The Wood
Written by: RavenHeart101
Warnings: Slash, fantasy, swearing, mature content.
Summary: Two mysterious children fell out of a wood in Italy eleven years ago. Now, when both children are sixteen they will be called back. To fight a war between the two fairytale lands.
Chapter 1
The wood was dark against the bright morning sun. The dark shadows of trees would have startled anyone else but a fearless few from entering. This particular wood was rumored to play host to many creatures that would only have been alive in fairy tales or fantasy books. Of course, no one expected to see two little children coming running out it at 12 in the morning either. However, the world is full of strange happenings.
Diane Justull stopped dead in her tracks when she caught sight of the two children. Their hair was matted down with dried blood. One was a little girl, with long blonde hair and bright brown eyes. The other was a little boy; he had short black hair and crystal blue eyes. She gasped, dropping her plastic bags filled with groceries that she had picked up after work when the little boy collapsed into a heap onto the concrete ground, the little girl following soon after. She ran over to the fallen children, yelling desperately for someone to help…
Diane jerked up from her dream in a flash, breathing deeply. She glanced around herself frantically, searching for any reminder of the woods. The dark corners of the room were welcoming and warm. She turned around in her fluffy bed, feeling desperately for something to cling to. Diane closed her jade eyes in an attempt to block out the darkness and the image of the two children. That was so long ago, and luckily, Max remembered nothing. His lack of memory effecting the police's investigation. And Rose, oh beautiful Rose… she has no memory either.
Diane turned around in her bed, thinking about how Max had become hers. It was January 17, 1992, the crisp snow falling down from the darkened sky like ringlets of curls. The tiny black haired child was shaking from the bitter cold, while the tiny blonde haired girl was making tiny white snow angels. The snow matched her hair like a halo, illuminating the red splotches on her cheeks, making them look like cherries. The little boy rubbed his red nose trying to regain some warmth. Diane stood in the mahogany doorway in her brown wool sweater and her dark blue jeans, her red hair up in a tall ponytail. She held a tray of steaming hot chocolates with a serene smile on her face. "Who wants some hot coco?" She yelled over to the playing children. Rose looked up at her through her mass of blonde hair, blinking her large brown eyes up at her. She smiled a second later when she noticed the steam flowing out of the three mugs.
"Yay!" Rose exclaimed jumping up from the snow, carefully stepping over the tiny snow angels. She turned around once she had stepped onto the wooden porch looking pointedly at Max. He blinked at her and turned so that his back was to the two females. He stuffed his hands in his corduroy pockets, frowning at something in the distance. "Maxie? Come on, Maxie!" She yelled impatiently to the boy. Max just stood there, tilting his head to the side, he blinked, and than smiled.
"Look Rosee!" Diane almost dropped the tray when he spoke. Her green eyes were wide in shock; Max had not said anything for the past two months. Rose's eyes followed where his hand was pointed.
"I don't see anything, Maxie." She replied, her pink lips forming a frown. Max smiled.
"The birdie's tellin' a story." He said keeping his crystal eyes on something on the branch above the house across the street.
"What's the story about, Max?" Diane asked gently, crossing the snow, her footsteps making a crackling sound as they hit the fluffy snow. She kneeled down in front of him, placing the tray of hot chocolates on the table next to the little boy. He turned his gaze onto her, his eyes held a wisdom that no child should have to hold. He blinked and smiled at her.
"He says that- that the princess is missing. That everyone in the whole town square was looking for her. They had yet to tell her father where she was; fearing that the princess had ran off into the woods, to visit her peasant friends again. That was against the rules you know?" He asked her, turning his gaze back onto the bird that had just landed on the branch. A robin, Diane guessed. She was shocked… robins were not around in winter. She nodded to his question, suspicious of where the story was going. "Anyway, so the townsfolk are sending someone into the woods to find her… her name is… is… can you repeat that Mr. Robin?" The robin hooted in reply. "…Red?" The robin hooted again, as if in response. "Okay thanks. So the townsfolk sent Red in to find her… only Red was followed by someone… a little child- no wait- her little chick- baby." The robin carried on in its soft melodious song.
"Umm… so Red went into the woods and found a cave, where she heard a girl crying. Red decided to investigate and she found the princess hiding in a dusty corner…
"No!" Yelled the princess, trying to alert Red. "Don't! It's a trap!"
"A trap?" Asked Red, taking another step closer to the cave, so that she stood right in the entryway.
"Yes! It will take you! It will suck all the life out of you until you are a mass of bones on this dusty old floor! Go Miss Red and never come back! Tell my father of the injustice that It has and is going to do. Go!"
"Mommy?" Asked her chick, hiding behind the group of trees. Red was shocked, how had he gotten there? Did he follow her?
"Go away, my little baker, go home." Red said sternly.
The little child swallowed, thickly. "But mommy-?"
