The prickly tree branches hung low, softly brushing a small figure, cloaked in red. The night was alive with the sounds from the nearby creek and the occasional hoot of a horned owl echoing out through the dense, dark forest. The figure's home was not too far now as it casually weaved through the labyrinth of trees. Suddenly, the figure turned when it heard an unfamiliar noise erupt from the other side of the forest. It sounded like a wolf, howling to its master Moon, affirming its loyalty. The figure's eyes slowly turned towards the direction of the source, revealing its face in the obscured moonlight. The gracious, milky light revealed a young girl, around 15 years. Her face was innocently smooth, her eyes were like orbs of pure obsidian as they gently gleamed in the dim light, and her hair could be only slightly shown through her thick winter cloak of red, displaying its auburn, caramel and latte colors. The girl tilted her head, genuinely confused.
The strange part about this situation, was that she had heard was that there were no wolves around these woodlands, anymore. They had all relocated or had died off years ago after the sandstorms they had for the last year and a half. This realization sent shiver down her back and made her muscles twitch. As she thought this, a dead silence arose. It was tense and anxious, like the moment before a hunter shoots his long awaited prize. The alarming snap of a branch resonated through the forest and the young girl instinctively bolted in a northwest direction, determined to reach her destination.
SNAP! CRRRRACK! SNAP!
These frightening sounds of branches breaking and leaves crunching could be heard around the young girl, whose speed had increased significantly. Her lungs sucked in the cold night air and her legs ached like they hadn't run in years, but she persisted. Her heart worked at the speed of a freight train, making her blood rush through her body. She could feel the immense pressure from the presence of the beast surrounding her, and just as she thought the noises was right on top of her, she found herself back in her village.
A rather curvesome woman putting out her clothes noticed the young girl rushing in, almost tripping over her own feet. The woman quickly ran to her, her brown wavy hair flew in the wind. The woman angrily held the girl's shoulders, "Flora, what were you thinking!? Going off all alone like that? And for all day at that!"
"Sorry, Miss Emmy. I was just a bit bored from doing the chores...so I decided to take a walk…"
"Take a walk!? Are you mad, child? You know you're not supposed to be in the forest at night! You know what's out there, Flora!" Sighing, Emmy released her grip from Flora's shoulders, "Hmm…It doesn't matter. At least you're ok…But promise me you won't do it again!" she spoke, pointing a finger at Flora, a fierce gaze in her eyes.
"I promise, Miss Emmy."
"Good." She let down her gaze, crossing her arms. "Now come in and wash up. Dinner's almost done."
"Yes, ma'am."
Flora took off the hood of her cloak, fully unveiling her smooth, youthful contours and subtle rosy colored cheeks. Staring back into the black forest, she heard a faint sound of breathing. It sounded shallow and light, like someone sleeping. Feeling a strange need to do so, Flora waved to the unknown mass beyond the trees. It grunted, and quietly ran off into the night.
The bathroom wasn't a very private area to bathe. It was located in one of the spare stables, directly attached to the house. The only sort of "door" it had was a thick linen cloth that hung from the doorway. Flora sat in the large basin in the corner of the room, the warm water covered most of her body save her head and knees. With the recent events that just happened she soaked in the water, tiny scented flowers floating on the surface. Swishing the flowers around, she thought about the unknown creature, dwelling in the lonely forest.
'What was that story again?'
She closed her eyes, remembering the story she had heard so long ago…
There was once a boy,
Abandoned by his mother,
Left on the doorstep,
Of a young couple,
Whose names were Constance and Darien.
They loved him like their own son,
Feed him, taught him, clothed him.
16 years passed,
And one fateful day,
A shaman woman came to the village,
Declaring a curse on them,
She saw the boy among the crowd and shuddered,
"The boy! The boy howls to the moon, Beware!"
The villagers laughed at her,
Thinking she was insane.
However,
That same night, the boy had suddenly turned into a horrible beast,
Huge paws, terrifying claws, and a destructive maw,
He terrorized the village,
Destroying homes of the innocent and poor.
