Two dark haired sisters wound their way through the murky forest. They slipped around twisted trees; the younger followed the elder.
Both wore cloaks over fine riding dresses and had travelling bags slung over their shoulders and lanterns in their hands.
The sky and the forest below were illuminated as a flash of lightning streaked across the sky.
The elder sister had an expression of grim determination written across her fair features. The younger sister started at the echo of thunder and looked around nervously, clutching a lantern in her hand.
"Slow down, Theresa," the younger begged.
"Keep up, Daphne. We must hurry," Theresa hissed back.
"I can't. I don't know why we had to leave in this weather," Daphne complained, but she tried harder to move forward at a faster pace.
They broke through the trees into a small clearing. Theresa looked around as another flash lit the area around them.
"Because, she's gone right now. Who knows when we would get another chance to escape? We can't stay there another minute. We're almost free."
Daphne hurried after Theresa.
Theresa pushed on. "We are so close. Soon we'll be out of her reach. Come on, keep moving," Theresa ordered in a low voice. There was a triumphant, rebellious edge to her words.
As if to prove Theresa wrong, a bright flash of light illuminated the clearing. It was as bright as the lightening but unnatural in nature.
A disembodied feminine voice rang eerily out towards them from the flash. "My dear girls," it began with a sharp little laugh, "Whatever are you doing out on such a miserable night?"
"We're leaving," announced Theresa with her back straight. Daphne shook beside her.
How had she discovered they were escaping so quickly?
"My ungrateful nieces, you know you can't leave. You belong with me. I've always taken good care of you; there is nowhere else for you to go."
Theresa threw back her head, her dark tresses waving in the wind. "We can go anywhere we choose, Francine!"
"What an improper way to address your dear aunt," the voice chided with mock offense.
Then the voice became softer.
"Theresa, I remember when you were just a frightened little girl and all alone after your parents passed away. You were so happy to have someone come to Waldwick to love and take care of you."
The gentle voice turned its attention to Daphne. "And you, Daphne, were little more than a baby. You don't even remember a time before you were in my care."
Francine paused and both sisters were struck by their childhood memories of their aunt taking care of them.
"Come back to the castle and we will reminisce over our fond memories. Come back, come back to me," the voice cajoled.
Both could feel her words like a physical pull; it was the almost overwhelming urge to return to where they belonged.
Daphne took a step towards the light, but was stopped by Theresa's hand on her shoulder. "We do not belong with her. We are not going," Theresa told her sister in a trembling voice.
She was thankful she could even manage to push the words out of her leaden throat.
There was nothing Theresa would rather do than obey her aunt in that moment. She knew Aunt Francine had their best interests at heart. Aunt Francine would never harm them.
Yet no, that was not really true. Her mind rebelled against Francine's enticing words. She was not going to obey. They were leaving.
Daphne shook her head as if to clear it.
The disembodied voice rang out again in cold laughter. "Oh, my dear Theresa. You truly are a talent. You've learned to ignore my voice and my commands, have you?"
Theresa struggled to find a response.
Francine's voice was silk. "I suppose I shall have to deal with you two in a different manner. You've left me no choice. A shame, really. I prefer to handle matters in a gentler way."
Theresa squared her shoulders and found the words of her will. "I already told you we are leaving, Francine. We are—"
Theresa's defiance was cut short as another bright flash of the unnatural light sped towards Theresa and Daphne. Instinctively, Theresa pushed her younger sister out of the way and flung herself the other direction. Whatever magic the light indicated could not be good.
She was too slow. The flash hit Theresa before she was fully clear of its radius.
Theresa collapsed to the ground. Her body shook uncontrollably.
What had her aunt done to her?
Daphne stared in horror at Theresa by the dim light of her lantern. Theresa did not want to stop and consider what might have put such a terrible expression on her sister's pretty face.
Theresa experienced an horribly cold tingling sensation as it worked its way through muscle and bone.
"Theresa! You, you are—" Daphne stuttered.
The voice rang out in another siren song. "Good girl, Daphne. Now pick up your sister and come back to the castle. I'll restore Theresa once you're safely inside."
The tone was deceptively reassuring and felt so compelling it was as if their aunt was present and physically pulling them towards her.
Theresa's mind felt thick and slow. The rest of her body felt oddly distant, almost as if it had been somehow disconnected from her mind. She could not make her arms move to push herself up; she could not move her legs.
Theresa could not even obey her aunt and return to the castle any more than she could make herself disobediently run away.
She was forced to watch with silent detachment as her sister stood up.
Yet even through her sluggish mind she still knew she had to disagree with Francine's words. Theresa had to break Francine's spell on Daphne again and they had to get out of there.
Theresa opened her mouth to convince her sister, but no words came out.
Instead, there was another unrecognizable strangled sound that bore almost no resemblance to her voice.
Then, Theresa experienced an odd sensation when Daphne swept her up into her arms, as if she weighed no more than a bag of flour. How was her delicate sister able to lift her so easily?
Theresa tried to speak again, but again the same sound emerged.
As if urged on by Theresa's strangled attempt at speech, Daphne began to run.
Theresa was thankful that Daphne was putting distance between them and their aunt. Daphne must have broken through their aunt's compulsion spell without any further help from Theresa.
It was most fortunate, because Theresa felt so wrong, so disjointed.
Perhaps Daphne had gained strength from the increased distance between them and their aunt, perhaps the tangled freedom of the forest inspired her, or perhaps Daphne's resolution had grown stronger.
Whatever the reason, it was a sheer relief they were putting distance between themselves and Francine.
In spite of her relief they were still free, the horrible revelation of what Francine had inflicted on her continued to unfold at the edge of Theresa's mind. She did not really want to accept it, but the reality could not be completely ignored.
Theresa was being carried by her fragile sister. It was impossible, but it was happening.
Francine had no reason to make Daphne stronger, ergo Theresa understood that she had to be smaller.
She, who was seldom at a loss for words could not form the simplest syllable. Clearly something was terribly wrong.
Theresa seemed to have become a miniature mute. What had that evil woman done to her?
Without conscious thought, Theresa's eyes moved around as she bounced along in her sister's arms. The strap of Daphne's bag rubbed uncomfortably against her face. Her eyes stopped briefly on her hand. Horror unfurled in the her stomach.
Her hand was covered in black fur. Her hand was not a hand. It was a paw.
Fur? Paw? Theresa yowled in horror. The horrible, inhuman sound only reinforced the reality of the situation in which she found herself in.
"Shush!" hissed Daphne. "Do you want to make it easier for her to find us?"
"But I'm not human!" Theresa tried to say, although it sounded like a meow. Her eyes widened at the unfamiliar noise. The sound of a feline!?
Surely that was an impossibility? What sort of horrible nightmare had she been thrust into where Daphne was the one taking charge and cautioning Theresa to be careful?
"Shush! I don't know what you're saying, but I can imagine. Theresa, we'll do something about it, I promise."
Theresa could not imagine how that might happen. If her only hope was her meek, quiet, and terribly docile sister making plans and finding assistance Theresa knew that there was a strong possibility that she might just be stuck as a cat forever.
The terrible thought sent a cold shiver down her spine, not entirely unlike the magic that had brought her to this unthinkable point.
What could a cat possibly do in a human world? She would be utterly helpless. She needed to be human again. She wanted to be herself!
Daphne continued to run through the forest; Theresa tried to control her panic.
Even the sight of the main road as a symbol oftheir chance at freedom did nothing to calm her.
* * * * *
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