Once Upon a Tale

Chapter 12: Woods

"Up is down, day is night, when you're not there. Oh, you're my only landmark, so I'm lost in the woods."
~Jonathan Groff~

"Y/N." A sweet gentle voice called.

"Y/N, sweetheart, please come back to me." The voice broke.

"Sweetheart, come back. I love you." The voice pleaded softly.

"Wake up."

I opened my eyes after hearing those words. There stood a woman my age infront of me, giving me a look of what seems like pity.

"I'm glad you woke up. I've been trying to wake you up for the last hour. I thought you froze to death in here." The woman smiled kindly.

"W-who are you?" I croaked, my voice sounding strange in my own ears.

The woman's smile widened showing a pretty set of pearly white teeth. She then held her right hand up waiting for me to accept it.

"I'm Alice. I live here." She said when I accepted her hand.

"Y/N." I said softly, sniffing after.

"What are you doing here, Y/N? The woods is not a safe place and I think you slept in here last night." She asked tilting her head.

"I-I don't know where to go. I-I lost my friend last night. I guess I cried myself to sleep." I said looking down to avoid her scrutinizing gaze.

My eyes stopped at her hands and I noticed that her fingernails are painted with a bloody red color. When she noticed where I'm looking, she hid her hands behind her back. She then gave me a tight-lipped smile.

She sure takes good care of her fingernails even though she lives faraway from the civilization.

"Oh, you poor thing." She sighed, taking a hold of my hand, she started walking towards a direction.

"W-where are we going?" I halt on my steps.

She turned around smiling kindly again. "We're going to my house. I'm going to feed you there and let you stay as long as you want."

"Witches lurk around here and it'll be unfortunate if you bumped into one. Don't trust women that is going around here. Don't also trust men. Don't trust anyone but it'll be safer if you'd trust men. Women in the forest could be witches so don't even consider getting near them."

Yoongi's words rang in my head after she said that.

I pulled my hand away from her hold and backed away, creating a certain distance from where she stood.

"I'm sorry but I won't go with you." I said giving her a polite smile.

She raised a brow, her kind expression suddenly becoming intimidating. "Why? Aren't you hungry? Where would you stay then?"

I shook my head. "I will find a way to get out of this forest. Thank you for your concern but I need to go."

I turned around ready to leave but she caught my wrist.

"Wait! How 'bout you come with me first? It would be much better if you have a meal before going out of the forest. It would give you energy to continue your journey." She insisted.