Wanting no more harm to the villagers,
Constance and Darien,
Forced him out of the village,
Guns at hand,
And a heavy heart in their chests,
The beast seeing no chance,
Fled into the dark forest,
And forever he stayed,
Howling to the moon…
"Here you go." Miss Emmy passed Flora a bowl of brown soup with chunks of presumed carrots, cabbage, and chicken.
Across the table, her adoptive father, Hershel Layton sat reading a dusty, yellowed book labeled, "Tales, Fables, and Poetry." That was what he was doing most of the time. He was a very intelligent man who wrote poetry in his free time as well. Next to Hershel was her younger brother, whom she was very fond of ever since she moved in with this new family, who was grunting and fussing about eating the unappealing brown mush. It wasn't new to Flora, but it was still nice, just to get a kick out of it.
"I don't wanna eat this! It looks like dung," He crossed his arms in a pouty manner, determined not to eat his unappealing dinner.
"Now, Luke," Hershel started, "Is that anyway to treat a lady? I thought I taught you better than that."
Luke looked down, slightly embarrassed while Emmy raised her hands to her hips, "And you know that's all we have to eat for now, Luke. So no complaining."
Flora smirked at Luke's childish antics, scooping up a spoonful of her soup. It wasn't the most savory meal, but it was all they had. Ever since the storms, most of the fertile soil had been wiped out, left behind the dry, dusty gravel with which they could only grow vegetables that were capable of thriving under such conditions.
After their dinner, Hershel and Emmy sat in the living room in front of the hearth, while Luke and Flora went upstairs. Hershel was busy writing poetry while Emmy sat in her rocking chair, knitting a thick winter scarf for Hershel. There was a tense silence between them, until Emmy spoke, "This is the second time Flora's been out there."
Hershel set down his quill, "I know." He sighed, "But at least she's alright."
"I don't want her going out there again, Hershel. The next time...could be her last." Emmy looked up at him, placing the scarf on her lap.
He was silent for a moment, dreading the thought of his daughter being hurt by that, monster.
"I'll talk with her tonight."
Emmy nodded, continuing her knitting, "Thank you."
Flora and Luke, meanwhile, were sitting on the floor, playing a game with sticks and stones. Luke was quiet the whole time, he felt a slight curiosity about Flora's "expedition."
"Flora?"
"Yes?"
Luke hesitated, "What...I mean…did you see it?"
Flora looked up at him, realizing what he had just asked. "No."
"Oh." Luke dipped his head disappointingly.
"But I heard it," Her eyes drifted to an open window across the room, seeing the moonlight shining through, "It sounded so...surreal. Like nothing I've heard before. It howled at the moon."
Luke eyes were wide now, his body leaned towards her in excitement, "Then what happened?"
"I heard it come towards me." She paused, her eyes still fixated on the moon, "I got scared and ran away…it followed me here, Luke. Once I got back here, it stopped following me…it didn't hurt me. It just...stood there behind the trees. Watching."
Luke was speechless, his eyes gawked at this delicate young woman and was baffled at how she had survived such an encounter. Opening his mouth again to ask another question, their father's voice abruptly cut him off.
"Flora. I need to speak with you."
"Ok." Her eyes were glued to the ground, already knowing too well exactly what he was going to say.
"And Luke," He turned his attention to Luke, "Get ready for bed. It's quite late."
"Yes, sir!" He said, giving a salute.
Hershel led Flora outside the back of the small house, towards their chicken coop. Most of the chickens were asleep by now so it was fairly quiet, save some low clucks.
"Flora-"
"I know. I'm not supposed to go in the forest."
"Yes, but we're serious this time. We don't want you to get hurt…or worse." He paused, "From now on, you'll have to be in vicinity of me or Miss Emmy and you are to not leave our sight unless it is asked of you. Do you understand?"
Flora stepped forward to protest, but knowing Hershel, she wasn't going to win this fight and instead dipped her head low.
"Now, go upstairs and get to bed. You need to be up early to tend to the chickens before the rains come in the afternoon."
