If You Go into The Woods Today

Into the woods

"Be careful in the woods Alec, strange things are bound to happen in them!"

I roll my eyes as I close the door. I grab my bow off of the old chair in front of our house, mother worries too much. Though I cannot blame her, after the way father died in the woods I'm surprised that she even allows me to go in them, let alone to hunt.

I start towards the Dursh woods, no one else hunts here which leaves me with all the game Dursh possesses. I turn down the long cobblestone road that leads to the rusted gate that once held out the villagers from Dursh, and push it open, it lets out a creak of protest as I do.

Dursh's birds do not sing and its bugs do not sound. It has been said that men with red eyes had roamed these wood eons ago. I thinks it's all just a myth meant to scare children, and, in this case, adults. Mother says that I am old for my 15 years and calls me her old man. . . Which never helped my relationship with the village children, who also call me old man now.

Maybe it's how I talk, for I do have an advanced knowledge of words and how they go together. Speech is an art form that people in my village neglect greatly. How I would wish for an intelligent conversation with someone. Someone who can follow what I am saying without having to ask me to speak simpler to convenience them.

As I make my way through the forest, my feet sloshing over the damp moss I hear a branch break, hopefully whatever has broken the branch will be my dinner. I move as slowly as I can, hoping that I will not scare away my prey as I grab my bow and put the arrow in its temporary home, slowly drawing until the string is taught and I feel the strength of the shot vibrating through my arms. I release it swiftly and the arrow sails swiftly and accurately through the woods to the brown creature slumped against a tree.

"Ahhhh!" That sound, it's not an animal cry, but a human wail of pain. Oh damn! Sweet Mary, Mother of Christ! My arrow has stuck true, but it has hit a person . . . not my dinner. I run towards the lump on the ground.

"Are you okay? I am so sorry, can I help, are you hit, is it bad, I am so sorry." Sadly my stream of words continues for a few seconds more before a hand is clamped over my mouth, stopping me from speaking. I lift the cloak covering the figure.

A girl I-I shot at a girl, mother would tan my hide if she knew, and she is beautiful. With green eyes a touch too small but perfect on her face and the delicate nose of a fairy. Her looks gave me the urge to protect, though little do I realize that it is I who needs to be protected, for a little fairy she has a strong punch.

"Why did you do that?" I asked her holding my face.

"Why did you shoot me with an arrow?" Her voice snaps at me, clear and sharp.

"I thought you were an animal." If I had a knife I would stab myself. How could tell this young girl that I thought her an animal. My father would be rolling in his grave if he knew I had treated a lady this way.

A tinkling laugh sounds, shocking me and making me freeze as the light sound, a sound like children's bells, fills the air. A sound that confuses me though.

"You-you thought me an animal. You amuse me to great lengths." she says once her laughter subsides to small light giggles.

"But I shot you with my arrow, you should be dead or-or dying!" Not that I wish for that of course.

"It is but a scratch." She says with a wave of her hand.

"Your aim is not the best as you merely managed to scratch me neck, see." She pulls down her collar just enough to show what I had done. It was not life threatening but it would leave a scar. She pulls up her collar and gives me a shrug.

"Well what were you hunting out here, besides me?" She asks, her voice alight with humor, and luckily, no ill bearing for the injury I had caused.

"Just some food to eat."

"I like food to eat may I join you?" she asks and I can see the hunger in her eyes. I crack a hopefully reassuring smile.

"It would be a pleasure." I stick out my hand. "The names Alec."

She spits in hers and puts it to mine.

"Eevee."

5 years later

She is late, she's never late. In the five years I have known Eevee she has never been late, ever. Though ever since her mother had started pressuring her to marry she has been going home earlier and been talking more.

The sloshing of moss lets me know that she is running here, and fast. When she stands in front of me her height barely reaching my neck, she hold up her finger as she crouches over to catch her breath.

After a few seconds of heavy breathing she stand up straight.

"Sorry, mother and I had a fight."

I didn't have to ask what the fight was about, Eevee likes her freedom. She will marry but not for a while, I can wait though she has no idea when she turns 18 I will propose, and hopefully she will say yes. Though I must be patient and time it right or it could ruin everything.

"Tis okay, ready to go?"

"Always!"

We make our way through Dursh as quickly and quietly as possible. I usually do the talking while we hunt but ever since her mother has forced the marriage idea on her she cannot seem to stop talking.

By the end of the day we were able to have enough to feed both our families and have enough left over to go into the winter food storage.

"I will see you tomorrow?"

"I promise, I'll bring you some bread as well Eevee." My usual promise, which causes her to smile, a slight flush rising to her cheek and the pale scar on her neck become visible and reminding me of that horrid accident

"None of the burned bread yeah? Last time we ate that we were sick for a week." I was trying to be nice to the town baker by buying his burned bread, lesson learned.

"Maybe you can come and pick out your own bread?" She rolls her eyes.

"You know why I don't go into towns."

"Worth a try"

"Maybe, bye Alec." the dismissal is clear and it hurts, but it's her way so I leave it.

She turns and start towards her house. I turn other direction and make my way home.

I take the dirt path to the village and make my way into the village center which held the church, town hall, and the fountain. The bakery is behind the town hall and as always smoke is fuming out of its chimney.

Before I could make it to the bakery the town priest stops me.

"Alec!" He calls with a smile that I believe was supposed to be warm. "I need your help, for one of the tables in the church needs to be moved and it is far too heavy for me."

"Um... of course Father?" If I say no I'll probably be dammed. I follow the priest into the church to help with the table. I point to the one in the middle of the dimly lit church. "This one?"

"Yes, yes that one." He said in a hurried tone.

I lean down to get a grip on the table, I hear a noise behind me that sounds like the priests robes fluttering before a small bang resounds, echoing in the church and I fall to the ground, staring at the red faces priest with a heavy pan in hand.

Then it all goes black as I fade out of conscience.