Eternal Love

Silver To Scarlet

Maria's bare feet pounded the loose gravel and hard-packed dirt as she tore down the mountain path. Her lace dress was shredded, fine linen pooling at her hips and tangling around her legs, but she pushed on breathlessly. Thorns and twigs had reduced the filmy fabric to ribbons barely clinging to sweat-slicked skin. Blood trickled from countless scratches, leaving trails of vivid red in her wake.

Maria had no idea how long she had been lost in the strange jungle. She only knew she had to escape.

Had to get back. Back to Pablo. Back to their honeymoon paradise before this madness swallowed her completely.

The day had started beautifully – lazy kisses, the honeyed scent of fresh Panettone drifting up from the village bakery below. It was the second morning of their trip, celebrating 25 blessed years of marriage.

Maria had wanted to surprise Pablo. Their hotel, nestled in the Peruvian mountains, overflowed with handmade treasures. Woven scarves and alpaca sweaters, delicately carved gourd bowls – all bold riots of color that reminded Maria of their nights spent tangoing on Buenos Aires side streets what seemed a lifetime ago.

She had slipped from Pablo's slumbering embrace, hungering to bring back those carefree newlywed days. To try, as their silver wedding anniversary loomed, to reclaim that youthful abandon.

One special gift, she thought––

In the jungle canopy above, branches shook. Birds erupted in screeches and angry flutters at the intrusion as they took flight. Maria stumbled to a halt, pulse hammering in her ears. She whirled around, eyes straining the path behind her. Had she imagined it? Over the frantic pounding of her heart, the jungle had gone deathly silent. Fear congealed in her gut. She had to keep moving. Maria staggered on, barely feeling the blisters burst with every desperate step over rocks and gnarled roots.

Just then the path took a sharp bend around an ancient ceiba tree, its enormous buttressed trunk forcing Maria sideways. Sliding her hand along lichen-flecked bark for balance, she nearly tumbled headlong over a body sprawled directly in her path. Maria clenched her jaw to bite back a scream. Bile seared her throat as she choked it down, nearly gagging on the sickly-sweet stench of coppery blood.

The body had been a man once. His rumpled linen shirt gaped open and soaked black across the chest, where the hilt of a plain hunting knife protruded like an obscene tumor. His neck bent at an impossible angle against the gnarled roots, eyes blank and startled in death.

Maria swayed where she stood, shaking hand fluttering to her mouth as she gagged again. She squeezed her eyes shut tight but could not block out the image now searing her mind. This had been no casual robbery gone wrong––the violence against the dead man cried personal vengeance. And she remembered.

The beady stare of the man who had chased her into the jungle. His greasy hair, limp and stringy against pallid skin slick with sweat. How had he found her again? Maria moaned––had he done this? Was this Pablo's body? Her heart wrenched as she forced herself to look again at the corpse.

The simple linen shirt...Pablo had been wearing blue when...oh god. When she had last seen him. When she kissed him goodbye just hours ago, leaving a lipstick smudge along his jawline. Bile flooded her mouth once more. Not Pablo.

Eyes wild now, she scanned the path ahead. No one ––yet–– but danger still lurked behind. Chest heaving, she spun forward again. She had to keep moving. Keep running. Back to Pablo. Back to safety. Holding the last shreds of her tattered dress against herself she began to run.

Strong hands grabbed her shoulders as Maria rounded yet another bend. A scream caught in her throat as she reflexively twisted violently to break loose.

Familiar eyes greeted her. Pablo clutched her now, frantic hands grasping at her thin shoulders. Maria collapsed against him, boneless with relief for one blissful moment.

Until she felt the unnatural angle of his neck under her cheek.

Maria reeled back, hands flying to cover her mouth in horror–– but the picture before her wavered for a moment. Became translucent.

Pablo gazed down at her, eyes tender and smile so gentle that Maria let out a wounded cry. But as he spoke, the musical lilt of her husband's voice was underlaid by a sinister dark echo.

"Mi amor...I have found you..." she said.

Maria stared at the creature wearing her love's dear face. Its edges shimmered, blending seamlessly at times into Pablo's sturdy frame only to waver again, allowing glimpses through the illusion. Of wet scarlet smeared across bared teeth. Of a painted face and obsidian stare underneath, devoid now of humanity. Soulless eyes bored into hers, and all pretense dropped.

The image solidified again into the beloved man she knew, desperately holding his hands out to her in supplication, neck bent at that hideous angle.

"Come to me, love..." the monster rasped.

Its filthy fingernails were bloodstained, she saw now. Maria choked on the air. Tried to back away, to run, but bands of iron encircled her frozen form. She didn't know if she was hallucinating or waking up to a twisted reality. Her vision dimmed as she felt hot breath against her cheek. Fetid air stirred her hair as it whispered,

"Oh, she suffers sister..."

"How much?" the creature continued,

"She doesn't know what she's seeing is not real." the monster whispered in another voice.

Maria's eyes snapped open to screaming birds and oppressive jungle heat. Disoriented, she staggered to her feet, the snowy dress now merely dirtied rags. Pablo was nowhere - weeks lost in this green hell with no refuge. But she would find him. Her mind had shattered, casting illusions...still, she pushed on. Pablo was waiting. Pablo would save her. Pablo was here. Somewhere. If only she could reach him...