I've been walking for twenty minutes through the woods. I asked a man for directions to Easton Forest. He looked at me strangely, but gave them to me. If they were right, I should be there in five minutes or so.
Eventually I arrive at what I assume to be Easton Woods. I see nothing of the village Andres mentioned, but I suppose it's further on. I readjust the straps of my bag and continue to trudge on.
How far is this village? I wipe sweat from my brow. I've been walking for almost an hour. Surely this has been too long. I've probably been walking around in circles.
In despair, I sink onto a tree stump. Why couldn't I have a normal initiation? Not one filled with ravenous wolves, crazy girlfriends and romantic demons.
"Hello, sweetheart. What's a lovely young girl like you doing in these nasty woods, eh?" His voice is silky and jeering and there's something about it that I just don't trust. I turn to see a small, skinny, greasy little man with a long nose and a wide, toothy grin. His teeth are crooked and stained a yellow-brown.
I back away slightly.
"Oh no, don't be scared of us," another smooth, greasy voice sneers behind me. I jump and see another man, with pale narrowed eyes that are set too close together, a sly smile, and dirty blonde hair. When I say that, I don't mean it was a dirty blonde colour. I mean, it was blonde hair - more of an albino colour really - that was dirty. Really dirty.
Neither of the men looked as if they had washed for weeks.
"We won't hurt you." The first man sneered. "Promise."
I don't trust him. At all.
"But you really should be careful in these woods," he coos, coming a little closer. "Who knows ... you might get found by a group of thieves and get robbed."
"And we wouldn't want that happening to a beautiful girl like you," the second one agrees, his smile becoming wider. "You never know, you might get murdered, even. If you were really unlucky." He chuckles... then he pounces.
I scream, but my supernatural instincts kick in and I jump out of the way. He glares at me, and takes out a long, thin knife, still slightly blood stained, hoping to scare me.
It works.
His friend jumps out at me from behind, gripping my arms and pulling them harshly behind my back. I close my eyes, pray that this won't count as a sin, and kick him hard. "Where it hurts."
He bellows in pain, dropping his knife, and falls to his knees, groaning. I never knew guys were that sensitive "down there..." but there's no time to ponder about that. I grab the fallen knife, scramble up to my feet, and run as fast as I can.
I can hear them yelling, chasing after me, but I'm escaping. I'm actually escaping, the knife clutched in my hand. I might be able to protect myself with this if need be. I'm such an idiot.
I must have walked in the wrong direction and ended up somewhere not as safe as Easton Woods. I roll my eyes.
I'm useless.
I turn around to see them hot on my tail, but tiring. I breathe in relief. Soon I'll be able to shake them off completely ...
Ouch.
Searing pain shoots through my ankle to my calf. I slam to the ground.I turn on my side and see that I've tripped on a tree root, the knife lying next to me.
God help me. Anyone help me.
I try to haul myself up, but my efforts are useless with my throbbing ankle. No ... I have to get up... I can't let them get me. I finally find myself unsteadily swaying on my feet, but my ankle is unable to support me and I collapse to the ground again.
"Well well well," someone sneers. I look up and see the leering faces of the two men. "What do we have here?"
(I WAS going to end it here but I love you guys ;) As my apology for the late update, here's some more...)
"My knife, I think," the blonde one sneers, removing it from the ground and running one of his fingers along the edge.
He grabs my arm and yanks it up sharply, causing pain to wrench through me. I think it's dislocated.
"Try anything like that again," the other one spits, "and we'll break that arm. How about that?"
Tears silently pour down my face, from both pain and despair.
He grabs both my arms and pulls them above my head. "Search her, Shane."
The man I'm guessing is Shane pats me over, pulling out the few coins I still have left and even an old pearl necklace my mother gave me when she didn't hate me.
After that, he presses his knife to my calf, slowly dragging it up, just deep enough to cut into the skin, leaving a long crimson trail all the way up my body. He stops just above my hip, and then makes two deep slashes.
I scream. "Now now baby," he coos. "Don't cry."
Tears pour down my face.
Why me? Why is it always me?
Just then, his partner gasps. We both turn. His face is draining colour, his mouth a silent, gaping 'o'.
He stumbles to the floor, blood basically gushing out of a deep wound in his stomach. I feel hope rising inside me.
Andres?
No, Cadi, I tell myself sternly. You left him ... why would he come back for you?
The man holding me drops me abruptly and starts running, but he's easily met by a dagger. The blood loss, pain and shock is starting to get to me, and soon I start to feel dizzy.
I see a pair of stormy, dark grey eyes.
"Andres?" I ask weakly.
"It's me, baby. It's me," he says soothingly. "Shhh baby." He kisses away the tears. "Shhh baby, don't cry. I'm here now."
His strong, capable arms pull me up into his grip.
"I'm so sorry, baby."
YOU ARE READING
Fallen
Paranormal'Found, discovered, fallen ... it's all the same thing, really.' First Cadi was abused and excluded; Then she was used and flattered; And now she is Fallen. ~An angel who has never really fitted in in Heaven, Cadi is scared at the prospect of the in...
