Dipped in Blood

Dream's of Reality

Something was missing.

I glare at the painted canvas in agony, its harsh tar smell burned into my memory, it was incomplete. I get off the stool I had placed and walked around the canvas to scan the scene. Children played happily on brightly colored equipment  while parents talked quietly to each other under a maple tree. 

The playground wasn't the scene I was portraying, it was the change between the park and the forest. The park's grass was bright green with flowers sprouting randomly then slowly the grass fades into a dull yellow before disappearing into dust and rocks just at the foot of the forest.

While noting a small difference in color I had not seen I notice a girl, around three, stumble curiously towards the forest in small steps. Her black hair bouncing as she walked.

A woman pulled the girl away from the forest and said to the child, "Don't ever go near the forest."

I frown at the crying girl in her mothers hands, the differences between them where pronounced. The mother had thin needle-like blonde hair with bronzed skin while the girl was pale with big round eyes. The girl looked heartbroken as she was carried away. 

I sit back down on my stool and look carefully at the painting. I paint a figure of black hair and pale skin staring into the forest, but even with the mysterious girl in my painting.

Something was still missing.

***

"Miss Teryn!" A voice called from behind me, I turned to see Mr Haude and Lucas walking in a fast pace towards me, "Yes?" I ask suspiciously when they are close enough to hear me. I had been walking home after many failed attempts in rejuvenating the missing part in the painting. 

Mr Haude, a retired veteran of safety, fixed his cap that had been moved by the gales whipping through the silent streets, "Miss Wendilin, it has come to my attention that you have been painting near the forest. Am I correct?" My hair fluttered around my face as winds picked up, making me almost drop my canvas, I nod.

"Miss Teryn, your distance to it is an issue."

"How would you even know that I paint there?" I ask brushing of his comment.

"Lucas-" He glances behind him at the shivering figure,"-however that is irrelevant. The point is that you are forbidden to go to the park again. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, but if the reason I'm not allowed to be near the forest is that stupid legend then I don't care," I answer before turning around and continuing the walk towards my house.

"Wendilin! Wait!" Lucas appears at my side and pulls me towards him. I look at him with questioning eyes.

He looks at me, hoping to get the message through my thick skull, "Why don't you listen? The legend is true and everyone understands but you."

"I don't believe in fairytales," I whisper to him before pulling away and disappearing into the winds.

***

"Why are you late?"

"Lucas held me up," I reply entering the kitchen. The woman I know as my mother, turns abruptly and sends a curious look towards me. Her name was Tibithia.

She frowns, "What for?"

I shrug, "I was standing to close to the forest."

"Wendilin Teryn! I warned you about going too close," She exclaimed.

"I know, I won't do it again," I say looking at her guiltily, knowing fully well I wouldn't listen.

"Good," She turns towards the stove while her red hair swinging in its tight ponytail. I couldn't for the life of me understand why she and I had absolutely different looks. She, with her long red hair and me with black curls. It reminded me of the little girl and her mother in a way. 

I walk carefully up the carpeted stairs while muttering under my breath about the restrictions and warnings that had been handed to me today. But above all was that Lucas would do such a thing as sabotage my only expression of freedom.

I collapse on my bed in fatigue, my arms pulling my hair out of a bun, "What am I doing with my life?" I whisper before slowly being lured into the darknessof a dream.

My feet hit the ground rapidly, my lungs burned as I ran around a fallen tree. My eyes darted carelessly around to prevent myself from tripping. A shriek was heard from behind me, urging me to stop and turn around but I kept running. I could still hear the beasts continuous breathing, almost as if was right behind me. I tree with a arched hollow entered my vision, its dead branches clawed the night sky and black roots sprouting out of the ground. I darted for its safety. 

Clawing desperately, I pulled myself into the hole and tumbled into the darkness. The hollow of the tree seemed to twist its way underground, it was dark and cold. I pulled my phone hurriedly out and clicked open the torch, a beam of light shone into the tunnel. The roots of trees stuck out in clumps while a stench of soil ran through the air. I could hear the clawing of the beast above my head so I crawled deeper into the tunnel hoping to find a way out. I stop abruptly noticing the clawing had stopped but had been replaced by breathing.

I turned shakily .

The yellow eyes of the beast reflected my torch light back at me. It's mouth dripped with the blood of the girl, its furred skin brushing the tunnel sides while glimmering with a coat of blood. It inhaled and exhaled, flashing me it's colossal teeth and let out a breath. I shook as it slowly approached my frozen form.

My torch flickered.

The beast stopped right in front of me, its breath blowing wisps of hair out of my eyes.

My phone died as a animalistic roar echoed through the tunnels.