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Imaginary friend

"That one will be five dollars."

I bit my lip, staring at the cheap, sorry excuse for a jar. It wouldn't even hold half of the mushrooms that I wanted to use it for. I could have sworn that I saw some better quality jars in the window...

"Say, aren't you the Wich that lives in the forest."

I gave an exasperated sigh. Rubbing my hand over my face. Just because I happened to be the only Fae of the town and just because I happened to own a nice chunk of forest with a nice loft house. And just because I HAPPENED to wear a large grayish-blue hat that my dear mother made for me did NOT make me a Wich.

"I'm not a Wich, and is there any other jars that you have?" Annoyance stirred beneath me, under my poncho and jeans, just above my pale skin in the form of foliage and fungus.

"No" she started crudely. "You look like a Wich, or," the older woman squinted at me, her eyes scrutinizing every inch of skin that I couldn't cover. "Maybe a vampire?"

if they weren't afraid of me they were just jerks.

*She's so rude isn't she?*

I whipped around the small shop. The small wisp sound of my hat cut through the silence along with the short startled yelp of the woman. But the shop was empty except for us.

*my apologies, I didn't mean to scare you.*

I blinked, I was losing it. One look at the woman told me that I was very quickly going to get kicked out of yet another shop in this excruciatingly small town. Dang it. This is why I stay at home. Stupid storm.

"Nevermind" I said half consciously, my eyes still studying every inch of the shop for some sort of clue. Probably best just to head home.

I walked out of there, well aware of how the woman hurriedly locked the door behind me, or how a young woman and her kid not so subtlety crossed the street.

*Such rude people, they'd never get away with that in the city*

I turned in a 360, well aware that I was alone.

"I'm not a huge fan of ghosts." The moment I said it the moment it hit me that it was, in fact, a stupid thing to say.

A snicker sounded in my ear.

*Well thank goodness that I'm alive*

"Is it normal for me to be hearing voices?"

*I take it that you don't watch the news*

"No" I said slowly, training my eyes forward as I walked to the bus stop.

*Interesting,*

The voice was definitely male, and there was an almost playfulness to it, gently sprinkled with a hint of a purr. Different then the harsh clash of words that I'm normally met with. I imagined him with golden brown, traditional boys cut hair and onyx eyes. It was a simple flash of an image in my mind but I felt just a little more sane.

His voice broke through my thoughts and dragged me back to reality, well, however real an invisible voice could seem.

*What do you even need jars for?*

His voice sung no song of mockery or disgust that I was so used to hearing. Seemed Imaginary.

"I forage for mushrooms and plant leaves to sell at the monthly farmers market." I blinked, I was humoring an invisible voice, great. "There was a storm recently that broke all my jars." I mumbled that last part.

Another small chuckle resounded at my left.

"What?" I snapped defensively.

*no offense 'shroom Cap but it does sound like your a Wich, it's just a little funny.*

Did the invisible voice seriously just call me 'Shroom Cap? "No it's not!" But I found myself smiling.

"It doesn't matter anyways." I continued flatly. "Nobody in this blasted town ever sells me actual serious supplies... Maybe I should take a risk with the city." Not that I ever actually would. I'd make my own before dealing with the stiff concrete towers that mocked the beautifully graceful trees.

*Well I'd love to give you a tour.*

"An invisible one?" I joked

*I'm not well appreciated in the city, probably not the best 'visual' tour guide* his voice simulated a smile, I wondered what he looked like.

I was still talking to him.

Arriving at the bus stop, I chuckled, the walk seemed shorter than normal. the bus was already pulling up.

*It looks like this is where I leave you*

"I guess so."

*by the way, if you ever get the chance, I heard the local bakery is giving out free pies, even for 'Shroom Caps'*

My smile was accompanied by just a hint of red that washed over my face. I hadn't even seen his face.

I didn't care that the bus driver scowled at me.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I got home relatively quickly considering it was a mile walk from the bus stop.

Tucked behind the trees and nestled into the foliage. A small gated plot was made for farming right outside a dull blue house. Crawling with vines and shrubbery. Home.

The inside was just as cozy, with a small fireplace and books everywhere. Two couches surrounded it with a nice coffee table in the middle.

A humble kitchen rested in the corner and a little staircase leading to the loft.

I did own a tv, but it was broken and nobody wanted to travel into the woods with a 'Wich' to fix a tv. Which is why I didn't watch the news or know anything outside of my little town. I wondered what he had meant by that.

The sun didn't shine as bright here, the tree leaves blanketed the forest well, giving a humble forest fae with sun irritation perfect comfort.

What an interesting day. I packed up whatever shoddy jars I had left with my eroded satchel and went out foraging.

A few hours went by and finally as the glow of the sun settled under the blanket of trees I headed home with my treasures.

The next day I headed back out into the town. I don't go into town. But...It couldn't hurt too much, I thought about the bakery. I'd never had fresh pie before..