She nodded, brushing past him without her usual night time hug. Sighing, Hershel looked up at the moon. Its bright light illuminated the tops of the trees making the pine needles shimmer against the black sky. Feeling a light touch on his back, he turned to see Emmy, her sympathetic eyes looking up at him.
"I'm truly worried for her, Emmy. I just don't want her to get hurt. I couldn't bear to lose her...not like Claire." He clenched his fists tightly as he reminisced his lost sweetheart, who had been presumed dead ever since the last time she was seen going into those deadly woods. He didn't sleep, eat or drink for months. He would hardly ever leave the house without Emmy and Luke having to force him to. That is, until he found Flora. Her parents were supposed to be going to another village to exchange goods but on their travels somewhere, they encountered a group of thieves. They were robbed, murdered, and left there until someone from the village found them days later. Flora was left a mess. She didn't have any other family and was forced out of her own home since her parents never kept up with their debts. Hershel had seen her sleep outside for many days, even when it rained. No one even turned her way, no one cared about her. Hershel, seeing this would be a way to fill his heart again, took her in as his daughter. He loved her very much, as any father would.
"She's going to be okay. Don't worry." She reassured him, smiling sincerely.
Simple nodding, he and Emmy walked back into the quiet, warm home.
"Flora! Time to wake up!"
Emmy's voice echoed through the house as Flora stood up in her bed, rubbing her tired eyes. She looked over to Luke who was half dangling off the bed and gradually wetting his pillow with his own drool. Smiling at this pleasant view, she stretched out of bed, walking to a small dresser that contained both of her and Luke's clothes. She pulled out a plain white long-sleeved cotton shirt and long black skirt that was sprinkled with the sewn designs of dainty flowers and butterflies, and of course, she couldn't forget her red cloak. She quickly dressed into her clothes and made her way down the somewhat grassy stairs. Emmy was always the first to be awake, Hershel being the second. However, today he was still in his bed quietly napping away.
"Good morning, Flora."
"Morning, Miss Emmy."
Emmy handed her a bowl of thick, hot porridge. It looked different today, though. It was topped with a delicate, round blue-tinted fruit of some kind.
"What's this?" Flora asked, picking up the strange new food.
"Oh, that's a blueberry. Hershel brought it home yesterday after he returned from the market. Isn't it nice?"
Flora popped the small fruit in her mouth. The flavor burst in her mouth as she bit into it; it tasted sweet yet a bit tart at the same time, certainly something she'd never had before. Her eyebrows perked up in satisfaction as she savored the new flavor.
"Mmm! That's delicious!"
"I'm glad you think so, my dear." Emmy said smiling with a motherly gaze.
Flora sat down with her bowl, and for the first time, enjoyed her porridge. Moments later, Luke came down the stairs, drool still running off his sanguine cheeks.
"I, smell breakfast."
Flora laughed, finishing her last spoonful of porridge.
"Is that the only reason you woke up Luke?" Emmy asked with a humorous tone in her voice.
Luke nodded, his eyes still closed.
Walking over to the large sink-which was really just a washbin-, Flora washed off her bowl in the sink and dried her hands. "Luke, would you like to help me with the chickens, today?"
His eyes shot open and a wide grin spread across his small face. He had always loved to go "help" with the chickens, even though he really just goes to play with them. Apparently, he states he can talk to them, but of course, no one believes him, except Flora.
"Yes, I'd love to!"
"Just finish your porridge, first," Emmy cut in.
He quickly sat down and started gorging down his breakfast. Flora ruffled Luke's bed hair, "Slow down! You'll choke at that rate."
With a spoonful of porridge in his mouth, he blushed, slowing down his pace.
The air outside was nice and cool when Flora walked out to the side of the house. Even though the clouds greedily occupied the sky, she could still feel the slight warmth that radiated off the sun. It warmed her pale skin, allowing her to soak in all the natural vitamins of the sun. Her lungs filled with a delicious scent of the morning dew as she strolled to the chicken pen. With no surprise, the hens were already awake and bustling, walking around and clucking at anything that crossed their path. Upon entering the small pen, the chickens immediately swarmed her in blind delight. Grabbing a bag out of the lump of other bags crowded in the corner of the pen, cooing and smiling at her lovely clucking children. She tore open a corner of the bag and began to pour the feed on the ground. Turning to put the bag back, she jumped at the sight of a figure standing on the other side of the pen.
