Forever Forest

Chapter 12

Reuel slowly helped Terra up, her breaths fast and fearful against his hand still covering her untrustworthy mouth. He slowly walked them both backwards, tugging her frozen form away from where the beast had just faded into the forest until gradually he took his hand off her mouth and slid it down her arm to her hand.

Terra glanced up at him, his eyes focused on the dark forest surrounding them. She tried to take her hand away from his but he angled his head toward her with a daring look. Terra gave up and allowed him to hold her hand and guide her as they traversed the darkness, candle light flickering softly.

She knew they were out of danger not only as light began to flicker through the trees once again, but also when Reuel paused to spear their candle light into the forest floor and spoke to her for the first time in quite a while.

"Fool, what were you doing in those woods?" He smiled and spoke softly though his eyes flickered with worry.

"I was looking for you."

"I know that."

"Then why did you ask?" The corners of her mouth lifted.

"You were supposed to wait by the sign. I told you to never go past it."

"Why-" She started.

"If what just occurred isn't any indication of why-"

"No Reuel you idiot." She growled and yanked her hand away from his comfort. "Why were you in those woods, how did you know I would look for you? What the hell are these two pointed beasts upon my head, and when will they disappear!" She cried out pulling her hood down and hair back for him to see.

He grinned and slowly circled her to study the pointed ears.

"And a wonderful addition they are, aren't they."

"Reuel you will give me the cure to this wretched prank, give me my pill or whatever to fix this mess and I will return home."

He chuckled. "Pill? Cure? My, my Terra especially after meeting a Shadow Man during your marvelous little adventure through the Darkest Woods I'd think you'd realize that things here are not quite that simple."

"I don't know what hypnotic drug you fed me, but clearly it's made you go mad as well. Just give me the cure and we can be on our separate ways." 

He stared at her dumbfoundedly. 

"Unless you'd like to do this the hard way..." She reached behind her head, grabbed an arrow from its quiver and swiftly pulled it tight against her bow now aimed directly at his chest.

His eyes darted to the point of the arrow, and Reuel suddenly let out a a laugh. Terra glared in agitation that he was not taking her seriously.

 "How boring of you. You came all this way through the mighty scary woods just to find me. To turn back now would be such a waste." He lowered her bow and arrow with a single sharp fingertip. "Why don't you stay a while instead."

"Reuel I only came looking for you so you could fix my damn ears." She snarled as he carelessly paced around her. "You have no idea what my father will do to me if I don't get these fixed." Her shoulders eased a bit and she stared at the mossy floor. "He will trap me in that cabin for life. I'll never be allowed into the real world again." She glanced at Reuel who smirked at her dubiously. "As he should as well. The real world won't accept a girl who looks like she came straight out of a fantasy book."

"I know you wouldn't understand. But I have to be normal if I ever want a chance at living a real life."

She could have sworn his mouth flickered from its smile for a moment.

"Possibly, unless there's more to it that you're not telling me" He trailed his knuckles up her arm sending shivers with its path. "They do say humans are wicked liars." She noticed for the first time a strange thin long vine clenched in his grasp. She flinched away from him nervously.

"If you won't give me the solution to fixing my ears then I'm going home."

"What through the darkest woods by yourself?" Reuel scoffed as she turned away from him.

"I don't see any other option, do you?"

She marched away from him and back towards the candle sticking up from the ground. She would take it and navigate the so-called Darkest Woods on her own. Hopefully she'd be back at the cabin before dinner. Terra was in a bad mood, pointed ears and a pointless dangerous trip to find Reuel who it seemed coudn't even help her.

"I don't think so." He murmered behind her.

"Excuse me?" She growled, turning around. A mistake she wished she didn't make for the thin strand of vine that was originally clenched in Reuel's hand was suddenly slingshotting across the clearing. It slammed against her left arm.

Her bow and arrow flung from her hand. 

The vine came alive as soon as it touched her, immediately sliding and wrapping around her wrist, soon reaching for the other. Terra screamed, pulling her right wrist away a second too slow. 

The vine latched to her other wrist and wove impossibly tight around the both of them, Terra pulled and ripped at it in fury however the vine remained unmoving no matter how much she struggled to free herself.

"What the hell is this!" She howled dropping to the floor with effort to get herself free of the vine cuffed around her wrists.

"Reuel you BI-" before she could finish another vine swung around her head and tightened itself around her mouth, layering and growing over itself until she couldn't say a word without grumbling and spitting. Vines slipped down her legs and tied themselves tightly around her ankles. They slithered up her neck where a thick tendril of vine began to surround it. Terra gurgled in fear. 

Would Reuel suffocate her? Would she die here, alone in the woods, with no one to tell her father?

Her concerns were answered however as the tendril of vine around her neck remained loose enough to breathe.

A long piece of vine reached out from the one tied around her neck, growing longer until it lightly touched the forest floor.

Horror struck Terra. Is this a leash?

Reuel strode over to her, crouched and lifted her chin up from her struggle to free herself, "You want help so bad? Fine. I'll help you. But first, your going to have to come with me. Help comes with prices where I'm from."

Terra snarled in response.

"You came all this way just to find me, no use turning back now. After all, you owe me one for saving your life back in the Darkest woods. You should be greatful." He winked.

He stood and wrapped his hand around the leash created by the vines. Reuel began to tug her.

He must think I'm some dog.

Her heart thudding with rage, Terra resisted his pull. Instantly the vines tightened around her neck, choking her.

"You can resist all you want, however just know that the vines have the strength of snakes, and I'm sure you know living around here, that snakes are not to be messed with." He smiled casually and confidently.

Terra stared, more horrified than ever.

Grudgingly, Terra stood, her legs stiffly marching her in the opposite direction of home, opposite of the calm normalcy she worked so hard to achieve all these years. 

She survived the beast in the darkest woods, though it seemed she could not escape the one leading her deep into the forest. 

The blue haired boy. 

Her imaginary friend.