Tanya was frozen. She couldn't move. The connection between her mind and
her muscles had been severed. She wasn't even sure if she was breathing.
She flicked her eyes over to Midnight and was relieved to see him still
wading in the shallows, the moonlight gleaming off his coat. As if drawn by
some invisible magnet, Tanya's gaze returned to the shadowy figure. Was it
a Rivendell elf? Or just traveler, drinking from the same stream.
'If it's just a traveler, he would have talked to me!' she thought, caught halfway between panic and curiosity.
Shadows obscured most of the figure from view, but as Tanya's mind registered the dark cape and deep hood, it's head came up. Two blood-red eyes met her gaze and it grinned. A wide, fanged smile. Tanya's muscles were a mass of useless tissue, her limbs felt weak and the fine hair on her arms was standing straight up. Was it coming closer? She couldn't tell. All that mattered were those eyes. Crimson eyes in a face so pale not even the shadows could darken it. From far away she heard Midnight's scream. Or had she imagined it? It was definitely closer now. She could smell it. It reeked of rot and decay. Those eyes... They almost seemed to offer sanctuary. It was close enough to touch now. It emanated darkness. Thick black fabric that Tanya could feel caressing her arms. Her gaze remained locked in its fiery stare. It lifted one skeletal hand and brought it to her face. She tried to move away, she didn't want it touching her. However, she found reassurance in its stare. The hand made contact with her cheek and immediately she felt a dull sensation. It was uncomfortable, but she could barely feel it. She was falling. Falling into its eyes, its deep red eyes. She was suddenly aware of a high-pitched frequency. She stopped falling. Tanya could feel its eagerness. It's impatience. It wanted her to fall, all the way down. Suddenly, the eyes lost their hypnotic effect. She didn't want to keep falling. She began to struggle, she knew it wasn't a physical struggle. She could see herself crouched on the rocky soil. It was a mental struggle, in her mind Tanya writhed and twisted and screamed at the motionless figure that was herself. She could feel 'it' pushing her, trying to control her and she flailed even harder. Tanya couldn't find a word for the feeling she experienced, but what came to mind was 'let go.' Without ever having held onto her she felt it 'slip' and 'let go' of her. Suddenly she was back on the ground staring at the black figure. Just as suddenly, she was aware of a searing pain in her left cheek. It was on fire! Tanya had never felt anything like it before, and she was screaming. Her eyes watered as she winced and brought her hand gingerly to her face, it came back sticky and red. She heard an animal-like snarl and faced the stream again. It wasn't smiling now. Its eyes weren't deep and compassionate; they were full of surprise and anger. She stopped screaming and it lunged forward, teeth bared. Tanya's mind registered the motion quickly, as she had been taught, but she was too weak to do much of anything. She raised an arm in front of her face knowing it was no use, waiting to feel fangs on the soft flesh of her throat. But it never came. Instead, she felt a strong wind rush over her head and a loud howl of rage. She peeked over the edge of her arm expecting the worst but instead she saw a large animal. The animal was helping her; it was forcing the creature back across the stream, away from her. Tanya almost collapsed in relief, but her curiosity was stronger and she watched. Her rescuer stopped pushing as the creature emerged on the opposite bank. It was wreathed in shadow, but Tanya could see its eyes searching, scanning her side of the stream for something it couldn't see. In an amazing display of fury its head reared back and it let out an eerie, un-earthly screech. It reminded Tanya of gate hinges that had been long forgotten and left to rust. And into her mind, this scenario brought a terrible thought. A gate was opening. A gate with rusted hinges, a sign of decades of neglect. Behind the gate was something caged in. Something that wanted to get out...something evil.
'If it's just a traveler, he would have talked to me!' she thought, caught halfway between panic and curiosity.
Shadows obscured most of the figure from view, but as Tanya's mind registered the dark cape and deep hood, it's head came up. Two blood-red eyes met her gaze and it grinned. A wide, fanged smile. Tanya's muscles were a mass of useless tissue, her limbs felt weak and the fine hair on her arms was standing straight up. Was it coming closer? She couldn't tell. All that mattered were those eyes. Crimson eyes in a face so pale not even the shadows could darken it. From far away she heard Midnight's scream. Or had she imagined it? It was definitely closer now. She could smell it. It reeked of rot and decay. Those eyes... They almost seemed to offer sanctuary. It was close enough to touch now. It emanated darkness. Thick black fabric that Tanya could feel caressing her arms. Her gaze remained locked in its fiery stare. It lifted one skeletal hand and brought it to her face. She tried to move away, she didn't want it touching her. However, she found reassurance in its stare. The hand made contact with her cheek and immediately she felt a dull sensation. It was uncomfortable, but she could barely feel it. She was falling. Falling into its eyes, its deep red eyes. She was suddenly aware of a high-pitched frequency. She stopped falling. Tanya could feel its eagerness. It's impatience. It wanted her to fall, all the way down. Suddenly, the eyes lost their hypnotic effect. She didn't want to keep falling. She began to struggle, she knew it wasn't a physical struggle. She could see herself crouched on the rocky soil. It was a mental struggle, in her mind Tanya writhed and twisted and screamed at the motionless figure that was herself. She could feel 'it' pushing her, trying to control her and she flailed even harder. Tanya couldn't find a word for the feeling she experienced, but what came to mind was 'let go.' Without ever having held onto her she felt it 'slip' and 'let go' of her. Suddenly she was back on the ground staring at the black figure. Just as suddenly, she was aware of a searing pain in her left cheek. It was on fire! Tanya had never felt anything like it before, and she was screaming. Her eyes watered as she winced and brought her hand gingerly to her face, it came back sticky and red. She heard an animal-like snarl and faced the stream again. It wasn't smiling now. Its eyes weren't deep and compassionate; they were full of surprise and anger. She stopped screaming and it lunged forward, teeth bared. Tanya's mind registered the motion quickly, as she had been taught, but she was too weak to do much of anything. She raised an arm in front of her face knowing it was no use, waiting to feel fangs on the soft flesh of her throat. But it never came. Instead, she felt a strong wind rush over her head and a loud howl of rage. She peeked over the edge of her arm expecting the worst but instead she saw a large animal. The animal was helping her; it was forcing the creature back across the stream, away from her. Tanya almost collapsed in relief, but her curiosity was stronger and she watched. Her rescuer stopped pushing as the creature emerged on the opposite bank. It was wreathed in shadow, but Tanya could see its eyes searching, scanning her side of the stream for something it couldn't see. In an amazing display of fury its head reared back and it let out an eerie, un-earthly screech. It reminded Tanya of gate hinges that had been long forgotten and left to rust. And into her mind, this scenario brought a terrible thought. A gate was opening. A gate with rusted hinges, a sign of decades of neglect. Behind the gate was something caged in. Something that wanted to get out...something evil.