Early the next morning Jack got out of bed, grabbed his rifle and walked outside to get some air. His side hurt terribly but he tried his best to ignore the pain. As he stepped out of the church he took in the horrible scene. Wounded men lay on cots outside, field surgeons and nurses, and local nuns doing their best to take care of them. To his right he saw a truck pull up with the bodies of the dead in the back. As two soldiers got out of the truck and began unloading Jack wondered how many of his friends were in the back. Then he thought of Tavish.
Damn brave man he was. Armed with only his bagpipes and a kind word to his friends to boost their spirits. Now he'd never hear those pipes play again. Across the street next to a boarded-up bakery, he saw Iris standing there looking at the scene and rubbing the stone of her necklace between her fingers.
He made his way over to her and called out, "Good morning, miss."
She smiled at him, "Good morning. You know you shouldn't be out of bed."
"If I had to stay in that church anymore, I think I would go mad but now I see I could go just as mad out here."
Her smile turned into a frown. "I understand. Cursed war. I leave one just to go to another."
"Another," Jack asked. "How can there be another when practically the whole bloody world is involved in this one."
She looked at him and he could see the tears swelling up in her eyes. She rushed out and embraced him and began to cry. "I can't stand it anymore! I can't stand the lies I tell and I can't stand this war! I want to go home!"
Although Jack was worried and confused, he wrapped his arms around her. "It's alright. Tell me Iris, where are you really from? If you need someone to talk to, I'm here for you."
She stepped back and wiped the tears from here eyes. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"What do you mean," he asked.
Before she could open her mouth that's when they heard it. The shrill sound of incoming artillery. He could hear men shout and the field hospital staff hastily tried to move the wounded out of the open. "Get down," Jack cried out and forced Iris to the ground. As he did shells dropped in the streets and began to explode. People and soldiers darted for cover and everything was in chaos. Jack covered Iris with his body and even over the explosions he could hear her screaming.
Jack looked up to the church and he could see Darren dart out of the open doorway calling Jack's name. Darren spotted Jack lying on the ground over Iris thinking he had been hit. As Darren ran towards him, he screamed, "No! Get back! Go back!"
He could hear Iris yelling over and over, "Take me home! Take me home!"
As Darren drew close, Jack kept screaming at him to take cover. An explosion went of nearby and there was a bright flash of light. He felt a wave of nausea over come him as he felt his body being swept away. He closed his eyes but even through his eyelids he saw bright light. Then there was a loud bang and he and Iris fell onto soft grass. He kept his eyes closed, still holding tightly onto his rifle and to Iris who was shaking and crying. He could not hear the explosions or the screams or smell death in the air. He opened his eyes and slowly raised his head and saw they were in a small clearing in a forest and the sun was beginning to set. "What the hell just happened," He asked in disbelief. "Where are we?"
He sat up and looked around at the surrounding tree. There was no church, no wounded, no bodies, no sounds of war. Just quiet. But forests aren't quiet and he felt that something was still wrong. "Where the hell am I," he repeated.
Jack tried to stand and he winced in pain. He looked down and he could see blood seeping through the side of his uniform. His stitches had come loose. He looked at Iris who was shaking and staring straight ahead. That's when he noticed the large gash on her leg. He pulled a rag from his pocket and realized it was dirty. He had used it to keep his rifle cleaned. A lot of good a dirty rag would do on a dirty wound.
She looked down at her leg but said not a word. She was in shock.
Jack had no clue where they were but if there were any Germans around, they would defiantly be spotted here in the open. He gritted his teeth, stood up and pick her up a gently as he could. He cursed at the gnawing pain from his side. Once they reached the wood's he sat her down against a tree. He could hear the sound of rushing water nearby.
"Alright, I'm going to go and get us some water. I won't be gone long. Just try and stay quiet. I'll be right back," he said and she nodded slightly in response.
He hated to leave her alone put he needed clean water and to try and find some moss to pack the mound with. As held his rifle at the ready and cautiously made his way to a small brook. He quickly cleaned off the rag as best he could and went for his canteen. "Damn it," he said, remembering his canteen were with the rest of his kit.
On his way back he found the moss he needed and picked a patch of it. When he got back to Iris, he sat next to her and slightly pulled her torn bloody skirt up a bit to get a better look at the leg wound. The gash was deep and she needed real medical attention but what he had would have to do until then. He cleaned the wound as best he could with the wet cloth. She winced and cried out with each dab of the cloth. "I know I hurts," he whispered. "I know."
Now for the moss. He knew this part would really hurt and he was afraid her screams may give them away. He picked up a small stick from the ground and told her to bite down on it. She did as he asked and he began to pack the wound with the moss. He could hear her muffled screams and see the tears stream down her face as she bit down on the stick. He then tied off her leg with the rag as best he could.
By this time, it was dark and only the moon gave them light. Iris had passed out and Jack sat next to her still trying to fathom what just happened. What was that flash of light? Where are they who was Iris really? And was Darren alright? He stood up and winced in pain, taking a few steps away and peered into the clearing. The moon was unusually bright and it almost didn't seem like the moon he would see every night when he was home or in the trenches. Something about this place wasn't right.
