Chapter 23: Into the Woods
The fiery sun was beginning to set, and the forest was being cast in a strange orange hue... I smiled to myself as I walked on. It was over. Over. I was out of the mansion, and I was on my own at long last... Although I was still frightened, but the surge of adrenaline I had felt-- and was still experiencing was keeping me going.
Soon, however, the inevitable came, as I had known deep down that it would; the forest was thrown into darkness-- just like in all of my nightmares-- as night fell, and I began to wonder whether or not I would still be safe here... But safe from what...?
From Jacqueline... I slowed my brisk pace to a steady walk when I had realized this; I had wandered into the dark woods forgetting that this was her home-- her playground. I would not be safe here now that night had fallen; I was nothing but fresh meat.
How could I have been so happy to have entered to forest only a couple of hours before...? Had I been bewitched...? Mystified...? I was not safe here. No one could be safe in a nightmare. But this was no nightmare. That was for sure. There would be no waking from this dream. This dream would end with my death at the hands of Jacqueline-- only it would be a real death, and there would be real pain.
But then, hope again, as I realized what lay inside the forest; away from Jacqueline... the oasis... the oasis... underneath my oak; the only place where I was sure to be safe! A stupefied smile formed across my face, as I continued down the path.
But it was dark... much too dark for walking, actually. It was pitch black. It would be a frigid day in hell before I could ever find the way to the safe haven in the dark of night; "Beatrice..." a low hiss whispered... The wind in the trees; surely the wind passing through the dying leaves of the trees... It could not be her. Not yet... But the smile was wiped away from my face instantly, and I froze in my tracks; determined not to panic.
I closed my eyes, and slowly counted backwards from one to ten to regain my head; 10, 9, 8, AM I ALONE!; 7,6,5, WHERE IS SHE!; 4, 3, 2, WILL I SURVIVE THE NIGHT…?
And then, the unmistakable sound of leaves crunching beneath somebody's feet caught my attention, "1!" I breathed the word in little more than a whisper; my eyes snapped open again, and I spun around to find whose company had been forced upon me-- I was almost hoping that I would find Jessica or the man, but I knew I had run out of luck, "Who's there?" I repeated, though all the while knowing an answer would not be spoken-- she knew that I had realized who she was. She needn't answer after all.
I was in a dream... yes. That had to be it! I was simply in another fucked-up dream. After all, wasn't anything possible in this fucked-up world where magic was real...?
I'd wake in a cold sweat; possibly all alone in my bedroom; in a house with my mother and father... no, that was impossible! That was eight years ago! "Who are you?" I screamed.
...but could I have dreamt a dream eight years worth of nightmares...?
...the answer was no...
The nightmare that I was living could never end unless and until Jacqueline was finally able to kill me.
I shouldn't be here, I thought, frightened, I should have stayed... I had been so stupid to have left the people with whom I had been living with. I at long last realized that now, but there was no way back. There was no going back now. I had to try to evade Jacqueline for the night-- and that wouldn't be a picnic.
I had walked into a LIVING, BREATHING nightmare!
And in doing so, I had done exactly what Jacqueline had wanted me to do all along.
And all those dreams-- every single one HADN'T been dreams. They had all been a sign-- a sign of what was to come! A sign of the near future in which I was to be chased through the wood by a monster-- the monster I'd been trying to run from for years-- JACQUELINE.
There was no escape. Not anymore. I could hear her now-- directly behind me, breathing in short ragged breaths.
"Beatrice..." the voice of the monster hissed in the darkness, "It is time. Time for you to face your nightmare. Face me."
"Leave me alone," I whispered.
"We've been through all this before, haven't we, my child? If you're so clever, you should know the answer; I won't leave you alone until you're dead. I've waited long enough."
"Shut up."
"Face me like your mother would have, Beatrice."
And that caused another surge of emotions; I reddened-- I could tell even in the darkness, "FUCK YOU! DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT HER!"
She laughed, "So vulgar, my child, but you cannot run away from me forever. Face me," she repeated, and then, I felt her appear just an inch away from my face. Each time she took a breath, I felt it on the back of my neck; my heart was racing, "Soon, the time will come for you to die; I've tired of watching you running around here in D'Nalge. It's no fun at all! In fact, it's beginning to become quite a bore. It's 'getting old.' But, the dreams do seem to have done their work; otherwise you would have never come here tonight-- to me; are you frightened, Beatrice...? Frightened in knowing that you now must die?"
"No," I whispered, firmly, unsure, "I'm not frightened of you."
"But you cannot get away this time, Beatrice. There's no one here to protect you... not anymore."
