/**…Prologue...**\\\

There she was, beautiful as always, her hair neatly done, a small piece of shining blonde hair tugged away behind her ear, full red lips moving as she sang a lullaby. He never wanted something this bad. Wondering how it felt as she smiled upon him, touching her and feeling her skin on his. How he wanted to just get out of there and kiss those pretty red lips, but he knew he couldn't do that, he was a prisoner of the woods. An outcast left to be forgotten.

/***\\\

Singing her favorite lullaby, Anna slowly made her way through the forest. Her red cape swinging behind her. She always took this route towards the town and she enjoyed it. Her mind was set on visiting the woman they called grandma. She would tell you the stories of the woods. The legends behind the trees and the love that hid between the leaves.

Anna stopped before an opening between the trees. Green leaves spreading to reveal a giant field of flowers. Anna loved flowers. Her parents left her on this island and she got adopted by a woman that cared for her flowers. She learned from her and began to feel for them as much as her mother did. Not more than a year ago, an illness made her lose the only person who cared for her like a mother. She lived alone now, outside the village and exposed to the threads that people called monsters, but she had never seen one. She began to think they were just tales to keep children away from the forest.

The curiosity made her question the decision she was about to make. She knew that if she entered the forest she could get lost, but if it was just a little bit, it couldn't hurt, right? The sound of a gunshot made her jump out of her mind. Looking around she saw Jack the huntsman picking up the rabbit he just killed. Once he spotted Anna staring at him he hid away the fresh killed bunny and turned towards her.

"Good evening, Anna. What are you doing out here still?" Jack was a tall man that was not strongly build, but also not one of the skinny boys that sometimes left for sea. His short brown hair was still covering a part of his eyes, but it looked good on him. His grey eyes were dull looking, but still brightened by his full black lashes. Jack made his way out of the bushes and stood in front of Anna. Looking down on her small features. "Good evening, Jack. I'm making my way towards Grandma. I see your day is going well." Anna gave him a cheerful smile while Jack lifted his freshly caught meat.

"Grandma isn't home right now, maybe you should go home, before it gets to dark." Jack said worriedly. He knew that there where people out there that wanted Anna like he did. She was the main target of most depressed man. Her long blonde hair and ice blue eyes stood out form all the dull woman that lived here. Her naivety didn't help either. You could tell her an easy lie like that and she would follow. She was way too nice for her own good, so he couldn't help falling for her. "Really. That's a shame." Anna felt a bit disappointed, but gave a 'Thank-you' smile towards Jack.

"At least let me walk you home." Anna nodded slightly and with Jack following her she made her way home. It wasn't far, but by the time they got there it had become dark. Anna had wrapped her red cape around her body to keep it warm. At night the temperature dropped quickly and being out there without protection would probably kill you. Jack looked around her place from a few passes behind Anna. It seemed peaceful. Her garden was blooming and the fruit she planted had become ripe. "I should head back." Jack spilled out. Turning he felt the small hand of Anna grab his arm. "I'm sorry for making you come all this way, let me make it up by making you dinner." Her icy blue eyes stared at him with a small hint of blush. It made him think of unnecessary things. He wasn't sure it would be such a good idea to go in her house, but he couldn't say no to her either. Anna closed the door and hang her red cape into her closet. Walking passed Jack who was nervously watching the room. "You can put your cape in the closet and sit down if you want." Pointing at the table Anna made her way to the kitchen. Pulling out a pan and some vegetables. "Please do not be shy." Anna prepared dinner quietly while Jack sat staring into space. He wasn't sure of what to do in this situation. What kind of subject would he talk about. "Isn't it lonely living alone?" Before he knew it he spoke the words that were on his mind. Looking a bit shocked he knew he should have said something different, but he couldn't reverse the things already spoken. "A little, I mean I miss my mother, but I can handle the loneliness here." Anna finished making the supper and cleaned the table. Placing the supper before Jack she sat down, beginning to dig in. Until her stomach was filled she stopped, looking at Jack who was already done with his. "Did it taste good?" Jack snapped out of his thoughts nodding slightly. "It tasted great…" Jack stood up like he just spotted a mouse running down his leg. Anna blinked a few times in shock. "What is it?" Anna looked a bit confused her eyes fixated on Jack. "Something is wrong…" Jack said in a soft almost unheard voice. "Is it bad?" Anna wasn't as highly gifted as the huntsman was, she heard stories about Jack, that he was gifted with a strong hearing and highly developed sense of feeling. "Anna, we have to leave…" Jack quickly walked over to the confused Anna and lifted her from her seat. "Can't you tell me what is going on first?" A bit of panic was heard in her voice, but Jack seemed unaware of it.

Before Jack could fully explain the situation a loud banging sounded from the door. After that noises of smashing flowerpots and laughing was heard. "Jack…" Anna looked at the hand of Jack that slowly began to fit tighter and tighter around her small arm. "It hurts…" Jack snapped back into reality, he knew there was trouble outside and without him here Anna would have had to deal with them on her own. Maybe it was one of the towns children making some trouble, but he knew somewhere inside that wasn't the case. With another loud smashing noise, Anna broke free from his grip and ran towards the door. It was as if he let go and wasn't able to follow her anymore. Pain shut through his chest and he became paralyzed for a second.

"Anna, Wait!" But before he could even stretch his arm towards her a loud smashing sound of the door braking filled the air around them and a storm of black dust came inside. The atmosphere changed into something murderous and everything around them became dark.

/***\\\

He knew that something far more dangerous than he came into that house. Something even he was afraid of. His hairs had risen from his arms and he felt powerless to defend her. He couldn't do anything but watch, praying that the man with her was strong enough to protect her.