“What’d dad wanna talk to you about?” Roskva asked as she bruised her hair.

“He and mom are thinking about renovating the attic and turning it into a room for me.” Aneira said, pausing while brushing their teeth. Roskva’s jaw dropped, and the hairbrush clattered on the counter.

“What? No! You can’t leave!” Roskva begged. She ran and threw her arms around her sibling. “I’ll miss you.” Aneira spat out the toothpaste and wiped their mouth with a washcloth.

“I’m not going anywhere, and eventually I have to have my own room.” Aneira said while rinsing their toothbrush. “We both do. We need the privacy for the important things.”

“I don’t need privacy. I need you.” Roskva mumbled into Aneira’s shirt.

“Don’t be silly, c’mon.” Aneira shrugged their sister off. “Race you downstairs!” Aneira took off running despite Roskva’s objection. Still, she ran after them. Yelling for Aneira to wait up for her. They both pushed and shoved into the kitchen, where their father was stomping on his boots.

“Dad!” Roskva yelled demandingly.

“Yes, Roskva?” Their father said, stomping in a small circle to be sure his boots were on properly.

“When am I gonna get my powers?” Roskva asked, following Aneira to the back door to put on their boots as well.

“What do you mean? Powers like Aneira?” Their father asked hesitantly.

“Yeah!” Roskva yelled, throwing a boot in the air.

“Don’t throw things, Roskva.” Aneira chided, putting on their boots and listening intently for the answer.

“I don’t know, and that’s the truth.” Their father said. “We were surprised when Aneira was born with powers. Then we were surprised by you.”

“So, Aneira was born with theirs?” Roskva asked, disappointedly sliding into their boots.

“Yes, but let’s not worry about it anymore.” Their dad opened the back door and let in the morning sun. “The animals need feeding.” Aneira skipped out the door, but Roskva slumped her way out. Aneira saw their sister’s moping as their dad shut the back door and walked off to do his own chores that were a bit too hard for the children. Aneira doubled back and wrapped their arm around their younger sister.

“You’re always magic to me,” they said. Roskva sighed and crossed her arms.

“It’s not fair.” She said, Aneira smiled and squeezed her tight.

“Sorry,” Aneira said quietly.

“That’s okay, it’s not your fault. I guess.” Roskva said with a shrug. “It is really fun to have a big sibling with magic.”

“Yeah, not many can say they have that.” Aneira agreed. Directing them to the coop to feed the chickens. They fed the chickens and collected the eggs that Roskva missed. Though this time Aneira carried them inside.

They moved to the barn and fed the animals and worked together to sweep out the stalls while their father brushed and cleaned the handful of livestock. After all that the sun was nearly in the center of the sky.

“Why don’t you two wash up in the spigot while I get those eggs cleaned?” Their dad suggested. “When you two come in, we’ll have lunch and make bread for tomorrow.” The two children ran to the spigot where Aneira grabbed the handle and started pumping the ground water up from below. Roskva held her hands below the faucet, laughing as she tried to predict when the water would come.

The tap spat out cold groundwater, not fit for drinking, but fine for washing. Roskva screamed merrily as the cold water stung her hands. Aneira kept pumping as Roskva washed the dirt off her hands and face. Then she ran around the faucet and grabbed the handle, the momentum Aneira had created lifted the smaller sibling off the ground.

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Roskva screamed even happier as she had to jump up and down to keep the water pumping. Aneira laughed as they thrust their hands into the cold water. Gasping and shrieking as Roskva had done. They splashed water into their face to clean off the dirt and stood up.

“I’mma get there first!” Roskva screamed. Leaping away from the spigot and running for the kitchen.

“No, you aren’t!” Aneira laughed, but as they turned to run after their sibling they slid to a halt in the dirt. A strange but glittery mist slid around the farmhouse, enveloping it. The sun didn’t seem to have any effect on it whatsoever.

