She sat huddled in the corner of a dark, uncomfortable cage made of vines and tree branches. She hadn't been able to see for some time now, but her eyes were finally beginning to adjust to the ever-present darkness. Fiadh was gone now. She hadn't returned for anything. Food, water, clothing. She was living on without any for an impressive sum of time. Her throat was desolate of moisture, skin burning with sweat, and stomach greedily demanding payment. Head in her knees, she discovered it was far more comfortable not to move. A statue of melancholy, Aislene was losing hope. A snap and twisting sound of the branches moving awoke her from the dream-wake state. Above her, in the rough canopy, light poured in from the growing hole. Curious, she watched as whatever was above kept digging through her room. That was when she noticed the long, dagger-like claws reaching in through the cracks. The yellow plaid creature peered in from up high. For once, she was grateful and hopeful for the cage to hold up against such a menace. Clawing ferociously, its movements became desperate and animalistic. Like a dog digging holes to hide its bones in, death was breaking in. The branches were slowly being widdled away, a bigger gap opening with each downward and upward arm stroke. Pushing and pulling, a head-sized crevice finally gave way for it to stick its ugly head in. Seeing it now made her sick. A raven's beak was protruding from the face of a pig. The ears of a horse reaching its lower neck and a long slithery tongue forked in four directions. A true monster, not nearly as intimidating as the Cybien, but this was a nightmare. She wanted to scream but couldn't find her voice or the will to do it. Crying in a howl of anger, the creature looked at her with its terrifying black eyes. Images of sharks in storybooks arose at a similar sight. Locking eyes with a predator is what she felt this was, how a rabbit quivered when cornered by a fox, how a fish reacted to a bigger, scarier fish eyeing it like a snack. A human is trapped while a vicious monster attempts to reach its prey. In her heart, she felt something, she knew she was afraid of dying, but recent lamentations had forced her to ask why. If her life was now this horrible, why was dying such a bad thing? Surely there has to be something better somewhere else, right? The logic was pushed aside as the creature shook its head wildly, trying so hard to get it. Because she felt fear for her life, the monster stopped, gazing inexpressibly, its upside-down view in the dark waited. Opia of mutual suspense, the creature began to pull its head out of the hole slowly. Keeping at least one eye on her as it patiently unstuck itself. When completely out of sight, she expected to hear the weight of movement on the roof, but no sound, not even the minuscule crack of a twig stirred. She glimpsed the hem of its yellow cloak through the hole as it disappeared once again. Yellow was a dark, morbid color associated with suffering and death. The brighter it was, the more unlucky. The opposite violet radiated feelings of happiness and good cheer. Each color corresponding with emotions, concepts, and actions. Seeing yellow here was a bad omen, though the warning was a bit late. After it had gone, Aislene wondered what to do. Her options were limited in here, and with two enemies hanging around, winning was nearly impossible. She thought of a solution, envisioning possibilities in her head. Most ended on an optimistic note, but she knew that was the least likely outcome. After several moments buried deep in thought, an answer came. She wobbly stood up and turned her attention to the newly created hole in her cage. Reaching up, she managed to touch the lowest hanging branch near the exit. Realizing reaching it wasn't likely, she tried jumping to catch it. Holding on with one hand, her arm screamed in pain as thousands of tiny little lightning bolts shot through her nerves, signaling further damage to her body. Tears welled up, but she didn't let go. Reaching with her other arm, she grabbed the hold. Causing even more pain, a short single sob escaped before she bit down and grimaced. Pulling up, she got the top of her head outside, like looking over a wall. The sight of something other than darkness was heartbreaking. She wanted so badly to cry, but her logical mind took control. She continued pulling, trying her hardest, she gasped. Pull, pull, pull, her bosom peeked through the opening, and soon her waist followed. More and more, she finally got her legs through. Laying down, she remained still to catch her breath and to let the unbearable pain fade. Rolling over onto her back, she was met again with the familiar sight of rough branches and leaves. Hyper joy fluttered in her chest. The refreshing feeling of escape released defiance into her mind. Her inner thoughts were muttering unspeakable insults and gloating to an imaginary Fiadh. A small contemptuous smile appeared before she began her descent. When she reached the bottom of the tree, a long trek across a changing landscape awaited. Not since her capture had, she felt such anger. With a target in mind, she chose a direction and began limping. Reaching the edge was the first step. Finding the exit was next. By then, Fiadh would appear to stop her. When that happened, she would need to use the sharpened stick she carved out from the cage. She'd need to conceal it, but clothing was now a luxury. An idea came to her, and a prideful grin painted her expression. During the long slow walk, she had found a rather big leaf lying on the ground. It was twice her size despite the tree it had fallen from being several times smaller than the previous. Pulling it over like a shawl, she admired its lively beauty before continuing. With the weapon hidden, the last step was to escape and find a settlement. A village, a town, even a camp of traveling merchants would be enough. Just finding some help was necessary. If she could make it that far, then she'd get a second chance at life. Restlessness caused her to limp rather quickly despite her numerous injuries. An invigorated spirit would soon lead to a way out.

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