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igotablankpage · 5 years

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Mimi's Guide to Definitely Not Being Kidnapped by Faeries - Part One

Go away, go away, go away.

That’s what I keep silently praying as I squeeze behind the trash cans lined up along our garden fence. If it weren’t there, I wouldn’t have to take the pungent, much less scenic route to the back of the garden.

If I just ignore it, make sure not to step in it, they’ll have to get bored with me eventually. Hopefully move it somewhere not in my backyard? Yeah, that would be ideal.

It wasn’t there yesterday morning. I clearly remember walking through the very middle of the yard to go water my newly-planted carnations. And I know it wasn’t there early last night, when I walked through the yard yet again to check on the tulips.

So you see, I had no reason to believe anything out of the ordinary would happen this morning. I woke up at the crack of dawn (ugh, med school), stumbled downstairs, and practically sleepwalked into the kitchen. After quickly making a cup of black coffee, I mumbled a “hello” in response to my atrociously cheery mother. She was always more of a morning bird than my father (guess whose genes I got in that regard).

After the coffee restored me to partial functionality, I stepped outside into the warm morning mist to greet my plants (yes, I am a plant nerd. Make fun of me all you want).

And that was when I froze in my tracks - one footstep away from trampling through it.

A faerie ring.

And I don’t mean a couple of cute mushrooms. I mean a six-foot diameter, freakishly symmetrical ring of small mushroom, so small most people probably wouldn’t notice one if it were alone (I say most people - remember, I’m a plant nerd); all together, however, they were a sight to behold.

It was at that moment that Grandma Lucy’s voice echoed in my mind:

“Stay away from those ancient faerie circles. One step inside, and you’ll be enthralled, never to see your home again. Or at least, not for several hundred years.”

Yeah. I think you can forgive me for being a bit wary.

Lucy isn’t my real grandmother, of course. My biological grandmother passed away when I was eleven, and is still missing from the recesses of my memory. I had only met her twice before my parents and I left South Sudan, and I had been far too young to remember anything. She never failed to write me a birthday letter though, and sometimes I feel the pull of a life, of a family, that I’ve never known. What would my life be like if we had never left South Sudan? If we hadn’t moved to the monotonous suburbs of Des Moines, Iowa? Sometimes I find it difficult to reconcile these two pieces of my life, the past and the present clumsily intertwining like clasped hands that don’t quite fit each other.

I do know that I wouldn’t trade Lucy for any other life. She’s a sweet older lady who works at the local library that I occasionally visit. I was never much of a reader, but I do enjoy checking out new cookbooks or gardening tips once in a while. I think Lucy recognized a bit of a lost soul in me, because, from the first time I set foot in the library at age ten, she was there to help. She talked to me about my passions and my dreams, those far-off ambitions that only little kids dare to express. She helped me with schoolwork, talked me through my problems, and helped me realize when I had made mistakes (something I do quite often, but acknowledge far less). It was her support that pushed me to reach for my goals, and culminated in my scholarship to medical school. If I hadn’t had her for the past 16 years, who knows where I’d be.

And, incidentally, she’s where I get my basic knowledge of faerie tales from.

So when I walk into the yard and discover a full-blown faerie ring, I do what any rational adult would do: I go out of my way to step carefully around it. Which involves nearly falling into the garbage.

Once I check on my plants, I take the same route back inside, a little more confidently this time.

It’s not that I believe I’ll take one step into the circle of whimsical mushrooms and get whisked away to a land of nightmares. But you can only listen to Lucy’s stories so many times before they begin to make you a little paranoid.

Upon returning to the kitchen, I take a few deep breaths, resting against the door.

“Are you alright?” my father asks, one eyebrow raised from where he sits at the kitchen table.

I nod in assent so as not to give away my nerves through a shaking voice.

Maybe I’m just imagining it. Yeah. That makes sense. I’ll come back from class this afternoon and it’ll be gone. Slightly reassured (but who am I kidding), I push myself off the wall and hike back upstairs to get dressed.

* * * * *

The glass door of the library swings closed behind me as I head straight for the desk. Long gone are the days where I pretended to be remotely interested in browsing. I pass a few other librarians who nod or wave when they recognize me before I reach Lucy.

