Briar Woods (Re-working)

Chapter 7: The Old Woman

The evening held a chill as I walked barefoot, feeling leaves and twigs rough and damp beneath my feet. Weathered trees that appeared large and mysterious loomed over me. Only the yellow moon seemed to permeate the darkness. It felt as if an unseen force compelled me forward. I felt my warm breath cool and turn to wisps of frost as it rose from my lips.

As I continued through the forest, I felt as if I had been there before and soon realized I was in Briar Woods. But how did I get here? I wondered. I looked down and saw that I wore nothing but my shift and night gown.

I heard something through the trees, almost a whisper but it was gone before I could dicern what the sound was. I started to tremble but I was not cold. Fear coursed through me and I felt the urge to turn and run. Suddenly the path disappeared and I couldn't tell which direction I had come from.

I heard the whisper again, this time more pronounced. My name seemed to dance on the breeze. "Thea..." I whirled around searching for whoever said my name. I felt myself shaking and tried to calm my breathing.

"Do not be afraid, Thea." I heard the whisper say.

The moonlight lit upon a shadowy figure and I watched as it approached. As the shadow came closer, I saw that it was the old woman I had glimpsed that day in the woods. This time she did not disappear into the darkness.

My throat felt dry and I tried to swallow. " Who are you?"

When she spoke again, she replied in an eerie voice. "All that you seek to know, come to me and I will show. If you dare, come and see. In the Briar you shall find me."

"Who are you?" I asked again, her striking blue eyes the only feature I could make out. She seemed to fade in to the shadow as she spoke. Instead of answering me, she repeated strange verse again.

Suddenly, leaves blown about by the wind whirled around me. The world seemed to spin about and fear gripped me tightly and I gasped for a breath. My world appeared to have turned upside-down and I knew not what was reality.

Then everything went dark and I felt I was laying on something soft and cushioned. Reaching out, I could feel something soft like a blanket.

As I came back to my senses I realized I was in my room. Damp with perspiration, I sat up on my elbows expecting to see the old woman, but she was not there. It was only in my mind. I must have been dreaming. I lay there for the rest of the night not able to sleep. My strange dream had left me unsettled. I had really felt I was there in the woods. I had felt the twigs under my feet and the chill in the breeze as it swept by me.

The next morning when I arose, I convinced myself it was nothing more than a dream. By the time Sara had drawn my bath I felt my nerves had calmed. I was a practical person and wouldn't let a silly dream unnerve me.

"My lady, did you sneak out of the house again this morning?" Sara scolded as she helped me lift my night gown over my head.

"Of course not, why would you think that I have?" I questioned.

"Well, my lady your feet are covered in dirt. You really must be careful with all the goings on of late. What would your father say if he were here?"

Sara mistook my shocked expression for a confirmation of guilt. She never would have guessed the fear that consumed me in that moment. I shook as I lowered myself into the bath water.

I tried to push my fears to the back of my mind. There has to be a perfectly good explanation for my strange dream. As for my feet, I must not have realized how filthy they were, That's what I tried to convince myself anyway.

AN: What do you think? Just a dream?