I always knew I was different. Things just happened around me; birds would land on my shoulders and head, cats would follow me around, bees would swarm around me. It was not uncommon for me to be uncommonly lucky, I won games of chance easily. People I didn’t like would often have bad things happen to them. I was special and I loved it.

I never officially labeled myself as a witch, not until the trees anyway. I was only sixteen, hiding in the woods from my shitty parents when I heard it the first time. It was the softest hello I had ever heard, It wasn’t aloud but in my head. Looking around apprehensively, I heard it again. This time though it was accompanied by a branch slowly reaching towards me, the leaves gently brushing my cheek.

I should have felt scared, if I wasn’t an odd one I would have been. I knew I was safe though, the old oak felt safe. It was bent and ancient, moss crawled up its sides. It’s large twisted roots curved around me, like a shield from the dangers in the deep forest. We talked for hours, about things that interest trees, and telling it the tale of my life.

As the light grew dim, I stood up to finally return home. My parents should finally be passed out and it would be safe. As I turned to walk away a root curled around my ankle and the oak gave me a warning. It told me that it hadn’t felt a witch as powerful as me in years, that I wasn’t meant for this world anymore.

Then it asked me if I was happy. I had to think about it, I thought about my abusive, angry parents. I thought about how the other people at my school thought I was a freak and avoided me. My only friends were the animals and now the trees around me.

No. I wasn’t happy. The oak gave me a choice, it said I could stay here and live a normal life. I might be happy, or miserable it didn’t know but I wouldn’t ever face monsters (unless they were human) and I would spend my life blending in and hiding my gifts.

Alternatively it could send me somewhere else. Somewhere with magic and adventure. Somewhere my powers could do great or terrible things. I would have a chance to change everything. It would be dangerous, but it would also be marvelous.

Well, I was always a difficult child. Easy never appealed to me. As the tree rose on its roots, a shimmering light appeared between the e gnarled tendrils. I couldn’t see through it, it was almost like a glowing fog. I stepped through and began my greatest adventure ever.