing towards the liquid.

"Oh, my wassail?" Sail chuckled and sent the drink to spin around the tiny esk. "Yeah, its an elemental. It can happen when you bond with a force of nature, like water or fire. Or..." he chuckled again, "a special drink that was part of my history."

She watched in amazement as the bright mixture floated around her and went to return to the creature's side.

"So, whats your name then? Do you have one?" he asked, his head tilting to the side.

"Oh! Its Twyla." she said, still watching the elemental.

"Very pretty name, but yes. You can stay here, or go on adventures. You can always return home when you'd like to, you can have both."

She turned, peering back into the garden. It looked quite small all of the sudden. "I can always return..." she said to herself quietly.

"Why do you need to leave so badly though, if I may ask?" he questioned, re-positioning himself on the narrow wall.

Twyla fell silent for a while before responding. "Before... I was this," she gestured with a tiny hand, "I was some sort of item, a mask to cover the face. The girl who had me, she dropped me and left, and I don't know why..." she looked out over the vast world again quietly.

Sail's eyes squinted sadly, he nosed closer to the esk, peering at her. "Oh...I'm sorry that happened. I'm sure there was a reason for it."

"Thats the problem" she said, "I want to know the reason...I want to know why she left like that. I feel like I NEED to know...I also want to know if she's okay though. I don't know how I'd even find her though... Especially if I can't even muster the courage to leave the garden!" she kicked the wall in frustration, a tiny loose pebble soaring out across the grass beyond.

"Oh, don't feel that way. If you set your mind to find her I'm sure you could! The world is huge, but I believe that we're all connected" He turned to her, eyes squinting upwards in a cheerful face. "Take us for example!" he said, bounding back to his feet and shrinking down to match her size. She startled at that, hopping back a bit, eyes wide.

"I'm not even from here...or now?" he tilted his head, wondering. "I've traveled backwards a bit, in time. I'm usually over a hundred and seventy years from now! I wasn't even planted yet right now!"

Twyla's bewilderment grew. "From...now? Time? What do you mean?"

Sail was confused too, but excitement had gripped him, he hopped along the top of the wall now, like a child who'd had too much sugar. "Yep! You can do anything your heart desires, especially as an esk. We can grow! Even if you're trapped in your home, bound to the land you became an esk on, you can always grow and change and explore. All it takes is time, and a change in your heart!"

"In...my heart?"

He bounded up to her eagerly and sat on his haunches, reaching out and poking her in her chest. "Right there! That thing thats telling you that you love this garden. You can love that too!" he said, gesturing out across the wide world with a now-tiny arm.

"Love...both?"

"Yes!" his arms shot upwards in a cheer.

"You think...If i believe I can love ...all that... that I'll be able to do it? You think i'll be able to find her?"

"Of course!" he said, arms still upstretched.

For a moment, Twyla sat, unmoving, lost in thought. Suddenly tears welled up in her eyes and she leaned into Sail, her tiny arms trying to hug onto his fur.

"Oh!" he said, surprised for a moment before wrapping her in a hug.

"Thank you Sail. I feel much better now. I think I might actually be able to do this!"

He pat the top of her flowery head for a moment, "Of course you can!"

And in this moment, Twyla felt the garden wall change, it no longer felt like a limit, a hard edged border of her home, trapping her within. It now felt like a marker, that could guide her back to her little home when she returned, that would keep her home safe while she was gone. She was ready.

"I can do this." She thought to herself, excitement bubbling within her.