The Witch's Knight

Prologue

“I can’t believe you actually agreed to this." The seventeen year old girl admitted with a dramatic sigh. She drew in a jagged breath as bloodshot eyes surveyed the dark woods. “I told you we’d get lost.”

“Oh, shut up Mackenzie,” Bree scolded at the girl beside her. Her mother was all the condescending she needed. In fact, if it hadn't been for that woman's constant nagging, Bree probably wouldn't have done a number of "bad" things in life, this included.

The forest appeared before her in blurry, tilted images. Bree swayed slightly, and as she did, the inside of her forearm flashed, revealing the ink design of an angel wing. The skin around the sketch was red after several attempts at scrubbing it away. Out of routine, Bree pulled on the sleeve of her shirt and tugged it over the tattoo, checking to make sure her friends didn’t notice.

“You don’t think there’s really anything out here, do you?” Terra, a short and often forgotten girl, piped up. “I mean, what if it catches us?”

Bree laughed. “You seriously believe in that stupid curse?”

Crickets called all around them, filling the apparent silence.

“It’s late,” Mackenzie sighed, pulling back blond bangs with a sweaty hand. The skin on her face was greasy and she winced at the touch. “Let’s just forget about it.”

“Oh, c’mon! You really think there’s some bloodthirsty beast in a cabin waiting to eat us?” The girls looked at one another. “Think about it. When was the last time anyone was murdered around here? Try never! Just because our grandparents are paranoid as fuck, doesn’t mean we should be aware of everything we see.”

Mackenzie sighed. “Bree…”

She rolled emerald eyes. “I’m not leaving until I see that house.”

“We don’t even know if there is a house!” Mackenzie lifted her hands in the air, waving it in Bree’s face for a reality check. “For all we know it’s just as made up as that curse! Why are we even wasting our time here?” She crossed her arms, but the answer was as transparent as Bree’s spaghetti strap tank top. The girl never backed down from a challenge.

“Can’t we just tell them we found it? It’s not like the guys are gonna find out.” Terra held the hem of her sweater between sweaty palms, wringing the fabric until she was sure it would wrinkle.

Bree glared at the two. “I’m not about to let George or any other guy think I’m some wimpy chick. We’re going to find something to show him we’re not vulnerable. We’re–”

The ground under Bree’s flip flops gave away and she tumbled backwards, reaching her hands out for something to grab. Her hand snagged on something before either girl could reach her, and as she looked up, her emerald eyes caught sight of a wooden structure to an old house.

“Oh my God!”  Mackenzie breathed, dark eyes taking in the house. It was small in comparison to Willowsmen’s neighborhood mansions and covered in all kinds of foliage. Bree immediately released her hold on the porch’s wood railing, making a disgusted face at her black streaked hand as she wiped the dirt remains on her denim shorts.

“That wasn’t there before…was it?” All blood seemed to disappear from Terra’s face, which was now just as pale as the moon’s harsh glare. Some animal called out in the distance and the girl shivered.

It was silent between the trio until Bree’s sharp laughter startled everyone. “I told you we’d find proof!” The red head called with a grin. She made her way to the staircase when Mackenzie grabbed her hand.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“We didn’t just come here to look at the house,” Bree countered. Mackenzie’s gaze fell on Bree’s arm, where the angel wing lined her skin. Bree wrenched her hand free.

“Bree, wait!”

“Either you’re coming or not, Mackenzie. Make up your mind!” Bree shouted, stomping up the wooden steps. Every movement sent the floor creaking beneath her sandals and she wondered if the old material would just squeak and give away.

“Bree, this is stupid!” Mackenzie tried one last time, standing firmly beside Terra. “The house is going to collapse any second!”

She ignored her friend, stopping in front of the entry way. The door was closed and there was an iron knob on the side, sculpted in the face of some animal. Bree grabbed the handle and bit back a scream when it burned her skin.

“Shit,” she murmured under her breath, examining the red flesh. Her anger bubbled and she glared. “Stupid door!” She kicked the wood with the bottom of her shoe and surprisingly the door opened with a slow creak. Bree froze, foot mid air, as the inside of the house came into perspective.

There were holes all over the roof, allowing moonlight to fill the dark halls. She could just make out another pair of stairs, an antique rug, and even a grand piano pushed off to the side. For a moment she thought she saw a shadow, but she blinked and the image disappeared, replaced with the lonely picture of an abandoned house.

“What do you see?” Terra whispered, barely registering in Bree’s mind.

“It’s…kind of sad,” Bree answered softly, taking a step forward. “I think there’s something here…”

There was a growl right in her ear as Bree’s eye widened. She turned and a scream poured out into the quiet night. Terra and Mackenzie ran up the steps, but the house caved in, forcing both girls to run in the opposite direction, leaving their friend to an unfathomable doom.