Now standing In front of the enormous forest. “Not even a fence” Lara says. The girls lean in closer to read the sign. “ DO NOT ENTER.” The sign reads. “Huh, couldn’t be any more friendly” she says sarcasm in her voice. “ so, should we you know, enter?” Lyan asks, only to be meet with a hesitant and nervous look from both of them. “Emmmmm, what do you think?” Both of them asks the other. “ no, you should decide” “ no, you, you’re the oldest”. “no-”. As Lyan realizes the only thing she was going to get from her sisters is indecisiveness. She takes a deep breath in. “ we’re strong!!!” She yells out as she runs into the forest without looking back. In a mere seconds the indecisiveness of her sisters was solved as they rush after her, calling out her name. L: “ you tried sign”.
Pushing through the trees and bushes, sprinting across, all behind Lyan. Suddenly “ah-” Lyan stops in her tracks causing the rest to unintentionally hit her back. “Why did you stop?” Maya asks. “I-l don’t know where to go” Lyan responds, looking all around, every direction seemed the same, taking a step forward or back, it didn’t matter for it was a natural maze. “ good!, no more running. From now on we’ll stay hand-in-hand and we’ll leave marks on the trees, we can’t afford to get lost here!” Lara says as she tightly holds Lyan’s hand. “Maya?” She asks as she extends her hand out for her to hold.
Only to see maya taking a rock and smashing its sides on another rock. She does it a couple more times before turning around and showing her sisters. The rocks tip was as sharp as knives. “ will this do?” She asks. “ perfect” Lara responds, with a smile and a pleased tone. Maya then throws the stone over to Lara. Just for Lyan to push her away and catch the stone. “ hey!”. “ I wanna draw on the trees!” Lyan says with her best wide eyed face. “ don’t make the marks too similar and don’t destroy the rock immediately” maya says in her usual stern manner and continues to make her way forward. Lyan: “ yes!”. L: “ hey! what did I say?!, hand-in-hand ”. Before they leave Lyan makes her mark, L: “ a smiley face?”. Lyan: “ it’s unique!”. “ it will do the job” maya says. And with that they officially set off deeper into the forest.
As the girls make their way through, occasionally stopping to make marks. They begin to grow restless and skeptical of whether there is actually something that could be of use to them. Not to mention, the strain on the nerves that only worsens with each step and doesn’t help that what they’re looking for could be anything. “ agh!, what’s with people of this world and being so vague!. ‘ Suspicious activities’ that could be anything for god’s sake!, a squirrel, a bunny” Lara says growing ever so tiered of what seemed to her a useless walk in the woods . “Shut up, Lara, you’re gonna jinx it now and something gonna pop-” Lyan says, unable share her sisters sentiment not one bit, she was growing more scared and nervous by the second.
“Oh, please there’s nothi-”. “ AHHHHHHHHH!!!!” before Lara could continue Lyan interrupts with the loudest scream there could be, echoing all throughout reaching as far back as the carriage. Vernon turns to face the direction of the frightened scream. V: “ hm, I’m sure they’re fine”
“ ahhh!!, what’s with you?!!” Lara yells out, as she holds Lyan’s shoulders shaking her back and forth. “ I’m sorry!, I’m sorry it’s just the birds scared me!” She says, referring to the flock of crows making they’re way away from the forest. As if they were running away, it seemed.
“ looks like you scared them as well” maya says, pointing to the flock of birds in the air. It doesn’t take Lara but a second of close inspection to realize “ wait that can’t be the case, she screamed because they suddenly flew, which would mean something else must have scared them, right over…” as she tries to locate where they could have sat off from, her eyes fall upon a bird, one at the very end of the group, the slowest and closest to the ground out of the bunch. One that looked like it had just set off and not willingly either, a disturb look wore the poor thing’s face and it’s left wing appeared to be in terrible condition and under all the splattered blood you couldn’t tell whether it was the work of claws or swords.
But such a sight does not discourage her, she may have not even noticed or perhaps just overlooked it. Her mind focused on just one thing, what they have been looking for this entire time a lead. “There!, over there!”. “I don’t know, Lara, that bird doesn’t look too good-” but before maya’s concerns could even be heard, Lara grabs both of them and begins sprinting. It was as if a new ray of hope just dawned upon them, shining right before their eyes, it was dangling ever so close to them. All they had to do was reach it.
