A Collection of Short Stories

1: The Lady and the Box

Willow is your average girl. As average as can be when the world is about to be erased by a supernatural force. A force that only a selected few can see. The rest of the world has gone into panic mode. 24 people can see the being, so far. Around half of them are crying for their parents, though. The youngest of them all was Willow, with 14 years.

They approach the being together. As her group gets closer, they can see it more clearly. It had multiple arms and around ten feet tall. The creature notices the approaching group of humans and stops wreaking havoc for a second. Willow and the creature make eye contact briefly. "Can you see me?" it asks in a slow, grinding voice.

"Yes, we can see you!" she yells up towards the being.

The creature somehow tilts its head and starts to shrink. Moments later, the silhouette of a woman could be seen through the smoke, walking in between heaps of rubble left by the ten-foot-tall attacker earlier. She stepped out of the smoke and the 24 selected were able to see the woman clearly.

She had grey hair, yet looked spectacularly young. Her hair was styled in a short, wavy bob. She had electric blue eyes, which matched her eyes magnificently. Her earrings were short studs that were in the shape of stars, but they twinkled brightly as if they were actual stars. She was wearing a pair of cuffed light blue jeans, matched with an oversized maroon sweater. She was also wearing high-heeled ankle boots.

She approaches Willow first, possibly because she was the bravest, or because she was the youngest. The clicks of the boots stop once she reaches the 14-year-old girl. Willow took a step back. The woman clasped both of Willow's hands in her own. Willow notices that the hands were surprisingly warm. "I'm very sorry about earlier," she says. Her voice is no longer as hoarse as it was when she was ten feet tall. She continues, "I didn't want that to be the way to introduce myself to the planet."

"It wasn't the most convenient way of making a first impression," Willow offers.

The woman chuckles. "I like you. What is your name, child?" she asks, a smile still plastered on her face.

"My name is Willow. If I can ask: what's your name?"

"I'm Concordia," she says calmly.

"That's a pretty name. Does it have a meaning?"

"Yes. My name means 'peace' in an old language from your world."

"That's nice. Mine is just Willow. Like the tree."

"Dona Nobis Pacem," she says, making a peace sign with her hands. Willow wondered how the mysterious lady knew about the peace sign. She also wondered how the lady knew Latin and how to speak it.

"Gratissimum," Willow says. She didn't know how she knew what to say, but it came naturally. She didn't even study Latin in her entire life.

Concordia smiles and mutters a few words. A bag appears a few seconds later. She reaches in and pulls out a small box. She hands it over to Willow.

"Gratias tibi ago," Willow thanks Concordia. One of the other members of the group, Matthias, walks over to them and takes away the small package. "Hey! What are you doing?"

"I'm taking care of you," he says while muttering about how the box could be a secret contraption to control their minds. He turns it and looks at it in every angle possible.

"You're being delusional, and besides, what has she done to make us hate her?"

"Fifteen minutes ago, she was tearing apart an entire 100-story office building!"

"Her name means peace, and she just gave us a gift. So give it back!"

A giggle interrupted their little fight. "Sorry," Concordia says. "You two are just like siblings. Not that I would know, though. Where I'm from, no one has brothers or sisters."

"Would you please give it back?" I ask.

"Fine!" he eventually gives in with an eye-roll and a sigh.

Willow opens the box and is immediately confused by the sight. There were many small charms in it. One of them matched to the earrings Concordia had on, twinkling and sparkling in the same way. The next looked like a crystallised teardrop. Another one marked a close resemblance to a trident. The fourth was a small dagger, with a snake curling around the blade and hilt.

She was confused at first, but then she had an idea. "These are beautiful! Thank you so much. But you cannot rely on me for whether you stay or leave. You'll have to win these guys over first," Willow says, pointing over her shoulders at the rest of the group. "Thank you for the gift. I hope we meet again!"

She turns to the others. "Goodbye," she says.

Willow starts running towards the orchard, knowing very well that she will find a way to the outside world through a tiny hole in the fence. Clutching the box of charms, she sets out to find worthy candidates for the great battle that will commence.