Eleanor inhaled and exhaled slowly, watching as the air from her nostrils created a fog in front of her. At the dancing mist, she smiled.
The night was peacefully cool.
The stars were ever bright.
The lake right before her was so calm... So sullen.... So beautiful, yet fierce. It calmly watched the sky and the sky watched back. As Eleanor watched the waters,she felt her shoulders sag. The serenity was enthralling. Being someone who was most imaginative in silence, her mind was having a field day. The quiet was lulling her...
Pulling her in.
Her thoughts were all around the place, yet, nowhere. The crickets, all in disorganized sync, the shrubs and flowers, bowing ever so slightly to the gentle breeze, gave her peace like no other. This was nature at her finest.
Eleanor sighed once more, too content to keep it in.
Her ears caught the slight hum of the wind as it picked up, but her brain didn't register the panic in the air...
Not until the calm of the waters was disrupted by a single drop from above. Rain. Her eyes widened when a great force ripped through her. A force that emanated from the lake. Her brows furrowed. The...
The water was angry. She could feel It.
She could feel the animosity in the air like it was a cloak around her shoulders. The anger...
The pain...
The...
The hate!
She bolted off the grass they began to wither. Right before her eyes, everything withered to nought. She rushed to the last patch of grass, trying to save it, but alas...
This was the end.
As she watched it die, she gasped. A sharp stab from within shook her, causing her pain. No! No!!! Her peace! Her tranquility! Nature! Fear began to set in alongside panic. Scurrying to her feet, she clenched her fists in an effort to fight her fear, and look around her.
The forest stared back.
Very unforgiving and cold.
"Run." T'was a subtle whisper.
She flinched and whipped her head around. Who else was there?
"Run," the word came again.
Eleanor felt the hairs on her skin rise. Perspiration broke out on her forehead.
"Quickly. Before he returns. Go! Go now! Straight ahead. Don't look back. Never look back! Go!"
That spurred her into action. Whether to thank adrenaline for her sudden burst of courage, or fear, she didn't know, but she was thankful to whatever it was in that moment as her legs suddenly kicked into action. She faced the forest and ran. She was only a few steps in she heard a gut wrenching scream and shrieked herself. Who was that?! Determined for it to not be her, Eleanor needed no other motivation to go faster.
As she ran with all her might, daring to hope that she would escape... she heard the most joints wavering, soul chilling laughter she had ever heard.
"Look what we have here. A human! Another one. And she runs, too! Oh dear! Run, little human, run!"
Eleanor's heart was working overtime, and she was freaking out, but she steeled her body against flinching. The tone of unbridled mockery she heard in the voice made her feel like a pawn and she suddenly found herself fighting to keep her hope alive. As if sensing it, the voice chuckled and that chuckle shook the whole forest. Silence followed... till,
"I just want to play," came the absolutely mind boggling voice of a baby, a little boy, a young man and an old man, all merged into one.
Eleanor almost skidded to a halt. What... the HECK... was that?!
Evil was all around her. As she shoved a flailing branch out of the way, she felt her skin crawl in cold, thin rows. Like she was being touched.
"I just want to play. Please. Please human. Please."
She shuddered violently and lost her footing. Moreso because the voice had come from right beside her. As she fell and rolled a few feet away, she hurriedly pushed herself up and was going to look when she suddenly remembered the warning, and froze, panting wildly. She clenched her fists and called on courage.
A courage she didn't have.
A leaf fell then, right in front of her. That was when she finally took notice of the stifling silence around them. Not even the wind blew...
"Please," the voice of a sad baby.
"We won't hurt you," came the whisper of a little boy.
"Look at me," the voice of a young man bellowed, causing her to flinch. Eleanor felt the tears building in her eyes, but she couldn't let them fall. She needed her eyes to see.
"Please," she pleaded. "Please, leave me alone."
"LOOK AT ME!" the voice of an old man thundered and she almost jumped out of her skin. The earth began to tremble and shake, and she watched on in horror as it began to give out. The ruin was increasing and it was heading right for her! With a yell, she broke into a run that shook her very organs, veering to the right. Her lungs cried in exhaustion. Her legs and feet ached badly, but she had to move and keep moving.
"You better look at me before I hurt you. Don't make me break my promise. Quick!! The king is coming. NOW!" all four voices thundered.
What?! King?
She suddenly heard the pounding of feet, and running a bit far off was.... A shadow?
A demon?
A mist?
She couldn't tell, but she saw something thing...
Sharp, piercing, emerald green eyes. So interesting, she almost slowed down. Almost, but the momentary distraction cost her.
She fell into the ruin.
Long... and far.
Her arms flailed as she screamed over and over again.
The voice cackled in utter glee.
"I warned you."
She heard the dark growl of something sinister before her entire body slammed into the ground with such impact, the entire forest quietened, as if to watch.
She lay there, gasping for air.
The last thing she saw... was a green pair of eyes, coming closer and closer, and a hand reaching out of the ruin to touch her...
Before she blacked out.
Ella gasped and jackknifed off the bed. Her pulse was racing.
Her body was aching.
Her skin was covered in sweat as her eyes darted around her room.
It was all a dream.
