Blood & Cinders- Choose your Own Adventure Story

25. B

Isabelle's hands shook violently against her mouth, trying to quiet her breath as she bit down hard on the inside of her cheek to stop her teeth from chattering. The chill had seeped so deeply into her bones that she could not stop her body from shaking. Her back roughly scraped the inside of the hollowed out oak, but she could squeeze in no further. Instead, she focused on remaining perfectly still.

The heavy footfalls continued to circle the tree, as a loud hissing exhaled just above her head. Slowly the creature stalked around the hollowed trunk. Glimpses of its shadowed figure peeking through the foliage that concealed the entrance. Long and gangly, the creatures' smooth scaled head bobbed and weaved through the underbrush around her hiding nook. What little light the moon provided filtered down onto its short jagged horns scattered atop its head like black coned rods of iron.

A tongue darted out its mouth like it was tasting the air- searching. A wail howled through the night to her left, her heart ripping from her chest with the cries of anguish. The creature let out a strange primal growl from its throat and took off on agile limbs toward the screams.

Isabelle waited for what felt like ages. Senses stretching for any other sounds beyond the pinging of rain on gnarled branches above and her own ragged breaths; but there were none.

She clutched her blade to her chest tentatively poking her head from the tree. The rain coming down slightly harder now, it prickled her flesh. She was without a horse and a map now. Was it still safe to press on foot? She squeezed the dagger tighter, the leather holt scraping her skin reminding her of Rosie's tiny claws that would scurry round the palm of her flesh. Rosie. Adam had said he would try and help her escape. She wanted to believe that- but the King would not give up his favorite toy without a fight.

Perhaps if she could make it back to the palace she could find another horse? Perhaps even the king had left Rosie in his room while off on the hunt. Perhaps she could save her friend and find another horse in the stable to escape on, before they came back for the ball. Perhaps....

Perhaps- was enough for Isabelle.

Carefully and slowly she wiggled the rest of her body from in between the crevice in the tree. Isabelle paused, taking soft shallow breaths as she surveyed the dark twisted landscape around her. Every tree branch that swayed looked like the tail or warped limb of a monster, causing her to jump.

Her dagger, a small comfort pointed ahead in the darkness, as she moved as soft and swiftly as possible. Molding her body into trees and looking around before darting to the next tree.

Isabelle continued this dance backward. Back the way the creatures least expected. Her body shook for the damp cold that seeped into her bones, her fingers like dried prunes were starting to go numb.

A rustled scraping noise caught her attention to the left. Isabelle instinctively crouched down. She wedged between a thicket of brambles at her back and the ferns that barely covered her torso.

Isabelle stood perfectly still as a large shadow came into sight. Glowing green eyes peered from between the darkness of the trees and she squinted straining her eyes to see. Squinting she could make out the outline of pointed ears pointed swiveling atop its head, down to a cat-like muzzle, much like Gaston', protruding from its face. It sniffed at the air as it went; mouth open and panting displaying large bloodied canines. In one clawed hand it was dragging a body back toward the direction of the castle by the foot. Even in the dark she could see a torso, or what was left of one. Flaps of shredded flesh and organs flopped out from a gaping hole in the man's belly. Pulled apart like the straw belly of a scarecrow. Isabelle dry heaved, quickly clamping a hand over her mouth to muffle the sound. The creature paused, green eyes fixed her way.