Chapter 100

Scary and Dark

"Go on, child," the aged voice of the Elder urged her to move forward. "Don't be scared."

The world was scary, cold, and unfeeling today.

It wasn't always this way, Shui'er recalled. Just a week ago, she was loved and cared for, and the world was full of song and color. What has changed in the seven days? She didn't know. Just last night, after washing her, Maids had her don a silken night gown with embossing purple, lithe and light, before telling her to kneel in front of the altar all night and pray. Shui'er was a good kid, and she obeyed diligently, praying from the bottom of her heart--for all ten minutes before dozing off and falling asleep.

Luckily, she'd woken up before anyone entered the room, settling herself back into the praying pose. It wasn't but ten minutes later that the Elder entered and quickly ushered her out. There seemed to be a strange procession of people outside, two groups lining on either side of the road leading outside the village and up a hill into the Forbidden Woods. Among those were even her parents and her older brother, but when she called out toward them, they looked away.

Even her friends, as well as her Maids, and her teachers... none of them spoke to her. Not when she was walking through the village, not when she had exited it, and not now, when she was at the top of the hill, staring at the fluttering shrubberies between the trees. The Elder was telling her to go into the woods, into the spooky, horrid, terrifying edge of the world where bad children were sent to be punished. Was Shui'er a bad child? No! She wasn't! She was studious, she was pretty, she was proper, and she always addressed her elders with respect!

So... why was she being sent into the woods?

Why was the Elder who taught her with love and care as far back as she could remember looking at her so strangely? There was darkness in his eyes that she never saw before, and though he was smiling, Shui'er could tell it was a bad smile. A bad, bad smile that wicked people had.

But the Elder wasn't a wicked person. Nobody in the village was. They were all nice, and they all loved her. No, not anymore--if they loved her, they wouldn't be sending her into the Forbidden Woods.

"Elder--"

"--hush, child," her tender plea was rejected coldly. "This is for the good of us all. You're a good girl, Shui'er, right? Good girl who loves her friends and parents?"

"Y-yes..."

"Then be a good girl and go on. Save us. It will only be scary for a little while, child, but not much after. We will all be saved thanks to you, Shui'er. Good girls, yes, good girls would want to save us, right Shui'er?"

"Yes..."

She was crying, clutching tightly her dress with her shaky fingers.

What else could she do but say yes?

What else could she do but begrudgingly step forward under the Elder's heavy gaze?

What else could she do but endure her heart breaking into thousands of pieces?

Her feet hurt rather quickly, as she was barefoot. The fallen branches were rough, as were the countless tiny pebbles. Even the leaves seemed to have an edge to them, like sharpened knives.

She cried and walked, her vision blurring because of the trees. But she endured, onward and beyond the shrubberies and between the trees. Flowers arose from the sides, beautiful and horrifying, and colors swelled... yet the world was dull and gray.

Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

She didn't know how long she walked before she lost all her strength, falling down. Unable to endure it any longer, she cried aloud, her voice a sorrowful wail echoing out into the forest's depth.

Why?

She asked a thousand times.

Why her?

She was a good girl.

Prim.

Obedient.

Diligent.

She cried and cried and cried, losing what little strength she had and falling to her side. Darkness swelled even amidst the spruced colors of the forest, and she found herself drifting.

It was cold.

Shui'er's eyes snapped open, and she gasped for breath, shivering violently for a moment as she clutched her chest and stood up. Looking around frantically, she could seldom see a thing; everywhere, it was only darkness. Deep and morbid. And in the distance, she could hear... sounds. They were unpleasant sounds, strange and beastly, for the night had woken the monsters of the woods from their slumber.

She found a nearby tree and crawled over toward it, making herself seem as small as possible. Kneading her head into her knees, she didn't cry. Not for lack of want, but for lack of strength. She was hungry and thirsty and tired, and her feet and legs hurt, and her hair was disheveled.

Why?

There it was again, the question. The question that rang across her mind a thousand times, but never echoed an answer. She flinched, hearing strange, rustling sounds from nearby. They've come, she knew--monsters liked little girls, she heard. The tender, sweet, young flesh. She would be their feast tonight.

The leaves parted and from the nearby shrubbery she saw a pair of demonic eyes shimmer and shine; they were as round as the full moon, red like pomegranate, and thirsty. Thirsty for her, she knew.

And yet, even knowing so... what was she to do? Her entire body froze, cold and bereft of life, as the silhouette began to form while emerging. Perhaps it would devour her head first, and that would be it. Then again, it might want to play with her, gnawing away piece by piece until there was nothing left of her.

She prepared a scream in her throat that never left it--rather than a demonic monster with the form that would induce nightmares, what she saw was a rather shaggy dog instead. The dog's fur was gray and wavy, and its tongue was flapping back and forth as it panted, looking at her curiously. The red hue in its eyes softened and turned silverish, and even its size was no larger than that of an ordinary pup.

Poor dog!

Was he, too, abandoned? Or did he get lost?

"T-t-t-hat way!" Shui'er cried out softly, pointing toward where she came from. "Th-that's, that's the exit! Go! It's scary here!" however, despite her frantic cries, the dog never moved. Rather, its panting ceased, and its tongue retired into its maw as it seemed to examine her.

"Woof!" it then barked, walking over and biting her dress before pulling it. It did so a few times before letting go and pointing with his head in the opposite direction, wagging its tail.

"Y-you... want me to follow you?" she wondered aloud.

"Woof!" the dog barked back.

It was stupid, Shui'er knew. There was no way a dog could talk, and there was no way she could understand it. It was all her stupid imagination, her tiredness, and her sorrows. But...

She stood up, dusting off her dress aimlessly. The dog barked yet again and started walking, and Shui'er followed. Its pace was rather slow, yet in perfect concert with her fastest. She followed the wagging tail as though it were a beam of light in a dark cave, all so against her childlike judgment. She would perish between these trees, anyway, she knew. Perhaps in her deluded want, she might yet reach a pretty fairy or two that will let her go in peace.

They walked and walked for a good while, and the trees grew taller and taller. And yet, at the same time, the darkness... dimmed. More and more, beams of moonlight managed to find their way through the canopy, illuminating the thick, tall roots and shrubberies. She'd often have to stop and climb over, and the dog would wait for her patiently, never urging her. Here and there, she'd stumble and fall, and the dog would walk up to her and lick her bruises and scrapes. And she would pet his shaggy fur, and he would bark, and then they'd walk again.

Soon enough, Shui'er saw something that stunned her perhaps even more than the dog--she saw flickering lights in the distance, buried between the trees. Her heart jumped into her throat and she sped up as much as she could. Her tiny feet were already bruised and bloodied, and she could seldom feel them, but she urged whatever little strength she had in her teeny body to carry her onward.

The dog led her toward the light, and soon the trees began to part, and she stumbled upon a clearing.

There were hallowed flames roaring, tall and mighty and bright, and there was a house as tall as the sky.

"Eh?" and there was a voice, causing Shui'er to look to the side where she saw a dark silhouette stand up from behind the flames. It was a giant! A massive, bulky giant! And he had wild hair and wild beard, and he had a wild look in his eyes!

Stupid dog led her to a giant that would eat her!

"Noooooo!!" she cried out in shock before weakness completely took over her, and she found herself drifting into the dark. Don't eat me, giant! She yelped inwardly. Shui'er is a good girl...