The Beast's Bride

nine : nueve

Chapter 9

I’m running.

It’s pitch dark and I’m running through the woods like my life depends on it. I don’t know what I’m running from all I know is that I’m not safe. 

Something is coming for me.

I can hear the wings beating against the wind trying to reach me. The haunting laughter that comes from this beast makes my blood run cold. The smell of rotting flesh is strong. It’s closer now. 

Don’t look back, I chant to myself. Don’t do it. 

I push myself further. A little more. Just a little more. I’m almost there. 

Suddenly, a slimy tendril wraps itself on my ankle and pulls. I trip and fall to hard rocky ground. The smell of death is so strong now that I can’t breathe. It grabs me from behind and turns me over until I’m face to face with a monster of pure nightmare. 

Large bat wings, razor sharp claws that dug into my flesh and a body that’s been severed from the torso having no legs hovers over me. It’s long black hair doesn’t hide its corpse like face. It opens it’s mouth letting a long slick sharp tongue fall to my stomach. 

I don’t scream. Instead, I kick and I fight but it’s strong hands hold me down. 

No.

I watch in horror as it’s meter long tongue trails  around my shirt. With a quick swipe, the slithery tendril cuts open the fabric of my clothing displaying my bare abdomen. Distraught, I thrash around fighting for my life.

“Get off! I won’t let you!” 

It’s claws digs deeper into my flesh breaking skin and that’s when I scream out in pain. The monster takes advantage of my vulnerability and plunges its sharp tongue into my belly button. 

I let out an earth shattering scream. With my heart in my throat and tears in my eyes, I kick and squirm.  

“It’s just a dream.” A deep masculine voice calmly says. 

The smell of tobacco surrounds us and the monster on top of me becomes hazy and blurry. I feel the pain disappear instantly as if it was never there in the first place.

“You’re safe.” The husky voice reassuringly whispers. “I’m here now.” 

I feel a warmth I’ve never experienced before wash through me. My panic and fear subsides along with the living nightmare that stood over my body. 

A bright light catches my eye and I follow it. There’s a familiar laughter that breaks through the quiet which peaks my interest. The light becomes too bright and I squint covering my eyes.

When I put it down, I’m at a completely different place. I know this part of the woods well. It’s my place. The childish laughter becomes louder until a younger version of me bursts out the bushes. 

I’m so young. Probably only six years old. My stomach is still so big that my shirt couldn’t fully cover it. Armed with my chosen weapon, a random stick, I brandish it around my surroundings causing havoc. 

I want to cringe at how obnoxiously loud and annoying I’m being. This was exactly how I was a few years ago. The woods became my kingdom where everything was allowed and my imagination can go rampant. Some days I’m a beautiful warrior having sword fights with innocent trees, while on other days I’m a battle hardened soldier saving a few shrubs. Everyday was different and I was never bored. 

I can’t help but laugh when my grandma appears out of nowhere and yanks on my ear. 

“How many times have I told you? Respect your surroundings!” She scolds pulling harder until I drop my weapon. 

“I wasn’t doing anything bad.” I tried to argue grasping my ear that she hasn’t let go.

Grandma lets out a series of complaints. “What do I do with you? Always causing trouble wherever you go.” 

“That’s not true, Ma!” I squeal when she tugs on my ear harder. 

She inclines her head low ignoring me completely. “We’re passing through.” 

I want to roll my eyes at the action. I always found it odd that they have these weird customs when it comes to the woods. 

My younger self is too busy struggling under my grandma’s hold to notice something moving above the trees. I look up and I’m startled when I see what I can only describe as forest spirits. Strikingly beautiful beings with woven leaves as their clothing. They have bright colorful hair and vibrant sparkling eyes. They’re flocked together sitting on branches watching me get pulled around by my grandma. The beautiful beings laugh at my expense and whisper to each other.

Have they always been there? Did I never see them at all?

I see another movement from below them and again I’m startled to see stout mushrooms with eyes and a nose grumpily staring after my protesting younger self. Right across from the moving mushrooms are thin gnome-like old men that point at me with mischievous grins. A butterfly flies past me only... they’re not what I think they are. Tiny winged creatures that resemble pixies fluttered about. 

This all goes on in front of my grandma and I yet we don’t seem to notice them. It’s like there’s an entirely different world happening around us and we can’t see it. 

Something spooks the forest creatures because they all scamper away in different directions. The grounds shakes as a colossal shadowy figure hides behind a tree watching the regular altercation between my grandma and I have. 

I squint trying to see better but the leaves and shade conceal him well. He doesn’t move from his spot and merely looks on. What creature could this be now?

It’s tall and brawny almost the same height as the trees beside him. He’s thick and well built making me believe it’s a male spirit.

Was he some type of tree being? 

A bright light forces my eyes closed and I cover my face in surprise. The distinct sound of my grandma’s scolding slowly turns into loud thunder. 

Feeling something cold drip on my shoulder, I open my eyes and I’m in the woods still near my house. It’s raining hard. Harder than I’ve ever experienced before. 

The same looming figure stands behind the trees, blood red eyes staring towards our garage. There’s something sad about this moment. I can’t quite put my finger on it.

It doesn’t take long before I realize why it’s sad. A thirteen year old version of me comes out of the back door crying heavily.

“I don’t want to go!” I shout angrily. “You can’t make me.” 

My grandma comes out of the house also armed with luggage. Yes, I remember this well. I’m leaving home. They’re sending me away to the city. “Hush, child. You’re going and that’s final.” 

I cry harder which makes the rain fall even harsher. “Ma, please. I love it here. I don’t want to leave.” 

She loads my bags onto the car and shakes her head. “It’s for the best. You’ll love it even more there. It’s a new adventure.” 

No. I wouldn’t love it. 

I manage to cry until my voice is shaking. The figure beside me attempts to leave his hiding place and makes his way towards us but he freezes in his step when a rusting tree branch behind us starts. It’s as if someone is holding him back. 

He’s distraught. I don’t know how I know this when I can barely see but I can feel it on him. 

The louder I cried and the stronger I fought against leaving, the harder the rain poured. The wind has started to pick up along with the thunder and bright lightning. 

For a brief moment, I thought the horrible weather was caused by my thirteen year old self but it’s actually coming from the devastated figure beside me. He didn’t want me to go as well.

We quietly watch as I’m forced into the car and driven away until I couldn’t see anymore. The dark beast slowly turns away it’s steps causing the ground to shake. 

An ear piercing thunder sharply cracks through the night and I shut my eyes. 

Disoriented, I feel myself tip backwards and I’m falling. 

And falling.

Until I recognize the feeling. My memory goes back to when I was climbing a tree when I was five. I’m falling exactly like that. 

I don’t fight it. Instead, I keep my eyes closed and feel the shift of the air around me. The familiar smell that I’ve come accustomed to calms me. 

The breath is knocked out of my chest as I’m caught by enormous yet warm strong arms. This has happened before. I couldn’t remember it but when I fell from the tree, I was caught just like this and placed down near my house.

Instead of my backyard, I’m placed down on the damp ground. I can feel the grass on my skin. 

A drop of rain hits my face and I open my eyes to see that I’ve been laying on a bed of wild flowers. My flowers. 

Confused and terrified, I sit up and look around at the damp wet grass and tall trees. Birds are chirping nearby. 

I look down at myself and gasp. I’m wearing a thin sheer white dress. This is definitely not what I was wearing when I slept last night. 

This is no longer a dream. 

I’m in the woods.