Juliet Rising

Chapter 3

Romeo stared at me and then whipped his head around as he heard the scream. I gasped, "Rosaline. That's Rosaline's voice!"

Romeo's face paled and he glared at me, then he roared "Go Home!" He pulled out his rapier and set off towards the sound.

I debated going after him, after all, this was my cousin Rosaline.

I searched the ground and found a big stick. Grabbing it, I followed Romeo's disappearing figure.

"Rosaline!" I called out as I ran deeper into the woods, "Cousin!"

I was getting lost and a little scared, I clutched the giant stick to my chest.

Suddenly, there was a crack and the sound of feet running towards me. I looked in shock at my cousin.

Rosaline was usually very particular about her appearance. Not a hair out of place and not a single wrinkle on her clothes.

But right now, her clothing was torn and her hair was completely disheveled. She looked at me, the horror had not faded from her eyes. She looked as if she had seen horrors beyond comprehension. A long gash ran from cheek to chin. But instead of blood, there was a blueish silver glow to cut.

"What?" I said as I saw more scratches on her that seemed to have the same bluish light.

She looked in shock at the sight of me, and then she looked back at the area that she had come from.

"Why...Cousin? How are you here?" She looked me up and down, "Have you Awoken?"

She said as she grabbed my hand and pulled me from the forest, "Go, this is no place for you! Your scent will be irresistible to those creatures!" She had a sword in one hand it was covered in black liquid that smelled foul.

"Wait, I came with Romeo." I said, "We heard you scream and he rushed after you."

"No!" She cried, her eyes suddenly red with anguish. She looked at me and then back at the forest, then at me again.

"Are you going after him?" I asked her. I realized in that moment that she was trying to chose between me and that boy.

Rosaline cursed, using a word I knew that I had never heard her say. She looked at me and sighed, "No, I need to get you out of here first."

She grabbed my hand once more, "Cousin, this is no place for you, if they find you, they will not be able to resist. How did you get here?"

As I opened my mouth to tell her, a strange growl rang out. Rosaline covered my mouth with her hand. She looked around carefully.

A strangely dressed man...I stifled a scream as I looked at the face. In the place of a face, there was a skull with jagged teeth. Its hand was reaching for us, I could see the decaying flesh on it. Rosaline shoved me behind her, "I just saw that thing devour an Awakened being and capture another. Don't let it touch you Juliet. I can only hold them off for so long, you have to escape."

Four more of those things appeared, Rosaline gave me a reassuring smile, "Flee, fair couz and i will fly behind you."

She ran towards the thing which also rushed at her and swung her sword. The thing, whatever it was, was fast. It reached for her. Rosaline cut down the arm and turned to look at me, "RUN! RUN NOW!"

I turned, realizing that I was more of a hinderance than a help and ran for the edge of the forest.

I saw the carriage and almost cried in relief as I looked on the face of the coachman. I had to find help and save Rosaline. Just as I was about ten steps from the carriage, one of the skeleton things came and jumped onto the carriage. It grabbed the coachman by the neck and bit down. The man did not even have a moment scream as his life ended. From his body, a small light flew into the things mouth.

The Coachman's body turned to a pool of ink and was sucked into the thing's body. I backed away in horror as it turned its black hole eyes at me.  It half crawled, half walked towards me, it's clawed hands extended.

Time slowed and speed up at the same time as the thing's hand came for my face. I was frozen, helpless.

Just then, Rosaline rushed out of the forest and pushed me out of the way. The thing's hand impaled itself into Rosaline's chest.  She raised her sword, about to cut off it's arm when it gripped her sword and shattered it.

Rosaline looked at me, the glowing blue light from her body coursing out of her and into the thing's hand.

"Juliet. It will be alright. I am glad I have finally met the real you. Tell Romeo..." But before she could say anything, the ball of blue light disappeared from her chest and Rosaline vanished.  All that remained was the blue light in the Thing's hand. The thing took out a vial and stuck the blue light into the bottle.

My cousin Rosaline's body turned into a black pool that fell to the ground. It was quickly soaked up by the earth.

To my right, a growl sounded. I saw six of those things come out of the woods to join its companion.

The things looked at me and grinned. It's companions all made gargling sounds, it was as if they were laughing at the small human who dared to take them on.

I felt a rush of anger as I looked at that thing that took my cousin's life. Picking up a broken piece of Rosaline's sword I stared at it, "Give me back my cousin!" I demanded. If I was going to die, then I wanted to die like Rosaline. Fighting to my last breath.