There's a lot more coming for you than you realize.
What's coming for me?
Oh, all the world.
***
It was the crescent moon's turn to witness the night.
The celestial rock lounged in the sky, its lazy attention turned to a forest below, hoping for a bit of amusement—
Perhaps a skirmish from a pair of worthy rivals, or a chase between predator and prey that would keep its watcher guessing until escape or capture concluded it.
To the moon's great disappointment this night proved just as dull as many of the others. It was a shame really, that such beautiful darkness would go to waste, and the woods would yet again sleep through the splendor of the moon's world.
The satellite resigned to turn away and talk to the stars, those gossip-loving infants, when pandemonium erupted below.
An invisible wave carried by a shrill, piercing note cut through the trees, making the earth shiver.
If the woods had been quiet before, now they were a corpse.
Even the night birds and bugs closed their mouths, sensing a great and terrible change had just taken place.
The moon searched for the source and found a trio of bizarre characters:
A girl, a buck, and a monster.
The buck and the monster were locked in a violent struggle while the girl stood by in horror. When the girl turned to flee, the buck grabbed the monster to keep it from giving chase—but the monster called out, catching the attention of all manner of fiendish brutes in the woods. They ceased whatever loathsome activity engaged them and turned their attention to the girl.
A fight and a chase, the moon got them after all.
It almost regretted having such a desire, for it could do nothing to help the poor girl.
It could only shine on and watch as a ghastly pursuit began in the forest below.
***
'What you seek is in front of you!'
Credence hadn't a clue where she was heading, but she trusted in Isolam's words that safety was near. She tripped and stumbled, falling to the ground several times, but fear drove her on, even as her arms and legs were given a hundred scratches from the forest. She would run until sunrise if she had to. She'd run clear out of the woods if it meant getting away from the Collector.
The monster, the vile demon.
Images of its horrifying form flashed through her mind and bit into her courage.
Tall, twisted horns. Ichor pouring from a blackened ribcage. Fangs, sharp as blades, set in an emotionless skull surrounded by feathers and fur.
She heard the call of the Collector's minions, wicked beasts awake and prowling in the night.
Roused, she feared, to find her and drag her back to their master.
Keep running, her mind screamed, no matter what nips at your heels and roars behind you!
She cleared the trees and found herself in a moderately-sized meadow, a patch of grass surrounded by the woods.
A short distance ahead, moonlight washed over the familiar shape of a roof and walls sitting atop a slight hill.
YOU ARE READING
Journey of a Girl
Fantasy||Wattys 2022 Shortlist|| "You've got several lines of destiny in you...whether you use your power for good or wicked is still blank." After narrowly escaping the Collector, Credence finds herself at the mercy of aunt Lilith, a hateful witch who ea...
