Hope you guys enjoy this. I hope you like it too Colin. 😊 Have fun.
I'd done a lot of dumb stuff in my life, but nothing as stupid as following my pet dove, Alexander, into the town's surrounding forest. Don't get me wrong, sure this sounds like only a slightly odd thing compared to what I could be doing but in actuality choosing to follow him into that forest was by far, much dumber than anything I could have ever done.
"Damn it Alex! Get back here, you know we're not supposed to go into the woods!" I yell, chasing after him. My brown laced boots kicking up dirt and leaves in my wake, adding more dust to my already dirty skinny jeans. Sweat making my graphic t-shirt and plaid button up stick to my chest and sides.
"For the love of all that is good and holy. Alex stop!" I yell once more, hopping a little to try and reach him where he's flying slightly above me, then tripping on a tree root that stuck out of the ground. I scream as I go down, tumbling along before finally landing on my back at the base of an Elder tree. As the dust around me settles, and my heart beat and breathing go back to normal Alexander lands on one of the low branches of the tree, cooing at me gently. I release a breath, staying on the ground a moment more staring up at his bright white feathers and mix-match eyes, his left one a ruby red and his right a crystal blue before getting up, and brushing what I can of the dirt off. Then by the time I get to my feet Alex taken off again as well, but this time I follow at a slower pace.
"I'm going to be in so much trouble when I get home." I say to myself, taking in the changing leaves of all the trees, the near silence and peace of the woods around me. "Don't go into the woods, they said. It's dangerous, they said. You'll 'die' they said! Honestly I don't see the big- AH!" I scream, jumping as my phone sounds off from my back pocket. Yanking it out of my pocket and mashing the 'answer' button on the screen. "What the HELL Mitchel! You nearly gave me a heart attack." I seethe into the speaker, walking over to the base of the closest Elder tree, and looking up through the branches.
"Finally. Nunnally, where are you? It's almost night and your mom started to worry when you didn't come back with me." Mitchel says, sounding a worried and relieved all at once.
"Alright, alright. I know its late. But Alexander is still out here and I refuse to leave him out here, even for one night." I reply
"Dammit Nun, fine. But hurry I can only bullshit about where you are for so long. And I'm not about to explain to the council and your mom why you broke the most stressed rule of the town." Mitchel sighs, giving in.
"I swear I'll be as fast as I can. Half an hour at most!" I say shaking my head, and turning around. And there stands a tall, slim, black haired guy. He didn't say anything, just took one step forward, causing me to take an instinctive step back. It all seemed to happen in slow motion I could hear Mitchel saying something, probably not important but something nonetheless, all the noise around me stopped as in that slowed moment I looked in to the guy's eyes and they were the same mix of ruby red and crystal blue as Alexander, and then I was shoved unceremoniously back.
But instead of the rough landing I expected I was swallowed up in pitch black darkness. I got that overwhelming feeling of falling up of also floating. As though I was free falling in jello. I tried to look around me but it was nothing but total darkness on all sides. And when the sensation ended it did so with a quit literal and painful, to be honest, crack to the back of the head plunging me into a different type of darkness.
And when I surfaced from unconsciousness, it was to a pounding head, and a small demonic looking child smirking at me from a foot away. As I sat up holding my head, I took a moment to look at the child.
I couldn't pin point exactly what gender, but I'd suspect they were male. He was small, no older looking that 6, his short shaggy hair could only be described at a dark purple, and his teeth, all sharp points, seemed to add to his demonic look. And he didn't have horns but his eyes were onyx black with only a ring of crimson red to indicate where the iris was, as well as little bat wings, and one of those little cartoon-esk demon tails with the arrow point end. Honestly it was cute, in a creepy way. His outfit comprised of a little suit but with caution tape as the shirt (though it only covered the top of his chest) and the belt was held together with what looked like a wand. To top it all off was an adorable top hat, with a laughing skull perched on the brim.
"It's about time you woke up. I was beginning to think you'd let that little bump on the head take you out for good." He chirped.
After swallowing a few times, trying to rid myself of a case of cotton mouth. "Uh, yeah sure. All my hair cushioned the blow." I said a nervous laugh escaping me as I started picking out the leaves that had gotten stuck in my fluffy mass of long dark brown hair.
"It's good to see you've retained your pension for dry wit." He remark coolly, tilting his small head jostling the hat slightly.
It took me a moment to realize what he'd said. Lifting my gaze from a particularly pesky leaf up to his eyes "What do you mean by that? I- I don't know you. At least... I don't ever remember meeting you, and I'm sure I'd remember meeting someone like you."
His smirk pulls wider as he gets up, only a bit taller standing than he was when he was seated, and walks over toward me. I feel an impulse to scramble back away from him, but it only lasts a moment before he's standing in front of me and reaching out a small hand.
"Let me introduce myself. I, am Victor Dean. Demon, and protector of the priest and priestesses of the Void extraordinaire." He stated.
Taking his tiny hand, and shaking lightly. "Nunnally Robinson... human. I'm not really extraordinary at anything so yeah, just human."
A laugh breaks out of his mouth rocking his tiny form back onto his heels. And when his laugh finally subsides he chirped "Dear girl, you are probably the most extraordinary being in the whole of this world." Seeming to sense my next question he continued, "Before you ask, let's get away from here. The woods aren't always the safest place."
Sensing my hesitation, he extended his hand once more, also leaning in close to whisper, "I understand your hesitation to trust a complete stranger, especially someone like myself. But looks can be deceiving and I'm sure you're a strong independent young lady, I swore on my existence that I'd protect you from those I know who wish you harm. So please. Come with me."
With only a moment more of hesitation, I took hold of his hand and got up from the ground. Then followed his small form through the trees. We walked for a while, Victor's small form bouncing around as well as his stream of mindless chatter about the flowers that would grow on the trees keeping my attention away from the rapidly darkening forest.
When we finally stopped we were in a vine shielded cavern, turned home. There were a couple of cot like beds, but they did have mattresses, a curtained off area that could be perceived as a bathroom area, and a kitchen like area, that had several pots and pans lain next to a cold fire pit. Victor indicated for me to sit next to the pit as he lit the fire and stoked it up. Once it was going at a low roar, Victor sat down facing me indicating for me to turn toward him. We sat facing each other in silence for a moment longer before Victor looked at me, as though he were peering into my very core. Then started,
"You'll have lots of questions I'm sure, but keep them to yourself till the end. And to lay all it out for you; dear Miss Nunnally Robinson. You are a priestess of the Void.
Please leave a comment. And thank you so much for reading it.
