Summary: There's a tilt in the corner of her mouth, too vague to be considered a smile as she leads him the way. He doesn't know where she's taking him, but he follows.
Once part of a compilation but I think it's better to be separated... Let's just say it's for my sanity. lol
bewitched
A loud groan echoes in the maze of a forest. Left or right, there are only trees. A boy, heaving, is pacing in the middle of it. When he realizes that he's facing the same trees he passed by just a few minutes ago, he frowns. Realizing he's back from where he started, he frantically scratches his already tousled hair. His heart drums loudly in his ears. Not for his preferred reason.
He swallows, even though his throat has become far too dry to be alleviated by such an action, he still did. He clutches tighter on the strap of his backpack, wanting to let loose his anger but wary of what kind of animals will come out if he did.
He sighs as he slumps on a nearby log, taking his time to rest his aching muscles. He massages his ankles, tired and probably strained from the fall when he accidentally slipped. It's a mistake after all, coming to these woods alone, much more disobeying his friend's words.
"Don't go too far, okay? Many people lost their way there and never returned."
Darn it. Now he's here. Stuck. Alone. Dirty. Thirsty. Hungry.
"They say that fairies travel those woods. Even I had never stepped into it."
He gave a condescending look, frowning at the cowardice. He's been here all his life and he never even went inside. Unbelievable.
"I get it already! How many times do you plan on reminding me? I told you I won't go."
That's what he said. But it's not what he did.
He went ahead and entered inside, disregarding the warning conspicuously placed on the way as he climbed the moss-covered fence. That was the time when his boots got soaked into a puddle of sticky mud. Perhaps that was the first sign. That what he's doing will just bring trouble instead of joy.
Sadly, the early version of him thought the opposite. He ignored the irritation in seeing the mud soak his grey pants, he continued to walk inside, marvelling at the exhilaration, ignoring the itch that the bushes and pricks of the sharp twigs that might still be stuck in his jacket.
Yeah, he can still feel an itch on his back. There's still a lot that he wasn't able to get.
Seeing the entrance to the infamous woods amazed him. It was like he felt a call that he couldn't resist. And before he could think deeper about it, he was already deep inside. Trudging the path that was forbidden. The mere thought of that made it worth it. For a while, he was able to forget everything else. Forget the troubles he escaped from home.
"Roxas, I'm not joking around! The place is more dangerous than it looks."
He just shook him off. He really didn't get his friends worries. To be fair, a city kid like him warned about the horror of the woods in the province? No, he didn't believe it. Never had and never will. Well, maybe until he gets to meet one. One of those famous creatures, monster really, in this village.
Suddenly, a noise snaps him out of his daze. The should've been distant sound is clearly closer than before. He stills. He's been hearing it since earlier but chose to shrug it off, thinking that it was only a passing animal, tapping its paws to the ground. But it got so frequent and closer and closer than the last that he's starting to sweat all the remaining water in his body off. He takes a deep breath before resolving to walk again. There's nothing he could do but walk and be on guard.
The sky is already changing into different shades of orange, it fascinates him like any other day. But as much as it is tempting to see on the lake he'd been earlier, even he knows the danger of staying in the woods at night. Especially one that he's warned numerously about. So he fastens his pace.
But it only made the noises become louder.
He turns his head at the feeling of being watched. His skin pricks at the thought of who—what—it could be.
"Who's there?" But of course, his question only meets silence. Silence in the ruffles of the trees in the wind, the faint chirps of the birds settling in their nests, it almost comforts him. Almost.
He catches a movement behind one of the trees and panics. He starts walking backward as he maintains his gaze at the spot and sure enough, it moves to reveal—
"A deer?" He exhales loudly in the silent forest. "Now I feel stupid. Don't freak me out like that." He sighs and curses a little more.
He shakes his head at his silliness and turns. Then promptly freezes in his tracks, too shocked to voice the sound itching to get out of his throat. They continue watching each other face to face for a long, long time. He swears everything become still.
He stands there, gaping while the person watches him gulp the air greedily as it feels like it's being stolen from him, again, not in a good way. She didn't offer words of comfort. Which is alright with him because his pride couldn't suffer any more than this. Admittedly, spooked is an understatement at the shock of seeing another person.
Another person. Stuck in the forest. With him. Well, it couldn't be that bad. At the very least, he has some company now. Maybe he's even closer to town than he thinks. Maybe he's not in too much trouble! His nerve relaxes a tad at that thought.
The person, roughly the same age as him, tilts her head at his sigh. An innocent motion yes, but something in the way she eyes him gives him the creeps, he looks away. He sees her feet, bare feet, oddly void of mud or grass, peeking out of her plain white dress that covered her lithe frame as she steps closer to him.
"Uh-who? W-what are you doing here? How did you even-?" He clears his throat. "When did you get here? I didn't see you come." He just ignores the oddness of his voice, the heaviness it carries as he speaks, reasons that it is because he's still in shock to build a straight sentence.
But he receives no answer from her. She only continues her walk, until she passes his still form by. Although confused, his eyes never leave her frame.
"Uhh, hey? You're not leaving me here, are you?" He's not sure whether she can hear him or not, but he still asks. Maybe she's deaf, maybe she can't speak, he doesn't know. All he knows is that he has to try. He doesn't know what he should do next and after all, she is the only available person around to help him get out of here. "Can you help me find the way out?"
Just as he asked that, she suddenly twirls and gazes at him eye to eye with her crystal clear ones. Then she moved her head in a way that sends him a signal to follow. A powerful urge that gave a push that his feet needed to act.
As he takes a step, he notices a tilt in the corner of her mouth. It's too vague to be considered a smile. Before he can confirm it, she already faced away. Bouncing as she saunters ahead, her bare feet kissing the ground, and her blindingly white dress swirling in response to her every move.
The owner of the golden tresses stares at him again as an unvoiced question rings in his ears. He can imagine that her voice will be as sweet as how she looks. He doesn't think for too long to find an answer. In fact, he didn't get to think at all, his feet just move.
He doesn't know where she's taking him, but he follows. He doesn't know the right way home, that's for sure, he ended up tiring himself out before he found her—or she found him—so he might as well trust her. That's what he said to himself as he follows her tracks.
Leading him into the forest that made him lost his way. Deeper and deeper, until the exit that he almost found was at their back.
10/26/17