He pulled Carina's picture from his pocket. As he looked at her beautiful face and he now felt further away from her than ever. He held back the tears as he looked at it and he heard a 'woosh' from behind him. He slowly put away the photo, gripped his rifle and turned.
His mouth dropped open when he was his rifle was aimed the face of a beautiful woman with dark hair dressed in an expensive looking black dress. She almost had a royal air about her but it was twisted with something dark.
"Who the hell are you and why are you pointing a stick at me," she said with a frown.
"A…Stick," he asked with a confused tone and looked at his rifle.
"Yes…stick," she repeated and she began to walk around him. Like she was studying him. "You don't belong here."
"No, I suppose I don't. I need to find a way to get back to my company. I have no clue how-"
"Your company? So, you're a soldier of some sort," she asked, studying his uniform.
"Yes Miss," he said.
She let out a loud laugh. "Miss? Miss? You definitely have no clue as to who I am do you," she asked.
Jack could feel the tension rising.
"I'm afraid I don't."
She scoffed at him. "I am the rightful queen of these lands and you are in my small part of it."
"What lands do you mean?"
"The enchanted forest."
"Enchanted…forest," he asked chuckled. "Are you feeling alright?"
She growled in anger. Before he knew it his rifle went flying out of his hands and he was lifted into the air. It felt as he were being strangled.
"You should be more polite, soldier," she said with an evil smile. "I've killed people for less things than impoliteness." He could feel the invisible grip tighten around his throat. The woman rolled her eyes and released him. Jack dropped to the ground and cried out in pain. "Tell me how you got here," she demanded.
"I don't know," he said, gritting his teeth.
"You know it's been a while since I've had any entertainment," she smiled. "I think you will do." He watched in fear and amazement as she conjured a large fireball in her hand.
"Oh my god," he said in disbelief. He looked and saw his rifle nearby. He quickly began to go for it and then he heard Iris shout, "Please your majesty, don't hurt him."
Jack looked and saw Iris slowly hobbling toward them. The woman in black extinguished the fire ball and smiled.
"Well, well, Iris the servant girl," she said. "You still remember how to beg I see." Iris tried to stand to face her but her wounded leg gave out and she fell. Jack rushed to her side.
"After I killed your mother, I'm surprised you came back especially since you stole that trinket around your neck from Rumpelstiltskin," she continued. "He doesn't take people stealing lightly." Iris tried to speak again but became too weak. The woman in black looked at them both. She could see the blood dripping down Iris's leg and through Jack's shirt. "No matter. Rumpelstiltskin can torture what's left of you. I think you two will make an excellent meal for my pet."
She got down and leaned in close to Jack. He cried out in pain as she slowly pushed her fingers into his wound. "The smell of blood just makes him all the hungrier," she laughed and quickly vanished in a cloud of purple smoke.
Jack did his best to get up. He tried to move Iris but it was no use. She had lost consciousness and he was losing too much blood. Jack could feel the hairs stand on the back of his neck when he heard a loud howl come from somewhere to his right. He turned his head and saw a pair of glowing red eyes peering at him from the darkness. It wasn't until it stepped out into the moonlight that he saw it clearly. It looked like some sort of demon straight from hell. Its body looked like a combination of wolf and man and its eyes were like fire. The wolfman stood straight up and let out a loud howl. What in god's name is that creature, he thought to himself. Jack quickly picked up his rifle and took aim.
It got down on all fours and began to charge him. Jack pulled the trigger striking the creature in the shoulder but that just angered it. He fired another shot, rammed the bolt of his rifle home and fired another. The creature dropped to its knees and growled at Jack. He fired several more shots and his heart stopped when the bolt jammed. To his left he saw purple smoke and the woman in black appeared. "Aw, something wrong with your magic stick," she laughed.
Jack tried to clear the jam as the great beast got back up. It began to slowly circle him and Iris, growling and snarling. He could hear Iris crying behind him as she came to consciousness. Between her tears and the woman in black's laughter he could feel a mix of courage and anger rising in him. He put his bayonet on the end of his rifle and stood at the ready. He could almost hear "The Battle of the Somme" playing ghostly among the silence.
"Come on then," Jack screamed at the monster, gripping his rifle.
As the monster lunged, Jack dropped down to one knee and stabbed upward as the wolf creature soared over him bearing claws and fangs. The bayonet had caught the monster in the ribs and broke off the rifle. The thing howled in pain and began to limp around. Jack was struggling to stand from the loss of blood. "Not yet," he said to himself. "Not till it's over." He knew it was futile but he would go down fighting.
The wolf used it teeth and ripped the bayonet from its side and tossed it away. Letting out another howl it charged again. Jack had nothing but his fists left. This was a fight he couldn't win but he wouldn't go down like a coward. As the beast was almost two feet away it let out a loud cry of pain and dropped to the ground. Jack stood breathing heavily with his fist held up baled tightly. He looked down at the large wolfman that lay at his feet with an arrow through the center of its head.
Jack dropped down to the ground and the world began to go dark. "Over here," he heard a woman say. "They need help."
"Get a healer over here now," a man ordered. The last thing Jack heard before passing out was the man say, "Great shot Snow."