Hazel | Fantasmical 2024

IV - Snuggle or Kill

Gigantic it stood there. A fur made of silver-grey ashen rain and eternal flames in its burning gaze. Light that caught shadows to be devoured. In the depths of moving firelight of the staring eyes, Hazel saw her own silhouette standing there. Tossed back and forth in a dancing whirl.

Claws cut deep furrows in old rock overgrown with moss and vines. A form as tall as young trees glided gracefully past ruins and crunched the rust of broken lanterns beneath it. A contrast arose in the mighty power of deadly destructive potential of the massive paws and the soft fuzz of rounded shapes.

Hazel did not break her gaze, nor did she flinch as the towering creature looming in the ruins blew its hot breath towards her. A breath like a gust of wind that tugged at her clothes and caused the short strands on her head to sway wildly. It smelled of burning coal, crushed stone, iron and ancient dust. A scent so great and engulfing that it hid the sulphuric stench seeping from the great hole in the ground behind the creature. From the gate, the crack that could never be closed again.

Slowly, Hazel raised her hand, her head lifted further and stretched towards the creature. She moved her fingers, beckoning her accomplices.

Ears with furry tips twitched on the head of the gigantic figure. A large, dark shiny nose sucked air into a throat that held a deep growl.

Behind Hazel and past to the front, small goblins pushed a low cart with fluttering wings and frantic whispers. The wooden wheels rumbled over the uneven ground. As soon as they had brought the vehicle to the chosen spot, they scurried back again, fleeing from the eyes of flames that followed every movement, every twitch, no matter how small.

Behind Hazel's back - who was little more than an sapling in the face of the great creature - they hid excitedly. Meanwhile, she slowly raised her hand to reach for the cloth that still hid the load. It slid down, revealing a view of fresh and bloody flesh. A raw stench crept up her nose and Hazel pressed her lips together to keep her face straight.

The creature swung its long tail behind it. The tail, wrapped in soft, long fur, swished up and down so violently that small stones and dry undergrowth swirled around.

"I have a present for you," Hazel promised enticingly and gave the cart a kick.

It rattled along until it got stuck on the remains of a long-gone, barely recognisable metro sign and a pile of benches pushed on top of each other. There it attracted the creature's hungry gaze. The creature growled deeply and intense. It moved again, this time creeping around the gift it had brought. Massive muscles pushed themselves more and more recognisably under the light-coloured fur. It lowered its head over the pile of meat. Soft ears and a beating tail twitched again. One paw rose as if on guard to nudge it.

Hazel and her little goblin companions, whispering behind her, held their breath expectantly. They watched as the mouth opened, sharp, fine teeth dug into the offered prey and a contented growl rumbled into the ground to vibrate towards them.

Hazel cautiously set off. The goblins stayed behind and crouched down to watch the spectacle attentively. She stepped closer. Closer! Closer still! Until she saw the intricacies of the fur. The soft, fine lines and the shimmering patches of ashen shadow.

She stretched her fingers, letting them slide closer until she thought she could feel the tingling in the air. Electrifying tension on her skin. Her gaze slid nervously upwards and again she looked into a pair of deeply flaming eyes. This time, flecks of blood smeared the pale fur of a chin hovering above her. A rough tongue licked briefly over the hungry mouth, flashing teeth that had seemed much smaller from a distance than they did right now.

Her throat tightened, but determination gripped her heart. Her hand travelled further again until she thought she could already feel what she craved so much at her fingertips!