#we're gonna borrow from magical realism and acknowledge that it's just there

[sea-owl]

Inspired by my favorite fairytale Snow White and Rose Red. Was originally gonna be for polin week day six but I'm late, oh well.

In the wooded country side of England sat the Ancestral home of the Featherington family, and on the lands their home grew several flowers in honor of the family's crest of the Butterfly. Among those flowers grew two shrubs, one containing the blush white Penelope Roses, and the other grew the multicolored pink, lavender, and green Felicity Hydrangeas.

The lady of the house, Lady Featherington, loved these two flower shrubs so dearly she had named her younger two daughters after them, Penelope and Felicity. As seemed to follow their namesakes the two girls were also like the flowers. Penelope was the quieter one of the two, preferring to read and write her stories. Felicity loved running through the woods, and causing mischief. The two girl loved one another dearly, often seen walking about hand in hand as they roamed about the woods.

The animals of the woods that surrounded their home trusted the two girls. Little hares would eat cabbage from their hands, deer would graze beside them, and the birds would continue to sing their songs in the trees. Neither girl fearing the woods that surround their home, as they knew they were perfectly safe, and trusted the woods. Many a night the girls laid down on the mossy ground when it had grown too dark to continue forward.

On one such of those nights, the two girls were collecting berries and had lost track of time. A tree root has gently raised itself to stop the girls from going forward.

"Perhaps we should stop here for the night," Penelope suggested. Felicity nodded and the two girls drifted off to sleep.

Felicity's eyes shot open at the sound of her sister's gasp and hands yanking her back. "Penelope?!" Felicity exclaimed, still groggy.

She looked up, but Penelope kept her eyes straight ahead. Not far from where the girls were sleeping was a rocky cliff. The trees last night had stopped them from going over.

When the girls later told their mother and older sisters, Portia did not seem at all shocked. "Remember, girls, so long as we take care of the woods, the woods will take care of us."

As summer turned to fall, Portia had to leave for business in London. She took her two oldest with her and instructed her younger daughters to take care.

"Remember, my daughters trust the woods. So long as you do it will not lead you astray."

Penelope and Felicity nodded. "Yes, mother."

As the girls finished their chores, night fell, and they sat by the fire. Penelope read aloud while Felicity practiced her water colors.

"Then the prince kissed the sleeping princess-"

Felicity wrinkled her nose. "That's creepy."

"-with true love's kiss. The princess had awoken and they live happily ever after."

"Could you imagine how weird it would be if you laid down for a nap, and then some bloke is just standing above you and ruining your good dreams by kissing you!" Felicity said, waving her paint brush around. "Like, good sir, I would like to nap in peace, please!"

Penelope giggled but was soon interrupted by a knock on the door. "Felicity, please open the door. It must be a traveler looking for shelter for the night."

Sheltering travelers was nothing new to the girls. It was often told that part of protecting the woods, they must also protect its travelers so no harm came to either.

Felicity nodded and got up from her spot. Unlocking the door, Felicity was not expecting the sight before her.

Felicity let out a shriek at the sight of a very large brown bear head poking through the door. Throwing herself backward, Felicity quickly hid behind her sister.

"Please," a voice said. "I mean no harm. I only wish to warm myself a little."

Both sisters snapped their full attention on the bear. The brown bear was looking at them with green eyes that almost seemed human.

"It's a talking bear!" Felicity exclaimed, now coming out of her hiding spot. She came closer, excitedly curious about their new guest.

"Oh, you poor thing," Penelope said. "Come in and lay by the fire."

"Thank you," the bear said as he made his way inside. "My name is Colin."

Felicity giggled. "How silly, a bear named Colin."

The girls took a broom and gently sweeped off leaves and early frost off the bear's back. He was patient with the girls especially when they brushed through a particularly knoted tangle. When the Colin's fur was dry and warm from the hearth, Felicity had climbed up onto his back. Colin laid down to make it easier for her.

Penelope sat next to them as she read more stories.

"She's likely to fall asleep up there," Penelope said as she finished another story.

"It does not bother me," Colin said. "She's so small I barely feel her."

Penelope tilted her head. "What's it like being a bear?"

"What's it like being a human?" Colin countered.

Penelope giggled. "We do humans things, I suppose. Eat, sleep, walk, marry, read, paint, and write, among other things."

"Some of those things bears do too," Colin pointed out.

Penelope giggled again. "I suppose you're right."

The two continued to talk until Penelope could no longer hold open her eyes. Unknowingly, she laid against Colin and his warm fur.

Colin couldn't help but smile himself as he laid his head down to sleep. It has been so long since he had been in the company of others. Maybe listening to the woods wasn't a bad idea since it led him to the Featherington sisters.