A Twist Of Ashes

[1] Twist of fate [1]

Her eyes burst open, adrenaline coursing through her weak body, fortunately granting some numbness to the pain that was sending her into a spiral. Reality was beginning to set in after she became conscious once more. Tala was well and truly trapped, slowly being pulled further into the relentless grip of the forest; thick vines entangled her arm, slowly releasing their toxin into her skin. Despite the adrenaline, Tala could still feel the searing pain of a thousand hot knives travelling into her system. With blurred vision and a body that no longer felt like hers, she struggled to calm the tremble within her hands. A swarm of little moths danced around her as if waiting for the moment she passed to the other side. Maybe they would help to guide her there. 

Would the people of the village mourn? Only the cards would tell. No one from the village would dare to venture this far out from the safety of the paths. It was too much of a risk, of danger, and of the consequences they would face from the elders and chief. Even Pa used to warn her of the drastic change in the forest ecosystem after the events of 2 years ago. Feelings of shame washed over her; she felt like a fool for ending up in this situation. Mother, her sister Layla and her big brother Jayce; would they come looking for her? Would they hold a ceremony in remembrance of her? They don't even have one for Pa. Jayce would return from one of his scouting expeditions to see a small wooden cross with her name carved next to Pa's.

She tried her best to bat away the moths and remove her wrist from the vines, but every time she moved, the plant reacted and writhed, tightening the ruthless grasp. She managed to get onto her knees steadily, the vines creeping up towards her collarbone. If they caught her locket, it would choke her, and she would lose the special gift her sister gave her when they were young. Her panic spiked again; the plant sensed it and tightened its grip again, the pressure making her entire arm numb. The toxins had been making their way through her body as she was slowly losing the feeling within her legs, making it harder to fight back and stay awake.

Pa's journals contained endless notes and drawings about the new world to warn people and keep us safe. No one paid any attention to it until it was too late. Plants had begun mutating to target humans, animals had fleed, so prey was sparse, and the few remaining predators around disappeared. Now and then, she would see some further away from the village, but they were fowl and angry. The wolves she used to hunt with and play around no longer gave her a look. Guilt filled Tala every time she entered the forest. It was never meant to be this way.

Pa raised them to be respectful hunters. The people were brought up to follow rituals and traditions to maintain order within the forest and not upset the Earth's spirit. These small things included using every piece of the hunt, never wasting anything, and always giving back to the forest in offerings. They only took what was needed and never what was wanted. Tala sometimes sat in the forest with Pa, listening to the trees whisper and the animals sing. The forest had its way of communicating, but patience was the key to understanding it. If they were lucky, the forest would let people listen only if they cared enough. These days, the forest was silent, hating and shameful of the people. As punishment, the plants and fruit the village would use all disappeared along with the animals. In return, a horrid variety of carnivorous plants took their place. All because the people were sent to fight a battle they did not even know they wanted to fight in the first place.

Images of Pa, his warm wolfish smile and bright hazel eyes, flooded her mind. He was welcoming but protective, full of love. Would she get to see him again?

Just for a split second, something ripped away her attention and drew it towards a pair of luminous red eyes, Glaring directly at her, analysing, calculating something. Even after a few shaky breaths, they remained fixated on her. Great! Now, she would become food to some random creature she unfortunately crossed paths with. The hairs stood on end as the creature slowly moved forward, the intensity never faltering. Panic spiked, giving her another shot of adrenaline in hopes of escaping.