The Monster Within

Monster

She rode in a daze for miles, farther from her home than she'd ever been as the afternoon crept into dusk. The sunset was pink tinged with orange, and the forest was alive with chatter around her, the birds and squirrels and rabbits all basking in delight at the change of weather. Flower buds peeked from their green shells, ready to blossom any moment. The air was still and calm, and Winston huffed, his nostrils scattering the dirt that had accumulated earlier.

She pulled him to an abrupt stop, paused in the middle of the woods, utterly alone for the first time in her entire life. She found she wasn't frightened, but instead numb. Without a definitive thought, she turned Winston around, determination taking root in her core. She would not abandon her family. She would fight off whoever had followed her mother and kill every last one.

How? Her subconscious bit back. She shoved aside the negative thoughts, urging her horse into a quicker pace against his will. They rode for a few hours, and much to Hollis' dismay, nothing seemed familiar. There was no road to follow after a certain point, and Winston had done his best to pick his way over the ferns and logs.

As night fell, she knew she was lost, and a new surge of panic rose in her chest. She had only a small pocketknife for defense, and hadn't packed food or water. But more urgent was the need to save her family, and she was currently wasting precious time, lost and wandering through the forest.

By the time her surroundings were unnavigable, she slid down, tying Winston to a branch in the darkness and leaning against the trunk of a sturdy tree. Unable to sleep, she fell into a fitful stupor, waiting on the sun to rise.

Three days.

Hollis had been wandering in the woods for three days. Her time alone hadn't been unproductive, though; she'd been able to process her anguish, then anger, and then hopelessness. She'd been able to find water, but food was another matter altogether. She cursed her father for dying so soon after her birth, for not teaching her how to navigate a map, or build a shelter, or trap a rabbit.

She cursed her mother for keeping her hidden away like a gem, never having planned for an event such as the one that had transpired. She couldn't help but feel things would be awfully different, had she learned useful survival skills. Had she ever been able to see another human being and learn from them.

She ambled along, Winston walking at her slow pace, happy to have her off his back. His once amber coat was now covered in dust and burrs, and she could swear he was glaring at her every chance he got. Night began to fall, and with it came the now-familiar feeling of defeat. An owl hooted somewhere in the distance, and her stomach grumbled, wondering what morsel he'd been able to ensnare.

Sighing, she paused, braiding her loose blond hair yet again in an attempt to keep it out of her vision. She didn't seem to take notice that as night finally fell, the rest of the land around her hushed in anticipation of a sinister event.

It started with the snap of a twig, making Winston jerk his great head, but Hollis paid it no mind, tongue between her teeth as she cursed her unruly hair. There were no predators anywhere, anymore. It was likely an elk or a deer. She glanced around for a suitable tree to lean against for the night, noting she was in a nice wide clearing, the grass beneath lush and tall. She wondered why Winston wasn't struggling against his bridle to have a nibble.

Another snap of a twig.

This one caught her attention. Winston's ears tilted in the direction of the sound as he tossed his head. She gripped the reigns tight, reaching into the band of her athletic pants for her small knife. Movement caught her eye, directly in front of her. A man materialized from the darkness of the trees, his dark hair a mottled, wild mess, his face bearded and smeared with dirt. He grinned at her with yellowed teeth.