Beside the Bakery nested an amazing oak tree that had to surpass the town in both age and beauty. I could feel its strong roots tangled deep in the soil, layers and layers under the surface. Its branches were thick and coating every limb entirely was blankets of leaves. The foliage under my poncho moved and grew at my excitement at such an amazing evergreen.

"Hey are you gonna buy something or are you just gonna stand there looking like an idiot."

"Oh" I stammered, walking up to the little window in front "I heard you were giving away free pies?"

He gave me a stubborn frown. He was tall, or rather, the bakery window he was looking out of was tall. A bushy mustache covered the majority of his face and I'm sure if he smiled it would fit him nicely. Unlike the mean frown that scrunched up his face, making him look red and wrinkly.

"Don't know what you're talking about."

I'd never been a confrontational person. And this was once again another instance where I backed down instead of arguing.

"Oh, well," I glimpsed at the menu. "I guess I'll have one slice of pie please."

He rang me up and I waited at the table under the oak. It shouldn't hurt, I'd been in this town long enough to know that some people can simply be cruel. Just because I'm only half human didn't mean that I didn't have feelings.

"This is why I keep to the forest" I grumbled under my breath.

After a minute he came back with a piece, setting down with a mildly disgusted look before tending to the next person.

The chair across from me creaked.

*Such a brilliant tree isn't it?*

I hummed in agreement, watching as dust particles moved subtly in wisps around his side of the table.

"You know I don't think I've asked you your name,"

*Oh yeah! My name is Joshua, but you are welcome to call me Josh, as for you, you can tell me your name but I prefer calling you 'Shroom Cap.*

I ignored the last comment. "Joshua," I repeated, mulling it over in my head, I had a name, some glimmer of possibility of hair. I wondered what he liked to wear. "My name is Autumn."

I took a small bite of pie, it was nice. The rouch crust surface was just thin enough to break with a satisfying 'SNAP'. "If I would've known that I was going to have company, I would have gotten you a piece."

A chuckle resounded, followed by a slight shuffle. "Maybe next time. "

"How mysterious," I teased, "So you said you live in the city? That would be the only thing that would cause any ruckus on the news."

"True, I always forget that most people in the city are far more familiar with supers than people hidden away in little towns and forest villages."

I nodded in agreement, unconsciously taking another bite of pie.

"You know it's a little weird to me, normally people would get it that you weren't a Wich simply by seeing you enough times, but these people have acted like this is the first time they've seen you in forever."

I was silent for a moment. "Well, Normally I only come out during the Farmers Market the last Saturday of the month, it's a big event for our little town and gets a lot of flak from the nearest city...." My words trailed off as the realization started to click.

"So..." He paused, the nothingness on his chair gave me no indication of scrutiny. "So you never come out of the forest? Why were you in the shop yesterday then?"

"The storm broke all my good jars, I use them to store the mushrooms that I sell." It was getting extremely hard to look straight ahead.

"That sounds.... Lonely."

The words hit me harder than I thought necessary. Washing over me and drowning me in a sea of thick dread. I wasn't used to any sort of kindness, and he wasn't joking or judging. There was no grimince in his voice. No sense of hate or horror. I was so used to the crude behaviors of the town, the same that were expressed for my mother, the same that kept me locked up in the forest all day. Who knew I would crumble with just one statement?

But I couldn't speak. Couldn't move. This was some sick joke wasn't it? Some game was being played on me because I was vulnerable.

My defenses kicked in. "It's not lonely," I snapped. Standing up, frown still glued downwards. "What do you know? People probably don't look at you as if they were looking at death. You probably can have relationships, friendships." My voice was breaking, the small voice in my head was screaming for me to stop talking, stop yelling at the *one* person who seemed nice. But my buried hurt was louder. I took in a breath. Speaking lower than a whisper as I walked away from the oak tree, "I didn't choose to be alone, the world chose it for me."

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I spent the rest of the evening crying. Once I was in my part of the woods I attached to the nearest tree and seeped into it. Letting out my frustration in the form of magic, transforming my pale soft skin into rough tree bark. Mushrooms grew out of me thickly and to anyone at first glance it simply looked like a tree with a thick, strong root.

I closed my eyes and let my strength come from the tree. It was actually probably the best choice of action considering that I would be well nourished when I awoke. But that wasn't what I was focusing on.

That was stupid. Lashing out at the only person who had seemed to care. I guess I wasn't really meant to be loved.

When I woke up I found that a blanket had been draped over my shoulders.

#OMG #this took me so long #everytime I was close to finishing it I frickin added to it!!!#writing #imaginary friend #.... somewhat angst?#romance.... maybe.... 👀#kit's writing #IM BACK I SWEAR #fae #forest #mushroom stuff #this will have a part two don't yall worry!

now accepting mushroom donations.

all mushrooms welcome.

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