The Undead Princess

Show Me Your Fangs

I am lying on the freshly clean linen Aunt Sophi left in my room for me to sleep in, and my heart warms up as I look at the warm chai that is cooling off on the nightstand next to my bed. Aunt Sophi had stayed up waiting for me to get back to the inn, and she would not leave me alone until I gave her a breakdown of all the fun things I did at the night market. 

I tried holding back my disappointment when she asked me questions about my time there. How could I tell her about all that had had transpired not so long ago?

My eyes shift towards the spot where this tall woman once stood. The indents that her black boots left on the soft, green grass are still there. I mean, the imprint is bigger than my hand for crying out loud. So she must have clearly been here and not been some kind of figment of my imagination! I just cannot wrap my head on how she managed to disappear out of nowhere when her presence is so hard to miss!

I scratch my head full tangled brown locks I had not combed earlier in the morning. I had not anticipated a visit to the center of this town hence why my usually tamed brown curls are more of a bird's nest today.

Oh well, I think to myself. Whoever she is, it was incredibly rude to just leave a lady like me here to talk to herself. If I ever see her again, she is getting a piece of my mind.

_._

It's five in the morning and I cannot help but to feel so groggy. My eyes are blurry as if I had stared at the sun for too long, and my shoulder and neck area ache so incredibly bad. Almost as if my body could not relax enough while I was sleeping?

I guess I'll have to suck it up and try to not think about my aching pain. I really can't postpone the journey back to Mema. Not knowing how she is gets me so worried.

I can hear Aunt Sophi chattering in the background about how the unexpected rain shower earlier in the night made the path back home a bit too muddy. My face creates a visibly dreadful facial expression.

"Theia, you can stay a day longer if you want?" Aunt Sophi's blue eyes warmly invite me.

"Thank you so much Aunty. But, I signed up for all the dirtiness and sweatiness that being Mema's caretaker entails. However, thank you so much for allowing me to stay here." I squeeze my aunt tightly.

I can smell that refreshing, misty saltiness she gives off after living in the coast for so long. It's comforting and reminds me of my second home here, at Witheros. 

"Until next time then, you little bugger." She softly smiles. 

I wave goodbye at her.

Hours go by and the saltiness of the land is slowly starting to cease. The rich aroma of wet soil takes over my senses. Which I full-heartedly embrace. Nothing beats that smell of wet soil and grass and trees.

Although I have taken this path back to the cottage for years, this time it feels different. It's a strange feeling. An eerie, almost familiar feeling.

I abruptly stop in my tracks and listen to my surroundings with eyes closed. Perhaps if I listen to all the wildlife I won't feel too alone on my journey back home.

However, I can feel my heart skip a beat when I realize there are no sounds. In fact, now that I think about it, there had been no indicator of life coming out of this rich forest I've been trudging on for the last two and a half hours. Not even the fluttering of a butterfly. It's been bone-chillingly quiet and now the only thing I can hear at this point is my blood rushing while my heart beats incredibly fast.

My mind randomly flashes back to the poor skinny, brown rat I had captured and released earlier in the week. Could the rat have felt the same way I do right now. Sure, I might not be physically cornered the way the mousey brown thing was, but I feel somehow cornered the same way it must have felt.  I hold my breath as the poking anxiety inside of me begins bubbling to the surface. My chest feels as if it is burning up. Every hair in my neck is pricked up now as I become hyper aware of the antagonizing silence.