Late Night Snack

Prologue: A Bitter Harvest

In the emerald embrace of the ancient woods, a playful shriek shattered the afternoon's serenity. "Jaco-bi!" a voice, laced with mischief and delight, echoed through the sun-dappled canopy. "Come find me!"

Golden braids, shimmering like sunlit wheat, disappeared into the green depths of the forest. Her grey eyes, alight with the thrill of adventure, sparkled like polished stones in the dappled sunlight. The girl was no taller than four-foot-ten, but that didn't stop her from jumping up and clinging to a branch far above her head.

Her brother, his features mirroring hers like reflections in a still pond, followed cautiously behind. His eyes darted nervously across the green labyrinth. Each rustle of leaves and snap of a twig sent shivers down his spine. Though she was far out of sight, he spoke as if she stood beside him, his voice barely a tremor in the air.

"Mama says we shouldn't play here," he mumbled, doubt lacing his voice, though his words held a hint of the adventure that called to them both.

The girl giggled, her laughter cascading through the air like wind chimes, and dangled her legs on the perch she was sitting on. Sunlight streamed through the branches, causing her grey eyes to flash silver with a thrill of forbidden adventure. "These woods are in our backyard," she declared, her voice echoing with childish defiance. "We should be able to explore them."

"Papa says there are demons living in these woods," the boy countered, stopping by a large oak tree.

He was close, he could sense her. His fear quickly slipped away. A twig snapped and his head jerked in the same direction of the sound. He grinned and his grey eyes sparked with predatory delight.

"Papa just tells you those things to scare you." The girl rang out, teasing and playful. "You're getting warmer, Jaco-bi!"

The boy rolled up his sleeves and leaped up the nearest tree to scout the area. He soon found himself falling back down with a thud, landing hard on his head when his sister flipped upside-down and hung from her legs onto the branch above his. She grinned mischievously, fangs glinting in the sunlight, before playfully chanting, "Boo!"

The boy sat up with a groan. He could feel blood seep out of a gash in the back of his head. It closed up just as quickly as it appeared. The obnoxious sound of his sister laughing loomed over him.

She jumped down from her branch and opened her mouth to make a snide comment, but stopped. Her clever eyes turned curious. Without an explanation, she walked past her brother and deeper into the woods.

"Hey, where are you going?" The boy followed her gaze but saw nothing. He called out her name, but only the rustling of leaves answered. Soon, her figure was swallowed up by the trees, and an uneasy feeling washed over him. "I already caught you once! Let's- Let's go back before Mama finds out what we were doing."

He waited a moment, then two, for her to call him. When she didn't, his heart dropped to his stomach as he realized this wasn't part of their game. He searched frantically, clambering over fallen logs, pushing past bushes, and climbing every tree he could find. Over and over he called out her name, but there was no response.

She was gone.

His only sister was gone and he was alone. Alone in the woods, his mother said not to play in and his father warned there would be demons. Tears brimmed his eyes. He choked back a sob.

Then, there she was cradled in the arms of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Black hair cascaded down the woman's pale skin, framing a face that seemed carved from moonlight. Her green eyes, as vibrant as the moss on the ancient trees, glittered with an almost unnatural light. As she traced a long, pale finger along his sister's face, a melodic chant filled the air, causing a ring of mushrooms to bloom around them.