“Lucy, you’ll never believe what I saw this morning.”

Lucy peers at me over her glasses while simultaneously scanning in a book. “And good afternoon to you too, missy. Cutting class, are we?”

I roll my eyes. “You know I don’t have an afternoon class on Tuesdays, Lucy, you don’t have to make that joke every time.”

“Ah, but what else are forgetful old ladies for?”

I snort. “Anyway, I woke up this morning, half-dead as usual, and went out to the garden, again as usual. But today, in my garden, I found…” I trail off in anticipation. Lucy raises her brow, waiting. “A faerie ring,” I finish.

I had some time to mull it over, and I decided the best way to deal with it is to act like it’s not a big deal. I had probably imagined it, so why not play it off as a joke just to make sure?

Lucy’s eyes widen. “A faerie ring? Are you sure, Mimi?”

I lift my hands palms-up in self-defense. “Honest to God truth. A perfectly symmetrical mushroom circle with at least a two-yard diameter.”

“Hmm,” Lucy grunted.

“So?” I prompted, waiting for a fuller reaction.

“I say go for it,” she said matter-of-factly as she returned to scanning the books.

“Wait, what?” I feel my face scrunch up in confusion.

“Honey, it’s a faerie ring. That alone spells ‘adventure’. And if there’s anything you need, it’s an adventure.”

I squint at her. “Is that an insult?”

“It’s a fact,” she says as she continues with her work. “All you ever think about are your studies. And maybe your garden. It’s a 95/5 percent split. All I know is that you need a break.”

I sigh. Maybe she’s right. How is it that she can read me like a book?

Maybe it has something to do with her being a librarian.

Suppressing a groan at my horrible and utterly useless joke, I suddenly notice the look in her eye. Doubt. Indulgence. Of course. All of a sudden, I realize: she doesn’t believe me. No, that’s not quite right - she doesn’t believe herself. Those faerie tales she told me, back when I was just a child, were only fiction to her. I can’t decide whether the fact relieves me or disappoints me.

I can’t help but think, however, that there’s a hint of sincerity among the mischievous twinkle in her eye when she looks up, leans towards me, and says, “So what are you waiting for?”

* * * * *

I arrive home completely out of sorts. Sliding off my bike, I note the empty driveway; my parents must be working. They own a small bakery right off the main road, not hugely successful but popular enough among locals to make a living. I have fond memories of my adolescent years, helping them to bake muffins or to perfect (more often catastrophically fail at) a new recipe. School takes up too much time to bake as a family these days.

After unlocking the door, I step inside, quickly shutting the door behind me. It makes me scoff at myself, but there’s a pulsing sense of urgency in my bones to check the backyard. I close my eyes and breathe before forcing myself to first deposit my bags upstairs. I then slowly make my way back down the staircase, a stone forming in the pit of my stomach with each step I take.

Just one look, I tell myself, to prove it’s not there. I approach the back door. Steeling myself, I yank the door open.

And promptly slam it shut.

It’s. Still. There.

I want to scream. I’m not quite sure what to do.

I think about Lucy’s obvious disbelief. What can a couple of mushrooms do anyway? But then I think about what she said about me. I never realized before how right she was. Sometimes I’m so trapped in the same routine that I can’t breathe. There has to be more to life than useless, unfulfilling ambitions. Don’t get me wrong; I enjoy med school. It’s what I want to do with my life. I love the rush I get when I know I’m doing my best work, when I’m using my brain to the fullest of its abilities and helping people at the same time. But sometimes it gets so…predictable.

I think about the faerie ring again. But, regardless of Lucy’s beliefs, I’m not sure if I’m confident enough in it harmlessness to walk into it quite yet.

I look down and realize I’m pacing. Stressing this much about such an inconsequential event can’t be healthy.

I walk to the kitchen sink. Washing dishes is how I destress. It helps me take my mind off of what’s happening around me, and that can be just what I need to find a solution.

I’ve only just picked up a dish and a sponge when I hear voices. Angry ones. And they’re coming from the kitchen window, which I realize now is open.

“It’s not my fault that the human won’t step in it!”

