Crimson Trails

Grey Meadow

'We're almost out of here,' Claramay said, dragging me by my hand.

Talking with her all through the way, I didn't know when my hands found hers and we were making our way through the dark, hand in hand.

With one last tug, I was, out from the dark into an open space which looked like a clearing in the forest. The trees were dreary grey, gnawed and worn out, hollowed from inside. Bats with their wings folded hung upside down.

'Is this Grey Meadow?'

'This is the Woods of Darkness. The Grey Meadow lies beyond this. Now are you ready to face your worst nightmare?' she turned to me.

'Are you? I mean, you have terrible memories.'

'I'll survive,' her voice was grave and surprisingly her eyes turned grey and the vibrant colours of her dress began fading away faster, making it steely blue.

'What's this?' I was horrified.

'Vibrant colours are a taboo in the Grey land that lies ahead. Even our appearances need to show that we're toxic.'

A vulture screeched somewhere in the sky.

I gulped, 'I don't think I want to face that world. But then there's Poppy.'

'Yes, but before you go in, you need to promise me something.'

I looked at her in apprehension.

I'm very bad at keeping promises when it's something involving the people closest to me.

'Promise me two things. First, you'll keep your mouth shut! No unnecessary exchange of words. People don't chat in Grey Meadow. It's a dull place.' she paused.

'Sounds like prison itself. I'll choose the dungeon over this any day. And the second?'

'Run. Run for your life. Save yourself if we get in trouble. Remember that we're the ones with magic. You're vulnerable here. When I tell you to run, don't look back. Any call you get from behind you, think it as the call of the devil.'

'But you?'

'I can take care of myself. I have done that all these years.' she snapped.

There was no point in arguing because I knew exactly how stubborn Claramay could be when she wanted. So I nodded instead.

'Fine, now let's go...'

We started our walk through the forest. It was nearing evening. There was an eerie silence, broken now and then by the shrill cry of a cicada. A wolf howled in the distance.

'We need to get out of here fast,' she mumbled. 'Before the bloodsuckers wake up.'

'Bloodsuckers?'

She pointed to the bats hanging there like poisonous fruits. 'They feed on our blood!'

My stomach churned at the thought, but I was a man and I needed to be strong.