The haflings

Gone

Zatara screamed " Guards get these two in cages! NOW!" The guards rushed in and grabbed the twins by their arms and pulled them away and threw them into a cage made of metal that was cold to the flesh of the twins. " Get moving we enter the Half Forest at dawn" Zatara ordered. The  girls where thrown in the back of a rickety wagon. " Atari are you okay?" Zara asked. " Fine" she answered smiling at her sister. Zara said no more even though she saw her sister flicker in and out just like she saw when her parents sold her to Zatara. She flickered to a wolf. Someone hopped into the wagon bed. It was Zatara. We are entering the forest. "I expect you to be on your best behavior. We are letting you out for a little while." he said. The twins where let to walk on the side of the carriage that Zatara was carried in. As soon as the sun was climbing up the caravan made it to the start of the forest. There where trees all around except in one part. " That is where we enter. MOVE OUT!!!!" yelled Zatara. Atari felt a tugging sensation  as if there was a rope pulling her toward the forest. She started to run toward it feeling that the forest would keep her safe. It would be her home. " STOP" screamed Zatara holding a gun to Zara's head. Atari spun around her heart sinking slowly she walked back. As they entered the forest the trees seemed to be marching to close the opening. They soon came to a cliff it was there that they heard the cry. Out of the forest came a woman. She was dressed on a snakeskin cloak and her eyes had slits like a snake. " Oh we haven't had guestsss for ssssometime" she said. Atari felt like she could trust her. "HELP" she screamed. The snake directed her attention to the twins for the first time. Her eyes widened. " They have more of ussss." she hissed. A man so hairy he looked like a bear came out of the woods. He was followed by a man with extremely long fingers.  Atari shrunk back to Zara. She felt like her heart was being torn out of her to the forest.  " Attack" roared Zatara. In a blur of movement everyone rushed toward the newcomers. Atari felt herself in the midst of a raging battle. She felt someone grab her arm. Turning she saw it was the snake lady. She hissed in her ear " Get out asssss fassst assss you can. Hurry" Atari ran as fast as she could her legs could carry her. All of a sudden the war seemed to stop. She the three newcomers had murdered everyone but Zatara and she soon saw why. Zatara was holding Zara by the throat over a cliff. Atari gasped for breath. Zatara caught her gaze and smirked dropping Zara. "No" screamed Atari running toward her sister hopping to catch her before she plummeted to the bottom of the cliff. The snake lady grabbed her and held her back as the bear man finished off Zatara. Breaking loose from the snake lady's grasp she ran to the cliff and knelt sobbing.