Wolfsbane

21.Sleeping beauty awakes, and man shes grumpy

I was in the middle of the woods. That was what I could tell. Except this wasn't the Woods I knew. There was no birdsong, not were there small animals rustling the underbrush. This was the darkest wood I'd ever been in. Tall trees towered over me like skyscrapers. They obscured the sky, covering me in a blanket of darkness. Small rays of sunlight made it through the canopy, illuminating the dark green of the foliage.

It seems familiar yet so unfamiliar. I'd felt like I'd been in this wood a million times before and yet I had no idea where I was.

I could hear screaming. Loud, guttural screaming. I tried to spin around, only to feel a sharp pain in my abdomen.

I stared down in horror to see that I wasn't wearing my clothes. I wasn't wearing anything that was mine. I seemed to be dressed in a long white dress which covered my feet.

Feet which I couldn't see over my swollen abdomen.

Then I realized that the screaming I heard was coming from me.

I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen. A pain which almost brought me to my knees.

Then I heard footsteps.

Fast footsteps

Angry footsteps.

Before I could stop myself I was running.

I heaved myself through the trees, with each step able to feel more and more pain.

I passed trees, my feet leading me in the right direction.

After passing what seemed like hundreds of trees I came to a small stream. I peered down into it, takin a peek at my reflection.

I want sure who I was looking at, the face which stared back kept shifting. At one moment it was my face, the next another. A familiar face. One which resembled Maria, except older.

The image shifted back to my face and for once I was glad to see it.

I kept running. My feet battering the soft ground. As I ran, it seemed that the space behind me fell away, dissipated back into the darkness.

I found myself standing in a clearing, a singular tree stood defiantly. I knew this tree. This was the tree that Imogen had shown me.

A contraction brought me to my knees.

My breath hastened. My eyes widened.

I heard footsteps behind me.

Slowly I turned, my hands instinctively guarding my swollen abdomen. I didn't know who was chasing me or why, but I wouldn't let it hurt the...

Baby?

Well was it a baby?

I wasn't quite sure. I didn't quite know what else it would be.

I also didn't know why I would even be pregnant, okay well I knew how it could happen but...

A tall figure entered the clearing. A man, rather tall, with dark hair which had grown over his eyes. He walked in long and jagged strides, unable to stay in a straight line. The scent of alcohol wafted through my nose. 

I was on my feet, rushing towards the figure. 

My hands clasped his shoulders, shaking him back and forward. 

"Be rational!" I heard myself saying "I would never-"

The man met my eyes, His hand gripped my chin, pulling my face up to look into his.