Cursed Forest: Sightless

A should-be Death

I had no idea where She had led me to. I knew the path back to the front door into the house, and the side door which was right there next to the garden. It hadn't been far away. There was something fishy going on.

I had let Clarice lead me back to the house.To make herself feel good, being a leader. I think even if I hadn't been blind I would have followed her. Yet she led me off in an odd direction. I could not smell the lavenders anymore, we were still outside and the breeze had changed.

I was sure, but also unsure. She was lost, but I have no idea how she was lost. I was certain we were going in circles. I could hear the way she walked, the sway of her skirt, her oddly slow pace and her silence.

She was a talker. A very very sassy blabber. There were a few reasons Clarice would stop talking: She was lost, Injured or sad. I was getting annoyed. I couldn't find my own way back now. We had just been a few paces outside of the garden barriers, not truly in it, where domesticated flowers met the wildflowers.

How did she someone pull me farther away from the house then where we were originally? She paused, she took in a deep breath. She let it out. It sounded shaky.

"We're lost aren't we?" I grumbled.

"We're not!" Clarice growled back.

"Then where are we?" I asked

"On our way home. We are close." Clarice replied.

"We were no more than 10 minutes away from home." I quipped. I pulled my hand from hers. She physically led me everywhere. "How can we be close after 20 minutes?"

"Closer to 30." She muttered.

"Whatever.It proves my point more don't it?" I spat back.

"Let's go. It's almost sundown." She responded, ignoring my tone. Indeed it should be. I could no longer feel the little sun on my face. The trees blocked it. The trees of a fucking forest that was not in the correct direction of the house.

"Fine. But I know better to think you're taking me home." I told her. She took my hand back. I heard the rustle of the leaves, a few birds tweeting retiring to their nests for the night. I was confused by the gargle of a creek.

I occupied my head with little silly thoughts. What if I was a bird? What If I could fly? What does the wind feel like? What are the horrors underneath the lakes? How many times have I nearly encountered death without me knowing?

I tried and failed to keep the gnawing questions away. Where is Clarice taking me? Was there a girl and Father waiting for me? How was Mom really doing? Did Em get away with that thing Father have a problem with?

"Ugh. Sit here for a bit please?" Clarice suddenly said. I was snapped from my thoughts.

"Excuse me what?" I responded quickly. "You want me to sit here, wherever here is, while you do what exactly?"

"Get my groundings." She responded. There was an ominous silence around us. Other than the rustling of the breeze in the trees there was nothing. I had not noticed the shift. A crow cawed and was answered by an owl.

"What?No! I'm not sitting here while you run off." I grumbled. "I want to be there with you when you 'get your groundings' no matter how badly lost we are."

"You aren't very helpful, " She snorted. "I'm better leaving you here, and coming back."

Her voice was wavering, I wouldn't argue much more. I wanted to ask what was bothering her. I didn't want to be a bother or get in trouble now or later. So I went to sit down against a nearby tree. Instead I was led to a fallen tree trunk to sit.

"You're crazy," I muttered to myself. "Whatever goes."

"I won't be gone long." She promised. She patted my shoulder. "I will come back here, so don't wander off. Please, just don't I won't be able to find you."

Thus I sat there. I didn't move much. Kept my hands in my lap. I tried to keep my mind busy rather worrying about Clarice's antics. She was always this way I told myself. She's done this before. You'll be home in a bit.

I sat there like a good boy. I sat and sat. Waited and waited. The temperature dipped and crickets started to sing. Night had fallen at last. It felt like I had been here an eternity. That could not be correct. It had been but a moment?

She had left a few seconds ago. She wouldn't be gone long. She'd be back any moment now. Any...any moment. Surely didn't just leave me here? How far had she gone? Had she herself gotten hurt? No it was impossible. It had just been a moment or too.

I was restless, my mind racing to every bad thing that could have happened or be able to happen. I heard a crow caw in annoyance. The bushes rustled violently, then came to a sudden stop. I didn't hear footsteps.

"Clarice?" I asked, my voice cracking. "Clarice?Where are you?"

I heard a snap, more rustling. I turned to the noise. It went silent. I was stiff and close to throwing up my lunch. What was out there? What could it do? Where did Clarice go? Was she okay? Had something done something to her?

Then something slammed into both my shoulders. My eyes went wide and I let out a scream. I smacked the thing across the face. I fell back away from the thing on my ass off the fallen log. I was trying to control my breathing and prevent my lunch from coming up.

"Hello~" A voice purred. It was femminine. I didn't blink. I didn't move. I was frozen in fear at whatever was out there. I heard a scraping noise. A smooth scaled and clawed hand touched my face. I let out another cry of alarm.

"You didn't freeze?" She muttered, more to herself than to me.

I pulled myself out of it and swung my arm. My inner elbow met flesh. I swatted more unable to hit it again. I pulled my arm back and punched forward. I heard a grunt as my hit made its mark. Definitely female.

"You ...you're ...you're blind?" She whispered