Faerie

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

The cold night air stung my nose and cheeks and the bitter wind tossed my hair around my shoulders. It must be nearly eight o'clock at night, turning to look at my surroundings I realised I was standing in an empty street. Cambridge, I thought. I'm home? The wind howled and the clouds above looked heavy with rain. I searched for Mac, but he was nowhere to be seen. Confused, I headed down to the end of the street and turned right. I was in the park where I encountered the creepy looking goblin.

The wind that now came, thrashing along the path hardly rustled the fallen, autumn leaves on the ground. That was strange, I thought, standing in the cross-path I listened. I could hear the wind, but the sound it made wasn't the whirling and rustling of leaves; it was hoofbeats approaching fast, heading straight for me. I had heard this before; however, this time I stood my ground. I couldn't see anything ahead but a flurry of dust...

I quickly jumped a side as the dust and wind whipped past me, the sound of hoofbeats hammering in my ears. Then they were gone. I could feel my heart in my throat and I looked if I could see anything. Nothing! I stepped back on the path and began to walk quickly. Following the path to the end and crossed another path. I realised then I was in the middle of a forest, skeletal trees stood tall, their branches looming across, trying to snag my hair and clothes. Panic swelled. What was going on?

I heard the hoofbeats again, welling up behind me. I turned and once more stood my ground. The only way to get rid of your fear is to face it, I remembered Celia telling me when I was a little girl. My heart was racing to the beat of the pounding of hooves. The wind was furious and I struggled to stay put. However the fear was too much.

I took off into the trees hoping to lose the sound that followed me. But I wasn't alone under the canopy of trees. Something or some things were moving along the ground, stirring the dry leaves with soft padded paws and hot breath that growled and barked. To my horror it was a pack of bloodhounds and their prey. People were in the woods, or rather noble faeries like Mac, running for their lives. The look on their faces was priceless and the definition of fear was all over the place. I caught the eye of a Faerie girl, my age with bright red hair and violet eyes, she was screaming, RUN, at the top of her voice, she staggered in the vegetation and almost fell. I didn't need to be told twice. Bravery taking a back seat, I carried on running. I could feel the hot breath on the back of my legs, in the distance I could hear the hoofbeats.

I snatched a glance behind me past the hounds with red and black eyes, their saliva dripping from gaping mouths filled with razor sharp jaws. Amidst the pack were creatures on horseback. Hideous looking things on giant horses with blooding dripping from their mouths and red and black eyes on only one thing. Me. It was then I noticed I was the only one left in the forest. The Faeries seemed to have disappeared. I couldn't stop glancing back at the hunt. Wait a minute, I thought as I jumped over a log and landed in a puddle of mud, skidding a little before running for my life. Was this the wild hunt? I shot a look over my shoulder, my eyes focusing on one of many of the horseback riders. His eyes were narrowed slits, glittery black and menacing. His tongue slipped out between needle like teeth to lick his blood stained mouth, as if he could already taste me. He wore a redcap that dripped with blood, running out and over his black armour. Redcaps, I suddenly thought. I found it hard to tear my eyes away from the approaching pack.

"Sophia." It cackled and then I heard hollers of glee and excitement as the creatures goaded the horses to run faster. Skeletons in black robes cackled, welding long swords... And then I fell to the ground. Landing hard, I smashed the side of face on a rock. A terrible pain shot threw my head and stars blinked in and out of focus. Shaking my head I scrambled to get up, but I couldn't. Collapsing and rolling onto my back, I looked to see a hound leap towards me, mouth gaping, ready to sink its teeth into my flesh. I shielded my face with my arms and braced myself for the pain. But it never came. Instead, I felt something pull my arms away sharply. I opened my eyes and met a pair of clear blue ones, so bright I thought I was looking up at the morning sky. For a split second I stared back at the guy looking at me in bewilderment. Then I screamed as pain rocked throughout my body. I sat up abruptly, my arms pinned down at my sides.