When Darkness Arrives (Previously called "Beauty's Melody")

.:Chapter 3:.

Chapter 2

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." ~Martin Luther King Jr.

~~~~~

It was dark. That was the one thought that passed through her mind as they entered.

As soon as they stepped into the forest, they were immediately surrounded by tall, endless trees. It stretched for as long as they could see and further, each direction looking the same as before until she got lost just by looking at them. The field behind them had disappeared, like it had never been there in the first place, and replaced by another endless row of trees. The sky was whisked away as well, any traces of blooming morning hidden by the darkened leaves. Only the moon came through, lighting the way. The forest only knew night.

So this was the Piège Forest-- the forest that was thought to be the home of the Beast. In children stories, the forest was told be an endless maze, letting explorers get lost even if they knew system of the stars, and wanders appear before hidden treasures and then killed by their own greed. The forest was a monster, but less of a threat than the Beast that lurked in it.

She squeezed her brother's hand as a cold wind blew towards them, making her shiver in her thin cloak. They began walking forwards, but unsure if they were going the right way. Mira tried looking around, searching for anything in the darkness that could help them. But there was nothing there no matter how hard she tried. Not a map to lead the way, nor a fire to keep them warm. Not even a sign of life present.

Something glinted in the corner of her eye from the moonlight, catching her attention. She let go of Martel's hand for a moment and went in the direction. She knelt down beside it, brushing away the dirt to see what she had found.

"Mira, what's the matter?" Martel spoke in a soft voice as if scared to wake up a beast in the forest.

"Come here," she gestured him over, "I found something."

A silver cross laid where she had dug. Rust was starting to form, but it was otherwise new. A chain ran through the hoop at the top of the cross, but as it came around, it had broken somewhere in the middle, creating an incomplete circle. She picked it up gently, cupping it into her hands.

"It's the necklace I gave to him when we were younger," Mira gasped out, locking eyes with him, "Do you think he's close?"

He lifted gaze from the necklace, locking eyes with her. "Possibly. But remember, it's been a year since he's gone. He could be far away from here now." His eyes were dark with hints of sadness and Mira swallowed, knowing that the thought of death was too close. But she couldn't give up just yet.

Something else caught her eye, and she drew in a sharp breath. "There, Martel!" she whispered frantically, pointing at something that stood out against the ground.

Martel arrived first, picking up a piece of fabric that had been stuck to a branch of a bush, "Red cloth. Didn't... Farrin use to have a cloak like this?"

Mira walked around the place where the cloth had been found, hoping to find other clues. She spotted something else in the cold dirt and tugged at Martel's sleeve. A brown button, an arrowhead, a lens from an old pair of glasses.

Martel went to pick them up, caressing them in his hands. He gestured her over and they began to follow the trail of fallen stuff that seemed too out of place from the forest. By the time they had walked deep inside the forest, the rain fell through the foliage, hitting their small bodies. The cold droplets chilled her to the bone, making her teeth clatter endlessly.