A Mirage Of Milk And Honey

Prologue - The Crimson Wood

The earth was frozen underfoot, pebbles of ice biting into her skin as she ran through the trees. Her thin frame weaved through the white birch trunks, and her pale skin almost blended in with the snowy surroundings as she fled. She ran with far more power than one of her size should naturally possess, bolting like an arrow through the forest all to escape that incessant clicking.

Click.

Click.

Click.

She didn't feel the bite of the chilled, winter air as she ran—she should have, but she didn't. She was hot. Heat, burning and feverish, coursed through her veins against her wishes, searing her from the inside out. But she couldn't focus on that—didn't have time.

She had to escape, to run away from the clicking, almost like a countdown, but getting fainter and fainter as she flew past the birch trees that stood proud and tall. Without their crimson summer leaves, the naked birch left space for the sun to weave its way through their trunks to illuminate the crisp winter fog that came with early winter mornings.

One foot in front of the other.

Fainter and fainter.

Click, Click, Click.

It had begun a mere half-hour ago, and she'd—foolishly, she now realised—thought nothing of it at first. There were always strange noises in forests, everyone knew that.

But then it got quieter and quieter, and she'd felt... something watching her. Stalking her.

A predator.

The creature—it was almost human. She'd thought it was at first. But then she'd seen the wings. Thin and leathery, like a corpse's flesh stretched over bone, with sharp, menacing tips. The body was no better, at least the upper half of it the body still possessed. It was like something from stories mother's told their children, a warning not to stray off the paths in the forest. An animated corpse, with no lower half—only the dull bones of its spinal cord hanging from it. Pale, lifeless skin that seemed not fully attached to its body, but frozen to it from the cold.

She knew she was getting further away, she had to be. The clicking sounded so distant and she'd been running so long she could feel her lungs burning from the frigid air.

She didn't stop, however. She wouldn't, not until the clicking was gone and she was safe.

Still running, she checked behind her. Her own footsteps in the snow was the only unnatural thing she saw.

She turned back, trying to shake the image of the creature from her mind; Its eyes, they–

Suddenly, she was laying flat on her back, her ankle aching from where it had caught on a root and sent her, head first, into the icy ground.

The girl huffed, breath coming out in foggy clouds above her.

She knew she had to move, had to get to safety.

But the clicking had quieted, and she was exhausted. The world around her was too bright, sounds were too loud, and this pressure had built in her temple ever since she'd woken up.

The snow that had found its way under her pale blue skirts melted against the heat of her skin, causing her skirts and bodice to stick to her skin uncomfortably.

She let out a cough, the movement drawing attention to the burn she felt on her cheek.

"Must've hit the ground." She mumbled to herself.

Knowing that she had to move, she took a final, deep breath, and opened her eyes, only to find herself staring into the eyes of the very creature she'd been running from.

It sat on a branch above her, staring down with lifeless, wide oval eyes that contrasted the pale, lifeless colour of its skin. They were alike to those of a fish eyes—flat and glossy—with no eyelids.

It stared at her with a tilt of the head, then it opened its mouth in a wide circle, exposing its sharp needle-like teeth.

Adrenaline took root fast, and the girl rolled onto her front, springing up from the frozen ground, shooting off at a breakneck pace even faster than before.

As she ran, weaving through the trees, ducking under branches and her dust blue cloak brushing past the trunks she skimmed too close to, the clicking continued.

And it got louder.

And louder.

As though she were running directly into the path of that beast.

It was surrounding her, engulfing her, suffocating her.

Click.

Click.

Click.

It went, getting faster, louder, in her head.

And then it stopped.

Everything stopped.

The girl crumpled, falling to the ground with an ear piercing shriek that shook the trees.

And then, suddenly, the world around her seemed to change—it was no longer so suffocatingly bright, the icy burn in her lungs dulled, and everything went quiet as the nature around her grew.

Like a tidal wave, it surrounded her, spreading further and further. Around her hands grew fresh spring grass. Wildflowers rose from the earth, and the greenery only expanded through the forest, growing, blooming, blossoming to the world. It travelled from every blade of grass to the roots of trees and red began to engulf the forest as the birch leaves grew, curling and twisting to reveal a beautiful, crimson red. The trees grew wider—taller. Reaching up to the sky and sheltering her from the yellow morning sun.

And then, just as it had happened, it all began to shrivel.

The flowers wilted, their vibrant colour engulfed by the ugly brown of decay. The tall blades of grass drooped, and leaves fell from the trees—putrefying before they'd even had a chance to hit the floor. The birch trees withered away, collapsing to the floor  as their trunks decomposed from the inside out.

All in a matter of minutes.

Even the animals fell.

Mid-flight, birds dropped like stones, unable to escape the decay. The deer, peacefully drinking from the creek, withered from its feet up leaving a pair of antlers as the only evidence of its existence.

A thick, black rot had devastated the forest, And at the centre of it, unscathed, was the girl.

___

A/N

I don't know yet whether every chapter will have an authors note or not... but either way, this story is one that I've been writing in my free time. It's part of a series, actually, and is technically the fourth book of a series of five currently planned, however can be read as a standalone. I originally begun the world building whilst daydreaming on my way to school around 4 years ago, and it got very out of hand. Either way, for the sake of transparency: this is a first draft and in order to finish the book and not get caught up in editing and rewriting and letting my imagination get out of hand, there are some potential inconsistencies. I know that this can mean that some pieces of information or lore are incorrect or juxtapose one another, and if thats the case, I apologise for any confusion. If you notice anything off or have any questions, feel free to ask (or don't. It's up to you) and I will answer or fix mistakes. Any of the art or photography at the beginning of chapters is NOT mine nor is the story based off any art. It is completely original. If any of the art/photos (which I found on pinterest) belong to anyone and should be taken down/you are aware of the creator, please inform me and I will remove or credit the pieces.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy. At this current point, I've got about 19 chapters written and ready to be published on Sundays.

Thanks and Enjoy xx

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