Mabel stares at the shattered potion her mother threw on the ground in horror. Unable to understand her mother’s shrieking and panic over bringing something so foreign into the household.

Poison. That’s what she called it...

The blood-colored potion sank into the carpet. Soon to leave a permanent reminder of what would happen in the next few hours.

She wouldn’t even consider it…

Her tears welled up the closer she got to her father’s bed. His lifeless body breathing ragged. As the rest of the night passed she sat with her sister. Reconciling with the fact they wouldn’t see him again. The only thing she could do was hold his hand along with her sister and mother and wait for him to pass.

After the shattered glass was cleaned and her father was gone that night Mabel told her mother about the deal she made with the Creature. Her mother barked and berated her daughter for still believing in old Fae myths. Calling her a child, a stupid child for being tricked into becoming a Monster’s plaything. She continued her rant for the weeks leading up to Mabel’s departure.

But despite the yelling and cursing her Mother still tried to bargain with the Creature. Claiming she was a young girl who didn’t know any better. It hurt Mabel that her mother still saw her as such. She knew what she was getting into with the Creature. None of this scared her.

"Your daughter is not a girl.” The growl of the creature scared her mother into silence, “She knew what she was getting into when she came to me. It’s admirable what she did." That was when Mabel realized the Creature wasn’t so bad. He at least saw her as an adult. As someone who wasn’t stupid. Her mother still begged and pleaded but they fell on deaf ears.

Mabel and her sister tried to calm her as much as they could before she left.  But it wouldn’t help how broken she was as she watched her eldest daughter shrink in the distance.

“Are you ok?” The Creature asked after they were far away from the village. She stayed quiet, “Mabel.” She looked at him, “That’s your name, right?” She nodded and stayed quiet the rest of the ride to her new home.