Something twisted in the shadow of the trees as she made her way down the woodland path. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it but she knew she was being watched. In the far distance, beyond the dusky silhouettes of trees she could see the inky blackness of a pond and beyond that, the castle lights.
Something grabbed her ankle.
Startled, she turned and saw that it was only dry bramble. She giggled and began tugging upon the clothing, which was caught by the fingers of the underbrush. Stubbornly refusing to release despite her efforts, she reached to untangle her skirt and gouged her arm upon a thorn. Beads of blood welled from her torn flesh and trickled down her hand to the ground below. Suffering from an intense drought, the ground drank the life giving force as quickly as it landed.
Above her, the trees raged as if a storm had suddenly began, yet strangely, beyond the turbulent canopy, the sky was free of clouds. She laughed anxiously at the moon which hung bright like a floating pearl upon the blacken silk of night. Laughter echoed back, but it was not hers .
Quickly she turned.
A menacing figure watched from beneath a shadowed tree. It slowing inhaling through its gaping mouth as if tasting her fear upon the air - and it grinned.
Her heart raced, beating like a trap bird within her chest. Nevertheless, the creature only stared with bright red eyes paralyzing her with horrible dread.
Upon his head was a jaunty cap of bloody red. A rivulet of viscous fluid dribbled from the little hat and bleed into the creatures gaping mouth. It smacked its lips with delight. With grotesque flesh trembling in anticipation and voice like grinding rocks, it look to her and said.
“Hungry.”
Snatching her gown from the clutches of the greedy brambles, she ran faster than she had ever before leaving the creature’s laughter to reverberate through forest.
She approached the pond only to find that the vile creature was scuttling right behind. With chittering howl it call the beasts and rising like shadows the black hounds appeared. As they raced toward their prey, their claws scored the earth creating furrows and their musty saliva rained onto the desiccated land. With mouths gnashing and fangs gleaming the moonlight, they laughed at her as they pursued.
She falls upon loose debris and catches her palm against a sharp stone. It bled into the earth.
Holding her hand to her chest, she picked herself up, and runs towards her salvation, the castle beyond the pond. She knew she would be safe within the protected walls with the warm light to drive away the foul darkness of the night. So with labored breath and tired limbs, she struggled around the bend. But as she passed the darken pond, a ripple disturbed the stillness of the lake, and from its stagnate depths a dark horse arose.
Upon its equines back, a man of shadows rode with elegance and grace. Unable to speak, she mewled in terror and struggled in vain as he took her into his fatal embrace.
“What beautiful sounds you make.” He stroked her hair. “But regrettable, you my sweet, are not for me to keep.”
With hell-hounds and red caps beneath, they rode upon the night mare to the heart of the woods. His breath was warm upon her face as he kissed her check and whispered into her ear.
“These woods my dear, they must ...eat.”
Mistaken for the wind whistling through trees, the locals welcomed her shrieks. They dance and sang throughout the dark, celebrating the end of the terrible drought.
And the laughing girl who wandered into the hungry woods? Well she laughed no more that night while the forest feed -feasted by ancient rite.