Into The Woods

Chapter 25

Suzette:

A tight grip on my wrist pulls me through the woods. Every once in a while he jerks me forward sharply, ignoring my protests about where we are going. I tug and struggle against his grip. He whips around, facing me with his piercing green eyes.

"Stop fighting me!" He says, exasperated. "We're on the same side."

I narrow my eyes at him, resisting the urge to tear my arm away and run.

"How do I know that?" I say, my voice raspy, and unrecognizable to me.

He sighs and hauls me once more through the maze of trees. "You'll just have to trust me."

"Trust isn't given that easily. I mean look at what you're doing, pulling me through the woods like some deranged mad man." I scoff, once more trying to pull away.

"I'm not crazy, you know." He informs me.

In this moment he reminds me of Lark, hazel eyes glowing and burning into my face. My heart longs for Lark, to see his face, and never let go. But if I die that will never happen. Maybe this man here will be the one to kill me.

I shut my mouth, not wanting to irritate him further. This boy could crush me with the single flex of his fist. I didn't want to admit how scared I am of this guy, Lark's could be twin.

I let him pull me even further into the woods.

Stumbling over my own feet, I fall face first into the ground, a scream escaping my lips. The man whips around once more, sharply, a growl erupting from him. He leans down to take ahold of my arm, yanking me up so abruptly I yelp.

I rub the spot where his hand had been on my arm. A bruise already sprouting there. I frown at the sight of the blossoming purple on my arm.

"That hurt." I protest.

"Just shut up. We are almost there." The man snaps.

I lift up the skirts of my dress, forcing my legs to carry me. I resist the urge to ask where's there. Pulling me along faster, the material of my dress catches on branches so my dress is now torn. I could cry for the loss of my beautiful dress that my mother had bought for me. She actually had cared enough to have me look beautiful on this night. But it was ruined by fate. Whatever that fate may be.

My eyes glance around our surroundings, taking in the green of the trees, and the dirt that my heels keep sinking into. When I look forward a cabin looms in front of me. Light streams out and onto the path that I have now stepped on. The man reaches the door, and he softly knocks on the door, making it barely audible for me to hear.

The door swings open to reveal a girl with dark black hair, and piercing blue eyes. She glances cautiously between us. But then she sighs in relief, and throws her arms around him.

Her head is buried in the crook of his neck, and his arms are wound tightly around her waist.

A pang of sorrow fills me. Just a few hours ago that had been me and Lark. No matter how much I tried not to feel jealous, I did. It was hard watching them together when I couldn't be with Lark. Especially when this boy looked so much like him.

"Tyson." She whispers, pulling away to acknowledge me. "Why don't you introduce me to our guest?"

He cleared his throat, not taking his arms away from her waist as he turns back to face me. "This is the girl Lark mentioned, Suzette." He says.

Her blue eyes go wide with recognition. She runs her eyes over me, inspecting my torn prom dress, and tangled hair that wildly frames my face. "You're not what I expected you to be."