The Time Capsule

Chapter 10: Blue Shoes

Chapter 10: Blue Shoes

Angelica slowly blinked open her eyes, turning over in her bedsheets at the sight of the bright sun. The purple spots had vanished from the corner of her eye. Why did that happen every time she saw something not of this world? At this point, she had seen a lot...but still, the purple blinded her. And there was always an intense ringing noise in her ears. Yes, Angelica had been forced to admit now that this was...*magic.* There was no other explanation. This was how her father had been taken all those years ago. She was so close, yet so far from finding out the answer for his disappearance. 

"Dad...whatever happened to you, I'm going to find out," Angelica whispered up into the bright morning sunbeams. "I'm so close...and...if you're still alive, could you give me a sign? Please?"

She walked to the window and threw open the blinds, as if waiting for a gleam in the sunlight. Nothing came. The forest and the trees remained dark and unforgiving as ever. Angelica sighed, wondering what to do now. There was so much swirling around her. Jillian, a human interacting with magical affairs, Levi, a Trickster. Both keeping this world from her for god knows how long. She tried to recall the events from last night, but it always ended with purple spots surrounding her vision. She vaguely remembered flying over the acres of trees with Nightwing and Levi, and if she wasn't mistaken, there had been a battle with the iron clad gargoyles that she had managed to conquer. But that would be impossible, right? Nevertheless, she gasped when she remembered that Levi had been hurt. If she wanted to know anything, she needed to see him. 

Slipping her pirate coat over her jeans and a casual tank, she headed out the door and ignored her mother's sigh as she reached for the doorknob. 

"That pirate coat is getting more wear than half your wardrobe," Mrs. Sparrow chuckled, but her expression softened when she saw hat Angelica was trying not to cry. "At least let me put it through the wash at the end of the day. The shine has worn off on the buttons." 

"Alright, mum," Angelica said, she had softened towards her mother's strict persona while she was in the hospital. "I'll be back later, going to visit Levi in the hospital." 

"What's that boy doing in the hospital?" Mrs. Sparrow looked alarmed. "He was perfectly fine when you went out yesterday." 

"Yeah, well, that was before we went out, wasn't it?" 

Great excuse, Angelica, well done. She wasn't as quick as she had been after being introduced to this magical world. 

"Nothing for you to worry about. I'm fine, see? No scratches. He kept me safe." 

"Safe from *what*, exactly?" Mrs. Sparrow stood, wincing and rubbing her arm, still in a sling. "Angelica...I am not entirely incompetent at being a mother. I can tell when something's going on. And I want you to know...if you see anything dangerous, anything...out of the ordinary at all...you can tell me. I'll always be there to listen and protect you." 

Was it a trick of the light? Or did Angelica see an unnatural gleam in her mother's eyes? And come to think of it, didn't she see that same ghostly gleam when she had visited her mother in the hospital? At first, she thought it was the moon reflecting off her iris, but now, she wasn't so sure. She would have to play her cards close to her chest. 

"Thanks, mum, I'll tell you if I see anything," Angelica replied, giving a false smile. "I'll be back soon." 

She closed the door and breathed a sigh of relief when her mother didn't question her any further. Her new high tops clicked across the sidewalk as she made her way along the new familiar path that lead to the hospital, directly alongside the forest. She couldn't. She shouldn't...but still the distant screech hidden in the trees tempted her. Ducking dow so no one could see her rush through the bushes, she shivered as the darkness enveloped her and blinked to adjust her eyesight. Should any purple spots appear, she would run. She didn't know what they meant yet, but they always showed up whenever something dangerous occurred.