Purple Enchantment

Chapter One - Gnarled Fingers

Every night at midnight, the purple clouds came out to dance with the blushing sky.

Fantasy, some would suggest. But it is as real as the moon is full. It is at this time, on a warm night, when I like to don my mother’s cape and walk near the reeds surrounding our pond. As my path curves along its bank, I approach the woods on the side away from our cottage. I can feel the charge of magic in the air as the hair on my arms stands on end.

As the clouds dance in front of the moon, one can hear children singing from within the woods calling out to whomever they might enchant as the moon casts purple shadows of tree limbs with gnarled fingers into the surrounding fields.

There was a time when I was of a child’s age, when I hummed along to the melody, but I never entered the purple shadows cast by the moon. It was forbidden for as the moon rises, the shadows shorten, capturing and dragging its prey into the woods.

When I was very young, I ventured too close and found myself ensnared by the shadow limbs as they pulled me closer to the forest. I screamed as I was slowly hauled towards the forest. My mother heard my screaming, came running, and threw a rope to me which I clutched so she could rescue me from the shadow limbs. Once freed, she stood me up and hugged me hard to calm my panic. As my heart slowed and my head remained clutched to her chest, I could feel her heart still pounding as both it and she had raced to save me. It was her panic that she was attempting to calm.

Haunted by this memory I stop my walk short of the shadow limbs and sit, staring into the woods, listening to the children’s playfulness. I begin to hum along with them and as I begin to feel enchanted, another part of me begins to question why there are children in the woods.

I shake and quickly sit up in bed. It is a recurring nightmare that I have not been able to shake for weeks now. The part of my childhood encounter is indeed a memory, or part of one. A memory so strong and haunting that I left my mother’s cottage for the city after I completed my schooling. Rarely do I return home.

I reach for my phone from the nightstand and stare at it. It is just after midnight and I pull myself out from under the covers, leave the room dark, and walk to the large window overlooking the streets below. With the city lights, I cannot see the stars in the sky, just blackness. A siren blares in the street below. Somewhere there is a crisis of no concern to me. But I sense a crisis coming and I feel fear creeping upwards along my spine. I hold my phone in front of me and glare at it. I dial a saved number. It is answered almost immediately.

“Mom,” I say, trying to mask my anxiety.

“Are you alright?” she asks.

“Yes. I am fine. I had a dream, and I am sorry for the hour. Is everything okay there?”

“Yes dear. Do not worry about the hour, I was awake. Do you need me to come to the city?”

“No. Well. Maybe. No, I am fine. I was thinking I should come see you.”

“Are you sure?”

“It has been too long. I miss the stars.”

“When?”

“I am thinking this weekend and maybe I will take a few days off from work.”

“Can I make any of your childhood favorites to eat?” and I can hear a bit of excitement in mom’s voice.

“That would be nice.”

“See you this weekend.”

“I will take Friday off as well so we can make Saturday morning breakfast together. Love you mom.”

“Love you honey.”

I need to return and see the purple clouds dance in front of the moon and face the forest. Mom did not even ask what my dream was about. She knows.

Chapter Two - Home

I have no need for a car in the city, so I rent one for the trip home. It is a long drive of eight hours. I arrive before dinner. Before I can even place the car into park, my mother is beside it, waiting for me.

I look at her, smile, and crack open the door. She backs away a bit, so there is room for the door to swing open. I am barely able to stand before finding myself in an embrace that makes it hard for me to catch my breath. I hold her tightly too.