Page 19 of Gift from the Tree

An hour? Shit, I fell asleep.

“I’m fine. I’m coming out now.”

There must be some sort of filtering system to keep the water flowing and clean. Its temperature never cooled. It’s still as warm and relaxing as it was when I took my first step in. The constant stream from the waterfall continues to pour out, keeping a gentle whirlpool rotating slowly, lulling me to sleep.

The robe Gaster gave me is large enough that it swallows me up, wrapping me in a cloud of fabric. I snuggle it in for a second, inhaling its clean, fresh scent before trying to get myself presentable with what I have available. Whatever’s in the shampoo does wonders for my hair. The brush glides through easily, barely catching any tangles, unlike when I usually let it soak in a bath, and it feels so clean.

I should’ve thought better of flipping my head over to wrap the towel around my hair because as soon as I flip my head back up, the world starts spinning around me. Catching myself on the counter, I close my eyes and take deep breaths until the dizziness lessens.

Okay, Willow. Clothes, water, and food.

Opening the bathroom door, I expected Gaster to be standing in the room, but I find it empty aside from the long satin sleep gown and a matching set of underwear and bra lying on the bed.

Not going to be weirded out about that. Just going to appreciate having clothes.

Slipping the bra and underwear on, finding they fit perfectly—again not going to be weird about it—I run my hands over the gown. Like the robe I had on, this material is softer than anything I own. And I own expensive clothes. Donald wasn’t going to let me walk around looking “poor.” And this material is far from poor, and it fits perfectly, hugging my curves in all the right ways, without being tight or too revealing.

A knock sounds at the door, and I figure whoever it is would just walk in after knocking like the staff at the estate do, but they don’t, so I answer awkwardly. “Come in.”

“Oh, wonderful, it fits. I was worried I got the sizing off,” Gaster says as he closes the door behind him.

“No, it fits perfectly. How did you know my size and find something so fast?” I ask, trying not to sound freaked out about it.

Nothing I’ve said so far, though, seems to get past him, and he chuckles at my weirdness. “My gift is rare and not many know the extent of what I can do. Many think I just sense magical signatures, but I can do far more than that. I can pretty much map out anyone’s silhouette just by looking at them long enough.”

My eyes bug out of my head. I barely understood a word he said, but it sounds impressive, and I have a feeling he doesn’t tell many people a lot about himself. He continues, cutting off the flurry of questions I want to ask. “My element is earth, so I can make fabric directly from the earth and mold it into whatever I’d like.”

“So you made this? For me, from the earth. In just the short hour I accidentally fell asleep?” My mind’s not grasping this whatsoever. It isn’t possible.

“Is there anything I can get for you before the guys come back in?” he asks, shaking his head and laughing.

I’m not too happy with the change of subject. I need to know everything about what he just said. My mind’s reeling around this, and I have a feeling this isn’t even the tip of the iceberg of information I’m about to get.

“Actually, yes, if it’s not too much trouble. I didn’t see a blow-dryer in the bathroom. Is there one around I can borrow?” It’s a ridiculous request, but I’m searching for some normalcy here and I hate the way my hair air dries. It’s frizzy and puffy, and by the next day, it looks greasy and in need of another wash.

For the first time since meeting Gaster, he looks at me like he has no clue what I’m asking for, so I carry on. “You know, a blow-dryer. You plug it in the wall and air blows out and dries the water out of your hair.”

Understanding crosses his face and he gives me a small smile. “Oh, Willow, I’m sorry. We don’t have things like that here. Because of our elements and gifts, they’re of no use to us.”

What? “So how do people dry their hair? They just let it air dry every day?”

“Well, I’m sure some do, but usually their element or gift would take care of that. Someone with an air affinity would use the wind to dry it. Fire would dry the water out with their heat. Water would just pull the water out. And earth would probably have to be more creative, but if I wanted to dry my hair quickly, I’d probably focus on the warmth beneath the surface of the ground and use it to evaporate the water.” He explains it like it’s all obvious.

Noticing my blank stare, he clears his throat. “Why don’t we focus on some food and if you wish to, you could ask Corentin to help with your hair. Are you ready for me to let them back in?”

I’m one hundred percent not going to ask Corentin for help with my hair. Not fucking happening.

“Sure. I’m just going to use the bathroom quickly,” I say as I practically run back into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind me.

What the hell am I going to do here?

Pulling my hair out of my towel, I brush it out and put it in a braid. I’ve never been good at it, but at least it’s out of my face, and I look a little more put together. Leaning my hands against the counter, I take a minute to myself, gathering the courage to walk back out into the room where the others will be waiting.

They’re going to think I’m an idiot.

How the fuck is there magic but no fucking blow-dryers?

Get it together and walk out there.

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