Entry 57: Dreams of Sister Willow

by Hayley Thomas

Dear Diary,

I woke feeling more refreshed than I had in a long time. That night, I had dreamed—vividly. The trees had been filled with ravens and crows, their dark eyes watching over me in silent vigil. The moon behind them cast long shadows—not ominous, but protective, like a blanket of black feathers and whispers. The dream had left me with a sense of peace, a rare and fleeting gift.

Luke, however, did not look well-rested.

His face was set in a deep scowl, even grumpier than usual. Over breakfast, he told us about the nightmare he’d had.

"I was being watched," he muttered, picking at his food. "From the trees. Green eyes, glowing in the dark. Staring at me."

A shiver ran down my spine. While my dream had been comforting, his had been haunting. Were they connected? It seemed silly to think so—but it wouldn’t be the first time something had touched us both in ways neither of us could explain.
There is something stronger than blood tying us together.

These thoughts occupied my mind throughout the day, though my eyes wandered to Liliana more often than I’d like to admit.

Gael led us through the wetlands, though it was clear this wasn’t his element. From the occasional curse and frequent backtracking, it was obvious things weren’t going as smoothly as they normally did under his careful guidance. Forests were his domain—this tangled mess of mud and waterlogged paths was another matter entirely.

As evening set in, we began searching for a campsite.
The sky darkened, the sun slipping behind the trees.
And my spirits lifted.

I might not have thought anything of it—if not for Luke.

He was on edge, his agitation growing with every step. His gaze flicked to the trees, his fingers twitching near his belt. His posture was that of a man expecting a fight, expecting something unseen to lunge from the dark.
It was then that I noticed a small, overgrown trail branching off from the path we’d been following. And somehow, I knew—instinctively—that it would lead to a safe place to camp.

"There," I pointed.

Luke took one look at it and immediately shook his head. "No. Too dangerous."

Unfortunately for him, I am very convincing.

And if there’s one thing our group can’t resist, it’s curiosity. We probably would tumble headfirst into a rabbit hole if I pointed it out. So down the path we went.

It didn’t take long to reach a clearing—a small hill rising just above the damp, tangled wetlands. Signs of former campsites littered the area, remnants of long-ago travelers. But it wasn’t the abandoned firepits that caught our attention.
"Look," Liliana murmured, pointing.
At the far end of the clearing, half-hidden by moss and creeping vines, stood an altar, covered in faded runes. Opposite it, a menhir—tall and weathered, bearing the same ancient markings.

Luke, naturally, had no patience for ancient mysteries.

With a sigh, he traced a hand over the stone and murmured an incantation. The runes flared to life, shifting into words we could finally understand.

"Two spirits were worshipped here," he announced. "Brother Stalker and Sister Willow."

Brother and sister.

My breath hitched.

That sounded... familiar.

For reasons I couldn’t quite name, this place made me feel safe. Protected. So I reached into my pack and pulled out a shamble—a small charm of twigs and string, something simple but respectful. I tied it carefully to the altar, leaving it as an offering.
Luke, ever the skeptic, rolled his eyes. But after a moment’s hesitation, he reached for the rabbit Gael had caught for him earlier.

He placed it on the altar. And the moment he did—The blood drained away instantly.
It soaked into the stone, vanishing as though the altar itself were drinking it.
Then, before our eyes, the flesh of the rabbit rotted away in seconds—shriveling, blackening, dissolving into nothing.

Something was hungry.
And very, very pleased with our offering.

That night, Luke set up the magical shelter, and once again, I slept wonderfully.

I dreamt of my childhood. Not just any memory—a forgotten one.
Luke and I had been playing hide and seek in the Lorewood, as we often did when we were young. On one of those occasions, I had wandered too far while searching for him. I got lost.
I remember calling his name, my small voice swallowed by the endless trees. But Luke never answered.
Instead, I found her. A young girl, standing among the roots, her dress woven from leaves. Her mouth was sewn shut, and bloody tears streaked her pale cheeks.
Yet I wasn’t afraid. She reached out a hand, and without hesitation, I took it. Her fingers were cold.
She led me through the twisting paths of the forest, guiding me without a word, until the trees thinned and I saw the familiar outline of home.
Before she left, she pressed a doll into my hands.
Then she was gone.
When I returned, my parents were furious. My dear brother had, of course, blamed everything on me.