I stare at what appears to be thin air, looking for the person who spoke. Suddenly a sharp movement catches my eye, and I look down. I barely make out what appears to be two small humanesque figures in the grass.

“Well, it’s not mine either! You were the one who said to put it here!”

I should be panicking right now. Why am I not panicking?

Lucy said I should go for it. My impulses take over. I walk calmly towards the door. Before my brain catches up with what my body is doing, I’ve already opened the door and stepped into the yard, still taking care to avoid the ring.

What are you doing? my brain screams.

“What exactly is the problem?” My mouth forms the words without my brain’s approval.

Both figures, standing in the middle of the ring, pivot sharply to face me. Almost instantly, plumes of purple and gray smoke appear out of thin air, enveloping the creatures in its clutches. Before my own eyes, the smoke swirls and expands, until it fades away to reveal two very human-sized figures - faeries? - in its wake.

My first thought is that they’re not what I imagined faeries would be. They’re both extremely beautiful; that part at least is accurate to the legends. The male’s beauty is classic fae, with sharp angles, glowing pale skin, and piercing blue eyes. Are those horns that peek through his messy red hair? It’s difficult to tell. The female, however, contrasts sharply to him. She stands several inches shorter than me, with a warm brown skin tone only marginally lighter than my own. While he is all lines and angles, she is all curves. From her body, to her flowy bohemian dress, to the purple hair cascading down her shoulder in natural curls, everything about her is swirling; and while her appearance differs drastically from written descriptions of the fae’s beauty, it doesn’t make her any less stunning. In fact, she’s even more beautiful than the faeries I’ve read about.

And that is the moment it hits me: either I’ve gone stark raving mad, or there are two faeries in my backyard.

With their predatory gazes fully focused on me.

#submission #not mine #sanguinewritings

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kpoppocrecs · 7 years

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Secrets || P. Jinyoung

Prompt: Secrets. Jinyoung has a secret and he will do everything he can to keep it. (1) Genre: Romance, Angst, Sadnessssss

“Mama,” He called out to her, his small feet making pats against the wooden floor as he stumbled after her. His mother turned her head to look at him. Her purse was clutched in her grasp and her other hand gripped on to the door handle with such strength the tips on her knuckle’s paled her skin. Jinyoung finally made it to his mother, his small hands grabbing on to her coat. Tears dribbled down his flushed cheeks as he pawed at his mother.

“Mama,” He cried and cried. He raised his arm signaling to his mother that he wanted to be held. Where once his mother would have scooped him into her warm embrace, this time she didn’t. She only looked down at him with a sad smile, tears building around the rims of her eyes. After some time he lowered his arms and only looked up at his mother in confusion. She leaned down and laid a hand on his head, letting her finger’s move through her son’s hair in a soothing manner.

“Mama loves you.”

The door closed behind her with a sharp click and suddenly the house that he had always known to be warm and comforting seemed so dark.

He never saw his mother again.

He tried to memorize the way she looked right now. She was smiling so warmly in her sleep, wrapped up in his arms. The honey colored curls of her hair tickled at his nose but he couldn’t bring himself to move from his spot wrapped around her. He ran his fingertips over the smooth span of her back, tracing the dips of her spine over and over. The early morning sun bounced around the room and made her deep, ochre brown skin practically glow - she was an angel. He snuggled closer to her, wanting desperately to never move from this spot. He wanted to whisk her away and-

beep.beep.

The sound of his cellphone permeated through the room and he groaned as he had to move away from his girlfriend to reach behind him and grab the iPhone from its place on the bedside table. He didn’t bother to check who was calling, he knew only one person would call at this hour. Jaebum.

“Yeah?”

“That woman is trying to get a hold of you.”

He scoffed, it was entirely too early for trash news like that. “She doesn’t realize there’s a time difference?”

“she doesn't care. She says she wants you to call her as soon as possible.”

He rolled his eyes, sitting up in his bed. Vienne rolled in her sleep, unconsciously looking for his warmth and wrapped her arms around his waist. He smiled at the sight, tugging up the blanket to cover more of her naked body.

“Jinyoung?”

“Yeah,” Jinyoung cleared his throat with a cough. “I’ll call her when I can.”

