Beneath the Blood Moon

Chapter Six: Only Way Out

- 9 Days -

There was nothing but darkness.

A thick darkness that refused to let a single blade of light shine through. Not that there was any light to attempt it at that time of night. Dense trees overhead and crafty spellwork made this a death trap for all who dared enter into the protected township of Ariete territory. Even the Sentinel guard strayed from that wild wood, having lost a number of their rank to the twisting vines disguised by pitch black nothingness.

It was perfect.

Nnandi stayed low, fingertips brushing against the earthen floor. Packed dirt and the occasional pebble lined the only safe path through the nightfield. She was careful not to stray too far from the dirt road that cut through. An old book in the forgotten library shared the secrets, written by Elliston, builder of the citadel. In the margins, he scratched frantic notes about the bloodlust of the trees, borne from the spilled blood of innocents on that land and awakened by his curse.

He played it off to the people as an intentional act of protection, but Nnandi knew the truth. No man, magik or mortal, could tame those woods. And none who tried ever returned alive.

She felt prickly blades of grass and stopped, patting the ground until she found the steep shift in the path and headed off to the right. While the darkness ate light, it did nothing against sound.

Cars rushing past, horns blaring. Laughter, arguments, conversations about things she didn't quite understand. They grew louder as the air became warmer, and a small sliver of light pierced the black veil. It was bright, tinted in blues and magenta hues, occasionally obstructed by something dark passing by the hole.

Margo Bay.

Her body clenched, poised to run straight for the light. There it was, salvation. An end to the darkness not only created by the forest, but that which defined the latter half of her life. It was there. Right there.

Nnandi straightened and walked three steps freely before the ground underfoot changed from the hard path to soft grass. Instant terror, she crouched quickly and felt for the packed dirt, leaping from the damp turf as a vine snapped at her ankle.

Stupid, Nnandi. Don't be stupid.

One of the warnings scrawled on the page like a frantic afterthought mentioned the last stretch before the territory touched the outside world. Treacherous was the word the builder used to describe it. As she felt the mindless twists and dips the path took, sometimes leading her deeper into the dark and away from the light before taking a sharp turn towards it.

With no sense of time in the oppressive dark, Nnandi dispelled the dread that threatened to overtake reason. It felt like this was the longest piece of the trek through the two acres of forest, and treacherous didn't seem like a strong enough word. Even more so when she'd slip into the grass and have to fight her way out of the biting, binding roots that slithered around her legs and feet.

With a final turn, her back faced the light once more and frustration took hold, melting seconds later. When the sirens began.

They knew.

Looking over her shoulder, she wasn't too much farther from the light. Four, maybe five yards max. The hard dirt beneath her disappeared into the darkness ahead, winding on for another century of searching. A century she didn't have time to spend in that godforsaken forest.

It was a bad call.

Nnandi turned on her heels, digging them into the ground before she pushed off and rushed towards the sound of rushing cars. People talking. Salvation. Her feet barely hit the ground, but the forest still groaned and reached for her. Branches swooped down, crashing into her body, but she never stumbled.