Dark Woods

    Going through the Dark Woods at night was not exactly what you’d call my best decision. I mean, they called it the Dark Woods, for goodness sakes. It was dark, even in the daytime, and for some stupid reason, I decided I’d walk through it close to dark. Now I was stumbling around in the dark without a torch or fire spell to my name.

    The strong, musty smell of rotting leaves permeated the air. These were not the thin, well traveled woods I was used to. No one was cleaning these out.

    They weren’t quiet either. For as dark as they were, you’d think they would be quiet, but no. There were sounds all around me. It was why I was too afraid to stop. I had nothing to start a fire with. I swear, I brought some before I started this quest, but then I ended up in these ruins with some vampire and I lost my bag and torch and …

    Well, it’s a long story. 

    I parted ways with the vampire when we got out, because you know, vampire. I wasn’t about to be his dinner, though I was pretty sure he never planned to eat me. Nothing about him screamed killer like the vampires you hear about. He was a wimp to be honest.

    Anyway, there I was, in the Dark Woods surrounded by sounds and smells, and oh, small twigs and sticks scratching at my clothes, and no light. It was enough to make a girl stamp her foot and cry. I wasn’t that kind of girl, though. I was tougher than that. I was a strong mage, not some weakling hiding behind a desk. Some big, old Dark Woods weren’t about to scare me.

    I bumped into something.

    It screamed.

    So did I.

    I tried to run and smashed hard into a tree. Pain coursed through me, my face in particular. Rubbing a hand over my face, I found something wet and I was guessing blood.

    Near me, someone moaned. I was guessing he ran into a tree too.

    “Who goes there?” I shouted. “I warn you, I am a dangerous, powerful —“

    “Mage?”

    I froze. It couldn’t be.

    “Mage, is that you?”

    “V-Vampie?” I stuttered.

    “The one and only,” he sighed. “I see we had the same idea. A quick exit through the Dark Woods and off to home.”

    Well, if I was honest, I had to admit I was here because I was too dumb to realize I was walking into the Dark Woods. I thought I was headed in the other direction.

    There was no need to let him know that, though. “Uh, yeah. I don’t suppose you can see in this darkness, can you?”

    I could hear him move closer. “Uh, no, I’m afraid not. I would stop for the evening, except …” he trailed off.

    “The animals?” I filled in.

    He made a nervous laugh. “No. No. No … yes, very much so. They scare me.”

    I slumped to the ground and rubbed my hand over my face, trying to find where I was bleeding. My skin stung with each press of my fingers. “Me too. Want to sit here together until morning?”

    “Given all that time we spent together in the ruins, I guess I could take one more evening to protect you.”

    Wow, isn’t he generous. Also, I’m pretty sure I was the one protecting him half the time.

    Oh, who cared. I didn’t want to be alone.

    Then a thought struck me. “Wait, can’t vampires not go out during the daytime?”

    “Old vampires. I’m not that old. I still have hair, see?”

    I shook my head even though he couldn’t see me. “Uh, no, I don’t see.”

    “Right. Sorry.”

    “Yeah, how about we sit here quiet —“

    A loud howl cut me off.

    I heard a rustle right next to me. My heart pounded and did a backflip. Then a pair of hands found my arm and I jumped. All of a sudden, Vampie was pressed against my side, shivering like a frightened child. “Please keep talking. Tell me a story or something.”

    I wish I’d had some witty retort, but I was shaking too.

    And a story sounded good. “Okay, so once upon a time …”