With each step Lara takes her speed increases and with each step it begins to feel more to her sisters like they’re getting dragged through the woods rather then running beside her. As Lyan tries her hardest to keep up with the rapidly increasing speed, simultaneously as making marks on the trees. Turning left and right to whatever tree is in arms reach. though the time she has for every mark is shorter than the last, she presses the rock alongside every tree with all her might, she’s hoping to leave even the slightest scratch, anything that could be of aid later. But as the twigs hits begin to feel lighter, her vision got blurry and her head starts spinning. Losing control was inevitable.
And as so. pressing the rock In which ever direction the wind leads caused it to have two sharp ends. One to the outside and one pressed against her hand. As she goes to lay another mark, she feels vile pain of the rock stabbing into her hand, and in an instant she throws the rock with her other hand. The blood comes gushing out. Lyan holds her hand In pain, letting go of her sister’s . Immediately as she let go maya pulls over Lara , stopping her in her tracks. Letting go right after as well “ Lara!”. “What?!-” as she turns around her eyes lock instantly on her sister. And her main and complete focus cannot help but shift. And the feeling of guilt and sorrow overcomes her faster then any feeling of hope could.
She gets on the ground, right beside Lyan and holds her close. “ I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, can you show me?, please, I’m sorry, please, just show me” pleading to her sister, hoping that she would forgive and accept her help. Lyan and slowly removes her hand off of the other, and opens her wrist. It was bloody painful sight but without hesitation or reaction to the horrific wound, Lara rips a piece of the sleeve of her blouse. Tying the wound as tightly as she can. Hoping to stop the gushing blood or at least slow it down. Before taking her sister into her arms. “You’ll be fine now,I’m sorry, you’ll be fine” she say’s trying to calm her sister, but still somewhat panicked and apologetic in her tone. Lyan slowly but surely begins to relax.
As the atmosphere begins to grow more calm and silent. The sounds of nature start to become louder. Maya turns her head around to the direction of the noises. And as they got louder and louder she began to realize this is not the wind or a strange breeze these were footsteps . “ do you hear that?” She says growing in paranoia with every passing moment. Steadily she reaches for stick on the ground near them.
Just as she does, the sounds began to rapidly grow louder and closer. It came from every direction but from non of them at the same time. It was as if it was circling around them. But just as they could focus she’s able to locate the sound, it was coming from the direction in which the stone flew, leaving a trail of blood behind it. The rock left one last mark and it leads right back to them.
The ground began trembling and the bushes violently shook as the sound of footsteps rushing in their direction grew louder and louder. “ we’ve gotta move!” Maya calls out, her heart pounding hard in her chest and her voice shaky. But before they could even bat an eye, comes lunging through the air a tremendous beast, a wolf with moon like eyes. light and shiny yet fierce and monstrous.it’s body though malnourished in its appearance and covered with scars and bruises. The wolf made up for its inability of sight and his fragile build with his unnerving capability of smell.
Lyan:“Ahhh!”. Before they could even realize it, maya’s entire self is slammed to the ground. Fighting off the vicious beast on top of her with nothing but measly stick. Giving her sisters an opening to escape. And as such they do. “Maya!” Lara calls out as she ushers Lyan to continue forward. overcome with fear and stress ,Lyan does not hesitate to do what as she’s told. Lara then reaches behind one of the bushes. Maya’s arms begin to give out more and more with every passing second. the stick is beyond it’s breaking point, it’s on its last breath. But the stubborn strength of the wolf seems to know no limits, as it does not budge. Ever so persistent, it’s canines through the stick and out, it’s saliva slathered all over maya. The time in her hands was little and she knew it. there was no solution left but to run. Gathering all the might she had left, she places her feet on its lower stomach and slowly starts lifting both her arms and legs, and with one powerful push, she launches the beast into the air. Bolting her way out after in mere seconds.
