The Beast and The Meadow

 By Lillian E. M. Garza

Lenore and Caia were running at breakneck speed through the woods, away from their campsite, trees flying past them, as they dodged limbs and leaped over obstacles in their path. They could feel the beast behind them but dared not look back for fear of falling, and then it would be over. Like it was over for their friend, Jason.

The air tore at Lenore's lungs, her legs burning, begging for her to stop. She ignored them, forcing herself beyond her limits as she felt the hot breath of the creature on her neck, hearing its vicious claws scraping and crunching as it vaulted from tree to tree above them. She glanced sideways at Caia, and she knew that her friend wouldn't be able to run much longer. 

Her cornsilk hair was flying, her ivory cheeks flushed, sweat dripped from her temples, and tears were streaming down her china-doll face. When Lenore looked ahead of them she could see a break in the trees where moonlight shone on something white. She gave another burst of speed as they approached it, feeling as if the beast was inches away.

They broke through a hedge of pale white heather flowers, and Caia collapsed into a sea of ferns, gasping for air and shaking her head.

"I can't!" She sobbed uncontrollably. "Lenore - I have - to stop." 

Lenore crouched beside her childhood friend, panting, and chanced a look over her shoulder. For some reason, she suddenly felt safe, as if they had crossed some invisible barrier when they had entered the clearing. She was sure that beast was still there though, just beyond the hedge of heather in the shadows of the trees. She thought she could see its menacing silhouette less than ten feet from where they stood, its black eyes shining out from the darkness. It seemed as if something was keeping it from coming any further. 

She looked around and saw that the clearing was completely surrounded by the hedge of white heather, and blanketed with ferns, save for a small waterfall that trickled into a crystal pond. Soft mist floated above the water, creating an eerie, yet magical scene. Lenore looked down at her hands and realized that they still had blood on them from when she had shielded her face as the beast had ripped Jason apart. A sudden wave of nausea washed over her, and she quickly bent to the pool and rinsed herself in the chill water. 

As the ripples faded, she caught a glimpse of her reflection, pale in the moonlight. Long dark brown hair falling in curtains around her freckled face, and bright green eyes looking much older than they had when she had left for the camping trip yesterday. She never could have imagined before tonight that such a beast could be real. As she stared at her haunting reflection, she noticed something strange on her shoulder. It looked like a miniature fern, but it was moving like some kind of stick bug. 

Lenore looked down and was startled to see a tiny green face looking up at her. She screamed in shock, quickly brushing the creature away, scrambling backward. The beast growled at the sound, but Lenore's eyes were now searching the ferns for wherever the bug had fallen. 

"What is it?" Caia asked, approaching fearfully, tears now drying on her cheeks. 

"I don't know, I thought there was a weird bug on me," Lenore breathed. 

"Bug?!" Came an incredulous voice, sounding like the buzz of a bee. "Hardly. I am a fern sprite, thank you very much, and I would appreciate it if you would leave my meadow now!"

Lenore finally spotted the tiny being standing on a rock by the glittering water. It had two legs, two arms, a head, and two strange-looking wings, all deep green and looking like the ends of budding ferns. Lenore cleared her throat, unsure how to respond to something that moments before she would have never believed existed. She faltered, then blurted out.