The Secrets Of BlackBerry Forest

Chapter 3

I screamed in complete shock at the... thing before me.

It was a small creature of sorts, but one quite unlike anything I had ever seen before. Strange twig-like spikes protruded from its purple back, and it stood hesitantly before me on two stubby legs, its black eyes fixing me with a curious gaze.

As soon as I let out an ear piercing scream, the creature jumped back in alarm and scurried out of sight.

I frantically scanned the undergrowth surrounding me, attempting to catch sight of where it had gone.

Nothing.

Did that really happen? Was it just a figment of my imagination- my mind playing tricks on me? I loosed a shaky breath, trying to clear my head.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a sudden flash of purple. I whirled around. Sure enough, right in front of me, was the strange creature. It was now squatting on the ground, peering at a small, shiny object in its hand.

With a start, I realized it was my bracelet! I was preparing to come toward it to retrive my lost and seemingly stolen item when it looked up and abruptly darted in the opposite direction, the bracelet still in its hand.

"Hey!" I shouted in panic, "come back here! That belongs to me!" I forced my rigid body to move and sprinted after it.

It dashed through the leafy obstacles of the forest without a break. It was unimaginably fast! I panted along, struggling to keep up with it.

The suprisingly swift creature threw a glance back at me and let out a mischievous cackle, picking up its pace slightly. It zigzaged around the tree trunks, with me fighting to stay on its tail, and rounded the corner to the middle of a clearing. It then unexpectedly halted with the bracelet clutched in its hand.

I stopped right next to it, just about to
snatch it out of its hand, when the creature suddenly shrunk down and a small whimper escaped its mouth. I paused, momentarily confused.

Without warning, a deep and menacing voice sounded from somewhere in front of me.

"Stop right there!" It boomed.

I stood frozen in my tracks, paralyzed with icy fear. The creature, on the other hand, darted out of sight with my bracelet in hand. Just then, the carrier of the loud voice stepped forward into the clearing, the shadows no longer concealing its body.

He was only about a head taller than me, yet seemed to tower over everything- or everything seemed to bow down to him. He had a large, muscular body, one that somewhat resembled that of a human's- excluding his ears, their abnormally pointy tips poking through his long hair. He was clad in leather armor and a few knives were strapped to his legs by the hilts. A crossbow was slung on his back, along with a bulky rucksack hanging on by one shoulder.

I stared in awe at what was undoubtedly the most terrifyingly beautiful creature I had ever seen, and seriously started to question my current mental state. "What is a young human girl such as yourself doing so far in the forest?" He inquired, a sharp and threatening note lying within his words.

I swallowed, my mouth feeling thick.
"I lost my bracelet in here earlier, and when I came back to retrive it, that... thing had it..." My voice came out tiny, and I cowered down even further. "I tried to catch it when it ran away, and it lead me here."

The giant creature before me looked thoughtful. After an agonizingly long pause, his shockingly blue eyes met my gray ones with a hard and forceful look. "Come," He ordered. "Follow me. It isn't safe here." He turned around briskly and began marching away, as if he was expecting me to actually listen to him- as if this wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

I scoffed, momentarily forgetting who- or what- I was talking to. Over my dead body would I ever follow him. "And where, exactly, would we be going?"

He hesitated briefly before saying over his shoulder, "Medeis."