"I can save myself," I whispered, but she was right; I could not move... I was frozen to the spot; frozen not by fear, but by the magnitude of our meeting-- it was a spell-- and I was helpless. A tear slid down my cheek, "Why did you come into my life in the first place? Why did you find me again?"
"When you speak to me, look into my eyes, Beatrice. Face me. It may be dark, but you must face me. I have been growing weaker lately. Though that maidservant, Elsa, your predecessor had her merit, I'm in great need of something stronger to keep me young and beautiful-- as Elaine has probably told you," she paused, and I continued to cry silently, "Face me."
I opened my eyes, and slowly brought my head up, until I was sure that our eyes had met at last, "Do it now," I whispered, and then, the darkness of the wood vanished completely; and I saw my tear-covered face reflected in her once beautiful blue eyes-- now a violent shade of red that glowed under the golden moonlight just like two fiery coals, "Come on, Jacqueline. You didn't have a single problem when you killed your father," I paused, "Are you ready? I am."
Then I felt my face-- my entire body growing hot. It grew hot with my hatred for the creature who stood before me, and then, I saw that the entire forest had become a blazing fireplace; the trees set on fire-- burning, hot orange fire; the fire that had burned quietly in my heart and soul for the last several years, for the bitch who stood before me-- my anger had somehow created magic. Jacqueline laughed, "Frightened yet, Beatrice?"
"No," I whispered; despite her spell, managing to shake my head.
"Your time has come, child."
"No, bitch. Yours has!" And I broke free of the bond that had held me there. The fires ceased their angry burning, and twilight returned to the forest-- as if nothing had happened at all. The normality of evening seemed to have re-enveloped it. What now...? I wondered, half-panicked.
Jacqueline was obviously surprised-- she obviously had not been expecting this, so due to instinct, or sheer intellect, I began to run away from her. After a few seconds, she followed. In the 'hot pursuit' that followed, I nearly tripped six hundred times, and the trees began scarcer as I reached the edge of the forest, yet I still felt her following me-- her red eyes burning a hole in my back. But soon, I realized that the smell of the forest had changed. It now smelled of-- oak! And every tree for a couple of feet (and there were many), was an oak tree! I stopped running, and sat upon the leaf-covered floor, knowing that I would be safe for the night.
I was tired. So very tired-- breaking the spell had taken nearly all of my strength. I could not stay awake, waiting for Jacqueline to attempt to lure me back to her... I was so tired...
The wind moaned, and I slept… safe from her.
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The following morning, I awoke to hear the sounds of leaves crunching beneath the heavy weight of wheels; wheels of a carriage as it exited the forest, and went into town.
I stood up, and backed away from the path of the approaching carriage; instantly recognizing it-- I could not believe my luck; it belonged to that no-good family. What were they doing in the fucking wood...? And then it dawned on me, "BEATRICE!" the man's voice called from within the carriage... The woman had disobeyed my wishes-- as I knew she would-- they were searching for me! "Fuck," I breathed; I could be spotted... easily; I ducked behind a nearby tree, praying that they would move on, but I knew that it was useless; the carriage came to an abrupt stop just in front of me, and the man stepped out of it, "Beatrice, my dear child!" the man said, "Is that you behind the tree?" he asked, dumbly; peering around it, and spotting me, "There you are!" he exclaimed, as if we'd been playing a childish game of hide and seek.
"Yes-- here I am," I said, faking laughter... I could hide from him no longer; I stepped out from behind the oak.
He offered me a smile-- a false smile, I noted-- one that I knew oh too well from Jacqueline... the one you would think an alligator to bestow upon the little fishes he hopes to sup upon.
I realized, with some fright that he was alone-- I hoped that he would not try anything, because I still had the knife...
"Good day," I replied, giving him an equally false courtesy; one to rival his smile.
"Oh, my dear child!" he exclaimed, "I feared that I would never have the pleasure to look upon your lovely face again," I cringed away from him, but he took my hands in his, and slowly brought me out of my courtesy, "Oh, and you're so dirty! What in heaven's sake have you been doing out here?" he paused to wipe some mud off of my face, and I felt like sitting in his face at his touch. He smiled.
I sort of halfheartedly returned the smile, and he led me towards the carriage, and gestured that I let myself in; I didn't want to-- my worst nightmare was to be all alone with him, but I soon relented, when he had opened the door, and had sort of 'nicely' shoved me towards it. I stepped inside, the door was closed, and he got in beside me, and we began riding back towards his house; me being unsure as to what would happen when we would reach our destination.
