The Beast of Yeller Wood

Chapter 21

                Heath fell into a fitful slumber quickly; he was growing weaker by the hour. The shadows under his eyes were deep bruises. I dozed off here and there but was soon awakened by a jerk or a shout, there was no peaceful slumber. Heath twitched and muttered random inaudible phrases in a stressed tone. He should not be travelling in a state like this. Sweat pricked on his forehead from his fever. He had an infection from his stab wound I am guessing.

                The carriage groans on, constantly surrounded by guard. This is mind numbing, I can’t even tell you how many hours I have been trapped in here without a pause to stretch my legs. I rest my head on the on cushion praying that this will go by faster. And my prayer has been answered; I hear shouting and the clambering of men outside. The carriage shudders to a halt. Heath wakes almost instantly. His eyes pry open; he peeks out of the curtain annoyed. His face somehow pales more than it already has. He turns to me, helplessness and dread washed across his face. Words come out weak and garbled, he can hardly even think! I reach across him and draw the curtain open. To my horror, glee, and most of all surprise there is a scene of combat right outside. John’s rebel forces have come! I fumble with the door and shove it open.

                The scent of blood and dirt hit my face almost in fury. The sound of clanging metal, and the cries and shouts of men was almost deafening. Heath grabs my elbow and yanks me back with such force it astonishes me as he is a dying man. My head whips back, that wasn’t Heath. I meet the eyes of John, my heart calms with such relief. His dark eyes make me feel at home, he is my home.

                Words come out broken from my awestruck mouth, he crookedly grins.

                “Come along Belinda,”

                I have a moment of weakness; I look down upon weak and fragile Heath. And pity surges through me, this is pity upon the monster who tortured and wasted years of my life. It feels strange and foreign placing pity in my heart towards him. But he is decrepit; it simply feels wrong and cruel leaving him here to die.

                “What about Heath? He is dying…” I whimper,

                John snorts, “What about him? He is not only a monstrous human, but a monstrous creature. Scum of the earth.”

                I nod, “I am fully aware John, and I would assuredly know all of this as he is my husband. But stomping on an ant doesn’t help anyone.”

                Heath’s voice is cracked and a wheeze at this point, “Leave me to die Belinda. I’m a wretched man, I live up to this. I would rather die here on this desolate road than watch another moment of you with my brother,” He spits out brother as if a curse, “The curse of the Beast fell upon me, and I have hated myself for it. You did no good in changing that Belinda. Just let me die and go off like the slut you are with him. Cheat.” He coughs up blood,

                He flicks his hand with the ease and carelessness as if he was still sitting on his throne. What would I say to such a final speech? I have no words, it wasn’t heartfelt undoubtedly but it was something. Leaving him with this final wish was the only thing I was ever going to do for him. We leave wordlessly and Heath slowly beckons the kiss of death.

                “Close your eyes, please do not watch these horrors.” John whispers lowly into my ear,

                He reaches underneath my and carries me bridal style, his slow run bouncing me. I shut my eyes tight, he is right. The sounds and smells I endure are enough to traumatize. Women are not on the battle front for so many reasons. Nothing bothers us as he rushes us two out of the skirmish. He slows as he reaches the edge of the woods; he steps slowly over logs and heavy branches with care. I slowly open my eyes cautiously.

                “You can set my down now John.”

                He shakes his head, “I insist on carrying you.”

                I roll my eyes, “You just want to hold me?”

                “No, your shoes might get a bit muddy.” He turns and smirks at me, “Belinda please get that stunned look off your face, of course I want to hold you.”

                And with those words we began our fairytale ever after with no monster lurking in the woods, angry villagers, or oppressive kings to hold us apart.

               

The END

Yes, go ahead and hate me for ending this story so abruptly. But I didn't want to drag this out into some ridiculously long story. I told as much of her story as I wanted. There really aren't any plans for a sequel, but maybe a branching off story with the same world. I really hoped you enjoyed The Beast of Yeller Wood, this is my first finished story. I am so proud of myself, as I'm only in high school. I will continue writing, there is Vertiginous which will definitely be a much longer and more in depth story. And yes...it's about blood suckers. Give it a chance even if you aren't huge on fang faces, it has a lot of kick, spunk, and personality and should be an enjoyable read for a wide audience. At least I like to think so! Haha, thank you so much for reading, voting, and fanning me. And thanks for actually finishing this excessively long paragraph not related to my story all that much!

          With Love!,

          -Olivia