The Keepers: Song of Sorrow

Chapter Six

Maria had run for what seemed like ages through those horrid tunnels, she'd finally found her way out and into a world she didn't know. It looks familiar but it was not where she was from. Trees that stretched miles into the sky and plants she didn't recognize. She spent much of her time wandering around trying to find a way out of the massive forest, the sound of birds above her and small woodland creatures below her only company. She was on edge and couldn't help but worry about Jesper. That creature had seemed to be after him and the Eldritch appeared to know it, recognized it even. Had they known each other, she asked herself.
"He had better be safe." She said to herself and continued marching onward picking up her pace a little. She heard movement behind her, shuffling. She froze in place, the wave of dread that washed over her was inhuman and so was the thing behind her.
"Look at me." It spoke, it's voice pleading.
"I will not." She said trying to hide her fear.
"Look at me." It begged again.
"Go away!" Maria yelled at it and began to stomp off. It followed. She kept along for a whole, occasionally the thing behind her would ask her to look at it, she'd ignore it and carry on, the cycle continued. After a while Maria stopped and considered her surroundings.
"Have we been going in circles?" She asked without turning around. Silence. "Well?"
"...yes." It spoke.
"Do you know the way out?"
"...yes."
"Will you tell me which way?"
"Will you look at me?"
"Why do you want me to look at you?"
"Am I pretty?" It asked. Maria sighed and turned around. The creature looked like a lady with long black hair covering his face, her skin was pale with a sickly green undertone, her body was lean with curves in all the right places. She was nude and her arms hung limply at her sides with her shoulders slumped.
"You need better posture and some time in the sun. Maybe some clothes." Maria stated.
"I'm not pretty?" It asked.
"Quite frankly you need work, and if you wanna be pretty you need to maintain yourself. Asking strangers if they think you're pretty is not the way to do it."
"... I'll show you the way out." It said.
"That's all I wanted." Maria said, the creature floated along its feet hanging limply a few inches off the ground, she followed a few feet back. A thought occurred to her.
"What happens if people say yes?"
"... I make them like me?"
"Which is?" She asked. The creature's head turned all the way around on her body.
"...dead."
"Oh that's fun. How'd you die?"
"...hanging." It's head turned back around. Maria couldn't say she was surprised.
"You were human?"
"...yes."
"Now you're an Eldritch."
"...yes."
"How does that work?"
"...not sure." They carried on in silence. The being led Maria to the edge of the woods, it stared out at coastline, waves locked at the sand which lead up the trees. The ocean was vast and deep blue. Maria stopped out of the overgrown woods. She looked back to thank the being, but it was gone.
"Well then." She said and turned back towards the beach. "Guess it's time to find a way off the beach." She started on her way but quickly tripped over something, she  barely had time to catch herself with her hands, she turned to look at what tripped her and saw it was a thin, white cord. She unwrapped it from her foot and quickly stood. That couldn't be good.  She moved quickly to put distance between herself and the cord.