Lucie Grace

Chapter 1

I was sitting in a field of the most beautiful flowers: strawberry daffodils, watermelon roses, and my favorite the coconut lily, when suddenly I heard a whispering wind sweep over the land. One word was said. One message. Run.
    I ran towards the trees, grape pines surrounded me as well as pumpkin willows and banana palms. None were good for climbing. Brambles and branches kept catching at my yellow sundress slowing me down. I could hear footsteps behind me, large heavy steps. Ones that could probably crush me easily. I could see dryads up ahead scrambling to get into their trees. Will-o'- the-wisps turning off their lights and hiding in branches. Gnomes scurrying in the ground. I was the only one left in plain      sight. And there was no where to hide.
    I turned frantically in circles in a last minute attempt to hide. The thing, the monster was behind a few trees just to my left. I turned to face it; if I was going to die, I wanted to know what it was that was taking my life from me. The trees were bent towards the ground by some otherworldly force. I stood paralyzed in fear. Every fiber in my body was telling me to get the hell out of that place, but my brain was saying that maybe if I didn't move it wouldn't see me. I was out in the open, nothing would shroud me in shadows, protecting me from what seemed an inevitable fate.
    Leaves crunched under its feet as it stepped into view. When I saw what it was my blood ran cold. Jet black fur darker than the night, ruby red eyes gleaming with bloodlust, claws sharper than knives. Red Eyes everyone called them. That may not have been their true name, but that's what my kind called them. But this one I knew, had a specific name. Before he was like this, a pure evil monster trying to wreck havoc upon everything he saw, he was of a gentler, sweeter nature. In fact he was like me. Then he was chosen and swallowed up by the shadows. His name was Caspian.
    My name is Lucie Grace Knight. This is the story of how my heart was ripped to shreds.
    We were betrothed, soon to be married in a month. I couldn't wait; it seemed as if it would never come. I was also leery for I knew the shadows would be coming soon to chose a tribute for their annual sacrifice. One of our kind to become like them and our crops prosper and our women have an abundance of children, the normal sacrificial stuff. That was the deal our ancestors had made with them. And no one can undo the contract; for all eternity it will remain this way.
    It was the eve before Croptork, the last month of the year, began. As Nogtork came to a close I became increasingly worried for my groom to be as well as myself. We were of age and good breeding; there was a good possibility one of us would be chosen. They say it's a great honor to be chosen, to know that you provided for your people in ways you couldn't have when you were like the rest of us. But what do they know about honor? What makes a sacrifice honorable? And why do they get to chose? It simply isn't fair. I just hope neither my love or I aren't chosen. I would rather die than see that happen.
    Tradition has it that you aren't supposed to see your future spouse seven days before the union ceremony, so I'm trying to see my beloved as much as I can before I'm forced to stay away. I'm meeting him in a grove just inside the Sleeping Willow Forest. We have a quaint little hut built for the two of us when we want to be alone. I didn't find any evidence of him already being here so I walked into the one room house and prepared things for the two of us.
    I had an exciting announcement to tell Caspian when I saw him. I discovered that I am pregnant. And Elvish pregnancies only last about three months, so I should be delivering not long after we are married. We will have the family we always dreamed we would.
    I found some half melted candles and lit them giving off a romantic glow and a pleasant smell. It was midday and he should have been well on his way if not almost here. I tried finding something to do, fluffing the pillows on the bed, straightening the blankets, anything I could think of. What seemed like an eternity later, I was laying on the bed staring at the ceiling trying to make pictures and words with the marks in the wood. He still wasn't here. I looked out the window several times looking for him only to be dismayed when I didn't see him coming.
    Night was falling rapidly and I needed to be home soon for supper. The blue sun was setting over the golden and scarlet trees in the forest. Still no sign of him. The house was spotless but it didn't matter if there was no one to share it with. I made my way to leave, closing the door grimly and disappointedly as I was still alone. Why hadn't he come today? He always came. He of all people knew how much I wanted to see him before it was prohibited and I really needed to tell him about our future child. I started walking home, the sky growing darker with each step I take. I heard a branch break behind me. I turned around frantically trying to see what had stepped on the stick.
    "Who's there?" I said. I was rewarded with no reply. I timidly started walking again looking around to see if I could see who or what was there, however, I was unsuccessful. I didn't stop walking until I had made it home and was at the supper table with my family eating a delicious meal of slow roasted Daisy Duck, mashed potatoes sprinkled with cinnamon, and for dessert sweet pudding with Coconut Lily dressing on top.