But it does not phase the wolf, back on its feet and after maya. Not a moment of focus lost. She does not make it far before the wolf is back on her trail, almost on her back again, but before it could take a bite, Lara with rock in hand, gives it a knuckle bashing through his head. Knocking the wolf out of its course. Although unsure of it’s state, she does not wait to check, continuing after her sisters. While sprinting as fast as she could, a burning sensation starts to come over her, the pain gradually increasing. She may not have realized it at the time but the wolf has injured her. The blood begin to ooze out. She clutches her right arm, continuing forward, not stopping for anything not even her self.
The sounds of panting and whimpering were all Lyan could muster, in moment were all she felt was horror and terror. In midst of the endless vicious woods, all alone. Only one thought one her mind, one word. “ …mama” she says in between her breaths, “I-I..want my mama!” She calls out, tears flowing down her face. In that instant, she hears a sound, not too far behind, one the pierces right through her. It was the sound of growling. Immediately her heart begins racing, her eyes widen at the face of impending doom but she doesn’t move a muscle, pinned to the ground she was. The sound gets closer and closer with every second but what could be done. She is small, wounded and on her own. Suddenly, when all seemed over, her father’s words come rushing back to her, his sure voice and his encouraging smile as he lifted her up. It was a ray of hope that shined upon her. Lyan’s attitude shifts at once.. But it was too late, too late to run. as a wolf, similar in his appearance to it’s brother but with a defined scar across his left eye. Charges at her. But she couldn’t accept this to be her end, she stands ready to hit and as she throws her one and only blow, with all her strength. She misses. It all went quiet, not a sound but ringing in her ears. Time stops. In front of her stood the wolf no longer. Her eyes only met with one thing at the moment, her eyes met death.
“ Lyan!!!” A shout from her sister’s comes returning time to its course and colors back in sight. In an instant maya pulls her away and Lara giving the feral beast its intended blow but it only makes the burning worst. Maya grabs her from the back and tries to escape with what little time they had, only to fall downhill along with her sisters.
Sitting down on the ground panting, trying to catch their breath. With the only moment they’ve got. They give each other quick glances before Lyan pulls them for a teary embrace. “Huh.., Ah!, no time-no time!. They’re still after us!” Lara shouts out, pulling her sisters back up. As the wolves are on their trail once again. Now with no where to hide, and a forceful and stubborn nose locked on them. Just a straight line to run across.
Shoving through the trees and branches. Making their way as fast as they could. No time to stop or slow down. every late step seals their fate tighter. With the ever increasing pressure maya begins to fall behind, her legs weaken and slowly fail her. Close to the wolves but they don’t attack, they just continue running in their course. Lara extends her arm to her sister, which maya does not hesitate to take, and as she pulls her sister forward the wolves take their chance and lunge, but they do not come near maya. Her arm was the prey of this attack. Luckily, faster then the wolves mouths was her swift response. Their reaction doesn’t go unnoticed by Lara and based on their actions a theory, an idea forms in her mind. a way to save her sisters.
The girls increase in speed as they begin climbing uphill, tiring these beasts wasn’t an option, as they keep up with them. In the midst of the short breaths, the tears, the aching limbs and almost halfway through to the summit, with limited time on her hand. There was a chance, one chance. Lara filled with nothing but uncertainty, takes one last look back then glances at her sisters.
She presses her lips inwards, her expressions tighten as she looks up, takes a deep breath and with a heavy heart places her hand on both of her sister’s shoulders and without giving them a chance to catch a glimpse of her face, she pushes them off the sides of the hill. Faint screams is all she hears as she turns her head back to see the wolves still behind her, on the same corse. It was exactly what she thought, they’re after her and only her.
A big, somewhat of a relieved smile falls upon her face. “ they’re safe-they’re safe now!” She thought to her self, now she only got herself to worry about. Just as she began to think of way to survive, the aches and pains of her body start to hit her. Her legs feel frail, her heart is unable to keep up with her lungs, head dizzy and the world begins to look blurry. But she couldn’t stop. “ no-no,I can’t…I won’t-” she thought to herself. But she certainly knew, that soon enough stopping won’t be a choice anymore. “ damn it!” She shouts. “As long as there is a single speck of air in my lungs then I won’t stop!” She thought to herself. But holding her self up becomes a more and more difficult with each passing moment. “ ah!, I wooooooooon’t!!” She yells out as she gathers all the power left in her to run as fast and as far she could.
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