Blood & Cinders- Choose your Own Adventure Story

Chapter 1

"You're a monster!"

Isabelle gripped the hem of her worn frock, fists tightening on the material. Her honey-brown eyes, wide and fearful, fixed on the curled horns just barely peeking out of the creature's cowl. The obsidian color caught the glint of the afternoon sun.

She stared-bewitched by the fantasy of such a thing.

Unable to look away.

Unable to move.

The strange figure swayed unsteadily on its feet at the very edge of her family's garden. It moved like a black splotch of ink across the water colors of vibrant marigolds, rich plums, and periwinkle blue flowers. Their winding rows swaying against a backdrop of twisted trees.

Her mother had planted the flower garden herself, Isabelle had been told, and she took great time caring for it in memory of her.

Dutchess, her shaggy gray sheepdog, barked furiously beside her, trying valiantly to ward off the intruder. Isabelle's heart raced at the sight of something she had only heard of through the town's whispers and tales meant to scare children into behaving.

The creature moved, startling her into taking a step back. A clawed hand, covered with fur, reached up to draw its black cloak tighter around its face, concealing it. She heard the sound of labored breathing as the stranger backed further into the hedges, towards the dense forest beyond. It suddenly stumbled over some tree roots, losing its balance and falling to the ground, a harsh grunt escaping it.

Dutchess made a run for the creature, barking as she bounded across the garden towards what could surely be the end of her.

"Dutchess!" Isabelle hissed, terror for her pet inciting her to move closer to the treeline. "No! Get back here!"

She stopped short of the stranger, teetering on the verge of grabbing her dog and making a run for it. She paused, however, when she saw the beast struggle to get up. Groans of pain, mixed with heavy, rasping breaths, met her ears.

The creature's cloak shifted, and that's when she noticed the blood smeared across the front of its white shirt. It was wounded.

Oh, dear.

Dutchess had stopped barking and was moving around the creature, sniffing and wagging her tail. Isabelle took that as a good sign and curiously inched closer to get a better look at the hooded figure.

The creature drew back, clutching its black woolen cloak as though it would protect it. Now that she was closer, she could see that the beast was indeed injured, blood spilling down from somewhere in the shadow of its hooded face.

Without taking her eyes off the creature, she ran her hand across the ground, fingers closing around a sizable rock. She picked it up, ready to brandish it as a weapon as she inched ever closer to the huffing beast.

Another pained groan—or was it a growl?—escaped it as it turned away from her, drawing tighter into itself.

Her heart ached for the pitiful thing. Fear kept her feet rooted from getting closer.

"My name is Isabelle," she murmured, voice wobbling slightly. "Do you need assistance? Or perhaps some aid for—"

Her sentence died on her tongue as the beast turned toward her.

"Meat," came a rough growl from beneath the cloak, sending a shiver up her spine. "I need food."

There was a pause as she worked to comprehend its words.