~~~
The tables and chairs were rearranged so that just the chairs faced the stage. While the tables filled with untouched food were pushed up against the walls, bordering the room.
Tilly and I took our seats and waited. Tilly, more patiently than I for the awards and speeches to come to an end.
The current speaker was talking about ways to hunt wild animals, animatedly saying words like murder and beasts to rile the crowd up.
I made no point to listen to him, it brought back unwanted emotions and memories that were bubbling up to the surface.
The last time wild animals were around, was 6 years ago, when my mother was killed.
I remembered the last time we spoke.
~6 years ago~
"Ellie what are you doing? your getting black berries all over your nice white dress." My mother scolded me with a smile.
"I like the smell of them, mom!" It was because she smelled like them. I smiled up to my mother. She looked like an angel.
Long blond curls held up in a loose bun, sending stray pieces of hair around her sky blue eyes that gave infinite love and understanding. She was wearing a grassy green dress.
Not one black-purple stain hindered her perfection, and she must have picked three baskets more than I did.
I on the other hand, was covered in black stains from my shoes to my collar. Juice covering my fingers and mouth.
My mother looked me over again and laughed, the sound like the light tinkling of bells.
"I suppose white was not the best color dress for you to wear today." She said while laughing more.
I giggled along with her.
She looked up to the cotton candy sky and frowned.
"I must have lost track of time, your father and sister must be worried. It's a long walk back to the estate. We must hurry." Her voice etched with unease.
"Ok" I said while licking the juice from my fingers.
We each grabbed two full baskets and headed towards the trail back home.
The woods were unnaturally quiet, the usual chirping of crickets and birds was gone. The only sounds heard were of our shoes meeting the gravel path. I sensed my mother's worry. It made me upset to see her scared like this. So I tried to lighten the mood.
"I think I made my dress look better" Twirling around, still walking. Some how black-berry juice had made its way on the back of my dress.
My mother smiled, but it never fully made it to her eyes. My attempt backfired and made me feel even worse.
We kept silent for a while.
I wondered why she was so worried. Father never said the woods were dangerous. The only thing that I have ever seen in these woods were rabbits and deer.
My imagination went crazy at the possibilities of the kinds of monsters that might call the woods home.
The sky was no longer a swirly mixture of pinks and blue, but a deep russet orange. Which made it very hard to see. The silhouettes of trees were the only thing that distinguished the sky and the horizon.
As if she just realized the same thing, my mother picked up her pace, breath shortening.
"Its going to get really dark soon. I need you to walk faster."
She didn't care that the swinging baskets she was holding were dropping berries left and right.
The trees casted menacing shadows on the narrow path, like claws reaching out to grab unsuspecting prey.
"Mom Im scared." I was jogging to keep up with her.
"Sweetie, I know. But we're 10 minutes away we have to hurry. Ok?"
"Ok..."
Suddenly, behind us a bush rustled, making the hair on the back of my neck stand straight, as if to be in full alert. We both stopped and turned around, and breathed in a sigh of relief. Nothing was there. We carefully continued on our way home. Slowing up so we could hear anything else that may go bump in the night.
My heart was beating so fast in my chest. My hands slipping on the handles of the basket from my sweaty palms.
Another sound in the distance stopped us, but it continued. A low soft growling echoed across the trees. I dropped my baskets and ran towards my mother gripping onto her.
"Mom" One word spoken with uncertainty, silently asking what to do.
"Be brave sweetheart." Her scared blue eyes mirroring my own. She gripped my arm with so much fervor you would think that the bonds of mother and daughter could stand up to any creature of the night.
A giant roar split the silence in the air. My mother suddenly dropped the now irrelevant basket towards the sound, hitting nothing. Black berries now covered the ground. Black shiny stains now shone on the grey rocks that made up the path.
Another ear-deafening roar caused my hands to cover my ears.
My mother chose that moment to quickly throw me into the nearest bush.
Closing my eyes as I fell into the shrub, feeling the thin branches whip at my face. My hands and feet took the impact of the fall. I felt a warm liquid beneath my eye drip down my face.
