Cabin in The Woods

Prologue

"I am all alone..." The girl whispered to herself, her hands falling limp beside her bruised legs. She could feel the wet mud underneath her soil the ends of her dress made for nobility, as she sat there on her knees in the middle of an eerily quiet pine forest. The light was fading, and the night approached steadily until the only light source was the full moon filtering through the treetops.

If this was any normal night, MoriAnne would've been afraid of this darkness, and she would've scrambled back to her palace where it was safe. But tonight, this darkness soothed her, and she knew this forest filled with unknown creatures and monstrosities was more of a haven than the high walls of the castle she had escaped. She looked up at the moon, staring at it as if it had the answers she sought.

"Why would you do this, father...?" Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke into the night, knowing no one but the moon could hear her. That is..until she heard a reply.

"Where have you come from, girl?" Startled, she looked to the thick cluster of trees in front of her where this low, rich voice boomed in the distance. It seemed to be both close and far at the same time. She slowly stood, her feet still in pain from all the running she had done earlier.

"Who are you? Come out and show yourself." She yelled out, even though she knew if they did come out, she had no way of protecting herself besides the measly dagger she had picked up as she rushed out of the palace. She clutched it tightly with shaking hands, waiting for so much as a rustle to disturb the silence. As her eyes wandered frantically from tree to tree, a radiant blue glow materialized into the shape of a lion in the deep end of the forest. The image scattered like a cloud of glowing mist just as she laid eyes on it, and began forming a pathway between the trees, waiting for her to follow.

Confused but curious, MoriAnne followed this lit-up road in the darkness. With every step her heart seemed to calm down, and she began to walk with more ease. "You are the princess of Assur, aren't you?" The voice bellowed once more.

"Yes...at least I used to be.." The trees opened up to a small lake, the same glowing blue radiance pulsing through the waters. She stopped at the shore, peering at this strange body of water as it sparkled in the moonlight.

"It is doomed, your kingdom. The ruler will bring it to ruin...the people will suffer." She watched in awe as the voice took shape, the body of water forming together to create a magnificent lion, its skin shining like the blue light that had led her here. It was then that MoriAnne realized she was in the presence of a higher deity, one she had only read about in her books. The Water Lion Leo, who had disappeared out of the eyes of the people and refused to show himself to anyone, regardless of how much they prayed for his help.

Yet here he was, speaking to her in his icy form, standing atop the sparkling ripples of the lake effortlessly. Without so much of another thought, she took a step onto this water, and to her surprise, she was able to stand on it like it was just another path in the woods. Still, she walked very carefully towards this deity, who stood still and unbothered by her presence.

Reluctantly, she asked: "Why have you shown yourself to me? You dislike my people, after all." To this he growled slightly, a puff of cold air escaping his jaws and chilling her to the bone.

"It would be wise not to question a god, girl." The lake slowly froze underneath the beast as he shifted to lay on his paws in front of her. "Answer me, have you left that wretched kingdom for good?"

She gazed at her feet as she quietly muttered: "Yes...there is nothing left for me there...I am..all alone now, without family...or friends."

"Then we are the same." To this, she looked up into his glowing eyes. "You need power girl, and I will give it to you...on the condition you never go back to that man you call father ever again."

"I...didn't ask for-"

"Silence!" MoriAnne trembled as the air around her froze into thin icicles, the lion's loud and demanding voice booming through the trees. "You need to be strong, you need to fight." He towered over her, his voice softening but still firm. "There will come a time when you cannot run away any longer."

Perhaps it was because she was in the presence of such greatness, but MoriAnne suddenly felt unafraid as she placed her hand on the tip of this lion's nose, his form much warmer than she had expected it to be. It gave her the confidence she needed to accept his offer. "I will take whatever strength you offer me...and I promise to never return to my kingdom."

On that chilly night, amid a hushed circle of pine trees, a pact was made between a runaway princess and a forgotten god, with the moon as its only witness.