"No! Go home now, child! Take my flower with you! Run!" The princess screamed. The child took a step back in fright, as the little princess was thrown at him. He caught her in time, looking at his mother with fearful eyes.
"Run along, darling." Red said calmly, hugging the child tightly. She ran into the cave, grabbing the princess and attempting to flee the prison. But It stepped in front of her. It grabbed her wrist and held it up to its mouth, placing its yellow fangs into her vein. It took a loud deep breath and sucked… It sucked all the blood out of her until there was nothing but a pile of bones left on the dusty cave floor. She had not even had time to scream. The children looked on in fear, until the princess yelled at them to leave, to run away, and run to the edge of the woods and Pass Through. The children obeyed when It took a step toward them… the princesses screams could be heard from miles away. And the children were never seen again." The robin's song ended on a peaceful note. The bird kind of bowed its red stained head before hoping into the air and disappearing.
Diane looked at the boy in a comprehending manner. Her head was tilted to the side, a piece of curly red hair falling into her eyes. She hastily flicked it behind her ear. "Did Mr. Robin tell you all of that?" She questioned, suspicious of how Max had come up with the slightly morbid story.
Max nodded, looking up at the blue sky. "Mr. Robin tells me of a place where fairytales are real. Where you do not have to hide who you are. A place where- where-." He sighed disappointedly. Rose giggled, causing the two to look at her.
"Mr. Robin's awesome!" She exclaimed happily, dancing around Max and Diane. "Can I meet him?" Max smiled and nodded excitedly.
"Mhmm! Jus' wait 'till summer, kay?"
Rose nodded, pulling on his hand, the two running into the house like the children they were. Diane frowned and stood up from her crouch in the snow. She wiped off her jeans, picking up the tray of the now cold hot chocolates and walking slowly into the house. She placed the tray on the kitchen table, her wet shoes padding across the wooden surface. Diane turned back to the sliding door, gazing out into the bright morning sun. The robin flew onto the branch nearest to her house, singing yet another melodious song. Diane shook her head, turning her back onto the bird and walking into the newly furnished living room. She stood in the corner watching as Max and Rose whispered in one another's ear, giggling after a while. Diane smiled, knowing that she wanted one of them as her own…
Diane smiled, turning around in her bed, falling asleep in almost an instant, the memory of the wood long forgotten.
Max however, was turning hastily in his bed in the room across the hall. He winced in fear, wanting to wake up from the dream desperately… but he was not allowed. He was being reeled in like a fish…
A little child ran desperately throughout the dark wood, trying to find their mother. His soft black hair bounced with every step. The little child tripped every once and a while over a fallen branch, a rock or a root that was sticking up out of the dark earth. He was following his mother and her bright red cloak. He had lost sight of her, however, when he had fallen the first time. He was scared; he did not like the feeling of the dark and wet wood. Owl's soft hooting could be heard echoing along with scattering footsteps of a thousand animals scurrying by.
A new found eagerness attacked the child at once when he heard the soft echo of the princess's voice. He recognized it because of when she had visited his school on parent's day. She was very nice, and really pretty. "Mommy?" He called out hesitantly. He turned around, facing a dark cave; his mother was standing in front of it, blocking someone from view. Her black hair was up in a messy bun and her red cloak billowed behind her as she turned around fixing him with a stern but surprised look.
"Go away, my little baker, go home." She said. Her voice was melodious and kind. He swallowed thickly, fighting back the feeling of dread.
"But mommy-"
"No! Go home now, child! Take my flower with you! Run!" A woman from behind his mother screamed. He caught sight of the princess, and was stunned. Her usual shiny blonde hair was a mess, and her usually bright grey eyes were wild and crazy like a rabid animal. He took a step back in fright when she turned her wild gaze onto him. A little child his age was thrown at him. He shrieked quietly, catching the blonde mass before she hit the ground.
"Run along, darling." Said his mother calmly. She hugged him tightly before running into the cave and grabbing the princess and attempting to flee the prison. But something stepped in front of her. It was not dressed and its golden hair was worse than the princess's. The something grabbed his mother's wrist, biting into it. Blood poured every which way, causing the woman to fall to her knees. Her face became ghostly pale, and her eyes lost all color. She whimpered as more blood came pouring out of the wound. She let out a quiet and breathless, "Ah…" before the skin on her face was peeled off. Soon, every piece of skin was devoured… until all that was left was a pile of bones on the dusty cave ground.