He hung up the phone before Jaebum could respond. He knew his friend would be irritated and probably tell him off later but for now he couldn't give less of a shit. He tossed the phone back on to the nearby table with a huff. He moved back into a laying position and quickly wrapped himself around his girlfriend again. He didn’t want to think of anything outside this bed and the woman in it.

When he woke up he had 12 missed calls and Vienne was missing from his bed. He only glanced at his phone and saw the unknown number to know the bitch had probably found him. He yawned, stretching his arms before quickly clearing his call log. He didn’t want to be reminded more than he already was of the painful conversation he was going to have later. He quickly got up, grabbing his sweats that were conveniently placed on his dresser - he grinned at seeing them, Vienne always laid clothes out for him and sometimes he would ignore them to get a rise out of her but for today he decided to be obedient. She also laid out a black cotton shirt for him but he didn’t bother with it as he left their shared room and made his way towards the kitchen. Vienne was moving around the kitchen, her body only covered by an oversized t-shirt as she made breakfast. Her wild curls were a stark contrast to the simplicity of her outfit. He could feel himself grow hard by just looking at her.

“Baby,”

Vienne hummed as she stood in front of the stove; bacon and eggs sizzling in the pans in front of her. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against him and running his nose along the curve of her neck and shoulder.

“Are you hungry?” She asked, leaning back against him a bit as his fingers played with the bottom of her shirt, rubbing the cotton material between his fingers as he placed sweet kisses along the length of her neck.

“I could eat.” As he said this a hand slipped underneath her shirt, trailing its way higher until he cupped one of her firm breasts.

Vienne scoffed, moving her hips to rub her butt against his crotch. “I bet.”

“What do you want?”

“You’ve been ignoring my calls.”

He could already feel a headache starting to form and he rubbed his temples with his other hand. “What do you want?” He didn’t bother answering her, he didn’t care if she knew he was purposefully avoiding her.

“Your father has been trying to reach you, he thought your fiancé might be able to get a hold of you-”

“You,” He interrupted, his tone sharp as he clenched his phone in his grip. “Are not my fiancé.”

“Say that to the engagement ring on my finger. Listen-”

He could hear the shuffle of paper and the clattering of something upon a table before she spoke again. Jinyoung turned his head to make sure that the light in the restroom could still be seen underneath the door and that Vienne’s soft humming could be heard as she showered.

“Soon you will have to come back, and I would prefer it if you didn’t embarrass me by bringing your whore with you. Tie up any lose ends an-”

“Shut up!” He snapped. “Don’t you dare talk about her that way, do you hear me? Don’t forget this is an arrangement, I owe you absolutely nothing.”

“You don’t owe me?” He heard her scoff and he could only imagine the smug look on her face. “You should be kissing the ground I walk on for putting up with you and saving your family from ruin.”

He hissed, his mouth twitching in contempt. “How kind of you. You make it seem like you aren’t getting anything out of it.”

She laughed. “You know.” Her voice perked up all of a sudden with so much sweetness it left a bad taste in his mouth. “This would all be so much easier if you would stop trying to get out from under daddy’s thumb and insisting on making friends with trash.”

He was losing his patience and he would have screamed at her, cursed at her, if it weren’t for the fact that he heard the water from the shower stop. He could vaguely hear her say something to him again before he pulled the phone away from his ear and ended the call. He quickly cleared the call log and tossed his phone on to a nearby table before falling back on to his bed.

The door to the bathroom opened, flooding light into the room and Vienne’s silouette outlined as she stood under the door frame. Her lithe body was wrapped in a fluffy, pink towel and he could see the droplets of water trailing down the length of her neck and disappearing underneath where the towel hid her breasts from view. Jinyoung watched her make her way to her vanity set, sitting down as she reached for her lotion. He got up from the bed, moving slowly over to his girlfriend. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed his forehead to the back of her wet curls.

He moved her hair away from the base of her neck and kissed the skin there. “I love you.”

Vienne looked at him through the mirror, her brow furrowing. “Jinyoung, is everything ok?” Jinyoung met her eyes and wrapped his arms lower, around her waist. He pressed his face into her wet curls again and shook his head.

