Dance the Night Away

~There goes the little one, hopping and hoping~

She was running. From what? She couldn't tell. All that she knew was that everything had gone wrong and now running was her only option.

~Run, little girl, run! That makes the chase more fun~

Lucious green plains and star-filled skies. Her memory was blurred by fear and panic. Each twig that snapped under her feet was a taunting cackle, each leaf that crackled under her steps was a venomous whisper. Shadows moved in and out of sight as she focused on not losing her balance, but lead was slowly filling her legs and her bare toes were going numb from the cold.

Why wasn't she wearing shoes? She couldn't remember.

A sharp gasp escaped her as she took a rough tumble through the underbrush. The pain in her palms and knees barely even registered as she scrambled back to her feet and forced herself to get moving again. The cold was spreading up her spine, now, and the dizziness that washed over her was almost enough to make her collapse here and there – but she stayed strong, almost stubbornly so, and kept on running.

~Foolish one. You can't escape us.~

Pain spread up her leg as it suddenly cramped up. With a pained cry, she hit the ground, the grass thick with humidity and clinging to her skin. As she tried to regain her bearings, the gut-churning scent of copper filled her senses, making her head spin...

Where is the music coming from...?

Dazedly looking up, she froze at the sight that welcomed her. A dozen or so of people all dancing a cheery jig while spinning to the mindless little tune that seemed to come from everywhere at once. And yet, after focusing on the scene for a few seconds, she quickly realized that something was wrong.

The people were dancing, yes, but so slowly it almost felt like time itself had given up on the party when they hadn't. Their mouths were wide open to let out cheers and laughter, but no sound was coming out – only the music could be heard, growing louder and more insistent by the second.

That's why I was running, she realized, feeling sick.

She could see the lights, now – the little, glowing globes that floated around the strange gathering, seemingly harmless at first... but she knew better.

Stumbling upon a fairy ring certainly hadn't been a part of her plans for celebrating her 20th birthday but now, it was too late to regret. Cursing under her breath, she pushed herself back up and took off into the opposite direction, painfully aware that no matter how much she ran, the Fae and their cursed forest would ultimately lead her straight back to whence she came from.

But she had no choice but to keep on running. If she gave up now, then her and her friends would be trapped forever in a haze of illusions.

No, she wouldn't give up hope, no matter what.

~500 words on the dot! Hope you enjoyed it!