Deborah of the Forsaken

The Twisted

My eyes opened in the dark and I inhaled sharply as I became aware of my husband standing over me, his eyes a luminescent blue shining out into the surrounding darkness.

Well that's new, I mused, frowning up at him.

As I sat up and started to open my mouth to ask what the hell was going on he put a finger to his lips and shook his head. Anthony directed me with his eyes back to the well and I followed his line of sight. For a long time nothing happened. Everything lay in complete stillness under the cover of night. Nothing moved.

A shadow detached itself from the woods, snaking it's long wraith-like arm toward the well, toward the places we had been sleeping. I heard a growl like sandpaper over gravel escape it's throat while it sniffed the air looking for us. Then as quickly as it had appeared it was gone, melding back into the darkness.

Anthony reached out to me lacing his fingers through mine, pulling me to my feet with him. His touch felt unnatural and again, I hated myself for thinking it.

"We need to go. Now." His voice was cold and brooked no nonsense. For once I wasn't going to argue.

You don't have to tell me twice, I thought and picked up my pack to strap myself in, taking care to slide the clasps into their locks with as little noise as I could manage.

I saw now that Anthony had moved me in my sleep to a place slightly to the right of where I had lay down. It was a testiment to the extent of my exhaustion that I hadn't woken up when he'd done so. A strong wave of affection rushed through me and as if my body had a mind of its own I quickened my pace and slid my hand back into his.

Surprised, he beamed at me and gave my hand a firm squeeze.

"Wha...?" I began but he shook his head.

"Still too dangerous," he whispered back and his eyes lit up again to become the luminescent blue it had been earlier.

The darkness seemed stifling. Nothing moved, the forest itself almost holding it's breath. For the first time I noticed the deafening silence around us. No noise from crickets, frogs, birds or any type of animal was present, only the slight creaking of the trees as they swayed and bowed beneath the winds pushing and pulling at the tree tops. It was beyond eerie. I felt eyes on my back and yanked Anthony down with me, crouching low. The shadow was moving through the woods adjacent to us, joined a moment later by another straight ahead, directly in our chosen path. They called out to each other in a sickening guttural language I didn't understand.

Anthony pulled me to him and I shut my eyes against his chest, shoving the feeling of disgust at his touch away. The shadows were closer now, I could feel it, so close I thought they might be standing right next to us if I had dared to look. Anthony's heart was beating wildly and he clutched me to him hard, almost as if trying to make me part of him. So close to him, I could smell that familiar musk that had always clung to our bedding and his clothes, the smell sending a pang of longing for the days long gone through my being.

What are those things? Why are they following us?

Something stroked the leaves just a few metres from where we sat kneeling in each other's arms. I felt Anthony's grip tighten on me and my arms responded in kind in an effort to fight the terror trying to overwhelm me.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," one of the shadows taunted in a slow and deliberate oily voice. "We know you're here."

Icicles raked down my spine. Every hair tried to stand on end.

The other shadow giggled wickedly. "We promise to kill you quickly if you let us have you now. If not, we'll take our time."

"It's been a long time since we've had human flesh," the other shadow said matter of factly. "It's our favourite kind. You've done well to bring her here, Forsaken."

Bring her here? What?

"Oh yes, human," it seemed to lick it's lips. "I'll begin by ripping your eyes out and then your tongue. Skin is always most delicious when it's still warm and attached to the body. I'll make sure to strip it off of you slowly."

They were almost on us now. I'd never been as terrified in my entire life. Anthony tensed against me even more and I knew the shadow was leaning forward, arm stretching out to us. I could feel something akin to slime sliding over my skin at the thought of it's eyes on us. In a split second Anthony had me on my feet and we were running as fast as we possibly could toward the road I'd come from. Howls of frustration went up behind us as the shadows gave chase.

"They're too fast! We'll never make it!" I screamed as we ran.

"Stay with me! Come on!"

I heard snickering behind me as my boots caught on a tree root and I fell hard, instantly tasting blood in my mouth where my teeth had pierced the inside of my cheek.

Anthony cursed, and oddly half paused before he pulled me back up shoving me ahead of him. The shadows were so close now that I could make out the hollows where eyes should have been and sharp pointed teeth glistening in the moonlight. They seemed strangely humanoid in shape.

"Deborah!" one of the shadows called to me in an almost sing song voice. "Debora of the Forsaken!"

Razor sharp nails burned into my skin as the shadow clawed at me and narrowly missed my ribs, catching the flesh of my arm instead. It stung like nothing I'd ever experienced, but I was so full of adrenaline the injury went numb right after.

I was aware of Anthony cursing like a sailor before I fell again and found I was lying with my head half buried in a pile of sand, dizzy and nauseous. We'd made it to the road. The woods behind writhed with howling shadows trying to break out from behind the darkness.

Anthony stumbled to me and picked me up, cradling me in his arms, checking me roughly for more injuries. His fingers found the tattered flesh of my right arm and he hissed as he examined it.

"We need to bandage this for now. You need some serious stitches," he said softly, weirdly calm, and murmured, "And other things," under his breath, the fingers that brushed the hair out of my face ice cold on my skin.

"I don't feel so good Tony."

The second I said it I knew I was going to vomit. Tumbling out of his arms I heaved, blood and bile pouring onto the ground beneath me. My head started pounding and my limbs sagged under its own weight, fever raging in every inch of me, making me slick to the touch.

"What's happening to me?" I managed to get out, my tongue swollen and lame.

"The Twisted have a way of making sure their prey don't make it out of their woods alive no matter whether they end up killing their victims themselves or not."

His voice was grim, filled with what I thought in my delirious state was irritation. "The corruption is taking hold of you. If we don't get you to someone who can help soon, you're going to die."

"Dying sounds nice," I drawled sleepily, my mind already starting to drift in and out of consciousness. "Maybe I can come back too..."

Strong hands shook me.

"Deborah! Stay awake!"

My hand reached up to touch his face.

"I'll love you forever..." I murmured.

"No! Wake up! Deb? Deborah!" Anthony's voice grated but I was too far gone.

Death was coming for me and I would embrace it this time.