About halfway up the tree trunk, there is a man gripping the tree with bulging, milky gray eyes and sunken cheeks. He’s hanging upside down, his threadbare clothes barely concealing his skin, which has taken on a grayish hue. The sound of his long fingernails scraping against the bark fills the air, making goosebumps spread over my exposed skin. With slow blinks and a peculiar tilt of its head, the man slowly descends the tree, creating an eerie and unsettling sight.
I swallow roughly over the lump in my throat, as I slowly back away from the tree. Every step I take seems like an eternity, my heart racing and my palms sweating. My instinct is to escape, but I can’t break my stare from the creature watching me, its head tilted at an unnatural angle.
When it reaches the ground, it remains on its hands and feet, its neck twisting to keep track of me. Adrenaline and dread shoots through me, sending my pulse racing, and I know I’m in danger. Without a second thought, I turn and run.
My feet pound the dirt as I run as fast as I can, back toward the stream. From behind me, I hear a loud screech echo off the trees, and the birds fall silent around me. The sound of the whatever-it-is crashing through the forest behind me—its bellows of outrage—makes the hairs on my neck stand on end.
Shit, shit, shit.
What should I do?
Suddenly, the image of the tree pops into my mind; its safe, dark cavern. I know that if I try to loop around, I risk getting lost and potentially being caught by that thing. I let out a shrill scream and cover my head as an object forcefully collides with the tree beside me, sending shards of bark flying in all directions.
I don’t waste time looking behind, instead, I quicken my pace, veering to the left. My eyes are drawn to the stream up ahead, and I aim for it. I can’t put it into words, but an unexplainable urge tugs at me, drawing me toward it. The stream comes into full view, and I can’t ignore the captivating sight of the water, adorned with glistening ripples that seem to sparkle under the sun. However, I don’t allow it to distract me. Without a moment’s pause, I draw in a deep breath, and with a burst of adrenaline, I propel myself into the air. I gracefully land on the other side of the stream, feeling a rush of satisfaction. Another screech echoes through the air, sending a rush of pinpricks all over my body. I can hear the creature gaining on me. The wind rushes past me as I continue running. I don’t peek back when a shrill wail pierces the air, followed by the unsettling sounds of someone choking and thrashing in the water.
Despite the heavy ache in my chest, I push myself to keep running. Only when I reach my limit do I finally slow down, collapsing onto my hands and knees in a clearing of tall grass. Overwhelmed by exhaustion, I crumple to the ground, my heart beating painfully in the confines of my chest. Rolling to my back, I gaze up at the sky, my skin slick with sweat. The sky is clear, and the clouds drift lazily overhead, as I lie here trying to catch my breath.
Everything hurts.
“Argh!” I yell, my cries ringing out in the open air.
Gasping for air, I can feel the heat of my tears streaming down my face. The rise and fall of my chest match the rhythm of my breath as I gulp in lungfuls of the crisp, cool air, my fingers finding solace in the soil beneath me. Despite my fatigue, I try my best to focus, but my mind struggles to bring my scattered thoughts together.
Hidden in the tall grass I wait for my heart rate to return to normal and for the feeling of sickness and light-headedness to subside. Gradually, I rise, feeling the stiffness in my body, and take in the sights and sounds of my surroundings. I don’t know how long I have been here staring up at the sky, but now the sun is setting. I can see I don’t have long left before the last of the sun is below the horizon, and I do not know where I am or what to do now. Without any resources, I am left defenseless; no food, no water, and no means of protection.
Nix will never find me, and there is no way I am going back to that tree now. What am I going to do?
I am totally screwed.
I watch the sun sink beneath the horizon, a chill running down my spine, and hear the distant call of an animal.
Chapter five
Everly
Idecide to stay where I am, but manage to stumble my way over to a fallen tree at the edge of the meadow. My skin crawls with unease as I stare up at the tall trees beyond it, the sound of the wind rustling their branches echoing my earlier experience. My imagination runs wild with the thought of what could be hiding in the branches, my mind conjuring up all sorts of images for me to spend the night stressing about.
My gaze sweeps around the meadow, taking in the way the long, tall grass sways and dances in the breeze. Looks like I’ll be taking my chances sleeping out in the open tonight. But I’m not going to put myself in a situation where I can be cornered. I slump down against the fallen tree, hugging my pack to my chest. A headache teases at my temples, but I push it away by sheer will, and instead focus on the smell of the nearby wildflowers. I let my eyes drift shut as I inhale their sweet aroma, letting it soothe my senses enough for me to drift off to sleep. The gentle buzzing ofthe crickets is all that can be heard over the pleasant sway of the trees. It never would have crossed my mind that there would be crickets in Faerie. That was my last thought as I succumb to sleep, the weight of exhaustion pulling me under.
My eyes snap open as I jolt awake with no explanation. A sharp tingling sensation runs down my spine and the hairs on my neck stand on end, signaling a presence nearby. The tension in my body increases as I make an effort to pinpoint the source of my unease.
It better not be that red-eyed beast again.
I peer into the darkness, my eyes struggle to distinguish anything in the empty field before me. Slowly, I turn to my left where the forest begins, but the moonlight casts eerie shadows among the gnarled tree trunks, adding to the sense of foreboding.
I do my best to relax my breathing, and that's when I realize the air has become still. Even the crickets have stopped making noise. There isn’t a single sound in the night. It’s as if the forest itself is holding its breath.
I quickly stand up, bracing myself in case I need to run. I won’t make it far in the dark, not without falling on my face, but I will not sit around and let myself be eaten either.
Nix’s words float through my head;You’ll be eaten alive here.
Without making a sound, I focus all my attention on the space around me. I become aware of a small disturbance in the airbehind me, prompting me to spin around, my pulse thundering in my ears.
Standing on the fallen tree I have been leaning on is the shadowy figure of a man.
How did he get so close without me hearing?
“What do we have here?” he says in a language I don’t know, but somehow understand perfectly.