A rather tall boy, around her age, was staring at her intently, an enticing smile on his face, "Morning, my flower~"
Her grin faded into a dull smile as she saw just who it was.
"Good morning, Ambrose."
Ambrose was apparently the "handsomest" boy in the village and he had his eyes set on Flora. His eyes were a bright emerald green, his hair was a attractive strawberry blonde, and his skin was smooth and lively. Despite his obvious fetching features, Flora paid no attention to him since he wasn't the nicest person around. No matter how good the outside looked, the person inside was truly selfish and conceited. On one occasion, when she was walking in town, he had seen her and pushed down an elderly couple just to get to her. She certainly didn't respect a man who would disrespect his elders like that.
"What's my lovely flower doing this lovely morning?"
She cringed every time he called her 'flower', but she kept an acceptable attitude still.
"Just tending to the chickens. No surprise there."
He nodded, just staring at her. Just as she was starting to feel uncomfortable, Luke came rushing out, instantly washing away her mood with his happy, jovial face. Ambrose rolled his eyes as Luke allowed himself in the pen with Flora, annoyed that he interrupted his time with his flower. Luke then gazed upon Ambrose, giving a disgusted face.
"Why's he here?"
"He's just...come to visit." Flora said, she not even sure why he was there.
"Eh? What's that, Lucy?' Luke paused, listening to a hen cluck at him loudly, "Oh...Lucy says he just here to hit on Flora...whatever that means."
Ambrose face grew a deep shade of red as he stepped back in anger and shock.
"I think you'd better go, Ambrose," She said, laughing, "Before Lucy instigates some more."
He scoffed, walking off in a blind rage, knocking down supplies in his wake.
Flora crouched down to Lucy and petted her, "Thanks for getting rid of him."
Lucy happily clucked in return, which probably meant 'you're welcome' in chicken.
For the next 10 or 15 minutes Flora and Luke talked with the chickens, who had much gossip that day. In a middle of a conversation with Lucy, Flora noticed a chicken who had escaped the pen. Standing up and exiting the pen, Flora walked over to the stray chicken.
"C'mere little one."
The chicken clucked back rudely, sprinting off towards the forest. Flora ran after it by impulse, like a dog blindly chasing a cat. The little bird scurried off into the maze of trees with Flora on its tail. Luke, distracted by his conversation with Lucy, didn't notice she was gone until several minutes later to which he promptly panicked.
"On no no no no!" Luke screamed as he ran inside the house again, "M-Miss Emmy! Miss Emmy!"
"Luke? What's wrong?"
"F-F-Flora! She's g-gone!"
"What do you mean she's gone? Weren't you watching her!?"
"Yes...well, no. I was talking to the chickens…"
"Luke!"
Hershel heard the commotion and burst in from the living room, "What's going on?"
"Flora's gone, Hershel…" Emmy responded with a worried tone in her voice.
Hershel's eyes filled with fear and he bolted out in a mindless flurry. Looking around the pen, he quickly spotted a set of footprints leading to the forest. His heart nearly exploded as he ran to the edge of the forest.
"Flora! Flora, are you there!?"
No response. Only a deathly silence.
Hello, everyone! Yep. I know. I'm disappointing. Stating another new story? I know what're thinking, "Shinako…can you please stick to one story?" I'm sorry but anyway, this was going to be a short story for Halloween but seeing that Halloween is over now…I guess I'm going to make this longer than planned. I written about three chapters worth. So all I'm doing now is adding and editing. I hope you don't mind me making another story…
Also, updates on my other stories:
Birthday Wishes- I am working on the first chapter and it should be finished soon by the end of this month. I think. OTZ
Letters of the Past- This one…Ahhhh. I'm still on chapter three BUT I am slowly progressing don't worry. This is my first and foremost major project on here so I'm trying my best to try and write it.
That should be all for now…I hope you enjoyed and don't forget to review and follow for the next coming chapters! Thanks for reading! 3