Ten: Gothic Novel AU
I'm alone. Please come find me!
There it came again, that soft, melancholy call, the one he couldn't bear to ignore.
The shadows of the forest beckoned to him, the winds moaning in his ear. He pulled his cloak around him even more tightly and pressed on, even as the rain soaked through his clothing.
There it was, a solitary dark tower looming above the churning waters. Vines slipped in and out of the masonry, which had become almost black and slick with rain. A lone bridge swayed in the wind, connecting the lonely isle to the mainland. And, in the highest window—a fair-haired beauty clothed in blue.
Kousuke broke into a run, his heart pounding in his chest. This was the source of the voice that had called him into these woods; the same one that had breathed new life into an existence that, only recently, had consisted of nothing more than grief and sorrow.
He reached the island, the wet grass slick beneath his boots.
The maiden's eyes—the pale pink of apple blossoms—lighted on him, and grew wide. In her shock, she fell from her perch on the windowsill.
"No—don't come—turn to stone!" she cried, half of her words stolen by the pounding rain and shrieking wind.
He didn't understand her words, but it made no difference. Certainly, fate had brought her to this woman, whoever she might be. He ran through the tower's doors.
A/N: A slightly crack-ish little AU meant to sound like a Gothic romance novel, and not a particularly good one, either. Written in long form, it would definitely be crack.