The Nutcracker

Chapter 6

hey heyyy so here's chapter 6! :D hope you enjoy it just as much as i enjoyed writing it :)

When Clarie woke up, it took a while for her to realize and remember the situation she was currently in.

The Nutcracker handed her a bowl of hot porridge.

"I got it from upstairs. I thought you might be hungry."

"Thankyou" Clarie took the bowl gratefully, and smiled at him.

The smile made the Nutcracker all the more mesmerized, and he felt something inside him. It was as if he was alive. Or at least, she made him feel alive. He didnt know much about her past, but he wanted to know her more.

After Clarie had her fill, the two set off on their journey to find the sugarplum princess.

"Our first challenge would be the forbidden forest." The Nutcracker said. They had been trekking through the forest for about 3 hours straight, and Clarie hadnt complained anything about being tired. Their pace was rather fast though.

"Are you tired?Would you like to take a rest?" He asked, with that same look of concern in his solid eyes.

"No i'm fine" she smiled. Well, it wasnt very surprising that he assumed her physical strength to have small limits. For a girl of her size, she didnt look very strong. But her long years of dancing had trained her to be of a certain level, and her stamina was better than he could ever imagine. "I'm a dancer. Since i can take vigorous training 7 hours a day, i think i should be fine. Dont worry about me" she said politely.

Throughout the 3 hour walk, he'd offered her water and food after each hour, and observed her body movements to see if she was tired. However he found it hard to read her, as she seemed so comfortable throughout their walk.

"So... what's the forbidden forest like?" Clarie said, breaking the short moment of silence between them.

"Its.... very dangerous. With lots of hidden creatures out to attack people who enter. But i've been through it before, and i'm sure i can do it again. We just have to be swift and stick together. "

"Alright then." She didnt know what else there was to say. Somehow, she felt safe, and she didnt feel the need to worry about what was to come. Perhaps his confidence and protection had finally gained trust.

After a 10 minutes walk, they finally arrived at the entrance of the forbidden forest.

It was deserted and cold, like an abondoned house that had been left to rot for hundreds of years. The trees were leafless, and their branches stuck out like a wrinkled old lady's arms, skinny and bony. The tendrils stretched out everywhere looking like ghostly fingers,threatening anyone who entered.The sky seemed darker, unlike the usual clear blue.

The wind was rough and strong, as if it didnt welcome them.

Clarie rubbed her eyes as the strong winds made her eyes feel unusually dry and painful.

"You ready?" The nutcracker asked. She nodded, and he grabbed hold of her hand.

"Follow me."

He took a step onto one of the uneven stones on the ground, and then the next. Clarie followed closely, wondering why he chose not to step on the grass. Just as she was pondering over his actions, she missed her step and accidentally stepped onto the grass.

"AHHHHHHHH" she screamed.

It was then and there that she realized.

They werent leaves.

They were needle like things, sharp enough to cut through her ballet flats and into her flesh.

Hot red blood trickled down the needles, painting them a metallic red.

She hopped onto the stone path with pain in her eyes, tears formed in a corner, and a single tear drop fell as her eyelids met for a second.

The Nutcracker grabbed hold of her, allowing her to rest on his hard wooden arm, as he examined the outcome of her fall. Fortunately, the cut was not too deep, however it bled really badly and didnt stop.

The Nutcracker looked worriedly at Clarie, and saw the pain in her eyes, seeing her hurt made him hurt too.

Then, without hesitation, he ripped off the bottom part of his doublet and wrapped Clarie's foot, tying a tight knot, hoping to stop the bleeding.

As Clarie carefully put her foot back into her soft ballet flats, the touch of the sole against her injured foot made her wince. She attempted to walk, but ended up jumping on her good foot instead.

"Come on, i'll carry you." The Nutcracker said,full of hope. He bent down into a squating position, indicating that he would piggyback her.

He felt disappointed in himself as he was unable to protect Clarie from injury. He couldnt bear to look at her and he wished he had warned her about the grass. However it was all too late, even if he wished he had gotten hurt in place of Clarie, it was a hopeless case that wasn't worth wasting his time thinking about.

Clarie hesitated as she stared at his back.

"He's made of wood. Will he be able to take my weight?!" She thought.

Sensing her hesitation, the Nutcracker turned to look at her. "It's alright, i'm strong enough to take you from here. I'm just wood, i cant feel fatigue."

Just then, she thought she saw him smile.

She couldnt quite make out how, but she saw it, a genuine smile. Soft and gentle, like a harmless, innocent child. 

She smiled back, showing her shiny white upper teeth and adorable dimples.

She limped over to him, and slowly wrapped her arms around his neck area.

He gently lifted her legs up with his wooden arms, feeling the warm touch of her smooth skin against his wooden arms, remembering how warm he used to be,

back then, when he was still......

human.