THE MOMENT
"Whoaaa...," Jacklynn stopped walking. She found a clearing while hiking through the forest. She decided it was time for lunch and discovered a ring of white mushrooms while choosing a spot for her picnic. With as much time as Jacklynn spent outdoors, fairy rings weren't new to her. But, this one demanded her attention.
Jacklynn walked closer to inspect it and the first thing she noticed was the grass. All the grass surrounding the ring was lush and green; but, the grass growing inside the ring was a vibrant red. Then, she noticed the mushrooms looked too perfect. They were spotless white and seemed to glow with a faint white light.
"Is this artificial?" she voiced the thought as she knelt by the circle and reached for the closest mushroom. The moment she touched it, the toadstool disintegrated. Then, the two on either side of it crumbled into white powder. Then, the next two. Jacklynn stood up and watched the circle disappear. When the last mushroom was gone the red grass shifted color and matched the grass around it as if it was always the same color.
Once the grass was green again, white dust began floating upward. Whatever powder the mushrooms left behind flew to point in the air taller than Jacklynn and began to coalesce.
"No way....," She could not believe her eyes. The white cloud took shape. She counted four legs, a snout, and a single prominent horn poking out of its head before the from was completely defined. Then, suddenly, she was staring at a unicorn.
His horn was pitch black, almost like empty space and his mane was the same vibrant red color of the grass. The rest of his body was pure glowing white that matched the mushrooms. He turned towards Jacklynn and snorted. She was about to introduce herself but he reared up on his hind legs and began to shrink at the same time. In the same time it took him to become the unicorn, Jacklynn found herself staring at a slim, pale young man with flowing red hair. His horn was gone but he had a black heart tattooed on his forehead with a 27 in red numbers in its place.
"What's your favorite number?" he asked
"25!" Jacklynn answered before she comprehended the question or the situation.
"Wonderful," he nodded at her. "My name is Runehart," he looked at Jacklynn up and down. "You are my assistant now," he said.
She raged internally at the word 'assistant'. He may have been a unicorn but he was still a stranger. Runehart gave her uneasy vibes and she was prepared to dismiss him with every ounce of pettiness that she could muster; until she heard the word, 'now'. Once he said it, it felt like fact.
"Of course," Jacklynn nodded. "What do you need first?" she asked.
"I'm hungry," Runehart said. As he said that, the sound of rustling grass caught their attention. Another hiker had stepped into the clearing and paused when he noticed them.
"Nevermind," Runehart said. "Go prepare your home for me, come back in an hour," he dismissed her with a wave as he approached the new hiker.
"Right away," Jacklynn nodded.