The Cursed Kingdom

ONE

Oriana met my eyes before rolling her own and we both began reluctantly following the teenage boys deeper into the woods.

My teeth clattered uncontrollably and I pulled my jacket, the one I had made myself out of rabbit hides and cotton, closer to my chest. It was probably the coldest winter we had experienced in our lifetimes and if the twins weren't my friends, I would've been snuggled in my blankets with a warm cup of tea.

"There! There!" Taylium shouted, pointing at a sign that had been knocked over sideways from years of decay and bad weather. The thing looked ancient and it was a surprise that it wasn't one with the earth by then.

The Cursed Kingdom. The thought of being so near it had me shuddering. The sign wasn't just a warning, it was the boundary line to our two kingdoms.

Beware it read with what appeared to be a demonic dog underneath with sharp canines and crossed eyes that made it look ridiculous. Right next to it, in a black colored paint instead of red, was a childish drawing of a penis crafted together by three unsymmetrical circles.

"Okay. Great. We know you're men. Can we please go back now?" Oriana said, bouncing her knees. Her voice was anxious.

"Not until we make our own mark," Taylium jabbed a thumb at the sign, using his other hand to pull out a pen from the pocket of his coat. Right next to the other one, he drew his own version of a male reproductive organ, which had me scoffing.

Once he was done, Tylem snatched the marker out of his grip and hastily drew the same object on the other side.

I watched his footing, my heart beating faster.

"Is that seriously the only thing guys think about?" I asked, a smile tugging at my lips in an attempt to mask my sudden realization of just how stupid we were being. Secretly, I wondered if I should leave my own 'mark' for walking out and risking my life as well. After all, I was the oldest. So why not?

"Yes."

"Pretty much."

I chuckled and was about to say something to Oriana when movement caught my eye, a flash of something tall and dark. At first I brushed it off as an elk, which were common in those parts of the Northwoods, until I saw it a second time and remembered where we were.

"Uh, guys?" I said as softly as I could while attempting to stay calm, looking around at every tree. I tried to tell myself I was seeing things, that drinking that shot of vodka before we left was a bad idea and that no one's feet had crossed the border. I had watched them so closely that I would've noticed.

The other must've thought I was losing my mind too, looking at me like my head had grown an identical friend.

A tree branch suddenly broke near us, the sharp and distinct sound reverberating off of every surface. Oriana jumped and let out a choked sound that was the beginning of a scream. The twins shared looks of what I guessed was fear. Even Taylium, who had been the bravest of us all, looked like he was about to piss himself.

We all knew the dangers that lurked in the Northwoods. We had been told their stories our entire lives. We had feared them our entire lives.

"Oh shit," Oriana whimpered, stepping closer to me and grabbing onto my bicep right above my elbow. I hissed as her long fingernails poked me quite painfully through my layers of sleeves. "Raena, let's go."

I was about to agree, had even gone as far as opening my mouth to release the words. But they got caught in my throat when I heard a scream.

Head whipping around, I cried out in horror when I saw a massive creature sinking its teeth into Taylium's neck, my friend's blood spurting out onto the white snow. His gurgled shouts of pain made birds fly out of trees as he fell backwards, giving the beast better access to his throat.