Winds of Darkness

Prologue

 Thrashing like a wild man, Mack fights through the vines that have grown to and from each other forming the thick wall of forest in front of him. He feels the sting of every thorn ripping through his hands and the bite of every whipping switch tearing at him. 

He can't see the cabin, but something inside him tells him it's there.  Just beyond his reach.

A strong wind force whistles all around, circling him like a predator. It shoves him back and forth as the rain attacks from every direction, stinging his face like little needles and blurring his vision. 

His muscles are on fire from the fight but Mack pushes against it,  instinctively knowing that he must reach the cabin first.

Through his pain and suffering, he spots the small cabin in the distance. The familiarity of the situations settles on him, encouraging him to fight a little harder.  He's so close. 

Smoke escapes from the chimney of the cabin and a soft yellow light dances in the windows. 

She's there. 

He is forced to a stop at the edge of the suddenly appearing clearing, suspended by the very energy he's been fighting against.  His heart beats at a painful pace in his chest, stealing his breath. 

 He has never gotten this far before... never gotten this close to her.

The cabin sits alone in the middle of a circled clearing. His eyes search along the perimeter but there are no paths leading in. It is encased by the same thick, unrelenting forest Mack has been so desperately fighting against.

Panic rises in him, numbing the physical pain, as he realizes how dangerous it is for her to be out here alone. Why would she be here without protection?

The wind picks up and begins pushing on his chest, forcing him away from the clearing and back into the forest. He is only moments ahead of whatever is hunting them both.  His mind screams to run, lead the darkness away from her. But he is her only protection and refuses to leave her. 

The darkness is heavy on him and the rain has turned the dry ground to mud. Standing at the edge of the forest he looks down to see his bloody and beaten body. A drop of something falls from his forehead, he is not sure if it is blood or sweat.

He tries to move with every bit of energy he has left but his body refuses over and over. He orders his legs into motion but they are still. 

The rain beats down like a weight on his back forcing him to the ground as roots and plants grow rapidly over his feet ensuring he will not be able to save her. 

Thunder claps loudly above him as multiple lightning bolts strike in the forest. The cracking noise is defining as the smell of burning wood wafts past him, the smoke clouding his sight. 

Mack lunges forward,  trying to rip his ankles from their captors. The more he moves the tighter they hold. He can feel evil circling him as he claws at the ground, grabbing for anything to give him leverage. 

His lungs fill with smoke, the pressure in his chest getting deadlier with every breath. 

The whistling seems to ride the wind and seems to gain momentum the more he fights against it. It assaults his ears, making the entire forest spin,  as he tries to get to his knees. 

A gush of wind pushes him to his stomach but he refuses to give up the fight, screaming and twisting with every bit of muscle he has left. The rain has turned into a downpour as it pounds him into the mud trying to bury him. Still, he can't give up.  

Not until...

A  thin stream of light escapes, interrupting the dark, as she opens the door a crack. 

And everything stops. The rain stops. The winds stop and  Mack is sure his heart will stop as well. 

An eerie silence settles around him. The whistling winds are only a memory, his pain and exhaustion fading into the background.

The door opens a bit more and he lifts his head in both excitement and terror of seeing her. Her dark, deep red hair is pulled back at the nape of her neck and her tall, thin frame throws out a long shadow from the fire behind her. She holds up a lamp with a candle inside and it casts a pathetic light out into the darkness but illuminates the outer stone walls of the cabin and for the first time, Mack notices the beautiful wildflowers growing up the walls, reaching towards the roof. Her shift dress drags along the floor as she cautiously walks out into the night. 

Her dark, deep red hair is pulled back at the nape of her neck. as she takes a few steps away from the door. Carefully she looks from side to side; her face shows no worry or concern as she turns back toward the cabin.

He wants to scream, wants to tell her to run, tell her she is in danger, but he can only watch.

Without warning, she spins around dropping her lamp. Suddenly there is a tornado of winds whipping through the clearing. The whistling is back and there are more noises, screaming and laughing and cries. The rain returns with thunder that shakes the ground and lightening that lights up the entire forest for seconds at a time.

He begins his struggle again clawing the ground and kicking his legs to free himself.

Her hair has been ripped from its place and is wildly blowing around her head as she stands still and steady in the doorway of the cabin. Unaffected by the storm raging all around her. Her face is calm and eyes are closed. Her mouth is a perfect tight line and her arms are hanging at her sides. 

She is surrendering!

"No!" He jolts forward as the bonds that hold his ankles start to give. He flips over onto his back and starts kicking off the rest, scooting backward on his elbows to get himself out of their reach. Mack turns quickly and scrambles to his feet as he runs toward her.

"No! Stop! I'm here! I am here to save you!"

As quickly as he speaks all of the chaos surrounding them drops. Mack stumbles, confused by the sudden silence, but doesn't take his eyes off of her. Saving her is his purpose now.

She opens her eyes and her gaze falls on his face. Tears begin to slide down her cheeks.

She bends at the waist and releases a scream that makes his stomach twist with fear. He drops to his knees and wraps his arms around himself as his body shakes uncontrollably. Her blood-curdling scream cuts through the sounds of the returning winds. He starts to retch as and rocks back and forth on his knees, her words echoing in his ears.

"Mack! Run!"