The children watched with wide, fearful eyes, the boy feeling the need to throw up. "RUN! GO CHILDREN! GO TO THE EDGE OF THE WOODS AND PASS THROUGH! NEVER COME BACK!" The girl pulled at the boy's sleeve, pulling through the woods, knowing that her mother would not make it. They managed not to trip over anything. They had just made it to the edge of the woods when a high-pitched scream broke through the air. The children looked at one another, their eyes wide. The girl grabbed the boy's soft hand and together they spared one last look at the wood and ran past the barrier. An electrical shock passed through both of them. The edges around the boy's eyes turned brown and his head felt fuzzy. The world began to spin and he fell, hearing a resounding bang next to him…
Max sat up in a flash, his crystal eyes not recognizing where he was. It was dark… just like the wood, like the cave. He whimpered and lay back down on the heavily blanketed bed. He rolled onto his side, burying his face into his pillow, groaning as if in agony. He swallowed thickly, feeling bile rise in his throat. He forced himself to stand up from the bed, and walk into the bathroom.
Lazily he flicked on the switch, half-expecting to see the something in the dark room, or even in the mirror. However, all that he saw was a sixteen-year-old boy, his short black hair stuck up in complete disorder. Sweat dropping down his forehead, his grey t-shirt had light sweat stains on it, thanks to the dream. He frowned, his crystal blue eyes darkening. Max rubbed his neck, walking toward the sink. He watched as the water flowed out of the tap, as he turned the clear crystal knob to the right. He leaned down catching the water in his hands and spraying the cascading cold down his face. He looked up catching sight of the freckles that his cheeks and nose played host to. Max swallowed feeling the bile rise once more.
He leaned over the toilet dry heaving. This was the third night in a row that he had had the morbid dream. Max knew he could go to either Diane or Rose if needed, but they were only re-occurring dreams, nothing he had to worry about right. He shook his head, taking one last glance at his image in the mirror, before exiting the brightly lit bathroom, shutting off the light as he passed.
Max looked at his bedroom, the mess that his bed was in and how it defiantly did not match anything else in there. His bookcase (which was full), his computer desk (which was covered in all the necessities: computer, keyboard, monitor, printer, speakers, schoolbooks ect.), his dresser and his closet. His room, believe it or not, was actually in good order, nice and clean. Max regarded the bed enviously. He really wanted to sleep, however, he would never be able to fall asleep, the picture of the poor woman engraved into his mind. He shuddered at the mere thought. He bit his already abused lip, before deciding to go look in on his mother for a while.
His bare feet paraded across the wooden floor gently and quietly from years of practice. He slowly and carefully opened the door across the hall from him. Diane lay peacefully in bed, her hair falling across her face like fire. He smiled slightly, just standing in the doorway. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wooden entryway, watching as she slept. Diane looked so peaceful… so innocent. He laughed softly to himself; he knew Diane was anything but innocent. Diane was a police officer, not to mention single.
Max suddenly sighed, stepping out of the entryway and shutting the door behind him. Just as quietly, he bounded over to his bedroom door, opening it, stepping inside, onto the soft rug, and than closing it behind him. He flipped the light switch, and looked at the clock above his bed. 5:07am… well no point in going back to bed now. Max shrugged, school… eh, it was all right.
Walking over to the stained red dresser, he threw out a random pair of clothes. Not really caring if he looked good or not he hastily changed. He slid on a clean pair of pants (dark blue jeans), a white T-shirt and a red sweatshirt over it. Surprisingly, he matched. Max ripped the price tag off the sweatshirt, having not worn it since he had received it, November 3rd as a birthday present from Rose. She said it looked good on him. He shrugged, looking at himself in the bathroom mirror, no he did not look horrible… he would have to thank her for that later.
Reaching for a brush he jumped as his hand hit something soft but firm. A tiny shriek escaped Max's throat. His blue eyes wandered over to the sink, his eyes wandering over to the mirror. What he say made his throat constrict… it caused his eyes to widen… it caused his breathing to stop. And it caused him to painfully run out of the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him. He took several steps backwards until his back hit the wall farthest from the bathroom door.
Max was shaking from head to foot; his eyes were wild with fear. Shakily he raised his shaking right hand to his eyes… almost fainting at the sight of blood covering his palm. His breathing quickened its pace, even as he ripped open his bedroom door and ran down the carpeted hall and stairs. Max threw open the door leading into the house, hastily unlocking it. He slammed it shut, walking backwards toward the street. He hit a dead run into the dark woods that lay behind Diane's house. Halfway through he fell to his knees, after tripping over a tree root. He scrambled backwards until his back hit a tree. He hid his head in his shaking hands; he swallowed in numb fear, feeling the urge to cry. And cry he did, burying his face in his knees he cried with fear, knowing it would only be a few minutes before his life was ripped out from underneath him.
Max watched as his house went up in flames, he listened to the sirens blaring down the road and he cried. He cried for he knew that his monster was after him… that his monster had finally found him…
A: N- You like it? I don't know if I like it... Reviews are love. This is my first story put in the section of fanfiction, and this is more of an original story than a fanfiction but my editor told me to put it up here. It doesn't seem like much of the fairytale plot, but it is. It's just not all the way there yet. No flames, please.
