Legend always told about a 'half-beast' that wandered in the Northern Woodland areas of Russia, who would go through villages and slaughter families, and eat little girls. Apparently knowing when she would be after you, as you'd hear her humming a f...
Anna was a young, bright, and rather adventurous 6 year old, well, she had to be, living in the Northern Woods of Russia, a dangerous area, full of predators such as wolves and bears. Her and her mother both lived in the Red Forest, Anna's mother would teach her how to survive in harsh conditions and dangerous situations, including teaching her great hunting skills, and resilience, she has done since Anna was able to walk. She wanted to make sure her daughter would survive this solitary life in the Red Forest. Her mother was poor, and therefore couldn't afford to live in the village. She thought this would impact her raising her daughter, especially since she had to do it alone. Anna's father disappeared shortly before she was born, and her mother doesn't really talk about him, as far as Anna knew, she only had a mother. They both took refuge in an abandoned, yet sturdy old cabin deep in the woods, which had been constructed to resist the toughest winters.
A loud sign came from Anna's mother, as the sun started to set down into the trees, leaving and orange ray over the leaves. "Come now, Anna. It's getting dark, we must return". Anna and her mother had just had a long day of hunting. Winter was coming, and food was becoming very tight. They walked back to their cabin with nothing but axes and hatches in hand, both realising that they'd have to starve another day. "I'll be okay, mama", Anna looked at her mother and smiled for a split second before turning away, her mother looked back at her, and gave her a crooked smile and replied, "What was that, little one?" "I said, I'll be okay, don't you worry about me mama", Anna's mother admired how strong her daughter really was, including when Anna would have her tantrums, which she was subjected too a lot sometimes, even though they both had to go another day without being fed, Anna constantly told her mother she'd be okay, and always would when times got tough. She took the time to watch her daughter and the way she was skipping, the way she loved the forest and all the danger it came with. She belonged here. She knew every turn to take, she knew every tree, Anna's mother felt proud, she was teaching her little girl well.
As soon as they reached the cabin, Anna's mother grabbed her calving tools and sat down on a log outside of their cabin to calve her yet another toy out of wood, Anna sat by her, admiring her work. She watched the son drift lower and lower into the ground as it set, turning the forest all kinds of shades of red and orange. After a while, Anna's mother had finished the toy she'd made for her daughter, and also painted it, it was a wooden bunny rabbit mask.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Anna loved rabbits, she always thought they were cute, and they calmed her down, made her feel relaxed, the way they go about their daily lives and flow so easily with the forest. "This is for you, Anna. If you ever feel scared, just tell me, I shall wear this mask for you, I will always protect you". Anna gave her mother a big smile with a gasp, grabbed it with excitement, and tried to place the mask over her face, which was way too big for her, as it was made to fit her mother, an adult. Anna still cherished it, and wrapped the mask into a warm embrace. "Thank you mama", Anna whispered lightly, while she cradled the mask in her arms. Anna's mother ruffled her daughters hair, "Come now, child. Time for sleep", they both went inside, and Anna slowly put the mask down on the table that her mother had built for her next to her bed, and settled into her mother's arm. "Mama, can you sing me a lullaby?" Anna's request made her mother smile, so as Anna she slowly drift into her sleep, dreaming sweet dreams, Anna's mother sang for her, her favourite lullaby, all was calm and happy, but this left them ignorant of the events that would soon change everything.