I woke up just before my turn on watch, my mind lingering on that long-lost doll. Had I kept it? What had ever happened to it?
As I settled in beside Liliana, another question tugged at the back of my mind.

Why had I agreed to this watch?

In hindsight, it turned out to be an excellent decision.
But more on that later.

It wasn’t long before I noticed them. Shadows creeping along the edges of the trees, moving with an unnatural, predatory grace.
A wave of hunger rolled off them. A hunger for us.

I woke the others—just in time.

The dream eaters struck fast. Evil fey spirits, creatures of nightmares and hunger, slipping through the edges of reality itself.
Our magical shelter offered little protection. Before we could react, they dragged Liliana and Alistan from the circle. We were forced to abandon the shelter to save them.
The battle was difficult—the creatures fought like phantoms, slipping between the shadows, striking from unseen angles. But in the end, we won.

Afterward, I moved through the group, healing wounds, steadying hands.

Then I returned to my place beside Liliana, who had proven to be a fierce and capable fighter.
We sat close, watching the treeline, our voices soft as we spoke.
By the time we were relieved, one thing had become clear:

From now on, we would share this watch.

Continue reading...

Entry one: The trials

Entry two: The bramble

Entry 3: Rosebloom

Entry 4: Hearts and Dreams

Entry 5: of ghosts and wolves

Entry 6: Hillfield and Deals with Fae

Entry 7: mysteries and pastries

Entry 8: The scarecrow ruse
6th of Lug, 121 Year of the Tree

Entry 9: A betrayal of satyrs
7th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Entry 10: The fate of twins
8th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Entry 11: Cursed twins
10th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Entry 12: Loss and despair
11th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Hayley's rules to being a Witch

Entry 13: the price of safety
12th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Entry 14: A golden cage and fiery tower
13th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Entry 15: A trial by fire
14th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Entry 16: Keralon
15th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Letter to Luke 1

Letter to Luke 2

Letter to Luke 3

Letter to Luke 4

Letter to Luke 5

Letter to Luke 6

Entry 17: I shall wear midnight
1st of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 18: peace in our time
2nd of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 19: Caern Fussil falls
3rd of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 20: I see fire
4th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 21: Cultists twarted
10th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 22: Ravensfield
14th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 23: The Hollow Hill Horror
15th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 24: Burn your village
16th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 25: Ravensfield burns
17th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 26: There will be blood!
21st of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 27: A happy reunion
22nd of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 28: The embassy ball
23rd of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 29: The fate of Robert Talespinner
24th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 30: A royal summons
28th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 31: of Dogville and Geese
29th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 32: A boggle named Pim
30th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 33: A deal broken
1st of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 34: The cost of doing what is right
2nd of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 35: A dish best served cold
9th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

entry 36: Cornu returns?
10th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 37: A letter from Amarra
11th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 38: The case of the (not) missing villagers
14th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 39: A curse broken
15th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 40: Into the Lorewood
18th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 41: Cabin in the Woods
19th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 42: Myrdin and Anaya
20th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 43: Into the Immerglade
21st of Aran, 127 Era of the Tree

Entry 44: A tale as old as time
22nd of Aran, 127 Era of the Tree

Entry 45: The truth
23rd of Aran, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 46: Luke's Ordeal
24th of Aran, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 47: The festival
26th of Aran, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 48: Trouble at the Cathedral
2nd of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 49: Quinn's court
4th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 50: onwards to Latebra Velora
5th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 51: Where is my cow?
6th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 52: Here be dragons
7th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 53: Dragon hoard with a side of scarabs
8th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 54: Leave the basilisks alone
9th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 55: Return to Ravensfield
10th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 56: The needs of the many...
11th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 57: Dreams of Sister Willow
12th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 58: wetlands be wet
13th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 59: Baron Perenolde
14th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 60: Talebra Velora and the lady Morenthene
15th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 61: Cypria
16th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 62: Dragon takes Knight
17th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 63: Return to Talebra Velora
18th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 64: Your presence is “requested”
19th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 65: I stand alone
20th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 66: A day of normalcy
21th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 67: Into the Neverhold
22nd of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 68: The Warg King

Entry 69: Chased by birds

Entry 70: Whitewail

Entry 71: Nimmerhold

Entry 57: Dreams of Sister Willow

Continue reading...

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