The Hunt for a Soul

The forest was her sanctuary. She had followed the narrow meandering paths around the forest every day at dusk, it was peaceful and quiet. She felt a sense of enchantment in the haunting beauty it gave. Strange sounds of the forest soothed her troubled mind. She wanted to know the hidden secrets the forest had to bare, unaware she would soon become one of them. This forest was no ordinary forest. It was in the path of the wild hunt.

The wild hunt was fast approaching, the leader Herne the hunter had been watching their path and had noticed there would be many takings. One person had caught his attention, a girl named Thana. She had a creamy complexion with bright green eyes that seemed to have a layer of grey mist over them. Her midnight black hair tumbled over her shoulders in natural waves reaching her lower back. Beauty was not what caught Herne's attention though it was her soul. It fed off the energy created by the forest's haunting beauty.

The Wild Hunt was tonight. Thana's grandmother had warned her not to go into the forest that night. Her grandmother was the only one who knew of the prophecy. Thana tried to stay away from the forest but it called to her soul, urging her, screaming at her to go to the forest. Her body moved itself as if on a string. She tried to get away but the pull was too strong. Thana found herself at a clearing in the forest, she knew the forest like the back of her hand but had never seen this clearing before. The clearing was beautiful; fireflies lit the whole area giving it a magical feel. Thana walked around the clearing for a while when she heard the horn followed by two wolf howls.

The Wild Hunt had begun.

Herne sat hauntingly on a white horse at the front of the hunters. They started to ride across the sky. The unsuspecting souls were taken by the hunters one by one. Herne wasn't enjoying the wild hunt like normal. He wanted to see Thana, something about her called to him. It wasn't long before they came upon the forest that Herne always saw Thana at. He decided that he would lower from the sky so he could see her better. They came across a clearing in the forest, and that's when Herne noticed Thana in the middle surrounded by fireflies.

Thana stared up at the sky, waiting for the hunters. It wasn't long before she saw it, a ghastly horde of figures riding the skies. These figures were curious, having horns and flesh slipping down their rotting faces. Looking gruesome they were strangely hauntingly beautiful. The hunters lowered towards the ground and Thana's soul started to feed off their eerie beauty.

Herne looked upon Thana as she stood surrounded by fireflies. The fireflies began attaching to Thana's body creating a dress and gradually glowed brighter and brighter. Herne was enchanted by the sight. Herne stepped off his horse and walked towards her. Mesmerised by how beautiful she was.

Thana was frozen, he was beautiful. She had a sudden urge to embrace him. As Herne came closer they gazed into each other's eyes. Once he was in reaching distance Thana hugged him. Little did Thana know, by this one hug she had sealed her fate. She was now Herne's for eternity.

His hug warmed Thana to the bone. So caught up in the feeling she didn't realise that they were rising towards the sky. When Thana noticed she became disorientated, until everything clicked into place. She was dead, a free soul, in love with Herne, whom she just met but felt like she had known forever.

Thana's loving soul transformed Herne and the others for her soul was extremely delicate and not from this universe. The Wild Hunt was not a time for the taking of souls anymore, it was a time to help those move on to where they had to be.

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