Aneira cocked their head to the side, in the depths of the mist there seemed to be some kind of glow. Like a pair of deep blue eyes looking through the mist. No, searching through the mist. For them.

It called to them, not with a voice they could hear but with a tug that pulled them from deep inside their chest. Aneira couldn’t help themself; they drifted along the mud outside the paths. Past the garden that still needed weeding, past the well that needed scrubbing. Stopping at the gate that fenced in the farm from the woods that surrounded them on all sides.

Just outside the fence was the dirt road that served as a pass through the mountains. But past that, the mist drifted back and between the trees, still pulling Aneira with them.

Aneira looked back over their shoulder to the farmhouse. Nothing stirred, feeling their heart beating in their ears and every mature voice telling them they shouldn’t, Aneira climbed over the fence. They hit the ground with a momentum that forced them into a run. They didn’t even notice the trees or any scenery around them as they chased the mist deeper into the forest. Stopping only when the mist surrounded them on every side.

The glow had retreated far away and no longer could be seen. Aneira looked around them at all the trees. Every single one looked exactly the same. Behind them, a snap of a tree branch had them spinning around.

“Hello?” Aneira called, their voice echoing through the trees. Another branch snapped; the echoing made it impossible to tell where it came from. Aneira spun around. Only getting more lost.

“Aaannnneiiiiraaaa,” a ghostly wail called throughout the trees.

“Who are you!” Aneira yelled. “Come out here! Show yourself!” Silence. Another few snaps in the trees. Something was moving, circling like a predator hunting prey.

“Dooo’Laaeeeth” The wail called. “I’ve come for your SOUL!”

Aneira screamed as something grabbed their arm and yanked them hard. She opened her eyes as she recognized the laughter.

“Roskva!” Aneira yelled. Yanking their hand away from their younger sister. “What are you doing!”

“What am I doing? What are you doing!” Roskva said, stopping her laughter and planting her hands on her hips. “You know we aren’t supposed to play in the woods. Dad says we’ll get lost.” Aneira pursed their lips together and looked around at the misty trees around them.

“Why are you out here then?” Aneira said, trying to hold onto their authority.

“Dad says lunch is ready and you have to come inside.” Roskva said.

“Okay, let’s get inside then.” Aneira sighed. They looked around at the trees. “I’ll follow you?”

“I don’t know which way to go.” Roskva said, surprised. The two siblings stared at each other with the color draining from their faces.

“Aneira, are we lost?” Roskva asked in a tiny voice.

“I… yeah. I think we are.” Aneira said. Trying not to sound afraid. “But it’s okay, if we just stay put here and wait. Dad will come looking for us.”

“Are you sure?” Roskva asked, grabbing onto their siblings' waists.

“Yeah, I mean. He sent you to find me for lunch. When we don’t run inside, he’ll come looking for us.”

“What made you run this way, anyway!” Roskva accused.

“I-” Aneira tried to explain but couldn’t find the right words. “I don’t know.”

“It was stupid.” Roskva huffed. Aneira frowned.

“You shouldn’t have followed me; you should have gotten dad.” Aneira chided. Roskva squeezed Aneira tighter, little tears building in the corner of her eyes.

“Do you feel that?” Aneira whispered, feeling the tug in their chest again.

“No! Feel what!” Roskva shrieked, looking down at her feet in a panic.

“That,” Aneira whispered as the mist drew closer to them again and pulled them forward. They moved forward, hindered by their sister still clinging to their leg.

“Aneira! We have to stay here! Remember? So, dad can find us?” Roskva begged, trying to pull them back. But Aneira proved to be stronger and more determined.

“But” Aneira said quietly. Reaching out to touch the mist but it shied from their touch.

“It looks like how your dreams do. And that’s always where the pale lady comes from.” Roskva said, pulling them harder.

“Does it? Really?” Aneira said, getting more excited. They dragged Roskva a few more steps through the tree line and the mist began to retreat. The two held their breath as the mist Revealed a ghostly white river flowing between the trees.