Running From The Destiny.

Part II: Prologue

Kit thought that having turn seven summers old would get him privileges like having a second helping of custard or getting the chance to go horse riding with his older brothers.

Instead, he had been stuck on the nightly horse duty. Life was unfair. He had waited so long to turn seven summers and what job did he get? Count the damned horses. Could life get any worse?

Dried twigs cracked under his foot as he walked towards the stable. He couldn't fathom as to why his father had the stable constructed to far away from their house. 

Her mother had forbidden him to take the shorter way through the forest but he refused to abide her. He was seven summers old, he could take care of himself and besides all of his brothers and their friends used the shorter way so why couldn't he?

A low howl sounded not too far away and Kit faltered in his footsteps. He hadn't been aware that creatures lived in this jungle, hadn't the villagers driven out the beasts?

Blaming his active imagination, Kit continued on his way trying to convince himself that his footsteps hadn't become quicker, that there wasn't a cold feeling spreading in his body that closely resembled fear, that he was fearless.

The wind blew and the candle in his small lamp burned brightly for the last time before giving out to the darkness. This time he acknowledges the growing pit of dread in his stomach. 

The world became dark and the Kit realized that he couldn't see anything, his pupil was taking too much time. His mother had warned him this would happen if he would not eat his eggs. 

Then he heard it, a sob, a smooth voice talking, an incoherent plead and finally a chilling scream. Kit gasped and set to work.

He placed the lamp down, crouched beside it and began to scrounge for a box of matchsticks in the pockets of his worn-out coat. His hands shook as he grasped the box and struck the stick against the box causing a low flame to emerge.

The light provided with him the barest of comfort but he accepted it warmly, Kit looked for his lamp but instead found a hairy paw. He looked up trembling into the face of the fiercest beast he had seen in his life.

Black glittering eyeballs in a pool of white stared back at him, the beast was covered with sleek black fur that looked soft to touch but that was the only part that seemed amiable. Its muzzle was curled back to reveal pearly white fangs. Huge claws emerged from its hairy paws. It stared right into Kit's eyes before letting out a low growl. 

"You can have him." A low smooth voice said it seemed to come out of nowhere and everywhere. Kit heard it from the dark silhouettes of trees, from the large rocks that dotted the forest and from the quiet night sky.

The beast growled again and took a step towards Kit. Kit backed away in fright letting out a piercing scream. The wind blew again and the little source of light extinguished.

And then the beast leapt, ready to kill.

***