THE COTTAGE – #flashfictionmagic
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Lilian and Margot were camping yet again in Deepwillow Forest when they found the cottage.
Lilian stood still as the tree beside her, dreams of the future tossing the edges of her like the wind tossed the tree’s leaves.
“Is that—“ Margot’s twisted foot tripped on a root and she caught herself on Lilian’s shoulder.
The cottage sat squat as a mushroom, if mushrooms grew moss and had cloudy, age-veined windows. Vines spidered across its rotting roof. Deepwillow was trying to claim it, but the cottage was resisting somehow.
Lilian stepped forward, tugging out of Margot’s grip.
“Lilian, come on! It’s not safe.”
“That doesn’t matter,” Lilian murmured. “None of it will matter.”
Margot hobbled after her. “You can’t think it’ll actually work. It’s just a legend!”
Lilian paused with her hand on the rusted knob. “I believe in it, Margot. Why do you think I’ve been camping in Deepwillow all these years?”
“You—you’ve been looking for the cottage all this time?”
When Lilian turned to face her sister, she let her gaze linger on the bulging scar that carved Margot’s cheek. “It’ll take me back, so I can stop it from happening. You’ll be healed. Jack—“ Her voice broke and she turned the knob.
“But what if it doesn’t?”
“It will.” Lilian stepped across the threshold and vanished.
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