“I just want you to know I love you.”

Vienne gave him a soft smile. She rested her hands on top of his and squeezed lightly. “I know.”

“Mimi, can you move my 2 o’clock to 3? I’m gonna step out for some lunch.” Vienne said as pulled on her coat. Mimi nodded her head at her boss and started to pick up the phone. Vienne waved her goodbye as she walked out of the studio. She was lucky. Usually she would be booked all day with brides and grooms, trying to help them plan their dream weddings but at least once a week she likes to schedule her day light so she has time to eat and move around her appointments and not spend her meal times running around New York because a bridesmaid refuses to wear the designated color scheme.

She quickly made her way to her favorite cafe, it was conveniently placed a block away from her studio and therefore she was friendly with and well known by the staff. Jinyoung and her used to frequent the cafe a lot for desert when they had first started dating but they hadn’t had time to come like they used. She walked in and snatched up a table by the large window at the front of the shop, ordering a sandwich and a smart water from the waitress before looking to her phone to check her email.

New Mail

Nessa, A. : Can I schedule a meeting for tomorrow? I’ve decided that the beach venue isn’t for me and I need help choosing a new venue? Please let me know.

Vienne rolled her eyes at the message. Of course. She kissed her teeth as she tried to think of a time she would be able to squeeze in the meeting with the potential-bridezilla.

She heard the clack of heels but didn’t pay it any mind until the sound suddenly stopped in front of her table and she could feel another person’s presence. She looked up to see a woman looking down at her, silent but a smug smile in place while her eyes were hidden away by expensive looking sunglasses.

Vienne glanced around but no one else was paying any attention to them. She returned her brown eyes to the woman, her lips in a confused pout. “Do I know you?”

She was a beautiful woman. She had dark, straight hair that stopped symmetrically at her shoulders and perfectly manicured hands that took off her sun glasses to present one of the most scathing glares Vienne had ever had directed at her. She had on a white colored cape dress that probably belonged on a Chanel mannequin somewhere and dark wine red heels that made her look inches taller than her. The woman let her eyes trail over Vienne, a small scoff leaving her lips as they met eyes.

“No you don’t. But I know you.”

Jinyoung was making his way out of a conference call when his personal cellphone went off. He looked down to see the unknown number and he rolled his eyes before swiping to answer and pressing the phone against his ear. He nodded at his secretary to follow him into the elevator and she did so, pressing the 12th floor button as he spat into the phone. “What? I’m busy.”

“Your father expects you on a flight this coming Tuesday.”

Jinyoung chuckled in frustration, rubbing his eyes tiredly at her stupidity. “You aren’t so much of an idiot you’d think I’d actually go, are you?”

“Well I’ve taken care of any disruptions you might have, so I don’t see why not?”

Jinyoung paused, sucking in air through his teeth as he processed what she said. He could see from the corner of his eye his secretary look over at him worriedly before turning back to face forward. He clutched the phone tighter in his grip, the elevator suddenly felt too small and his chest felt so tight.

“What did you do?”

“I have to admit. She wasn’t hideous. She’s a cute girl and she catches on quite fast.”

“You bitch.” He spat. He could see his secretary jump from the venom in his voice but he didn’t pay her any mind as the elevator doors opened that second. He quickly walked out making his way towards his office, desperate to finish this conversation without the prying eyes that were watching him storm by.

“Tsk,tsk. Such language. I must have upset you.” She was mocking him. Jinyoung wanted to throw his phone at the fucking floor in frustration but he knew better. He would restrain himself, if only barely.

Once he had finally made it to his office- ignoring his receptionists’ greeting- he slammed his office door closed behind him, loosening his tie as he gathered his thoughts. “What did you say to her?”

“I di-”

“Tell me what you told her!”

He could hear her pause. They were both silent for a moment only the sound of Jinyoung’s heavy breathing could be heard.

“I told her the truth.”

The front panel of his phone broke away as it collided with the wall. The pieces falling in a scattered mess as Jinyoung gripped on to his chest. He felt like he was having a stroke, his heart was beating so fast and he had no idea what to do with himself. He was scared. He was scared to go back home. He was scared of going back and Vienne no longer being there. He was so scared of being alone without her.

