My mother would smack me with her wooden spoon if she knew what I was doing. My nightdress swayed gently with every step I took away from my window, my long silk sleeves brushing the rest of my dress with every fidget.
My eyes began scanning outside my yard and stopped when my blueberry bush rustled. I narrowed my eyes, looking as clear as possible.
Then it came out. Standing there, almost proudly. Its coat was truly the darkest shadow I have ever seen in my twenty years of life. Its eyes, they were beautiful yet... emotionless. They were a striking red that looked as if they were glowing, like rubies. Its pointy ears were almost acting like devil horns. His canines, sharp and intimidating, glistened and stood out from his dark fur.
That's when it saw me. I felt my whole body freeze and it walked closer to my window, out of the bushes. The closer it got the faster my heart began to beat as I began taking steps back, my grip on the knife tightened. Once it was only a couple of feet away, it stopped.
Calm down, Bexley. You've got this. Five years in training won't fail you now. You're too high up on the house for it to reach you. It's not like you have such bad luck that it would actually choose you over the pretty and noble girls in the village.
The moment I thought those words, the large wolf stood on its' hind legs and I heard a few bones crack. I walked a step closer to the window with a shiver at the cold window coming through. My eyes immediately widened and my heart dropped straight to my ass. Before my shivering form stood a tall wolfman on its two hind legs. My heart stopped as it began walking closer to my balcony. Oh, devil's hell.
Run, Bexley, run!!
I sprinted away from my window and slammed it shut. I grab ahold of my nightstand and pushed it in front of the balcony door in haste, my deep breaths echoing through my room. My body was feeling numb as it began to reach fight or flight.
I needed the rifle.
I reached for my bedroom door and tugged it open, only for it to creak and not budge open. I started kicking it aggressively and dropped the knife as I started tugging and banging my pale hands on the door, watching as they began turning red and bruised. I yelled for my dad as I knew he would be sleeping with his favorite rifle, Petunia, tonight. I kicked the door again with no effort.
I can hear a low rumble as I turned around to the balcony in fear, running towards my bed and hiding under it. I heard my balcony door smash open along with the crashing sound of my nightstand, and heavy footsteps accompanied by heavy breathing. I held my breath and closed my eyes as silent tears fell down my reddened cheeks. I looked to my left and saw my knife at arms reach. I stretched my hand slowly and I felt the wooden handle on my shaking fingertips. I heard a deep- thunderous growl and my bed was flipped away, exposing my trembling, sweating self. A sob escaped my lips as he growled again and began getting closer. I began trying to crawl away from...him. I felt the wind through the open balcony door as a chill ran through my near exposed body, the doors slamming back and forth harshly with the wind.
My hands grabbed the knife and I swung as I began getting up. I thrust the knife forward only to miss as he pushes me to the ground with his backhand, hitting my arm in a hard force. The knife flies out of my hand and out of reach as it pathetically slides across my wooden floor. I look up at him in horror as I crawl away backward until my back hits my light blue wall. I look at my surroundings only to frown in dismay as I see nothing in sight to fight back with.
The moment his claws reached out towards me, a knock was heard through the door, following my dad's gruff voice.
"Sweetheart, are you alright?!"
I opened my mouth to yell, but it was too late. He had grabbed me by my waist and hoisted me over his black fur-covered shoulder. I punched and kicked until I began feeling the blood rushing into my head and I felt light-headed. At that moment I felt my body weaken and the last thing I saw was the forest floor trailing away from me, and his hind legs.
Good job, Bexley, good job.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I woke up in a daze, my arms and legs chained to a wall. I blinked quickly, trying to get my eyes to adjust. A splintering headache caused me to groan in pain.
Once my eyes adjusted to the slight light in the room, I looked around and cringed.
I was in a cell.
A dirty, cold, creepy, bad-smelling cell.
I pulled on the chains on my arms, causing them to clank against the wall. I kept on pulling until I gave up and began screaming.
"Help! Anybody! Please!" I yelled out at the top of my lungs and it was then that I noticed how dry my throat felt.
I was about to scream again when heavy footsteps were coming towards me.
My heartbeat quickened as the steps got closer. Once the person was in front of my cell, I noticed that his silhouette was dark and unnoticeable due to the lack of light in the room.
"Hello?" My voice came out strained and shaky.
The figure got closer and I could see half of the man's face. His strong and defined jaw was noticeable, along with dark silky brown hair. His nose looked straight and his skin was tan. I looked into his eyes to see they were closed.
I felt myself growing more and more with fear, my heart feeling like it will beat out of my chest at any minute with its quick staccato rhythm, "Who are you? Did you kidnap me?" He was stood in silence, looking at the ground as the darkness created a shadow. My thumping head began to worsen as I pushed myself closer to the cold wall.
How did I even get myself in this situation? Was a really too confident and underestimated this beast? I feel myself remembering the conversation from not too long ago in town.
I hauled the three jackrabbits and the bore behind my back with my expertly braided rope. My knives were set securely around both sides of my waist and the now warm metal of my hand knife pressed against my skin from inside my brown boots.
I walked towards Mrs.Praisley, an ancient eighty-something woman with her usual red knee dress and green torn apron. She was the town trader and town nut-job but no one can deny she had the sources, the money, and the food to be respected.
"Ah. well if it isn't my favorite huntress." Her eyes and cheeks wrinkled as she smiled. Her green eyes sparkled in delight at the sight of my kill behind my back.
I smiled at her and hoisted the jackrabbits higher on my shoulder," I'm the only huntress in this town Mrs.P."
She scratches her aging head of hair with her freakishly long nails in wonder," Oh, is that right? Well, either way, you're the only one who hunts the boar that I like and how I like."
I haul the jackrabbits on her dirty wooden table and pull the heavy boar up as well. She claps her hands in delight and laughs, inspecting the fat, brown animal," Yes! Oh, this is perfect, little one. How does one-twenty for the pig sound? Oh, and thirty for each rabbit?"
I nod and she chuckles happily as she takes the animals with the help of William, her twenty-year-old nephew, and goes to the back for her money. William nods at me with a smile, his grey eyes sparkling and his blonde hair shining in the sun. I smile back and he takes the large animal inside.
As I wait for Mrs.P, I spot three palace guards walking towards me, their armor making a clicking sound with every step they take.
I see Koben, a tall dark-skinned man with stubble on his face, walk in front of me," Well if it isn't the town's wannabe hunter. What did you bring to trade this time? A wittle bunny rabbit?"
He coos at me as his three friends behind him chuckle. I roll my eyes and smirk at him," I'm not you Koben. If I do recall, your father's the one that got you the job as a palace guard, and even then your the protector of the royal pet. Isn't that right?"
He turns red," You're only getting yourself in danger, little girl. You don't know the real dangers of the world."
I look around as people walk past, some lingering to see what the gossip is," What? Like The Beast?"
The guard straightens," Actually, yes."
"I can take him."
The guards all look at more for a second before they start laughing. Koben wipes a fake tear from his eyes and looks at me with amusement," I knew you were dumb before, but now I know you're just plain deranged."
"Why, cause I'm a girl?"
He smirks before looking at me with seriousness in his eyes," No, because you're stupid and naive."
The guards were right, I am stupid.
And now here I am, chained to a wall, looking straight into HIS cold blood-red eyes.