Today, I saw a rabbit.
I bet you're thinking "big deal." And you're kind of right. I see rabbits regularly. Even white ones, like this one. But I've never seen a rabbit sing. It was enchanting - literally. Before I knew what I was doing, I was following it. I don't know how long it led me, but judging by the sun, it was much longer than it felt.
We stopped at a strange lake. It glimmered in shades of blue and purple, and seemed to be a window to somewhere else. I went to look at it, and before I knew it, I was walking on the surface. It felt as hard as a polished floor. I stood there, watching the lake, and my mother appeared.
You wouldn't believe me if you knew what had happened. She has been dead for four years. But there she was, clear as day, in the middle of this strange solid lake. And that was when whatever controlled this place made its mistake. Because it thought it had me. So it brought my uncle out, too.
That brought me back to myself. I could hear his voice, warning me against listening to the strange, tempting songs. He told me many times that if something seemed to good to be true, it was. And suddenly, I was in control of myself again.
I ran. I ran into the thick trees, and hid among them until my mind was clear again. I rested my head against the tree trunk and cried. I was so miserable. It is strange, how something like this could break me.
When I thought I was ready, I got to my feet and went back to the lake. The rabbit was gone, and so were the people, but the mysterious place was still there. I suppose, had I gone over to it again, my family would have come back. But I didn't want that. Even thought I miss them, I couldn't have stayed at that lake forever. I was afraid of it. It was not… right.
I tried to go to the villages, but there were spells up all around them, and I'd had enough magic for one day. That strange rabbit. I'm going to sleep high up in a tree tonight, where he can't reach me. I'm never going back to that lake. Never again.