It was like he was living a nightmare. He felt disorientated, out of place as he walked the steps to his apartment.

“Vienne.” He called out loud.

“I’m in here.”

In a perfect world the love of his life would walk out of their bedroom, a new dress on her frame as she called out to him to help her zip it up. He would chuckle to himself as he helped her, imagining the day the dress she's wearing is her wedding dress and about the family they would eventually start. The family he would finally have.

The world isn’t perfect.

Vienne isn’t smiling, she isn’t dressed in a pretty dress and she isn’t happy to see him. Her perfect full lips are turned into a frown, and her eyes have begun to swell from crying. She’s in their shared room, suitcases laid out on their bed and some of her clothes already packed away inside. He stops at the door frame afraid to move any closer. She ignores him, as if he’s not even there, and continues to move around the room packing things away. He just watches her for a minute or two, mustering up the courage to stop her, to say anything to her.

“Where are you going?”

She stops from folding a shirt, holding it in her grasp before she finally answers. “Away. I can’t be here right now.”

“Vienne. Don’t do this.”

Vienne scoffed, closing a suitcase and starting to zip it closed. “I didn’t do anything. The only thing I did was allow you to make me the fool.”

“Baby, you’re not-”

“You’re getting married.” She glared at him, her fury suddenly too much to handle. She had hoped that she would be gone before he even got home, that she wouldn’t have to face him. Just looking at him infuriated her. “You have a fiancé. You have a family when you told me your family was dead and you had no one. And I was the idiot that believed you.”

“You are not an idiot,” He moved away from the door, moving towards her until he stopped her from shutting closed her second suitcase. “They are not my family. You are my family.”

She rolled her eyes. “I thought it was weird.” She tugged the suitcase away from his grip and proceeding to zip it closed. “You never wanted to open up to me, talk about your past, you only ever wanted to know about me. Did you think I wouldn’t find out? That I would be happy being your little plaything forever? What if I wanted to get married.-”

“Then lets get married.”

Vienne hesitated, her face twisting in frustration and confusion. “What are you-”

“Marry me.” He moved closer until he was standing directly in front of her. “I know this isn’t the ideal situation or the perfect proposal but I love you, I want to marry you.”

“But your fiancé.” She moved away.

He wished she would jump into his arms, so that he could hold on tight to her because she's the only woman he would ever love. But he could see the tears brimming at her eyes as she looked away from him.

“You lied about everything. How can I trust you?”

“Baby no.” He rushed over to her, trying to cradle her face in his hands. “No, baby, no, I love you. This is all a mistake, I’ll fix it.” He used his thumb to wipe away the warm tears from her cheeks.

“Why didn’t you tell me? About your family? Why were you hiding it?”

He was at a loss for words he didn’t know how to answer her. He knew the reason, he didn’t want to lose her. He wanted to stay in the perfect little bubble he had been living in for the past three years. He didn’t want reality to come and ruin the happiness he had salvaged for himself.

“Please,” His voice wavered as he tried to steady the trembling in her body. She shook against him, tears moving over the perfect curves of her faces. Her lashes wet against the tops of her cheeks. Even in pain she was the most stunning thing he had ever seen. “Trust me.” He pulled her into his chest, cradling her close and rocking her as she cried. They stayed like that for a moment. Jinyoung closed his eyes as he tried to burn into his memory the way she felt in his arms, the gentle slope of her shoulders as he wrapped around her, the smell of pomegranates from her skin, the small brown curls that tickled at his nose as he pressed his face against the top of her head.

“I can’t.” Her voice was so soft, but he could hear it ringing through his ears. She slowly pulled away from him, moving away. He just watched, frozen as she moved around the room, collecting her things and leaving. His heart wanted to beat out of his chest, his hands trembled as he tried to steady himself. He wanted to call out to her, but he didn’t know what he would say.

The door slammed behind her and just like that he was alone again.

A/N: Why am I so heartless? Maybe pt.2?

#park jinyoung #park jinyoung imagine #got7 scenarios #got7 imagines #park jinyoung scenarios #jinyoung #mine #writingbyme #this was sad i was listening to sad songs while writing this #jinyoungfics

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