What Lurks Behind The Trees

A source of evil

Gregor's horse trotted towards the woods and as soon as he stepped in, Gregor felt a strange aura, disturbing and eerie, but also strangely beautiful. It was so quiet and his ear were able to hear every sound, the flowing streams deeper in the forest, the groan of the old, ancient trees, the sound of his own heartbeat as it hammered against his ribcage dreading what was to come.

The sound of hooves was echoeing his own horse's footsteps, Gregor jerked his head back in a quick motion to see his sister Celia smiling at him as she rode her horse behind him. He stopped in his tracks and turned around in his horse with a frown "Celia! What are you doing here?"

"I'm just here to help you." She pouted at him.

"No. If my father finds out he won't trust me ever again. Go back now!"

"But-"

"Now!" he said sternly.

"If my father also finds out you went without Uncle Sam he won't trust you." She smirked. Knowing her brother won't have a choice.

Gregor's eyes widened in fear of what his father would do. He opened his mouth to scold her again but stopped mid breath and knitted his eyebrows in anger. "You wouldn't tell my father if I let you come?"

She shook her head. He replied with an angry fine and turned back to where he was riding. They rode deeper into the woods towards the sound of water where they could hopefully find the silent silver glow. They rode for what seemed like hours, quickening their speed to get out of the forest before night time, but the night does not wait.

Gregor gasped and froze in his place. "What?" Celia asked as she peered in front of him and echoed his gasp when she saw what he saw, eyes widening and twinkling as they mirrored the image they saw. A turquoise pond, glimmering with the reflection of the glow of a dozen silent silverglow flowers that were scattered around it, and next to it was an equally glowing fox, silver in colour with bright blue eyes. Gregor signalled Celia to unmount her horse and they both crouched behind a bush. "How are we going to get a flower? It looks like that fox creature is guarding it or something." Celia whispered.

"Maybe we can just take one and leave quickly, we have a reason to take it and we don't have time."

Gregor stood up and walked slowly to the pond, Celia followed behind. The fox looked at them but did not move. "H-hello, we're just going to take one and leave." Gregor said nervously to the fox.

Celia giggled. "I don't think it understands."

"shush you." he bent down to pick one and felt coldness radiating from the flower. He gulped down the saliva that gathered in his throat and with his fingertips pulled it gently.

"Wait!" Celia said and Gregor clutched his heart from the sudden loudness of her voice. "Maybe we should give it something in return." She opened her own pouch and took out a piece of bread her mother had baked the day before. She walked to the fox, put the bread in front of the animal and pet it on the head, smiling fondly. Gregor smiled at the scene, his sister had always been the kind and thoughtful one, always looking out for other people and thinking of herself last.

Gregor plucked the flower from the ground "Come now Celia." he smiled. The fox nodded towards the pond, Celia lifted an eyebrow in confusion. "Maybe he wants us to have some." Gregor suggested. So he drank the remaining droplets of water in his flask and filled it with the turquoise pond water. "Thank you Mr fox!" Celia beamed and stood up to mount her horse. Gregor thanked the fox by smiling and nodding once.

They rode back through the same path but something changed. The daylight had disappeared and the fog was thicker, the birds stopped chirping and the wolves started howling. Night had come faster than anticipated and Gregor's heart sunk.

He clucked his tongue so his horse would move faster and Celia did the same. The wind blew their hair back and the trees reached their long branches to grab them, their shadows blocking the moonlight. Gregor Knew something was wrong. He reached for the flower to make sure it was still there and thats when dread settled in his heart. "Stop!" he screamed "It fell!" His pouch fell form his grasp when they were riding in a hurry. He got off his horse and Celia did the same. He dragged his horse back their tracks and looked around, and with one droplet at a time the rain came falling down on their heads.

Nothing could be worse than this Gregor thought, until both their horses decided to panic and roar in fear, pulling away from them. Gregor held onto the reins tightly but the horses were too strong and too alarmed by something, it was impossible to calm them down and they both escaped and ran away. "Ash! Come back!" Gregor called, but it was no use, the horses seemed possessed by something.

"Hey! I found the flower!" He turned and found his sister holding the his pouch in her hand. Gregor sighed in relief. He took the pouch and slung it across his shoulder.

"The way back is going to be long. Let's hurry-" His ears twitched at the sound of a low groan from behind a tree. And there he saw them two red, glowing eyes.

"run!"

-End Flashback-

Gregor stared at Celia. Blinking as he remembered what happened and eyes widening at the realisation. He sat up in a quick motion and regretted it as soon as a throbbing headache hit him making him close his eyes tightly and clutch his head.

"Celia what happened? Where did the creatures go?" he asked in panic and looked at his shoulder when he felt a sharp pain from his left arm."and how am I still alive?"

"Celia-"

"Greg" She was staring at him, fear clear in her grey eyes. "your eye, it's red." her voice was no higher than a whisper.

"What?"

She went closer to him and looked clearly at his eye. His entire iris was a blood red colour but the rest of his eye was normal. "It's red. The left one." she repeated.

Gregor was speechless. Why? Why was his eye red. His thoughts were stopped when the pain in his shoulder increased and he hissed in pain and clutched his arm, eyes widening when he saw the black veins on pale white skin. "Greg." She said in a cautious tone "I think-" she paused again and touched the black veins on his left arm "I think this happened because you were bitten."

"I'm going to die."

"No Greg, it's spreading but I think I know what to do." she took out the turquoise pond water from his pouch and passed it to him. "Here. Drink this, I think that fox gave it to us for a reason, it must have some healing powers or something." He took it from her and gulped down half of it.

He stopped drinking and looked at her "Are you hurt anywhere?" Celia shook her head.

The water tasted wonderful, indescribable and Gregor instantly felt refreshed and healed. "You're right!" he laughed. "My smart, beautiful sister, you're right!" he hugged her and cried.

"Let's go home."

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Fourth part done! but this is not the end. Hope you liked this part, please vote and comment.